Shattered Hearts: A Journey Beyond Loss

59|Breech

Bonnie met Damon's gaze. A smile flickered across her face before being replaced by a familiar pang of pain. The contractions signalled that the baby was on its way, and deep down, she felt unprepared. "Damon, I'm scared," she whispered. Damon gripped her hand, feeling helpless in the face of her suffering. Through their bond, he sensed her pain, but being a vampire, the agony faded as swiftly as it arose. "I'm right here, and I'm not leaving," Damon assured her. He glanced at the other two women in the room. Caroline's eyes were wide with fear, while Hayley seemed to be haunted by a past trauma. They were all anxiously awaiting Stefan and Klaus's return with the doctor. More than anything, Damon yearned for the ordeal to end, to see his wife free from pain and to hold their daughter in his arms.

Bonnie looked deeply into Damon's eyes. "I'm glad you're here with me this time," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Damon searched her face, trying to gauge her meaning. "Bonnie, I..." he started, his voice catching.

She reached out, touching his face gently. "I didn't say that to hurt you," she reassured him. "I'm genuinely grateful for your presence now."

Damon's eyes welled up. "I regret not being there for our first child every single day," he admitted, his voice choked with guilt. "That will always haunt me."

She took his hand. "Let's focus on the now. We're here, together, for this moment." Damon's gaze softened, brimming with deep love as he watched his wife. The bedroom door creaked open to reveal Stefan, Klaus, and a woman adorned in a clinical white lab coat. Her demeanour exuded a soothing calmness amidst the tension.
Caroline's voice trembled with both anxiety and relief. "Thank heavens you're here! We've been waiting." The doctor, under Stefan's compulsion, nodded in understanding. He leaned in, his voice gentle yet firm. "You'll assist with the birth. And remember, whatever you see, remain composed."

Without missing a beat, the doctor approached Bonnie, introducing herself with a warm smile. "Good evening, I'm Dr. Belmont. Might this be your first child?"

Stefan and Klaus silently exited, leaving the room more intimate for the process. Bonnie's voice, though weary, was clear. "No, it's not."

Dr. Belmont nodded and proceeded to assess Bonnie's condition. "Alright, let's see how we're progressing." Her hands moved carefully beneath the protective sheet. Gazing into Bonnie's eyes, she instructed, "Listen to me closely, Bonnie. When I give the signal, you'll need to give it your all. Can you do that?"

Bonnie's determined nod was all the answer she needed. With unwavering confidence, Dr. Belmont issued the command, "Now, push!"

With every ounce of strength she possessed, Bonnie pushed, her fingers entwined tightly with Damon's. Each push was a testament to her resilience, her pain echoing through the room with guttural cries.Dr. Belmont, firm yet encouraging, directed her through the process. "Keep pushing, Bonnie! You're doing brilliantly."Damon squeezed her hand, his voice thick with emotion. "You're incredible, Bonnie. We're almost there."

Bonnie met his gaze, drawing strength from his unwavering support. "I can do this," she whispered between breaths. Dr. Belmont nodded in agreement, "You absolutely can, and you are." The room's ambience shifted ominously as the lights began to flicker erratically. Damon's eyes darted to Bonnie, and his heart lurched. Veins, dark and menacing, spread across her face, much like those of a vampire's. Panic threatened to consume him.

"Damon, what's going on?" Caroline whispered, her voice trembling.Damon, wide-eyed, replied, "I don't know, Care. She looks... she looks like a vampire. But that's impossible!"Hayley's face drained of colour as she studied Bonnie, her knowledge evident. Damon's voice, thick with worry, broke the silence. "Hayley? What is it? If you know something, you have to tell us."Caroline, on the brink of tears, pleaded, "Hayley, please. What's happening to her?"Struggling to find words, Hayley whispered, "This... this isn't good." Damon and Caroline's eyes fixed on Hayley, the weight of her words pressing down on the room. "It happened to me when I gave birth to Hope," Hayley murmured, a hint of pain lacing her words. The echoing screams of Bonnie grew more desperate, amplifying Damon's rising panic."Giving birth to Hope... it killed me. Then it turned me into a hybrid," Hayley continued, her gaze distant.Damon's voice trembled with a mixture of fear and disbelief, "Are you saying my wife could die?"Amidst the tension, Dr. Belmont looked up, clearly puzzled and overwhelmed by the unfolding supernatural events. She appeared lost in a daze until Bonnie's anguished screams brought her back to the moment. "Hold on, Bonnie," Dr. Belmont instructed, trying to maintain her professional demeanour amidst the chaos. "You need to stop pushing just for a moment."Damon's gaze shifted sharply to the doctor. "Why are you telling her to stop?" he demanded, anxiety evident in his voice."The baby is breech. She needs to be in a hospital," the doctor explained, urgency in her voice.Damon didn't waste a second. Locking eyes with Dr. Belmont, he compelled her. "No. You will do whatever is necessary right here, and you'll do it perfectly."Under the influence of Damon's compulsion, the doctor nodded mechanically and resumed her duties. "Alright, Bonnie," she began, her voice gentle yet firm, "I need to try and reposition the baby. It will require me to apply some pressure on your belly, but I need you to keep breathing, alright?" With a deep breath and nod, Bonnie signalled her understanding. Dr. Belmont applied firm pressure to the top of Bonnie's belly, her hands skillfully guiding the unborn child. With each push, Bonnie grunted, pain evident in her eyes. The emotional toll was evident on Damon; he felt helpless watching his beloved wife endure such agony. "Alright, alright, I think we've made progress," Dr. Belmont announced, her voice laced with relief.Drawing a deep, shaky breath, Bonnie relaxed momentarily, trying to find a respite from the intense pain. "What's the next step?" Her voice was faint, almost a whisper, betraying her exhaustion.Damon and Caroline exchanged a worried glance, deeply affected by the vulnerability in Bonnie's tone. Dr. Belmont, sensing the emotional atmosphere, reassured, "You need to rest for a moment before we proceed further."Turning to Hayley, the doctor added, "Could you fetch me some clean towels, please?" Hayley gave a quick nod and swiftly exited the room.