I'm Not That Girl // A. Bridgerton

Little Cries

"Alina!" He cried, dropping down to her side. Alina leaned her head back and sighed as her pain eased slightly. "Hey!" Anthony shouted at a passing maid that he spotted. "We need help! Hurry!" He ordered. Anthony reached down, carefully wrapped his arms around Alina and slowly picked her up and placed her back on to the bed.

"A-Anthony.." Alina cried softly. "It's too soon. I can't yet, it's too soon." She cried. Anthony wiped away her falling tears trying to calm her.

"It will be alright. Just try to breathe, love." Anthony's mind was spinning, he was extremely out of his depth, not having any clue on how to help his wife but he tried to keep her as calm as possible until his mother arrived. Anthony picked up her hand and placed it on his chest and took dramatic breaths. "Just like this." He continued his breathing and Alina tried to replicate it as best as she could. "Good. Just like that." Violet came running into the room with Marie and a few other maids closely behind. Anthony stood from the spot next to her which caused Alina to begin to panic once again.

"W-wait! No, please Anthony. Please stay here, I need you." Anthony forced himself not to cry at her pleas as Alina tightened her hold on his hand. He had never seen her so scared and he had no choice but to give him, ignoring the looks the maids had given.

"Anthony, I want you to sit behind her and lean her against you. We need to check to see if she is ready." Violet ordered as she had the maids bring in more hot water and everything else they would need, however the supplies were limited. Doing as he was told, Anthony sat behind Alina and wrapped his arms around her protectively. Alina grabbed his hands tightly as pain filled her body once more causing her to whimper and cry as the pain began to increase. Violet took her place in front of Alina, having more experience in childbirth than the younger maids and knowing what needed to be done and what to expect. After checking to see how far along Alina was in labor Violet tried to keep her face as neutral as possible. She wasn't as dilated as she should have been and the amount of blood she was witnessing was frightening to her. When the maid had barged into her room, claiming that Alina was in labor, Violet had sent Benedict to ride out to the nearest doctor for help. "Alina do you feel the need to push?"

"No, not yet."

"Good. For right now, you need to stay calm and if you do feel like you have to, I want you to tell me okay. Your body is not ready just yet and we need to wait for the doctor-" Alina let out a painfilled scream as an intense tightness and pain pulled at her stomach halting Violet's words.

"It hurts..." She cried softly, leaning her head back against Anthony who kissed the top of her head.

"I know, but you can do this. Your child needs you to be strong right now." All she could do was nod as another scream was ripped from her. Alina tried to focus on Anthony's breathing behind her as the night ticked by. Finally after close to an hour Violet nodded to the maids and Marie took her place on Alina's left as she felt a sudden rush of water from between her legs. "Alina, listen to me. With the next one I need you to push, you are dilated enough for the baby to pass through and now that your water has broken it won't be long now."

"O-o-okay." She weakly stuttered. Anthony was shaking himself, as the memories of Hyacinth's birth flash through his eyes. Being told to choose between his mother and the baby scared him more than anything and as he sat behind Alina he couldn't imagine being asked to do so again. He had left that choice up to his grieving mother and he would never choose for Alina. Anthony looked down at their joined hands and noticed how pale she was becoming and the reality that he might lose her he knew he would never recover. He needed her. Alina tightened her hold and began to push and he could feel her whole body working to get the baby out but just from his vantage point, all he could see was blood soaked cloth.