by Kay Edwards
Misty gasped as the first pain hit her. She could still see the smoke but knew she was still a solid four miles away. Tears started streaming down her cheeks as the snow that she was hoping to avoid began to swirl around her. "Please, Jesus please help me. I'm so afraid." A wave of peace came over Misty. She looked around her as she walked toward the smoke. She knew she needed to find a landmark behind the smoke just in case the snow made it hard to see. "I trust You, Jesus. I know You will give me strength. Please help me to remember that."
Two hours later she was leaning against a tree and panting through a very strong contraction. Looking up, she saw a blur coming toward her. She almost cried out thinking it was a bear, but a wave of hope washed over her as she saw it was not a bear but a dog heading right toward her. She had never been so happy to see a dog in her life.
"Come here puppy. I won't hurt you." She said softly. She cried in relief as the dog walked up to her and nudged her hand. "I need help girl. I hope you live close. Can you take me home? Go home girl." She said hoping the dog would listen.
Another contraction hit her as the dog turned and started walking, but Misty walked through it. It hurt like crazy, but this dog was her and her baby's best hope. The dog would turn and bark loudly at her every couple of yards as if to tell her to keep up. "Please Jesus…" she begged again as she felt the wetness of her water breaking saturate her pants.
Dalton followed Jamie's tracks. He had been looking for her for almost thirty minutes now. He could finally hear her barking and quickened his pace. The snow was really coming down now, and he needed to get both of them back to the cabin. "Jamie…!" he yelled over the howling wind. Looking up he saw Jamie coming toward him.
"Come Jamie." He commanded sternly. He was surprised when she didn't listen. Instead, she turned around and barked. She paced back toward the path a little and then turned and barked at him. She started whimpering, and Dalton knew something was wrong.
"Ok girl show me what you found." He said as he began to follow her. Maybe there was a lost animal or something. Rounding the bend of the path, Dalton saw that Jamie had not found a what but a who. He broke into a run. Leaning against a tree was a young woman as he neared her he saw why she had stopped.
Misty looked up. A man was running toward her. "Thank You, Jesus." She whispered softly as she watched him get closer.
Dalton didn't ask any questions. As soon as he got to the woman, he scooped her up into his arms and started back toward the cabin at a run. He knew questions needed to be asked on the way. "How close?"
Misty whimpered as another contraction started. She panted against the man's chest. "They are only seconds apart. Please…"
Dalton tried to reassure the woman. "It's ok. I have you. We can't let you have this baby out here. We are not that far now."
Misty could see the cabin in the distance. "Thank You, Jesus, thank you…" her gasp ended her prayer as another contraction hit her small body.
Dalton could feel her body shuddering from the pain. He knew that they did not have much time. He was at a run as he reached the front door of the cabin. He walked in and laid her on the bed in the corner of the room. "We need to get your pants off. I need to see what is going on."
Misty's body was again contracting. She nodded her head but could not speak. She felt his cold fingers hook into her maternity pants and pull them off.
Dalton breathed a sigh of relief at the absence of blood. It looked like the moisture was slightly pink and clear. "I know you don't know me, but I need you to listen to me. I am a doctor, and I can help you, but I need you to help yourself too. I need to wash my hands. I need you not to push until I can see what is going on. Can you do that?"
Misty nodded as she panted. "Yes."
Dalton walked over and grabbed a bottle of rubbing alcohol. He poured it over his hands and then waved them to air dry. Walking over, he spoke to the young woman gently. "I'm going to move your legs. Just relax and let me see if the baby's head is down ok. I know this is going to hurt but don't tense up. I need you to breath."
Misty nodded and tried not to hold her breath. She started panting as another contraction shook her. She wanted to push so badly, but she didn't. She listened to the man God had sent to help her.
Dalton felt the baby's head and breathed a sigh of relief. "It looks like this little one wants to come out right. How many weeks are you?"
Misty's voice was breathless as she answered. "I'm thirty-six weeks."
Dalton was relieved. There was a good chance everything would turn out fine. "Ok. It feels like you are fully dilated. The next time you feel a contraction I want you to push. I'm going to show you how to hold your knees."
Misty was exhausted. She nodded her head and looked up into the doctor's kind eyes. She grabbed her knees. As she felt another contraction hit, she pushed with all of her might.
Dalton spoke firmly. "Now that I can see your pushing right I need you to give me three big pushes with every contraction. Listen to my voice. I will count to four, and then you take a breath and get ready for the next push."
Misty looked up again into his face. "I can do it." She whispered as another contraction hit. She pushed with all of her might for the four seconds and then pushed again and again. She leaned back against the pillow waiting for the next contraction breathless.
Dalton encouraged the young woman. "That was perfect."
Misty listened to everything the doctor said for the next hour. She pushed with everything she had.
When she had trouble holding her legs, he came beside her and helped. He never stopped talking, and she never stopped listening. He only left her a couple of times to get things ready for the baby once it was finally delivered.
Dalton could see the baby's head. "I need you to hold your legs again. I can see your baby's head. We are almost there." Dalton positioned himself to deliver the baby. "Ok now push. That's it, don't stop. One more time…" Dalton caught the baby in his hands and started to clear her mouth. He smiled as she started crying and then laid her on her mother's stomach.
Misty let out a yell as she pushed one last time. She felt her baby leave her body and enter the world. She cried as she gently pulled her crying baby into her arms. "Hello there Rachel I have waited so long to meet you."
Dalton knew it was time to deliver the placenta. He looked up at the new mother and spoke softly. "Do you have one more push in you?"
Misty looked up from her baby's face. "I do."
Dalton delivered the placenta and then cut the cord. He tied it off with a shoelace he had soaked in rubbing alcohol. He examined the young woman for tearing and grimaced as he realized she would need a few stitches. He was glad he had fishing line and a needle soaking in alcohol. "I'm going to have to put a few stitches in. This is going to hurt just a little are you able to be still?"
Misty nodded yes. She held Rachel close as he stitched her and breathed through the pain. It had not taken long, but it did hurt.
Dalton finished with the stitches and looked up at the young mother. He needed to clean her and the bed up but first he needed to help her feed the baby. "Have you read any books on breastfeeding?" he asked softly.
Misty answered. "I have read a couple. Should I try to feed her?"
Dalton smiled gently. "I think it is time to see if this little girl is as anxious to eat as she was to get here."
Misty let the doctor help her position Rachel. He helped her get the baby latched on and then smiled when she started nursing. "She is doing it," Misty said smiling up at him.
Dalton looked down at them. "She is doing great. I'm going to get you cleaned up now and then get you two settled. You may feel some stinging because I'm using water mixed with salt and alcohol."
Misty pulled the blanket over her and Rachel. She smiled down at her eating daughter. She could feel the doctor cleaning her stitches. She looked up at him as he pulled the b
lanket down and wrapped it around her legs. "My name is Misty." She said softly.
Dalton looked up at the young mom. He smiled at her. "I'm Dalton. It seems a little too late to say very nice to meet you, but it is very nice to meet you."
Misty chuckled. "After all of this, I agree." She watched as he put a plastic bag on the chair and then a towel on top of it.
Dalton spoke as he walked back over to Misty. "I'm going to put you in the chair while I clean the bed. Are you able to sit up or should I wait?"
Misty was not sure. She looked up at him and answered. "I guess we can try it and see. I honestly don't know. I feel fine right now."
Dalton gently scooped up mom and baby into his arms. He placed her in the chair and waited to see if she would be ok. "How do you feel?"
Misty felt just a little weak but not lightheaded. "I think I'm good."
Dalton walked over and cleaned up the bed. He had never been so grateful that he had put plastic covers on the mattresses to protect them from dust. He cleaned and made the bed and then walked over and picked up Misty and the baby. He gently laid them on the bed and covered them up. "I will see what I can find to diaper little Rachel. You go ahead and rest."
Misty looked down into Rachel's face. Tears formed in her eyes and she sobbed as she pulled the baby closer to her. "He would have loved you. Your daddy would have loved you so much." She whispered softly. She looked up and saw Dalton looking at her. He didn't say anything. When his strong arms pulled her into his chest, she wept.
