The baby was coming.  

Vlad's brain went blank as Angelina groaned in pain. Angelina was taking deep breaths as she felt an immense need to push and pain. She felt as her vagina was going to slit into two. "VLAD! DAMN IT! OUR BABY IS COMING! CALL FOR THE MIDWIVES!" 

Vlad the Monk entered the room after hearing Angelina's screams. Upon entering, he discovered that the baby was about to be born. He saw his brother still, not making any movement. The Voivode was in shock, but action had to be taken. "I will send it to Ioana and the midwives! Brother!" The Voivode didn't move or respond, making Vlad the Monk sigh in annoyance and go to him, roughly smacking him across the head. "BROTHER!"

The Voivode violently flinched and returned to the situation on hand and saw Angelina seething in pain; sweat dripping from her forehead. "Y-Yes! Call the midwives!"

Vlad the Monk immediately ran out of the room while the Voivode held Angelina and motioned her to bed. Angelina cried in pain and felt her body wanting to tear in two. "VLAD! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! I'M DYING! DYING!"

Vlad always had experience in taking the lives of men. He was used to hearing their screams for mercy and for him to stop the pain of being tortured or impaled. However, seeing Angelina in agony, he didn't know what to do to ease and stop the pain. Vlad didn't know what childbirth felt like, but hearing Angelina feel that she was dying, he imagined that it was the worst pain in the world.  "I'm here, Angelina. I won't leave your side." He held her, not knowing what else could be done to stop her pain. 

Angelina cried and screamed. "I-I thought it was too soon to have the baby! It's too soon! I-I don't want to lose our baby!"

"We won't lose our child; he will live! He has a strong mother!"

Angelina took deep breaths as she deepened herself in Vlad's embrace. She missed his touch and being close to him. "Please, Vlad! Don't leave me! I'm scared! I don't want to die without seeing our baby!"

The Voivode deepened his huonto her; he refused to accept that Angelina could die. "That won't happen! You will not die! You will live to see our child!"

"I'm scared you will leave us, Vlad!" The pain intensified, and the need to push became stronger. "AAAGGGHHHH! YOU JERK! YOU BIG MUSTACHED JERK! YOU DID THIS TO ME!"

Vlad opened his lips but couldn't find the right words to say. He couldn't. What could he say?

"We have arrived!" Ioana, Sorina, and two other midwives arrived with the materials needed for the birth. Ioana immediately went to Angelina. Vlad the Monk stood by the room's entrance but immediately walked out to give them privacy. "How could this be? The child should not be born yet!"

The older midwife ordered Sorina and the midwife-in-training to prepare the materials while she and Ioana went to Angelina. "Voivode, please stand her up!"

"WH-WHAT!? S-STAND!? I'M IN PAIN! I CAN'T STAND!" 

"Yes, you can, Angelina! It will lessen the pain and it will ease the birthing process! You must stand!"

Angelina shook her head as tears and sweat, but then her water broke, which splashed on the bed. Vlad couldn't stand seeing her cry and in pain. He got off the bed and motioned for Angelina to join him. "You need to stand, Angelina! I understand you're in pain but you must trust Ioana and the midwife!"

Hearing her whimper and cry more hurt him, but Vlad knew he had to be strong for her. 

"PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME, VLAD! I CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!" Angelina breathed heavily as she felt a contraction making her groan in pain. She glared at Vlad, "YOU HAD TO DO THIS TO ME! YOU HAD TO PUT YOUR WEE WEE INTO ME AND-!" Angelina screamed profanities, and Vlad couldn't help but feel a slight embarrassment. 

Sorina tried hard to refrain from laughing, and Ioana and the midwives chuckled. "Worry not, Voivode. It is a normal reaction for mothers-to-be. Women become emotional when they are about to give birth," said the older midwife as she lifted Angelina's dress and undid the undergarments, exposing Angelina's dripping entrance. She is ready to push! The child is ready to be born!"

"IT'S TOO SOON! THE BABY WILL BE PREMATURE! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY BABY! I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME, SAVE MY BABY!"

Vlad still held her and gently squeezed her. "STOP SPEAKING NONSENSE!" His yell made the women flinch. "Stop speaking about death! You and our child will not die! You will push our baby out. Both of you will live!"

Ioana watched silently; it made her heart soar seeing Vlad, her son, showing compassion and love to Angelina. He drastically changed, and now she would witness the birth of her grandchild. "Angelina, you mustn't think the worst. You have all of us by your side. You must think of yourself and your child. You will hold your child in your arms. Now, when you feel the next contraction, you push!"

Sorina went to Angelina and stood beside her, helping Vlad keep her in place. She instructed Angelina to take deep breaths, which Angelina did. When feeling the following contractions, Angelina pushed. When pushing, an immense pang of pain hit her; a scream escaped her lips. "DAMN IT! IT HURTS LIKE HELL! IT HURTS!"

"I know it hurts, Angelina. Giving life will always be painful! It is one of our greatest strengths as women! This pain will give you strength!" Ioana yelled.

"LIKE HELL IT WILL! I CAN FEEL MY VAGINA RIPPING IN HALF! IT HURTS!"

The midwife and Ioana saw small strands of hair. They instructed her to keep pushing, but the more Angelina tried, the less progress she made. The women noticed Angelina losing strength as she cried in hopelessness. Vlad tried to motivate her, but the pain was too immense for her, and she was terrified of feeling more of the pain.

Ioana remembered that when Angelina got angry, she made more progress. "Angelina, think of the things that make you angry!"Everyone looked at the older woman with confused expressions on their faces. "Think! What makes you angry?"

"Angry!? YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT MAKES ME ANGRY!?" Angelina gave Vlad a hateful, deadly glare. "I'M ANGRY THAT VLAD DID THIS TO ME! HE IS CAUSING ME PAIN!" Her anger was so great that she was pushing without knowing it. Ioana smiled and motioned for Angelina to continue. "I'M ANGRY THAT VLAD WANTS TO LEAVE US FOR HIS PRIDE! HE GODDAMN STUBBORN! MORE STUBBORN THAN A JACKASS! GGGRRRRR!" Angelina's anger gave her the adrenaline rush to push forward. She felt her entrance stretching. 

"I see the head! Keep pushing, Lady Angelina!"

"Express your anger, Angelina!" Ioana yelled. 

"DAMN IT! HOW COULD I HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE IMPALER!? HE WANTS TO LEAVE HIS FAMILY JUST TO MAKE A POINT! DAMN YOU, VLAD! DAMN YOU TO HELL! YOU COC-!" 

Vlad covered her mouth as Angelina muffled onto it. "I think that is enough."

Angelina moved her face away from him, pushing with all her might. "I HATE YOU VLAD TEPES DRACUL! I-!" A sudden weight finally lifted from her; the need to push was gone.

The midwife and Ioana looked at the infant. "You have a son! A son!" both women announced in happiness. Angelina and Vlad looked at one another. Their eyes locked; Vlad motioned her face to his and kissed her. 

Angelina then realized something, no, didn't hear something. "Wait...my baby...he's not crying. He is not crying!"