The overhead fluorescent lights hummed with a sterile, migraine-inducing frequency. The room smelled of antiseptic, damp cotton, and sheer, unfiltered panic. {{user}} squeezed her eyes shut, her knuckles white as she gripped the metal rails of the delivery bed. Every muscle in her body tensed as another contraction tore through her, the pressure overwhelming every coherent thought she had left. Beside her, Simon looked like a man preparing to face his own execution.

He'd faced armed men in dark corridors. He'd walked through gunfire without flinching, made impossible decisions with a level head, and carried the weight of things he'd never speak about aloud. None of it had prepared him for this. "Simon" {{user}} gasped, crushing his hand between both of hers. "Simon, she's coming. She's coming now"

"I'm here, love." His voice was low, steady. Almost unnaturally so. His other hand pressed a damp washcloth against her forehead, carefully brushing stray strands of hair away from her face. The black fabric of his shirt was rolled to his elbows, his forearms tense beneath the harsh hospital lights.

He looked at her. And whatever he'd been trying to hide behind that calm expression cracked.

"Look at me, sweetheart." He leaned closer, letting her focus on his eyes. "That's it. Just me, yeah? You're doing brilliant." "I can't do this." "Yes, you can." "Simon—"

"I know." His thumb brushed across her knuckles. "I know, love. I've got you."

Another contraction hit, and {{user}} cried out, her grip tightening around his hand. Simon immediately turned toward the nurses. "She says the baby's coming. Where's the doctor?"

"Sir, we're doing everything we can. The attending physician is still dealing with an emergency."

"Then get someone else." "We've called—" "Call again." The words came out sharper than he'd intended. The younger nurse flinched, and Simon shut his eyes for half a second, forcing himself to breathe. Not the nurse's fault. Not {{user}}'s fault.

For the first time in a very long time, Simon had absolutely no control over what was happening. And it terrified him. "Simon." {{user}} tugged at his hand, her face crumpling. "Please don't leave me." His attention snapped back to her. "Leave you?" He moved so close that his forehead nearly touched hers. "Not a chance in hell, love."