into a bowl before getting all the towels from the bathroom and stripping the sheets from the bed. By the time he went back into the living room, it was obvious Max had just gone through another contraction. He hadn’t exactly been counting but he knew they were close together. Really close. He took off his watch and placed it next to Max, telling her to press the stopwatch function when her next contraction hit. He wanted to know precisely how far apart they were as well as how long they were lasting. Running back into the bedroom, he got one of his t-shirts, Max’s hairbrush, and a hairband. He picked up the bowl of ice on the way through the kitchen and knelt down beside his frazzled-looking wife.
“Come on, let’s get you undressed and into something more comfortable,” he urged, helping Max out of her maternity shirt and leggings. He stripped her bra and underwear off, kissing her naked belly once before pulling his shirt down over her head. He eyed the mound that was Max’s stomach warily, wondering how it was possible for her to look bigger than she had just minutes before.
“She’s not going to burst out like in Aliens,” Max said, voice dry.
Ryker whipped his head up. “I wasn’t thinking that!” he said quickly and guiltily. Because, yeah, that was definitely where his thoughts were headed. “Here, let me braid your hair.” He sat on the lounge behind where Max was on the floor and performed a quick braid before tying the band at the bottom. Hopefully, it would stop Max’s thick hair from getting in her face and overheating her.
Max reached around and fingered the braid, before turning her head. Her voice was filled with surprise when she asked, “Where did you learn to braid?”
Ryker ordered himself not to blush and tried for casual when he shrugged. “I’m about to have a daughter. I figured I should learn how to do girl hair. Diana and Cali have been letting me practice on them.”
Max’s eyes turned watery and she whispered, “Oh, Ryker. You really are the sweetest man.”
Ryker scowled, pushing to his feet. “I am not sweet, woman. Mean. I am mean – and don’t you forget it.”
Max giggled, the sound like music to Ryker’s ears. “Oh, yes. So mean. Yooooou –” Any further teasing was lost to a groan as pain gripped her once more.
Ryker was quick to start the timer and then he simply coached Max with her breathing. Wiping her forehead with a damp cloth and mumbling a bunch of crap into her ear he hoped helped her in some way. “Okay, that lasted seventy-two seconds and was about two-and-a-half minutes since the last one. What does that mean?”
Max grimaced, “That means I’m likely in the transition phase where your cervix dilates from eight to ten centimetres.”
Ryker thought back to the birthing books he had read and also to the birthing video Jasminka had seen fit to force him to watch. Although his mind was fragile from the trauma of both things, he still retained some of the information. “There’s no way, Max. That is the final stage of labour. That would mean you’ve been in labour a lot longer than twenty minutes.”
Max nodded wearily, “I think I’ve been in labour all day.”
“All day? What the fuck?!” Ryker exclaimed.
Max snorted, “You know those ‘thigh cramps’? I think they were signs of early labour. Plus, I’ve had a sore back most of the day too.”
“Thigh contractions? There’s no such thing,” his voice was firm, but his insides were shaking. Yes, he had resigned himself to helping Max deliver the baby, but he had believed they still had hours yet. And in that time, his Order was sure to wonder why they weren’t checking in and they would send Dana their way. Ryker was sure of it.
“Ever heard of referred pain?” Max cocked an eyebrow at him. “Look, I’m no expert, but I know these contractions are already really intense. They are long and they are close together. I think I’m already in the homestretch.”
Ryker blew out a breath. “Okay. Okay, that’s cool. I can deal. At least your water hasn’t broken yet. I mean, that’s the point of no return, right?” And just like that, Ryker watched as the towels underneath Max turned very, very wet.
Max looked down between her legs before glaring back at him. “You just had to say it, didn’t you?”
After that, Ryker kept his stupid fucking mouth shut.