Chapter 143: Delivery Day
He tried to smile gently, but his face was a bit frozen, and he couldn't bear to think about the pain she would suffer very soon. There was also some hatred for himself: how could he let her suffer all this!
But Cathryn didn't feel suffering at all. On the contrary, her pain was thoroughly obscured by the pleasure in her heart. She was thinking about how the baby was about to be born now, and expectation and joy were much greater than the pain.
They soon arrived at the hospital and were settled in the VIP ward. Finally, she was able to get up and walk, which was also what the doctor suggested. However, during the workout, she went to the bathroom and saw blood.
The pain caused by regular contractions gradually became more frequent. Finally, at nine o'clock in the morning, the doctor checked again and told them, "It's 1 cm dilated."
"Your contractions seem to be very dense." The nurse at the side of the fetal tube added a sentence.
For her delivery, Keith had had everything ready. The ward and team of doctors and nurses were the best in town, with the courtesy of Jeremy. But Keith still found himself nervous. The big man of 6'4 was arching his back, staring anxiously at two small figured doctors and nurses, asking, "What does that mean? Dense contractions?"
"There is nothing wrong with it." Seeing him so serious and nervous, they seemed to be pleased as this was going to be a responsible man.
They added, "But it's going to hurt a lot."
As soon as the voice fell, Cathryn on the bed groaned an "Ah." Keith trembled and jumped over the bed. He held Cathryn's hand, staring at her speechlessly, his blue eyes wavering like the ocean, only it wasn't calm but storming.
Seeing him so helpless made Cathryn befuddled for a second before realizing that her hand was tightly grasped in his. He put her hand down slowly and stabilized his emotions. "The nurse said that some would bite on the handrail of the bed, and it seems pretty hard. You can bite my hand."
A big drop of tear suddenly fell from a burst of pain. But at the same time, she felt bitter grievances. She opened her mouth and bit Keith's hand with her teeth but didn't force it.
The contractions went more frequently every few minutes. Cathryn forced herself to get up and walk around. It felt better, but soon it was too painful that her legs weren't strong enough to stand. She was about to kneel down when Keith held her from behind and carefully took her up to the bed.
When it was 2 pm, Cathryn ate something to make sure she had the strength. Now the pain is sharper than dysmenorrhea, and it comes every three minutes. She counted in her heart every time the pain came. It would ease a little after forty seconds, but very soon, another wave of pain flashed over.
At half-past two, Cathryn got 2cm dilated.
Keith couldn't stand this anymore, and he was walking his long body in and out of the room like a boy who didn't want to take an injection.
"Can you relieve the pain?"
"You can apply for anesthesia," the doctor told him. "But this may have a risk of extending the labor process."
Once he heard the word "risk," Keith became more anxious and asked for Cathryn's opinion, she rejected it, and this subject was not mentioned again.
After she reached 2cm, it was like finally getting the procedure together. She begins to dilate faster. By half-past three in the afternoon, it was 5cm open.
Cathryn felt like she had caught the flush before dawn, and she could see the sun on its way. Despite the pain, she found hope again.
The pain, however, was making her weep. It was tears that she could not control, nor could Keith sitting next to her. He couldn't help at all but sit aside like a statue with one hand firmly holding hers and the other in Cathryn's mouth. For an instant, Cathryn lost her control, and after a quick bite, a string of teeth marks was left there.
Cathryn could barely move now with all the pain. She could but hold tightly to Keith's hand like a life-saving straw as a nurse put a baby monitor on her with Keith's help.
"Every time the contraction figure rises to a hundred, take deep breaths." The nurse instructed.
Cathryn was so painful to even hear it, so Keith watched the monitor and asked her to breathe heavily when it rose. In the meantime, Catherine gave her some chocolate to eat.
Her parents were sent to the hospital in Keith's order and were kept waiting downstairs in case they became too distressed. Keith had made sure that Cathryn knew they wouldn't hear her cries, and his butler John would be comforting them outside.
By 5 pm, Cathryn had lost her sensibility and kept pegging her teeth into his hand without hearing his gasps.
When the doctor informed them that she was 70% open, Cathryn could barely see Keith's image. After a whole day of suffering, she had dried up her physical strength and spirit. She was so sleepy that her eyes couldn't open, but the pain kept coming back and woke her up crying in all consciousness and sweat.
She thought she was going to die, and her tearful face was distorted completely. The doctor came again and said something about the baby's fetal position, and Cathryn had to change her lying position.
The new position gave her an even bigger strike, so much that she was completely doomed.
"Don't strain," The doctor said in a normal, experienced tone, noticing the baby's heart rate had dropped below 120. He added, "For the sake of the baby, keep yourself together."
Cathryn was desperate.
The agony went on until seven pm, and the doctor came over and told Cathryn, "Let's go to an internal exam. No need to keep your strength anymore, you can push now."
Hearing this news, Cathryn felt a little lax within her sore and exhausted body. She took another breath and tried to push.