The Monster Within

Chapter 38

Emma can't believe how quickly her friends are at her side, giving her support. Each of them grabs one of her hands and they guide her towards the door of the apartment.

"Just take deep breaths," Regina informs her. She fumbles to get her spring coat pulled on over her pyjamas and find her car keys. "You help bring her down, I'll get the car and pick you up."

"Okay," Mary Margret says as Regina vanishes out the door.

Emma winces hard as a contraction rips through her body. She'd forgotten how painful labour truly was. It had been a long time since she felt this kind of pain. Her labour with Henry had been terrifying; she was sixteen almost seventeen and the only person that was there to help her was Neal, who also had no knowledge of childbirth. Both were scarily inexperienced and all he could tell her was to breathe while driving to the hospital, there was nothing else he could do. This time, she's still afraid, but felt some comfort having her friends around her, one who had been through this before.

"Holy hell..." she mutters.

"I know, I know," her best friend says. She grabs both her and Emma's coats and holds the door open for her.

Sweat was already beading on her forehead and she takes deep breaths. Mary Margret helps guide her down the stairs, which feels like forever as they need to take them one step at a time.

"I didn't realize how big this baby was going to be," Emma grunts.

"Don't think about that right now, think about keeping your breathing even. We need to start counting the time between contractions."

"Oh my God! Someone has to call Killian and someone has to get Henry...!"

"Let me worry about that, you focus on breathing."

Regina pulls up in her black Mercedes, Mary Margret opens the back door and helps Emma inside. She then races around and gets in the other back seat. She tries to put the seatbelt around her friend.

"Don't, DON'T!" Emma shouts. "It's suffocating me."

"Alright, let's go, Regina."

The black-haired woman nods and tears out of her apartment parking lot, all her previous feelings and emotions left to focus on the task at hand.

Emma continues to pant heavily in the back, Mary Margret clutching her hand tightly. When the blonde winces as another contraction, her friend notes the time when this occurs.

"Oh god this hurts!" she whines.

"I know honey, I know."

"How...How did you get through this?" the laboured woman asks.

"With lots of support, come on and breathe again."

Regina pulls to a stop at a red light.

"Why the hell are you stopping?!" Emma snaps.

"I need to obey the law, just because you're having a baby doesn't mean I'm going to risk getting us in trouble,"

"Well tell the police that they can go..." she goes on to curse. When the light finally changes, this shuts Emma up a bit.

"We should've gotten David to do a police escort," Regina mutters. "That would shut her up."

"I HEARD THAT!" Emma growls.

"Emma focus please," Mary Margret says. "I know the pain will make you say some harsh things but you need to remain calm, stress is bad for your blood pressure and the baby."

"Okay fine..."

Mary Margret takes the sleeve of her sweater and wipes her friend's brow.

"I really should've taken those Lamaze classes," the blonde says.