AFTER YOU SAVED ME // ZESSA

Chapter 28: Delivery

Tessa's POV

"Anna!" I shout, trying to catch my breath as my contraction releases its death grip on my abdomen. I feel a smile slowly spreading across my face as I let out a choked sob. I cannot believe she is really standing in front of me right now.

"Tessa!" she yells back, running into the dimly lit room.

She is quickly on her knees, spreading my legs apart.

"When did this start?" she asks, as I feel her hand suddenly inside of me, causing me to jolt back a bit.

"I don't know – since this morning, I think? Or whenever I woke up, I should say. Like...10 hours?" I answer through gritted teeth as another contraction begins to build.

I groan loudly, pushing my palms into the floor as I arch my back, Anna's hand still inside me and extremely painful.

"You're at 10 cm, Tessa. I feel a head," she says in a rushed whisper, mostly to herself as she removes her hand.

Though I hear her, I cannot react. The only thing I can do is fight against the pain by moaning into my chest as my fingers dig into the hard mix of dirt and cement.

"Here," she says, grabbing my hand. I squeeze it with all my might, trying to focus on anything other than the sensation of my pelvis ripping apart.

"You need to breathe and push, Tessa! 1, 2, 3..." Anna counts, as I let out a scream.

"I can't!" I yell, my eyes wild as I stare back at her.

"You can!" she says back sternly, "Just a little longer. 1, 2, 3..."

She counts all the way to 30 as I breathe in and out rapidly, pushing what feels like a football player slowly down my birth canal, until the contraction finally releases.

I fall back on the ground, exhausted from the amount of energy I exerted on that last contraction, and am surprised when I feel the soft cushion of Anna's body.

She is behind me, cradling me on the ground.

"You did good, Tessa, get your strength back because we are going to push again in a few seconds" she says, rubbing the wet matted hair away from my forehead as I try to slow down my ragged breaths.

"How," I gasp, "did you get out?" I look up, only inches from her face and see a flash of fear in her eyes.

"I don't want to talk about it, get ready to push" she says, looking away.

Whatever happened – it must have been bad.

Knowing another contraction will come any second, I roll back onto all fours and assume my favorite position from this horrible birthing experience.

"That's good, Tessa," Anna coos, placing a hand on my back, "let gravity do its work. Push!"

I nod, waiting for the gripping sensation to overcome me. Looking over my shoulder, I see Anna bracing for the next contraction as well. I also see her trying to hide the look of repulsion on her face, her hand lightly covering her nose and mouth.

I know it smells absolutely rank in here. I have not showered in what must be months, I have been relieving myself in the corner of this room, there is only a small crack in the highest corner of the room for ventilation...

Which is when I notice it.

Anna is clean. Her blonde hair washed, face cleansed, she even smells good. I scan her up and down, noting her clothes is different as well.

I feel my mouth drop open a bit in shock, trying to piece together where she has been the past few weeks and how she is in such good condition. She has not even lost weight like I have.