A curse in Greek slipped out from between her clenched teeth, and she squeezed his hand as she pushed again. Hygeia encouraged her from her position at the foot of the bed, and after another few pushes, she grinned.
"I see a head!" she said happily. "This next bit's gonna suck, but give me another big one, OK?"
Thalia shoved herself up onto her elbows, then pushed some of her sweaty hair out of her face. "I'd forgotten how much fun this is," she muttered, pushing herself back up and giving another push with all of her strength.
"Come on kiddo, you're almost there," Hygeia murmured, as Thalia gave one more almighty push. Hygeia caught the baby as it came out, giving the child a once over before telling them, "Your daughter says hello," and smiling. And indeed, the little girl chose that moment to let out a cry.
Hygeia passed her to another nurse, who'd clean her up and take down all the relevant information. "Halfway there, you're doing great, and she'll be right back."