It'll Come Naturally

"I'll be there in 20 minutes. Please take care of her while I'm on the way," Duke requested. "Thanks, Leena!" Glancing at the road, Duke allowed himself to relax. It was, fortunately, not rush hour. So he didn't have to worry about being caught in a traffic jam. He would

never forgive himself if he missed Belinda having the baby.

"You don't need to be so formal about it," said Leena kindly. She glanced at the clock. "Take your time and have a safe drive." As much as Leena wanted Duke to get there, the last thing she wanted to happen was for her brother to have a car accident. There was no

contest; his safety mattered more than the doom of her hand in a pregnant woman's care.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," assured Duke. "Is Belinda beside you right now?" Rubbing his brow briefly, he asked, "Can she talk to me?" All he could think about was how much his wife must be suffering at the moment, and he wished that he could be there beside her. 'If only teleportation was possible, 'he thought grimly.

"Belinda, Duke wants to talk to you." The frown on Belinda's face disappeared as Leena put the phone against her ear.

"Duke? Duke!" exclaimed Belinda happily. "You're back!" It was all she could say to express her elation. Enjoying the good news, however, didn't last long as another round of painful contraction took over her body. In response, she squeezed Leena's unfortunate hand while clenching her teeth.

"Honey, wait for me. You're doing amazing," he said, hearing her whimper on the phone. "I'll be right beside you very soon." Her sharp breaths increased Duke's anxieties, making him step on the accelerator a bit harder. It was either the sound of his acceleration or his rattled voice, but somehow his wife's instinct was spot on.

"Drive slowly, Duke," said Belinda weakly. "I'm okay." Albeit, that wasn't completely true. She was exhausted, weakened by the recurring contractions. Hearing Duke's voice over the phone just made her want to throw herself in his arms.

"I will, honey. Just wait for me." If only he had a pair of wings. Flying to Belinda sounded like a great idea right about now. Duke mentally hit himself. His desperation was making him think of impossible ways to get to the hospital quicker. Had it not been for urgent business, he wouldn't have had to leave the city before Belinda's delivery.

The labor pain became more and more frequent. When the assistant checked her uterine cervix, it was dilated at 6 cm. The assistant frowned, wondering, 'Why are the contractions recurring more frequently at an early stage?'

Quick to notice, Leena asked, "Doc, is there anything wrong?" The assistant's facial expression worried her. Her hand, which had permanently taken on the role of Belinda's anti-stress toy, was in so much pain that she could pass out at any minute now.

"Oh, nothing to worry about," the assistant answered. "The uterine cervix is dilating slower than we anticipated, but that's quite normal as it usually takes a long time to be dilated at 10 cm. Since the contractions have become too frequent though, she can be sent to the delivery room now." Knowing they were Tom's friends, the doctor was compelled to pay closer attention to the patient's needs.

"What?" asked Leena in surprise. "You mean she's going to give birth now?!" Leena's body recoiled as if she were the one about to go into the delivery room to give birth.

"Not quite yet. It depends on how long it will take for her uterine cervix to be fully dilated." Then the doctor placed a firm yet gentle hand over her belly, and pressed with calculated intent to induce labor.

"But my brother hasn't arrived yet," Leena found herself saying. Eyes completely focused on Belinda's well-being, the doctor didn't immediately respond to her. 'Duke said he would be here in 20 minutes. But why hasn't he arrived yet?' thought Leena.

After what felt like ages for Leena, the doctor finally responded, "Don't worry. We're just sending her to the delivery room. She won't give birth that soon." After pulling down Belinda's hospital gown, the doctor gave Leena a friendly smile. "Will you please help me get her to stand?"

Leena complied, and with the assistant on the other side, they both helped the pregnant lady get off the bed. "May I go in with her? Just until the father arrives." A nurse entered and took over her place, but her hand was still in Belinda's grasp.

"I'm sorry, but you'll need to wait outside." As the assistant was about to push the door open, Duke rushed in with Tom right on his heels.

"Belinda!" exclaimed Duke as soon as he saw her. "Are you all right?" Both women were just as relieved to see him as he finally made it. At last, he could be by her side during this challenging experience.From NôvelDrama.Org.

"I'm..." But before Belinda could finish her sentence, she was struck with yet another contraction and gripped Leena's hand tightly again. At this point, Leena's face was too pale for her own good.

"She needs to go to the delivery room now," the assistant instructed. Together, they helped the pregnant patient move towards the delivery room. If anyone saw them, it was almost comical to be surrounded by so many people as they walked.

"May I come in with her?" asked Duke with a hopeful expression. He hoped to be in the room with his wife, to hold her hand in support, as she gave birth to their child. There was no way he'd back down, now that he was there.

"Let him in," Tom said, sympathizing with the soon-to-be father. With eyes that glimmered in delight upon Tom's approval, Duke patted him on the shoulder appreciatively before returning to his wife's side. At that moment, the pregnant woman let go of Leena's hand to be enveloped in her husband's strong arms.

Exhausted, Duke entered the delivery room with Belinda. Right after the delivery, however, the new father swore that he would never allow his wife to get pregnant again. In his opinion, it was beyond terrifying! He couldn't bear to go through that again. And although Belinda didn't scold him or beat him like other women in labor would, she grabbed his hand so tightly that her nails pierced into his skin.000☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐