The music above is highly recommended. It goes with the chapter.

Alastor's POV

My feet were pounding into the ground as I sprinted back to mama's shop.

Fawn was wrapped up in my arms, holding her stomach and whining lowly from whatever pain she's experiencing.

About halfway back, the sky opened up and decided to start pouring down rain, so I was having difficulties seeing where I was going through the water dripping into my eyes.

My heart was in my throat, and I felt like my blood was frozen.

All I could do was beg God not to take her away from me...either of them...

Mama should still be at her store, she doesn't usually leave until well into the night and sometimes she doesn't leave at all.

The journey seemed to be taking far too long, each step I took slamming into the concrete harder than the last. Finally, I could see the door through the spray of rain obscuring my sight.

Slowing to a stop, I grasped the handle and tried the door.

Locked.

My teeth grit and I slammed my fist into the door so hard it rattled, I'm surprised I didn't break the glass.

"Edith! Please, open the door!" I cried out, hoisting Fawn into my arms a bit more as she started to slip.

I cradled her gently as I waited for Edith to answer...I could see lights coming on inside, so I knew she was there.

Fawn was quivering, clinging onto me tightly as she cried softly.

"It hurts...it hurts, please make it stop..." she whined through her sobs, and I pressed my lips against the side of her head, rocking her her back and forth.

We were both soaked, and dripping water from our skin and clothes.

"Shhh, shhh...you're ok, you'll be alright, Edith is gonna help us, I'm gonna get you some help...don't worry, I'll make it stop, just please hold on..." I whispered into her hair, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to push every worst case scenario out of my head.

When the door in front of us finally opened, I didn't even give Edith time to react before I rushed inside to get Fawn out of the cold rain.

"Alastor!" I heard the woman cry out once she saw who I was holding, "what happened!"

I couldn't answer her. I rushed back into the spell room, and thankfully the couch was still there. I knew Edith had followed me, and I laid Fawn down gently on the couch.

She was squirming slightly in pain, her limbs stretching out and then recoiling as she tried to make whatever was hurting her stop.

Now that we were in the light, I could see the large blood stain that was down by her crotch area, and my heart jumped a few feet down into my stomach.

My ears were ringing as I looked at her, and I felt frozen. Everything sounded like I was under water, and I could feel something pulling at my arm and a voice distantly yelling at me.

"Alastor!"

I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She looks like she's in so much pain...

"Alastor!"

I did this to her...

"Alastor!"

Finally I snapped back to myself when I heard my name being called loudly right next to me. My eyes went to Edith at my side and she looked panicked.

"What happened, baby?!"

Tears that I didn't even know had built in my eyes spilled over my cheeks as I grit my teeth, "we were mugged. I managed to kill them but he shoved Fawn and she landed on...on her stomach..."

Edith's eyes widened completely and she covered her mouth with a shaking hand before quickly going over to Fawn's side at the couch.

The noises Fawn was making were loud wails and groans, and I could see her pulling her dress up and opening her legs as if she were trying to push the baby out by herself.

"Fawn, sugar, look over here...you'll be ok baby, mama's got you..." Edith handled her gently, and put a hand over her stomach.

I'm not sure what she was doing, but I heard her whisper a swear under her breath before she turned to face me.

Her eyes were bright purple and full of tears, "Alastor, her placenta ruptured. I need you to go get me a bucket of water and a rag," she ordered, and I did without so much as a word.

When I got back with it, Edith had Fawn positioned with her legs wide open, seemingly checking for something.

She looked worried, and I put the water down and went to her side, glancing at Fawn every now and then.

"What's wrong, why do you look like you don't have this under control? What's going on, Edith, is she going to be alright?!" My nails were digging into my palm and I could feel my heart racing in my chest as I watched Edith drag her palm down her face and shake her head.

"She's not dilating..." she muttered, "we need to take her to the hospital, or this baby is going to rip her apart..."

"What?!" I nearly screamed, beginning to panic, "t-the hospital is miles from here! She won't make it in time!"

My voice was breaking as I tried not to lose what was left of my composure.

I'm about to lose them both! What the fuck am I going to do!

"We need to just do it here, Edith, c-can't you deliver the baby?!" I worriedly asked, and Edith quickly stood up and grabbed me by the shoulders, pulling me down to her height.

"Alastor. Baby. Breathe." She said calmly. Fawn was still wailing, but all I could focus on was the bright purple eyes of the witch in front of me.

"You gotta keep your head on straight, honey. I know you're worried, and I know it hurts. She needs a hospital right now or else this baby is coming outta her whether her body is ready for it or not. There's only so much my healing spell can do..." she said softly.

"Right now, we are fighting for her life. Do you understand?" She finished, squeezing my shoulders.

I took a deep breath, and tried to quell my aching nerves. Slowly, I nodded once I felt like I was calm enough.

"Good." Edith said, and then motioned for me to go to Fawn, "pick her up and hold her, and then take my hand. And try not to throw up."

My brows furrowed at that last part, and I grabbed Fawn and held her close to me with one arm before taking Edith's hand.

Then she snapped her fingers, and suddenly it felt like the world was collapsing around me before we were in a completely different place, and I stumbled slightly before gasping like I'd been under water too long.

"What the fuck!" I coughed, holding onto Fawn tightly. I felt bile rise up my throat, but quickly swallowed it and looked over at Edith with my chest heaving.

She looked completely unaffected, and I didn't have time to ask before I realized we were right in front of the hospital now.

The rain was still coming down with a vengeance, and we all stormed into the hospital.

The nurses at the front desk gasped when we burst in, and I called out to them, "help! Help me, my wife went into labor early, please help her," I begged the women who were quickly surrounding us.

My breaths came heavy as one of the women pulled a wheeled bed over to us and I laid her onto it gently.

As we all rushed back to wherever they were taking her, I could hear the nurses speaking quickly to one another.

"Page the doctor. We're taking her to surgery room 3."

Surgery?

"She's losing blood too quickly. Talk to her to keep her from going into shock."

It took me a second to realize that was directed at me, and I quickly took her hand and squeezed, still keeping up with their fast pace.

"Hey, baby..." I said softly, "we're at the hospital, and you're going to be ok...I promise, I told you I'd protect you...you'll be fine...I promise..."

I kept whispering to her, holding her hand right up until we got to the room.

They wheeled her away from me as we went in and all of them surrounded her and started sticking her with needles and hooking her up to machinery.

All I could do was watch, and suddenly the door burst open and a man wearing a long white coat came in, putting gloves on as he rushed over to the bed.

"She's not dilating, doctor, the baby can't breach," I heard one of the nurses say, "she's going to tear."

Those words, although I didn't know what they meant, did not sound good.

Fawn cried out suddenly, arching off the bed slightly.

"There's no time for anesthetic. The child is killing her, we need to get it out," said another nurse and the doctor quickly grabbed a scalpel.

"What are you doing with that?" I blurted, stepping closer to the bed.

The doctor looked at me and then to the door, "you need to leave." He said quickly.

I shook my head, "absolutely not that is my baby, and my fiancée, why are you cutting her open?!" I asked him, trying to stop my hands from shaking.

I felt hands on my arm, and looked over at Edith. She tugged me, "come on, let them do their job," she said, and I shook my head again, tears filling my eyes against my will.

"I'm not leaving her in here with them! I don't know them!"

Just then, Fawn screamed in agony, a few sobs leaving her as she cried out my name, reaching desperately for me.

I tried to go towards her, but the nurses all held me back. They couldn't keep me, and the doctor yelled to someone outside the room.

"Get him out of here!"

My eyes were locked on Fawn. She looked sickly, her skin was damp and flushed, and her hair was stuck to her face. Her chest rose and fell heavily as I watched the doctor tear open her dress before he started to mark her stomach with a marker as best he could with her squirming around.

Her stomach was bruising and looked inflamed.

"Don't touch her!" I screamed, the angry, horrified tears spilling over my cheeks.

Someone grabbed me from behind and started to drag me out of the room. I fought as much as I could against their hold, but I felt weak as all the hands my body forced me away from my crying woman.

When the door finally slammed shut, blocking me off from the room, a security officer immediately stood in front of it.

"Please, stay out here sir."

I went up to him, and nearly took the knife out of my vest before I felt a firm hand on my arm. I whipped around, ready to backhand whoever was grabbing me until I met Edith's soft brown eyes looking up at me sadly.

We just looked at each other for a moment, and then my vision slowly started blur again and she reached up and gently ran her thumbs across my cheeks before pulling me down into her shoulder.

My legs felt weak, and I clung to her desperately as sobs shook my body.

"This is all my fault! I did this to her!" I cried.

Edith ran her hand through my hair comfortingly, and shushed me while she hugged me.

"Nothin is your fault, Alastor..." she spoke softly, her voice sounding a bit solemn, "don't blame yourself for what's outside your control, darlin'..."

My grip tightened against her shirt, and I squeezed my eyes shut, "I couldn't protect her! I should've been faster!"

"You've done all you could have...losing yourself isn't going to help her any at all, sweetheart...take a few deep breaths and calm down. You're alright."

The fear was blinding. I can't go through it all again...I'd never forgive myself...

But Edith was right. I need to calm down...there's nothing I can do now except wait.

I don't even remember going over to the waiting area...I sat tense in my chair, leaned over with my hand over my mouth and my elbow on the armrest.

Every noise made me jump, and my leg wouldn't stop bouncing as I waited for the doctor to come and get us.

We were the only people here in the emergency ward.

Hours passed, I could hear Fawn wailing distantly from down the hall where we'd come from. The longer it went on, the more my heart filled with guilt.

Until suddenly, I noticed that the noise had stopped. I don't know how long it had been quiet, but she was no longer crying out.

I don't know why that didn't make me feel any better.

Then, finally, the doctor appeared in the waiting room doorway, and his eyes locked on mine. The look on his face was far from being anything good.

My throat felt dry as I stood up, slowly walking over to him. I feel like I'm made of lead. Pure dead weight.

When we were face to face, I could clearly see the somber expression he wore.

"Mr. Broussard..." he started, his voice holding a damp tone.

"I'm so sorry for your loss."