Authors: LaVenia R. Boswell
“My muscles are very tired from stretching so fast and carrying so much weight so quickly,” she explained.
As he saw that she was beginning to relax again he went into his bathroom to soak in his own tub.
Melody was in bed sound asleep when he got out. He thought about joining Mark, knowing full well that he was at the view screens again. Looking at Melody sleeping so peacefully made him decide that he wanted some sleep himself.
Jonathan awoke to the sounds of Melody moaning. She was sitting on the side of the bed alternately rubbing her back and then her stomach. Thinking that her muscles were just giving her a fit again he asked if he could rub them for her.
As he kneewalked to the side of the bed she was on, she turned to him and said, “Jon, I don't think that this is false labor.”
“Labor? False labor?” He didn't understand.
“Earth women frequently have false labor. I don't think this is false labor!” She groaned loudly then arched her back as she did do.
Oh Planets! He thought,
what's happening to her?
What in the world is this false labor she keeps talking about?
He picked up the phone and called for the doctor to come check her.
When he looked back at her she was up and walking, but she was puffing at the same time.
“Melody, what in the world's gotten into you?” he asked in complete non-understanding.
“Jon, I'm having a baby! That’s what’s wrong with me, now stop asking me questions!”
He was shocked at her tone with him then double shocked as he realized exactly what she was saying.
“Oh, Heavens! Mel, lay down! Don't walk around like that!” He tried to lead her to the bed but she gave him a strange and dangerous look and he backed off.
“Mel, look at me,” he feared that some of her chemicals had gone crazy and that's why she was behaving so bizarrely now that the baby was coming, “Mel! Please, lay down!”
She threw him an almost hateful look, but she did as he asked.
Good, he thought, now he had a little control over the situation. “Now, Mel, tell me calmly what you want me to do?”
She gritted her teeth between the puffing and said, “Get dressed!”
He looked down and seeing his nakedness realized that he must do that. He pulled on a pair of trousers then jerked on a shirt. He was putting on his shoes as he hopped to the door to let the doctor in.
“She's behaving very strangely, doc. She keeps saying that she's not having false labor. Are her chemicals out of whack? I've never heard of a woman acting like this when she's having a baby!”
The doctor smiled tolerantly at him as he walked over to Melody with his tray of examining equipment.
Melody seemed relieved to see the doctor, she let him check her without any fuss. When he was through, he smiled and pat her hand.
“Well, Mr. and Mrs. Jontu, it looks like this baby's on his way, it will be about six more hours though.” The doctor said.
“Six more hours! No way!” Melody yelled angrily as she started her puffing again.
“Doc! This can't be right, you see how's she behaving. This can't be normal, she acts like she hates me! She'd never act like that.”
“Jonathan, our Prince,” the doctor said, “Now will complete your manhood. There isn't a woman in the galaxies that doesn't act strange and frequently hateful when she's giving birth. Your own mother bit my hand when you were born! That's why I think it's time you go downstairs and have a glass of wine while Melody finishes her work. We'll go ahead and move her to the examining room.”
Between contractions Melody heard the last part, “No, Jon, please, don't leave me! And I don't want to go to the examining room! This baby was conceived on this bed and he can be born on it as well!”
“I'm afraid we do need you to be moved,” the doctor said.
Melody quickly quipped, “I don't care what you may need, I'm not going downstairs!” Then she burst into tears as she called Jonathan to her.
He was so relieved to hear from her that she needed him, but very upset over her distress. “What can I do, Baby?” he asked as he sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her sweaty face.
“Hold me. Jon, I'm so scared! Please make them let me stay here. That table is uncomfortable, and I hurt bad enough. Many women have their babies in their marriage bed, I want our's to be born there to.” She had started her puffing again as soon as the last two words were out. Instead of her pushing him away, she sat up and held him tightly.
He searched her mind and felt the fear and panic she was feeling, it was too horrible for words. The only positive thing was that he also felt her strong need for him, just his presence was a comfort to her.
“She stays here, doc!” Jonathan stated firmly, “Do whatever you must, but it has to be done here.”
The doctor assented, then stated that he would get the people together to assist him and he would be back shortly.
“Jonathan, thank you. Now help me up, I have to get up!” Her face had a determined look on it, but no hatred.
“Are you sure it's all right for you to walk like this?” He asked, as he helped hold her arm as she walked around the room.
“Of course it is. I used to wonder why some women wanted to walk. I personally thought that they were crazy, but now I see why. The pain hurts your back so bad that you have to move.”
They walked off and on for over an hour, Melody puffing and blowing. The doctor came in frequently to check her progress but would leave them to themselves between times.
“Jon, have you ever seen a birth?” she finally thought to ask.
“No, not a woman giving birth. Why, have you?” he asked.
“Your people keep you ignorant of such things? Haven't you ever seen a movie where a woman is in labor and gives birth?” Melody asked in true surprise.
His face told her that he hadn't.
“Jon, they teach it here in grammar school. Everyone has seen some type of human birth before they are grown, in books if nothing else. It's a part of life.” She understood then why Jon had acted so out of patience with her when he first woke up. He just had no idea what was really going on.
Jon asked her if she needed to walk again, when she said no, she started panting between pains instead of puffing. He knew that this was a change but didn't understand it. He had quit asking her questions when he saw that she was concentrating so hard on the labor.
She finally didn't want to get out of the bed anymore. After about fifteen minutes of laying there she said that she wanted to go to the bathroom.
He walked her to the door then she insisted he stay outside. He heard her cry out and tried to open the door. She had locked it. He pounded on it yelling, “Melody! Are you in trouble?”
“Yes, Jon I am, but I'm going back to bed.” She opened the door after what seemed an eternity. Her face was white.
“Oh, Mel! What's happened?” He was thrown into panic.
“My water broke and now the baby's head is crowning,” she said as she slowly walked holding the bottom of her stomach.
“Crowning?”
“Yes,” then she smiled, “The baby is now about to see his parents. Get the doctor.”
After he helped her lay down he noticed that the bulge in her stomach had taken a sharp upward turn. He asked if he could look. She nodded yes as she began to push.
As he stared in wonder he saw the top of his baby's head, coming out then going back in slightly.
“Jon, I hate to interrupt but, pull the blankets off and wrap my feet up with them. My feet are freezing!”
He quickly did as she asked then remembered the doctor.
He flew out the door and almost ran straight into him in the hall.
“I see the head!” Jon yelled at him as he led him back toward the room.
Just as they both flew through the door Melody let out a loud grunt.
They were busy arranging her better on the bed when she bellowed again.
“This has gone a lot faster than I had anticipated! Melody, you're a real trooper. Now I don't want you to push anymore!” the doctor warned. He was busy with a few problems, the baby was turned face up, and Melody was beginning to tear.
Melody was exhausted already Jonathan quickly saw and he didn't like the look he was seeing on the doctor's face.
She tried to smile at Jon, but was interrupted with another unbearable urge to push. She puffed and panted until her face was as red as a beet, finally she had to push. Jonathan was completely astonished at the strength she had. He kept wiping the sweat that poured off her face as she struggled with each desire to push. He had no idea that birth was such a traumatic experience.
The doctor looked up at her and with worried eyes told her to scream if she had to, but not to push.
“Jon, I can't, I can't. I have to get this baby out!”
He wiped her face again, then madly flew down to the doctor to tell him off. As he turned to see his son's head his eyes became huge with fear. His son's face was covered with blood as more blood came pouring out around his one shoulder that was visible. The doctor had his hand inside under the still unborn right shoulder. Jonathan suddenly realized that his beloved wife was bleeding to death right before his eyes.
“Jonathan, call for help, we need plasma replacement immediately!”
Jon flew out into the hall and called loudly for help.
The doctor yelled at him to use the intercom.
He rushed to the wall speaker and called the lab. Just as they verbally responded, Melody screamed again.
Jon was rushing to her as Mark flew through the open door.
What Mark saw made him stagger. There was the lifeless looking body of Jonathan's baby boy sliding out onto the bed between Melody's spread legs as blood and water poured from her. The doctor looked like he was trying to stop a dam.
“Oh, my Planets!” Was all he could say as he stood frozen, unable to tear himself away to help Jonathan.