[ WP ] Lost life

The general rule in this generation is that men were not allowed to be in the room while the midwives were helping the woman in labour. 
 The thought is maddening, having to listen to the sounds of the one you love screaming bloody murder. 
 Instead I took to comforting myself with better thoughts. 
 The thought of the child to come. 
 The thought of my beloved in the other room, enduring pain to bring life. The courage that took was astounding, precious. 
 
 My beautiful Mary. My lascivious, loving wife. Her brown eyes and peach coloured cheeks were spreading into a wide smile in my mind. 
 The thoughts were comforting. 
 They prevented me from worrying when the screams suddenly stopped. 
 
 Silence. 
 No cries. No screams. 
 Heavy footsteps across the hard wood floor alerted me to people still moving. The door swung open, and the ashen expression of the blood covered nurse will never leave me. 
 `` Please come quickly.'' The words barely fled her lips as I wormed past her into the room. 
 Terrifying. 
 It was pure terror. 
 My Mary, she had lost her peach colour. She became a pale sheen of white. Covered in sweat. Below her was nothing but blood. They whispered words of a tear... and heartbreak. 
 Heartbreak? 
 
 `` Where is my child?'' My own voice did n't feel like its own. Hollow. Dry. 
 I could hear ringing in my ears. 
 One of the other nurses brought a bundle to me, and I realised it was indeed supposed to be human. 
 No breath. 
 No life. 
 Moving effortlessly, I took the bundle into my hands with stiff fingers. 
 I think I heard them mention that it's a girl, but I could n't make it out. 
 The ringing in my ears could n't stop. 
 I desperately tried to recall the image of my once beautiful wife into my mind, but I could n't. 
 Death has been burned into my mind.
