Chapter 1002

Does he think he gets to decide that? Whether or not she had children was her choice. Not Aaron's. Not even her future husband's.

The thought flashed through Lena's mind, and she immediately dismissed Aaron's words, focusing instead on getting to the delivery room.

By the time she arrived, Keira was gripping Hayden's hand tightly. The pain was unbearable. Her body trembled with both fear and anticipation.

“I’m here, baby. I’m right here,” Hayden murmured, his hand gently caressing Keira’s face, soothing her in the only way he could.

“The mother needs to enter the delivery room now. Family members will have to wait outside,” a nurse reminded them.

But at that moment, Hayden’s hand was her lifeline—her anchor against the waves of pain. Keira was clutching him so hard she didn’t even realize her nails had dug into his skin, leaving deep marks. Blood welled up where she had broken the skin, but he never once loosened his grip.

“Nurse, we’re requesting family accompaniment during labor,” Hayden said firmly. There was no way he was leaving her alone in there, not when Lena hadn’t arrived yet.

“Did you apply for it in advance? You need the department director’s approval,” the nurse replied with a strict tone. She was new and didn’t know about his connection to Lena. If she had, she wouldn’t have been so by-the-book. But she wasn’t wrong—rules were rules, and not just anyone could make such requests.

“I approve it,” Lena’s voice rang out at just the right moment. She strode toward Keira, not wasting a single second. “Let’s get her inside. I’ll do an examination first.”

With her approval, the nurse immediately wheeled Keira in. Lena added, “I’ll go change.” She headed to the staff room to swap into scrubs. But when she came out, she saw that Aaron was still there.

She hesitated for a second. “Uncle Aaron, why are you still here?”

“How long will this take?” He didn’t answer her question but asked one of his own.

“It’s hard to say. If things go smoothly, it could be a few minutes. If not, it could take hours—maybe even until morning,” Lena said as she buttoned up her coat, already heading toward the delivery room. “You should go back and spend time with Grandma and Grandpa.”

She left right after saying that, not waiting for his response. But Aaron didn’t leave. He stood there, unmoving.

Inside the delivery room, Lena checked on Keira. “Is the pain worse than before?” she asked while swiftly pulling on sterile gloves, every movement smooth and practiced.

By the time she was fully suited up, the nurses had already finished preparing Keira for examination.

“Bear with me for a second while I check your dilation,” she said, her voice calm but reassuring.

The check was painful. Keira instinctively turned her head to Hayden’s palm, her forehead resting against the back of his hand. Her face, her temples, even her hair were damp with sweat.

Hayden never left Keira’s side. He bent over her, pressing soft kisses to her forehead, her cheeks, the tip of her nose. The pain was immense. But with him here, it felt like Keira had something to hold onto—like she wasn’t alone in it.

“She’s only at four centimeters. We still have to wait,” Lena said after completing the examination. She had delivered countless babies before. This was routine. A normal stage of labor. And yet, this time was different. She wasn’t just a doctor—she was Keira’s friend. It wasn’t just another patient in pain. It was Keira herself. She wasn’t just observing. She was hurting for Keira.

“She needs to dilate to ten centimeters before she can start pushing, right?” Hayden asked. He had done his research.

Lena nodded slightly, her gaze never leaving Keira’s face. Hayden’s expression darkened. “So she just has to endure this pain the whole time?”

“What else? You want to do it for her?” Lena shot back. The two of them, both anxious for Keira’s sake, immediately locked horns.

But Hayden knew better than to argue. Instead, he took a deep breath and asked, “Isn’t there epidural anesthesia? Can she get one now?”

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Lena replied without hesitation. She had already discussed this with him before.