Perfect Match: The Pinocchio Project

Nine Months Later

"OH GOD! KAI! CALL THE HOSPITAL! HURRY!"

Kai and Hayden were now married, as were Nadia and Steve, and Damien and Alana. Nadia and Steve had already welcomed their newborn baby into the world, a little boy named Dominic Hunter Park-Tennyson, after the hero from "The Crown and the Flame."

And now it was Kai and Hayden's turn.

"I'm on it, sweetie!" Kai shouted back at Hayden, and dialed 911. He explained that Hayden was going into labor, and that was all they needed to know.

With Sloane's help, Kai moved a screaming Hayden ("Oh god oh god oh god it hurts so bad!") into his car. They drove as fast as they dared to the hospital, where Keegan, Nadia, Steve, Damien, and Alana were already waiting.

"All set?" Damien asked.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go!" Kai answered.

They checked into the maternity ward. The hospital staff only allowed Kai to be in the room with Hayden. Sloane squeezed Kai's hand before an orderly ushered their friends out.

Hayden looked at Kai. He noticed she looked sad, scared. And he understood. After all, Hayden hadn't had her reproductive system for a year, so her first childbirth was bound to be a very uncomfortable one to begin with. Add to that the fact that too many things could go wrong, resulting in stillbirth, and Kai knew exactly why Hayden felt the way she did.

"Kai..." Hayden whimpered.

"Hayden, sweetie," Kai replied. "Just hang in there... You and the baby will both be fine."

"I feel like I'm being split in half," Hayden groaned.

"I understand, darling," Kai said, holding her hand gently.

Despite herself, Hayden managed a small smile.

"I love you, Hayden," Kai said.

"I love you t— AAAAAHHH!" Hayden screamed as the first contraction hit.

"You have to breathe, Hayden, just breathe!" Kai said as the doctor kept checking her cervix.

"Two centimeters," the doctor said.

"Just keep breathing, baby," Kai said. "You're doing fine."

"OHHHHH GOOOOOOOD MAKE IT STOP!" Hayden screamed: Another contraction. The doctor checked her cervix again.

"Six centimeters."

"All right, Hayden, just keep it up, sweetie!" Kai said encouragingly.

At his words, Hayden kept breathing through the pain.

A third contraction. Hayden's screaming became raw, angry.

"GOD DAMN IT ALL TO FUCKING HELL!" she exploded.

"Hayden!" Kai responded, scandalized. "Language!"

"I FUCKING HATE YOU, KAI PARK! YOU STUPID, NO GOOD SON OF A BITCH! AS SOON AS I GET OUT OF THIS, SO HELP ME GOD I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE!"

That sent Kai into a brief tailspin of fear. He didn't even hear the doctor say that Hayden's cervix was now at eight centimeters: One more contraction, he thought, would be necessary before she could give birth.

Hayden didn't really notice the last contraction, as it didn't hurt nearly as bad as the first three. But her cervix was finally fully dilated to ten centimeters: It was time.

"Start pushing, Hayden! As hard as you can!" Kai urged.

"God, Kai, it hurts so much!" Hayden whimpered.

"I know, sweetie, I know..."

Many more minutes of breathing and pushing passed until, finally, the baby's head popped out of Hayden's womb.

"KEEP PUSHING, HAYDEN!" Kai yelled, his screams blending with Hayden's.

"AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRGH!!!"

For a few seconds, everything according to Kai Young-Park turned into a brilliant, blinding white...