Defending Zara (Mountain Mercenaries #6)(72)

“They started last night, but again, I didn’t want to worry Arrow,” Morgan said, then gasped in pain as another contraction hit. Zara gave her a look. “I know, I know! That was stupid, but he was so excited to see his friend . . . You can yell at me later. I need to push,” Morgan groaned.

Zara grabbed some towels and spread them under Morgan as best she could, then got down on her knees and tried to reassure her new friend. “Okay, this is happening now, Morgan. But don’t worry, we can do this.”

“Shit, Arrow’s going to be so pissed!”

Zara figured he’d probably be more relieved that she was all right, but she didn’t say anything.

“Whoever gets pregnant next isn’t going to be allowed to be alone for their entire last month of pregnancy,” Morgan moaned. “With Gray missing Darby’s birth and now this . . . we’re all doomed.”

Smiling, Zara concentrated on what she was doing. “Okay, do you feel the need to push?”

“Not yet . . . Oh . . . wait . . . God, this hurts so bad,” Morgan moaned. “I’m pushing!”

Zara watched as the head of hair emerged until she could see the forehead of the tiny baby. She was relieved the birth wasn’t breech.

But as Morgan continued to pant and push, Zara noticed the baby’s face had a bluish tint.

“Madre de Dios,” she muttered. “Stop pushing, Morgan. Right now. Stop!”

“I can’t!” Morgan cried. “I just need it out! Please.”

Zara put gentle pressure on the top of the baby’s head, preventing it from exiting the birth canal. She looked up at Morgan and said harshly, “If you push, you’ll kill her. Stop. Pushing!”

She got through to Morgan, because the other woman raised her head and looked down at Zara with wide, terrified eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Zara took a deep breath. She’d done this before, but always with Daniela at her side. She’d never been solely responsible for a new life like she was right now. “I think the cord is wrapped around her neck. I need to remove it. It’s okay. It’s not terribly complicated, but you cannot push until it’s off. Understand? She’ll be strangled if she comes out any farther with the cord wrapped around her neck.”

“Oh God!” Morgan sobbed, and her head flew back to rest on the bathroom floor once again. “Do what you have to do! Don’t let her die! I won’t be able to handle it.”

Turning her attention back between Morgan’s legs, Zara nodded. “Okay, this is going to hurt. There’s nothing I can do about it. But if you can hold on for thirty seconds, it’ll all be over and you’ll have your little one in your arms. Have you and Arrow thought of a name yet?”

Doing her best to keep Morgan’s attention off what she was about to do, Zara barely listened to Morgan’s answer as she very slowly eased her hand inside Morgan’s body as gently as possible. She’d never been so glad for her small hands as she was right at that moment.

She felt for the cord, and sighed in relief when she found it easily. She pulled on it slightly, getting some slack, then eased it over the baby’s head at a snail’s pace.

Morgan screamed in pain, but she wasn’t pushing, which was all that Zara cared about. A woman’s birth canal was meant to stretch when birthing a baby, but the process of untangling the umbilical cord couldn’t be comfortable.

“Okay, Morgan, the hard part’s done. Push. Hard!”

With one last scream, Morgan bore down and pushed with all her might. As her body did everything it could to expel the baby from its depths, Mother Nature took over, and Morgan’s bladder emptied at the same time the small baby girl slipped from her mother’s body.

Not caring that she’d just been peed on, Zara turned the baby and laid her on her arm. She was still a little blue and wasn’t crying like she should be. “Come on, baby, come on,” she muttered as she did her best to tactilely stimulate the infant. Her heart was beating, but she wasn’t breathing very well on her own.

With no way to know how long the baby had been without oxygen, Zara prayed as she rubbed the infant’s back and flicked the bottoms of her feet. Using her pinkie, she wiped out the baby’s mouth as best she could. Zara knew the longer it took for a baby to cry after being born, the more danger it was in.

Finally, after what seemed like hours but was less than thirty seconds, the little girl took a breath and squeaked.

“That’s it, do it again,” Zara urged as she continued to rub the baby’s back firmly.

She did. One second she was squeaking, and the next, the newborn was flat-out bawling.

Zara grabbed the towel that had been covering Morgan and wrapped it around the newborn, not bothering to cut the cord. She’d leave that for the paramedics.

“Ready to meet your daughter?” Zara asked Morgan, who was propped up on her elbows, staring at her in absolute shock.

“Is she all right?”

“She’s perfect,” Zara said, as she handed her to Morgan.

“Shit . . . did I pee on you?” Morgan asked as she clasped her baby to her chest.

Zara laughed. “Yup. But I’m impressed you didn’t lose your bowels too. That often happens.”

Morgan stared at Zara for a second, then her eyes filled with tears and she sobbed in earnest. “Y-You saved her life!”