Alexei, Her Russian Billionaire

Chapter 11

The midwife’s expression when she checked Maya’s cervix was not good. Maya could feel the fear taking hold even above the contractions. The midwife sent for a doctor and strapped a heart rate monitor to Maya’s belly, trying to find the baby’s heartbeat. Maya gripped hold of Jenny’s hand. Was her baby okay? Or was she losing him?

The doctor, a kindly-looking woman in her mid-forties, hurried in wearing scrubs. She and the midwife checked the heart rate monitor. Maya’s heart dropped when she saw the grim expressions.

“What? Is something wrong? Is my baby okay?”

The doctor turned to Maya, schooling her expression until she didn’t look as grim.

“Maya, your baby’s heart rate is dropping. Adding to your bleeding and it shows he’s in distress. We need to get your baby out as soon as possible.”

Maya went cold.

“What does that mean?”

“I’m going to call theater and arrange an emergency C-section.”

Maya began to tremble. She didn’t want to go under the knife. She was still trying to prepare herself for a va*inal birth. To have someone cut her open and then fish her baby out, to her, was even worse.

“Oh, God.”

Jenny gripped her hand and hugged her.

“Take it easy, Maya.” She kissed her friend’s head. “It’ll be fine.”

For a fleeting moment Maya wanted Alexei to be there. He could calm her down. She felt better with him close by. But he wasn’t there. He was running away from his life and back in Russia.

Now Maya felt even lonelier, even with her best friend at her side.

The midwife looked up at Jenny.

“You’re allowed one person in the theater with you for support. Do you want your friend to come in as well?”

“Yes.” Maya wailed around a contraction, shoving the gas and air mouthpiece into her mouth and breathing as evenly as she could.

She really wanted Alexei in with her but that was out of the question. Jenny was the next best thing.

Maya wanted to cry but she was using up her energy riding the contraction waves. When people told her labor hurt, they hadn’t been kidding.

“What about the father?” asked the midwife. “Do you want us to call him and let him know?”

“No.” Maya shook her head. “He’s in Russia right now. I don’t have a contact number.”

She wasn’t going to say she had been abandoned by the baby’s father; that was too embarrassing. But judging from the midwife’s face, she had guessed. But she didn’t judge or say anything. She simply called for a couple more orderlies and they wheeled her bed down to theater, Maya writhing around and trying to breathe through the pain. Jenny stayed behind to wait for a set of scrubs so she could go in.

Maya didn’t know how she managed the next ten minutes on her own. The midwife came with her and helped her out of her clothes and into a gown, which she tied at the back, putting a cap on her head. The midwife also got into scrubs and came into the theater with her, helping her sit upright and as still as Maya could manage while the doctor stuck a needle into her back. The midwife explained she was being given a drug to numb everything from the chest down so when the doctors cut into her stomach she wouldn’t feel the pain.

But Maya was so upset right then and struggling with the contractions that she didn’t care if she felt pain or not. All she cared about was making sure her son was okay.

The midwife laid her down and they began erecting a curtain across Maya’s chest so she wouldn’t see what was happening. Maya lay back and stared at the ceiling, trying to think about anything other than what was going on. Alexei floated into her mind again and Maya pushed him away. She didn’t need him. She was here with Jenny; they could cope absolutely fine.

So why was she feeling like she couldn’t cope?

“The anesthetic should be working now.” The doctor declared. “I’m just putting pressure on your belly. Can you feel that?”

Maya concentrated but felt nothing.

“No.”

“That’s good. You’ll feel a little tugging in your belly shortly but that’s it. That will be us taking your baby out. Now relax.”

Maya didn’t know how anyone could relax when they were virtually strapped down to an operating table about to have a scalpel slicing her open. The midwife talked to her as the doctors started but Maya barely heard her. She answered briefly but she couldn’t hold on to the conversation.

A few moments later the midwife murmured something about someone else was joining her and moved away. Maya looked around, thinking Jenny had finally arrived. But it was Alexei who sat on the stool beside her, dressed in scrubs and a cap over his hair. He smiled and stroked her head.

“Hey, Printsessa.”

“Alexei! What are you doing here?”

“I wasn’t going to miss this, was I?” Alexei leaned forward and kissed her. “But let’s not talk right now. Let’s focus on getting our baby out safely.”

Maya couldn’t believe it. What was Alexei doing there? He was supposed to be in Russia.

But he was right. They had more important things to worry about. She managed to bring a hand up and found his. A tear rolled down her cheek.

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

Alexei smiled and stroked her head.

“So am I. I’m not going anywhere.”

*****

It only took twenty minutes. Maya was amazed it was that quick. She was a lot more relaxed when she wasn’t having the contractions and Alexei was there, holding her hand and stroking her head. He was a soothing presence, whispering words in Russian to her that she didn’t understand but were reassuring.

When Nikolai was finally shown to her, moments after he was born, Maya couldn’t help but feel the rush of love towards the little mite. But the midwives were concerned he wasn’t breathing and hurried him away. That was the most fraught time for Maya, clutching Alexei’s hand as they waited to hear if he would cry.

And he did a few seconds later. He let out a massive scream that had Maya sagging in relief. He was okay.

Nikolai reappeared moments later in an incubator. The midwife explained they had had to give him oxygen to held him breathe so they were taking him to the neo-natal unit. Maya understood but she felt a pang of regret she wouldn’t be able to hold him. But the midwife took pity on her and eased Nikolai out of the incubator, settling him in her arms. Nikolai wriggled a little and then settled down, his head against Maya’s chin. He had gorgeous light brown skin with dark curly hair.