Chapter 84

Claire's POV "Push, Claire! Push harder!" the doctor urged. I was gripping the bed rails so hard my knuckles had turned white, sweat pouring down my face as another contraction ripped through my body. The pain was unlike anything I'd ever experienced, like my insides were being torn apart. "I can't," I gasped, falling back against the pillows. "It hurts too much." "The baby's head is crowning, but he's large," the doctor explained, his forehead creased with concern. "We need you to push with everything you've got." I tried again, screaming through clenched teeth as I pushed. The nurses around me were shouting encouragement, but their voices seemed distant, as though I was underwater. "I can't do this anymore," I whispered, tears streaming down my face. My strength was fading fast. The hours of labor had drained everything from me. Just as I was about to give up, something strange happened. A soft, feminine voice echoed through my mind—not from the room around me, but from within my own