[lxcttrll]

Malorn was curled into a tight ball on the bed, rubbing his belly to try to find some relief, other hand clutching the stopwatch. The midwife, Caroline, sat on the edge of the bed, listening to Archie and rubbing Malorn's lower back to give comfort. She turned to Malorn, gently wiping the sweat from his forehead. "How are you feeling? Has your water broken yet?" Caroline asked, voice soft and comforting. Malorn shook his head, grunting when another contraction came.