Pauline's POV
"Pauline, no!" The voice cut through my haze, desperate and frightened.
"We're losing her!" another person screamed.
My head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Pain consumed every inch of my body. Each contraction felt like being torn in two. Every push threatened to split me apart completely.
"Pauline, keep pushing! We need to see her! She has to breathe!"
I tried to obey, but the agony climbed higher with each moment.
I wanted it all to stop. I wanted someone beside me, holding my hand, whispering that everything would be okay.
I gritted my teeth and pushed again. The sound that escaped my throat didn't belong to me. It was primal, animalistic, ripped from somewhere deep within. My fingernails clawed at the sheets beneath me.
"It hurts!" I sobbed, throwing my head from side to side. "It hurts so much—"
"We're almost there!" someone encouraged. "Come on, Pauline, one more time! You've got this!"
