“What the fuck happened here? Did Vivian do this? I’ll fucking kill the bitch. Where the fuck is she now?” Eric seemed to snap out of his shock and was consumed with rage.
“ERIC.” Natasha yelled and then her face contorted as the next wave came over her and she dug her nails into his hand and with her teeth bared, she pushed again, her face wet with perspiration, the hair starting to plaster itself to her skin.
Finally he seemed to understand what she wanted and moved between Natasha’s legs, lifting her dress and bending his head for a closer look. “Oh fuck, I can see the baby’s head.” He said.
As Natasha pushed, she felt stinging and burning around her entrance and she knew their baby’s head was close to coming out. She pushed again, her moan turning into a yell and Eric moved to her head again. “Fuck baby, my poor baby. God I’m going to kill her. Look at you, what she’s done to you. I’m sorry, god I’m so sorry.” His voice sounded so desolate but Natasha couldn’t focus on him right now.
“Look again Eric, I need you to stay down there and tell me what you see, I need to know. This is so hard, I’m so tired. I just want them out, but I don’t know if they’re even alive.” Natasha’s voice broke.
“Wait baby, I can hear a siren, the ambulance is coming.” Eric’s voice sounded relieved. “I want to know what that bitch did to you, to poor Alice. Alice looks bad baby, so bad.”
“Eric, for fuck sakes, focus dammit. I need you to help me. I can’t do this alone.” Natasha yelled. “You’re supposed to help me for this bit and my Mum was supposed to be at the birth, but that’s all shot to hell now.” And she began to sob.
Eric bent his head to gently kiss her. “The ambulance is here baby, hang on, I have to let them in.” Reluctantly he rose and rushed to the door.
The next few minutes turned into a flurry of activity with the paramedics gently placing Alice on a stretcher and checking her over. They put an oxygen mask on her and she was carried out to the ambulance.
“Is she going to be ok?” Natasha asked but Eric didn’t know and the paramedics wouldn’t give anything more than. “It’s too soon to tell, we need to get her to the hospital.”
The urge to push took over Natasha again and her attention was centred on her efforts to push her first baby out. She pushed hard, growling and then grunting with the effort it was taking. Eric had returned to her side and she reached out, her fingers wrapped around his wrist as she rested briefly, before bearing down hard again, her nails cutting into his arm, drawing blood.
“Baby, I’m sorry, I did this to you, god I’m so sorry.” He flinched when Natasha gouged her nails into him again.
“Fuck Eric, shut the fuck up about this. Talk later, I want these babies out of me and I want them out NOW!” She screamed at him and Eric recoiled at the ferocious look on her face. He’d never seen her like that before and if she hadn’t have been so busy trying to bring the first of their babies into the world, she might have laughed.
The paramedics came back in accompanied by Natasha’s doctor and Eric’s relief was obvious. “Thank god Doctor, you have to do something. We need to get her to a hospital, she’s having the babies.”
The doctor took one look at Natasha’s progress and told the paramedics to go and get Alice to the hospital as her condition was obviously critical. Eric’s face was incredulous. “What the fuck? My wife needs to be in the ambulance too. Can’t you see she’s having the babies? What the fuck are you talking about? She can’t be left here. Look at her. Apart from her being in labour, she’s got a fucking broken leg and something’s wrong with her arm. What is wrong with you? Get her to the fucking hospital now.” Eric yelled, his face just centimetres from the doctors as he ranted at him.
The Doctor didn’t back down despite having one very angry Eric screaming in his face. “I’m sorry Mr Rothman but Mrs Rothman can’t be moved now, it’s too late. She’s going to have to give birth to these babies here. All we can do is make her as comfortable as possible.”
Eric growled with frustration. “Make her comfortable, for fuck sakes. She’s got a fucking broken leg, look at her, the bone’s hanging out of her leg.”
“The best that I can do is wrap her leg for now, but like it or not Mr Rothman, these babies are coming now. You could bring your wife a pillow for her head please.” He looked up at Eric from his position back between Natasha’s legs.
With a snort of disgust, Eric stormed off and returned moments later with a pillow which he gently eased under Natasha’s head, groaning when he saw her flinch as the movement shifted her dislocated arm. “I’m sorry baby.”
Natasha felt the next contraction hit and went to bear down but the Doctor told her to breathe through it, not to push. “What? Why the fuck not?” She yelled.
Calmly the Doctor explained that her baby’s head was almost out but to ensure she didn’t tear, or at the very least to try and avoid it, he needed her to go slowly over the next couple of contractions.
“I want my baby out dammit. Fuck.” Frantically Natasha tried to pant through the overwhelmingly strong urge to push.
“Listen to the Doctor baby, you have to stop pushing.” Eric tried to tell her but Natasha erupted, screaming at him to. “Shut the fuck up!” Eric recoiled in shock at her venomous attack and the Doctor chuckled.
“It’s quite normal for the woman to become quite abusive while giving birth Mr Rothman. Try not to take it personally. They turn into Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde I’m afraid.”
Natasha wanted to snap and snarl at the Doctor but she needed to push and she needed to do it now.
Finally he told her to give a gentle push and she did, shouting out as she felt her baby’s head push out of her body. “Oh god, I’m going to shit myself.” She groaned as the pressure became so intense it was uncomfortable.
“Don’t worry about that Mrs Rothman. Many women void their bowels or urinate giving birth. Please don’t let that embarrass you. Just focus on getting these two babies out, ok?”
Natasha felt the Doctor doing something between her legs and she realised he was turning their baby so she could deliver the shoulders. “Please is my baby ok? Can you tell if he or she is ok?” But as she felt the urge to push, the Doctor didn’t answer her, just told her one more big push and Natasha did, bearing down hard, groaning with Eric beside her holding her hand.
“Come on baby, you’re doing really well. Push baby, push.” He encouraged and she did, feeling her baby leave her body with a rush of fluids behind him or her.
Straight away she tried to push up to see better and cried out at the pain in her arm and shoulder. “Please, is my baby ok? Is it a boy or girl?” Natasha’s eyes moved to Eric, but his attention was on the baby between her legs.
Tears ran down his cheeks and she felt her heart skip a beat, but then he turned giving her a look of wonder and a smile curving up his lips. “You did it baby, it’s our son.”
The Doctor lifted her son so Natasha could see him and placed him on her chest where her arm good arm came around him.
As Natasha gazed at Nathaniel, she felt her heart swell until she though it would burst. She couldn’t move enough to see him properly and check that he had ten fingers and ten toes but what she could see was the light covering of strawberry blonde hair.
He made little noises as he lay on her and the overwhelming sense of relief that he was ok triggered a strong wave of emotion and Natasha began to sob.
She looked up at Eric and he was smiling at her and their son, tears still tracking their way down his face too. “Isn’t he amazing baby? We made him. From our passion, our love we produced him.” Eric said, reaching out to touch Nathaniel’s tiny hand. “He’s perfect baby. You did so well. God, your beauty, your strength. You leave me breathless sweetheart. I love you so much baby and I’m so sorry that I left you vulnerable to that bitch.”
“Eric please, don’t blame yourself. I let her into our home. She seemed so nice, well, nice for her, probably too nice really. I knew you know? I knew somethi
ng seemed off but I just pushed it away, so I’m to blame, not you. I shouldn’t have let her into our home. Can you believe she even brought a gift?”
“Baby, I love you and I won’t rest until that woman pays for what she’s put you and poor Alice through. The police are looking for her now.” He said.
“She told me she was flying out of the country Eric. I don’t know if that was true, but she was going to New York.”
“I’ll let the police know baby, but lets concentrate on getting you to hospital.” Eric said.
“I’m sorry Mr Rothman, but she’s not going anywhere yet, you still have another child to be born.” The Doctor’s voice cut into their conversation.
“Can’t she have our daughter at the hospital? Are you kidding me? My wife has to lie here in pain until she delivers our next child?” Eric erupted angrily.
“Oh god.” Natasha moaned as another powerful contraction tore through her and with a gush her waters broke again.
“Here comes your daughter Mr Rothman. I understand you’re concerned about your wife, but we can’t move her when she’s delivering. She’s doing fine under the circumstances. I suggest you take your son off her though, she’s going to need to focus on pushing this little one out.”
After about another half an hour Erica was born. Slightly smaller than her brother and with a surprisingly thick covering of auburn hair for a newborn. Again the Doctor placed her on Natasha’s chest so she could meet her daughter and the bond could start to form. She could feel the doctor doing something between her legs and Natasha sent Eric upstairs to get some nappies and blankets for their children.
She was completely exhausted, the pain racking her body almost overwhelming and it seemed that now their babies were born, she had no more tolerance for the agony she was in. She could hear a roaring in her ears, the room was turning grey on her and she cried out in panic for the Doctor to take her baby and with a quiet sigh, the blackness rushed in again and swept her away.
Chapter 32.
It was the sound of Eric’s voice calling her name that brought Natasha awake. She opened her eyes, blinking against the overhead fluorescent lights and turned towards the sound of his voice, squinting as she tried to focus on his face. She felt a little disorientated, her mouth dry and when she tried to speak, her voice was hoarse.
“Eric.” She croaked, her eyes moving over his face. He looked tired but when she spoke, his lips curved up in a smile which clearly showed his relief to see her awake.
“Baby, how do you feel? God I feel so bad for what you’ve been through. I can’t believe Vivian would do this to you and poor Alice.”
“How is she Eric? Please tell me she’s going to be ok.” Natasha’s mind flooded with the image of Vivian hitting the poor woman over the head and the blood, so much blood around Alice.
Eric smiled. “Fortunately she’s going to be ok. She does have a fractured skull, but there’s no swelling to her brain and the doctors said she’ll make a full recovery, but she’s going to need a long time to rest and heal baby. I’ve told her she’ll stay with us so we can keep an eye on her and I’ve arranged for a temporary house keeper to look after things until Alice is well again.”
“Where are Erica and Nathaniel?” Natasha’s eyes moved around the room to see if they were there. She couldn’t see them, just two empty cribs. “Eric, please, where are they? Are they ok?”
“Calm down baby, they’re fine. The midwives are taking care of them until you woke up. They need to feed from you to get their first milk, whatever the doctor said that’s called but you were in bad shape sweetheart so while you were receiving medical treatment, our son and daughter got checked over and I’m sure they will be able to be brought to your room to be with you now.”
“So they’re ok?” Natasha’s eyes searched Eric’s face for signs that he was covering something. “I was so scared Eric, that something would happen to them. That was the most frightening thing I’ve ever experienced, being in labour and alone, and god, the pain. I never got to have any drugs for it.” Suddenly her eyes widened, “Oh my god, Mum! Does she know what’s happened? She’s going to be so disappointed that she missed the birth.”
Eric reached out to take her hand. “Stop worrying baby. Erica and Nathaniel are fine, trust me and your Mother knows, she knows everything, well as much as I could tell her. Only you can tell the whole story and you’re going to have to tell the police what happened. They haven’t got Vivian yet. She really did fly out of the country but authorities are waiting to arrest her as soon as her plane lands. She’s going to do time for this baby, I promise you, she will pay for what she did to you and Alice and what she tried to do to our babies.”
“That’s such a relief Eric. I had no idea Vivian was so unstable. I hate that she kind of sucked me in. She told me she was sorry for what she’d said and done. She wanted to see the nursery and god, I took her up there. What was I thinking? I can’t believe she changed so much. If you could have seen her Eric. The anger and hatred on her face was horrible. How could she do that? I’m not sure if she was trying to kill me or kill our babies and then she hit Alice and left her to die and she laughed, she actually laughed. What sort of person does something like that? How the hell did you end up going out with someone like her for fuck sakes Eric?” Natasha asked.
“I don’t know baby. I’m so sorry that I put you at risk. I never should have called off Roman. I let myself get sucked in too thinking she really was sorry but I think it was a case of me wanting to believe it was over with her. My judgement was bad and I’m so sorry sweetheart. Can you forgive me?” Eric’s eyes were full of pain.
“It’s not your fault Eric. It’s no one’s fault. How does anyone know what a person is capable of until something pushes them over the edge? She said she loved you and that you’re a hard act to follow. She didn’t want to give you up.”
Eric gave a short harsh laugh. “She didn’t love me baby. Vivian only loves one person and that’s herself. She just doesn’t like to lose and because I told her it was over, she couldn’t handle losing. Plain and simple. What I never expected was the lengths she was prepared to go to.” Eric dropped a kiss on Natasha’s palm. “I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you or the twins.” He shuddered, tears filling his eyes.
Natasha took his hand and rubbed it against her cheek, “We’re all fine though Eric so don’t think like that. You know Vivian said that. She wanted you to find out how it felt to lose someone important to you. That’s why she did what she did. She said you wouldn’t want me anymore after she’d hurt me.”
“I’d always want you baby. I love you.” He stood, bending over to kiss her gently on her lips. Natasha winced and Eric pulled back, “God I’m sorry sweetheart. You’re lips. I don’t know why but you’ve chewed up your lips pretty bad.”
“It was during the labour. It hurt so much, everything hurt so badly. It was so bad Eric.” Natasha’s eyes darkened.
“How do you feel now baby? Is the pain bad? The doctor fixed your dislocated arm and your leg has been set and plastered. You’re going to have a scar from where the bone came through but the doctor thinks you might be lucky and not have to worry about infection. Still, you’re on antibiotics just in case. Is the pain bad, do you need something?” Eric kissed her again.
“The pain isn’t too bad if I don’t move too much. My shoulder hurts, but nothing like it did when I dislocated it. That was my own fault. I was trying to stop myself falling all the way down the stairs and I grabbed the banister but it yanked my arm really hard stopping my fall and that’s when it happened. I got reefed around so hard that I smashed my leg and that’s when I broke it. I can still hear the sound of the bone breaking Eric, it was awful.” Natasha shuddered.
“My baby, I feel so terrible for what you’ve been through and with all that, you had to give birth. You almost had them all alone. You must have been so scared.”
“I’m just glad it’s over Eric and that our babies are healthy. I was mor
e scared about what my fall could have done to them, not so much what had happened to me. I was terrified about giving birth alone and what if I couldn’t push them out by myself and no one came to help me?”
“I’m just glad I got there in time although when the doctor said you couldn’t go to the hospital I nearly strangled the man.”
Natasha laughed, “So I noticed. You just couldn’t seem to grasp what he was trying to tell you. Trust me if anyone had tried to move me when I could feel our baby’s head almost ready to come out of me, I would have strangled them. All I wanted to do was push. I didn’t feel the pain in my leg or shoulder, just those fucking contractions. You were funny too Eric. My big confident CEO and you completely fell apart. Mum said you would and she was right.”
Eric got an indignant look come over his face. “I didn’t fall apart at all. I helped.”
Natasha rolled her eyes at him, “You fell apart Eric. Do you remember how many times I had to ask you to have a look and see if you could see if the head was showing?” She poked him in the arm. “Face it Mr CEO, you…fell…apart!”
“Well Mrs Rothman, you were rude to me. I swear the language coming out of your mouth would have made a truckie blush.” Eric’s grin was back, that one she loved so much.
“Well let me tell you this Mr CEO, you’d be swearing too if you were trying to push a watermelon out of your arse. Would you like to bend over and I’ll see if someone can bring me one and we’ll stick it on up there and I’ll sit back and watch you push it back out without swearing. What do you think about that idea Mr Rothman?” Natasha smirked.
Eric burst out laughing. “You must be feeling better baby, you’re back to your usual sassy self I see.”
“I’d feel better if I had my babies Eric. Where are they? I haven’t had a chance to see them properly yet. I want to hold my babies.” Natasha’s eyes filled with tears.
“Hey baby, don’t cry. Let me go and see what the hold up is.” Eric stood up to leave the room, but suddenly two midwives walked in, each carrying a baby. Both were bundled up in blankets so all Natasha could see were they faces.
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