She wakes Macy.

Another contraction seized Danny and she knew it was time to wake Macy. Considering how much noise she thought she was making she wondered how the girl could sleep anyway, but she figured the strain of pushing a baby out might make you just a bit sleepy. “Macy! I think it’s getting close.” She called as the contraction cleared but got no reaction. “Macy!” Again no reaction. “Macy, help!” Still, Macy didn’t move and as another contraction screamed at Danny and pressed the baby further down in her pelvis she **** herself to cross the narrow gap between the two seats. The pain made her feel like the three steps were an almost insurmountable gulf of distance but she **** herself onward. Suddenly her mind focused as she touched her friend’s naked skin and found it almost cold. “Macy!” she screamed as she desperately pawed at the deathly pale figure only to find her shallowly breathing. At once she saw the small stream of blood pooling between her legs. They both need help and Danny knew it. At once she threw herself to her back pack and dug out her phone as another contraction pressed more of her child into the world.

“Nine, one, one, what is your emergency?” The calm masculine voice on the other side of phone said.

“My friend just had a baby, and she’s really pale and not responding.” Danny moaned as the contraction peaked.

“Mame, are you alright?” The voice asked after a moment.

“I’m in labor too.” Danny said after a moment. “But my friend really needs help.”

“Okay, help is on the way, what is your location.” The voice asked typing as it spoke the loud key strokes sounding in the phone like hollow footsteps.

“We’re in a,” Another contraction welled “Spot by Mellon Lake, on the north end up by Krel Park.” Danny groaned pushing with the contraction. It was one of the things she liked about this spot, even though it was remote, it was accessible by a park if things went bad.

“Alright mame, can you get to one of the park roads so that the paramedics can find you?”

“No,” Danny moaned. “I can’t move, this baby is coming.”

“How far apart are your contractions?” the voice asked.

“Under a minute. I have to push.” Danny said.

“Okay, try to stay with me. Don’t push. What I need you to do is put your fingers between your legs and tell me what you feel.” The voice instructed.

Danny did as instructed feeling the top of the baby’s head as she panted trying to stop herself from pushing even though that was all her body was screaming to do. “Ahhh, I think I feel the head coming out.” She screamed against the contraction.

“Okay.” The voice said before abruptly cutting away. Then after a moment it came back. “Okay the paramedics are at the park, but they need more information. How can the get down to where you are?”

“Tell them to park all the way in the back and follow the blue trail.” Danny moaned as her body began to push against her will. “I have to push, I can’t stop.” She moaned.

“Try not to, they are coming.” The voice said sounding oddly distant.

Danny tried to pull herself back onto the stone seat but her body refused her commands. All she could do was push as the contractions seemed to rise and crash down on her with no relief at all. With her last bit of effort, she felt the baby slid out up to the neck. “The head is out.” She moaned into the phone.

“Don’t push. Just let it come.” The voice said as it slid farther away.

“I can’t. Have to,” Danny screamed as she focused on one push and felt the baby squirt from her pussy. All the strength she had slipped away in that moment and the world faded to black.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Later that night Danny came too in the hospital. A soft dull pain seemed to radiate from everywhere while her mother was sleeping beside her and as best she could tell, the baby was nowhere in the room. The baby, what had happened to the baby, and to Macy? Slowly she moved for the light and then for some way out of bed when a hand grabbed hers. Her mother hadn’t been asleep and had seen her come too stopping her from any real act of movement. “Relax, everything is fine.” Her mother said softly. “Though you gave us all a bit of a scare there.”

“Mom.” Danny started crying as the emotions came quickly.

“They had to stich you up, and you lost a lot of blood.”

“Stiches?” Danny said half as a question but more as a rambling word.

“Yes, you tore pretty good, and then there is the risk of infection from the mud.”

“But?”

“Danny, what were you thinking? Why wouldn’t you say something to me? And the woods, how could you have been so stupid?”

“I wasn’t thinking.” Danny said collecting her thoughts.

“No, you weren’t.” Her mom said with a detached tone. “But then again, you had help.”

“What do you mean?” Danny asked a bit confused.

“You friend, she told me that she dragged you out there, that it was her fault that you didn’t get help.”

“Macy’s okay?”

“She went home yesterday without her little boy.” He mom said. “We tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t listen. I don’t think she was too happy that you call for help, but if you hadn’t she would have died, so I suppose you did the right thing.”

“Wait, yesterday?”

“Yes, Danny, you’ve been out for four days.”

“Four?” Danny said with surprise. “Why.”

“We don’t know, it’s why you’re here.”

“What about the baby?” Danny asked after a minute.

Her mother looked at her quietly, “He’s fine, in the nursery, and as soon as you get the all clear, you, he and I will go home.” With that, she smiled.

The smile, Danny knew meant that everything would be fine. Slowly she slid back into the bed to rest.