Free Season of Passion by Danielle Steel

the classes she had taken two months before. Aren't you tired of doing that? Kate shook her head again, closed her eyes, and for ten seconds the panting stopped. She hardly had time for one normal breath before the pain crashed through her consciousness again. Her hair lay damp and matted around her face, and for what seemed the thousandth time that night Felicia stood up and wiped her forehead with a damp doth. The exhilaration was gone from Kate's face. The only thing visible there now was pain.
    Hang in, love, it can't be much longer. Kate showed no sign of having heard. She was panting again, and then suddenly she stopped and a soft moan gave way to a short startling scream. Felicia jumped in surprise, as Kate began to thrash in her bed and move her head from side to side.
    Licia ' can't ' I can't ' anymore ' But even the time it took to say those words was too long. Already the pain was tearing through her again, and another moan escaped her, quickly capped by another scream.
    Kate ' hey, baby, come on ' Jesus. She wasn't prepared for this. It was worse than anything she'd seen in the movies. Frantically, Felicia rang for the nurse, and Kate began to cry.
    It was less than a minute later when the nurse opened the door and stuck her head inside. How's it going, girls? Felicia looked at her in icy fury.
    How does it look like it's going? She wanted to kill her. Why the hell wasn't she doing something for Kate? The girl was in agony for chrissake. People died like that didn't they?
    Looks just fine to me. The nurse's eyes seemed to shoot sparks at Felicia. She walked quickly to Kate's bed and took the girl's hand. You're almost there, Kate. This is the hard part. You're in transition now. After this it gets lots easier, and pretty soon you can start to push. Kate turned her head from side to side again, in a sharp frantic motion, and her tears mixed with the sweat running into her hair.
    I can't' I can't ' She retched as though to throw up, but nothing came.
    Yes, you can. Come on, I'll breathe with you. And quickly, the nurse started the panting, holding firmly to Kate's hand. Come on, now, Kate ' now ' She could see the pain starting to tear at Kate's face again. Now ' there ' The panting was driving Felicia nuts, but Kate looked less panicky. Maybe she would make it after all. God, it was awful though. Christ, why would anyone go through that? Another soft moan, and then a sharp little scream burst in on her thoughts again, and the nurse's soft purring continued. She wondered how Kate stood it; she had always seemed so frail. No child was worth this. No man. No one. Felicia felt tears burn her eyes, as she turned to look at the rising sun. She couldn't bear to see her friend suffer anymore. She had already been through too much, and now this. When Felicia turned from the window, she found the nurse's eyes meeting hers, this time more gently. Why don't you get a cup of coffee? The coffee shop should be open by now.
    No, it's all right I--
    Go on. We're doing fine. And she was right, Kate did look better. There was still that dogged look of pain in her eyes, but she was back in the fight again. And probably working too hard to cafe whether Felicia left for a few minutes. This was labor, in the real sense of the word.
    Okay. But I'll be back soon.
    We'll be here. The nurse smiled cheerily and went on breathing with Kate while timing contractions. And for the first time, Felicia felt left out She wondered if that was how fathers felt as they watched their wives writhe in pain, straining toward a goal a man could see but never feel. Felicia knew she would never feel that pain. She would never love anyone enough for that. Not the way Kate had loved Tom. Thinking about it tore at her again, as she walked soberly toward the coffee shop. She didn't even want a drink now. What she really wanted was to know that it was over, and go home to shower and sleep. The long drive of the day before and the long sleepless night were beginning