MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat - Chapter 563

Chapter 563: Chapter 563: Into the Light
Damon pulled up to the emergency drop-off zone like a man possessed.

The tires screeched to a stop, and before the engine had even gone quiet, he was out of the car, slamming the door and rushing around to the back.

Svetlana was already trying to sit up, one arm braced on the seat, her face flushed with pain and effort.

“Hold on,” Damon said, voice firm but anxious, as he opened the door. “I got you.”

Inside the building, the automatic doors slid open, revealing the sterile white glow of the hospital lobby.

A nurse at the triage desk looked up just in time to see Damon burst through the doors, practically carrying Svetlana with one arm around her back and the other under her knees.

“Pregnant, water broke, contractions close, she’s due now!” he barked.

The nurse immediately reached for the call button. “We’ve got an incoming labor, full term, someone get Dr. Maelynn down here now. Prep delivery two.”

Two other nurses rushed in with a wheelchair. Damon gently lowered Svetlana into it, though she was groaning through another wave of pain.

“Breathe, okay? I’m right here,” he said as she squeezed his hand.

Svetlana cursed something in Russian under her breath, teeth clenched. “I am breathing, you try doing this without swearing!”

They started rolling her down the hall. Damon followed beside her, clutching her hand until the staff made him step aside to keep pace with the team.

“She’s full term, vitals seem stable. We’ll get her monitored and checked. Sir, we’ll need you to fill out some forms once we stabilize her.”

“Anything, just get her in.”

The hospital staff moved quickly. Years of experience had taught them exactly how to manage the chaos of active labor. In minutes, Svetlana was in a gown, monitors hooked up, and the obstetrician was already gloving up as the contractions quickened.

A nurse pulled Damon gently by the arm. “We’re going to get her ready. You can wait right outside for now, we’ll bring you in once she’s set.”

Damon nodded, his eyes locked on Svetlana’s face as she gritted through another contraction. “I’ll be right there. I swear.”

She didn’t say anything this time, just gave him a sharp nod, a look that was all fire and focus.

Then the door closed.

Damon stepped back, finally letting out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm. His heart was racing harder than it had ever raced in a cage.

Damon leaned against the wall, one hand on his hip, the other gripping a paper cup of water.

The hallway was quiet now except for the muffled sound of footsteps behind him. He didn’t turn immediately, he was still thinking about Svetlana.

‘Where did the sweet one go?’ he thought, half amused, half stressed. She’d been moody, sure, the pregnancy had its moments.

But this was something else entirely. He sighed again, quietly, sipping from the cup as if that would steady his nerves.

He heard the footsteps come closer. Turning slightly, he saw Joey and Ashley coming down the corridor in a hurry.

Joey’s face was all concern. Ashley was still pulling her cardigan over her shoulders, her hair a bit frizzy from the rush.

Joey looked around quickly, then walked up to Damon. “You good?”

Damon gave him a nod, though his expression was tired. “Yeah… yeah, just waiting. They’re prepping her inside.”

Ashley gave him a short hug. “Where is she?”

“In there.” Damon pointed toward the delivery room door. “Water broke. They said it’s going fast.”

Ashley looked surprised. “Already?”

“She started yelling at me in Russian halfway to the hospital. So yeah. It’s happening.”

Joey smirked. “You handle that better than I thought.”

“I didn’t.” Damon said dryly. “I just didn’t die.”

Joey chuckled and handed him a protein bar from his hoodie pocket. “Eat something. It might be a long night.”

Damon looked down at it, then pocketed it with a quiet nod. “Thanks.”

They stood there in silence for a bit.

Damon leaned back against the wall, hands in his lap, staring blankly at the floor. His leg bounced once, then again, and he sighed.

He looked at Joey, then over to Ashley sitting beside him, then back to Joey.

“Did she curse at you like this… during hers?”

Joey’s mouth twitched into a crooked grin. He glanced at Ashley, who arched an eyebrow and slowly turned toward him like she was waiting.

Joey chuckled. “She said a lot of nice things.”

Ashley smacked his arm without looking away from Damon. “I told him he did this to me. I threatened to push him out the window. Then I cried. Then I asked for ice cream.”

Damon blinked, then snorted. “Got it.”

“Just breathe through it,” Joey added. “You’re not gonna win any arguments today or any other day.”

Damon looked up as the door swung open and the three entered with urgency. Macey led the way, still slipping her phone into her purse, eyes immediately scanning the room until she saw Damon.

Aoife was right behind her, moving quickly but composed, while Victor trailed them calmly, though even he looked like he’d just jogged in from the parking lot.

Macey stepped right up to Damon without hesitation. “Where is she? Is she okay? What’s going on?”

“She’s inside,” Damon replied, gesturing toward the door. “They said everything’s moving fast.”

Aoife placed a hand on Damon’s arm. “And you? You look pale.”

“I’ve been cursed out in two languages and nearly crashed the car. I’m doing great,” Damon muttered with a dry smile.

Victor gave him a firm pat on the back. “That’s the real championship, kid.”

Macey glanced around the hallway, then leaned in closer. “What’d she say?”

Joey, sitting with Ashley nearby, raised a hand. “Let’s just say… Damon got introduced to a few Russian phrases I didn’t even know existed.”

Ashley laughed under her breath. “Same energy I had with Theo. I nearly broke Joey’s fingers.”

Macey smiled knowingly. Aoife just sighed.

Victor nodded. “We’ll stay out here. Just call us if anything changes.”

Damon looked at the delivery room door again, then back at all of them. His shoulders eased a little. “Thanks for coming.”

“You’re not doing this alone,” Aoife said. “Now sit down. You’re standing too much.”

Damon didn’t argue. He finally sat, glancing down at his hands. They were shaking a little. He didn’t even notice.