Matronly Duties

by Melissa Kendall

  A hand on my shoulder as I hop out of the cart causes me to jump out of my skin.

  “Sorry,” Mark says when I glance back at him, “didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “No worries. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “It’s going to be fine,” he replies, then moves his hand. I look up and see Howard smiling at me across the cart. He nods, and it’s all the encouragement I need.

  We leave the cart near the maintenance entrance at the back of the hospital, following Howard as he leads the way to a door. He pulls a small kit out of his pocket, opening it to reveal a set of small metal tools. My hand shakes as I shine my torch over the door handle while Howard inserts two of the tools into the lock and jiggles them around.

  The temperature may only be fifteen degrees, the standard in Oceania, but by the time the lock disengages, I’m sweating as if it’s thirty.

  Howard turns the handle and opens the door into some sort of administration area. At this time of night, it’s dark except for the odd burst of light from an exit sign. Grant takes the lead and guides us through the office into the maze of corridors beyond.

  We follow him single file, making as little noise as possible. I’m right behind Howard, my hand on his back so I don’t get lost.

  We make it to the restricted level with relative ease, but, of course, getting through the doors will be a little more difficult. There are two deadbolts and a security chain through the handles. Howard pulls out his tools again and makes quick work of the locks. Toby pulls a large pair of cutters from the backpack he’s carrying and cuts the security chain. It almost clangs to the floor but Toby catches it, and we are able to enter.

  After we pass through another set of doors, we are on the ward. Unlike the hall we came from, this area is lit up as if it’s still daytime. Grant and Howard make some hand gestures that I’m unfamiliar with, but I remember that this part of the plan requires Grant and Toby to keep watch while Howard, Mark, and I find Estell.

  Our group heads left while Grant and Toby stay behind.

  “What’s her room number again?” Howard asks in a whisper.

  “Two thirty.”

  The first room we pass is numbered two hundred, so we have a way to go down the corridor. We move as quickly as we can past the rooms with their closed doors. How many of them have women inside in the same situation as Estell? I start to feel a little woozy the farther down the hall we get. It has a very strong chemical smell, and while I try not to breathe it in, I think my efforts are only making things worse.

  Finally we find her room. The euphoria is short-lived, though, when we enter to find it empty.

  “Where is she?” Mark asks, disappointment and desperation colouring his tone.

  Both Howard and I look just as confused and have no answer for him. We are just about to leave to look elsewhere when a door on the opposite wall opens and a heavily pregnant Estell walks in.

  “Who are you?” she asks, wariness clear in her tone.

  Mark lifts his mask. “It’s me, love.”

  “Mark!” she cries, moving as quickly as she can into his arms. Mark pulls her into a tight embrace, raining kisses all over her face.

  “How did you find me?” Estell asks as a sob breaks free.

  “You have Beth to thank for that,” he says gesturing to me with his head.

  She peeks around his shoulder and looks at me. “Thank you, so much.”

  Howard and I stand by the door and turn our backs to the couple, letting them enjoy their reunion with a brief moment of privacy. Howard puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me close. I wrap my arms around his waist and hold tight, enjoying the comfort.

  After a couple of minutes, we hear footsteps and Howard sneaks a look out the door.

  “Okay, time’s up. We’ve got company.”

  “Are you all right to walk?” Mark asks Estell.

  “Yep,” she says, though I sense a little hesitation.

  Mark grabs a robe and some shoes, as all Estell is wearing is a nightie, and hands them to her as we move towards the door. Howard’s hand is inches from the handle when the door opens and a nurse walks in.

  “Who are you?” she asks. “What are you doing here?”

  Before she can do anything else, however, Howard pulls her into the room with his hand over her mouth.

  “Grab the Taser out of my jacket pocket,” he tells me. I do as he asks, hoping he is not expecting me to use it on the woman. “Hand it over.” He tilts his head in Mark’s direction.

  I hand it to Mark, and he moves towards the nurse as she tries to wriggle her way out of Howard’s grasp. One quick jolt from the Taser and the woman is limp in Howard’s arms.

  “What now?” Mark asks.

  “We can put her on the bed.”

  We lift her onto the bed and cover her up, making it look like she is just a patient asleep.

  “Hopefully that will keep us from being found too soon,” Mark says.

  Howard nods. “Yeah, but someone will come looking for her when she doesn’t reappear.” He opens the door and sneaks another look outside.

  Mark turns to Estell. “Do you need anything before we leave?” I don’t hear a response, but I assume the answer is no as Mark doesn’t move or ask any more questions.

  “All clear.” Howard opens the door and we go into the corridor. We take much longer to retrace our steps with Estell in tow. At nearly full-term, it’s difficult for her to walk at a fast pace and she seems to need Mark’s help to stay upright when we stop at the end of the corridor.

  “Everything okay?” Howard asks, glancing over his shoulder at her.

  “Yes, fine.”

  Grant and Toby arrive from the other direction.

  “All good?” Howard asks.

  “Yeah,” Toby replies. “The two security guards are both taking a nap.”

  “Okay then, we better get a move on,” Howard says.

  Grant and Toby take the lead, followed by Mark and Estell, while Howard and I bring up the rear.

  We are a few metres from freedom when Estell suddenly stops dead and grabs her stomach.

  “Oh, God, not now,” she groans.

  Mark stares at her with a panicked look on his face. “Are you all right? What’s wrong?”

  I notice the puddle of fluid at her feet.

  “Nothing is wrong exactly,” she replies. “I’ve been having possible labour pains for the last couple of hours, and now my waters have broken, which means this is the real deal.”

  “Oh my God, oh my God.” Mark paces back and forth. “What do we do?”

  Howard steps in and puts a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Calm down.” He turns to Estell. “Are you right to keep going?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m not staying here.” She takes Mark’s hand and steps out of the puddle, being careful not to slip and fall.

  “All right, then,” Howard says, “we go on. But if you feel even the slightest urge to push, or anything like that, you tell us right away. Okay?”

  Estell nods and takes another ginger, but determined, step forward.

  When we reach the exit and the waiting cart, we hop in as fast as possible. Before I get in, Howard grabs me.

  “I need you to keep an eye on Estell. Try to time the gap between contractions. We need to keep a track of how her labour is progressing.”

  “Okay,” I reply, a little confused. “How do you know this stuff?”

  “I am the eldest of six kids, and I was present for all of my siblings’ births. I’ve picked up a few things.”

  I nod and give him a quick hug before hopping in.

  The ride that took thirty minutes on the way to the hospital seems to take three times as long on the way back. Monitoring Estell’s contractions is fairly easy, since she groans and clutches her stomach every time one hits.

  “How are we going?” Howard asks when we reach the catacombs.

  “I’m not sure. She had four contractions between the hospital and here.”<
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  “Okay, that means they’re about eight minutes apart. That’s good. She’s only in the early stages. We should have a good couple of hours before the baby is here.”

  A siren sounds in the distance.

  “That’s our cue to move,” Grant says.

  We hurry through the catacombs into the caves on the other side. Howard and I light the way up front while Grant and Toby take the rear position so they can protect us in case security catches up to us.

  We make good time during the first stage of the hike as it’s mainly downhill. Estell’s moans and groans get closer together until they’re maybe five minutes apart. By the time we reach the first of the natural bedrock caverns, about two hours into our journey, she is panting with exertion and clearly having trouble walking.

  I pull Howard to one side. “I think we need to have a rest. Estell isn’t looking so good.”

  Howard frowns and glances at her. I can see him warring with himself. It’s obvious Estell needs a break, but stopping puts all of us at greater risk of getting caught. He stares at the ceiling for a while, takes a couple of deep breaths, then looks at me before letting out a short whistle.

  “We’re going to take a short break here,” he announces. “Toby, Grant.” Howard signals for them to come join us.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I want you two to continue on. Go as fast as you can and find my mother. Let her know what is happening with Estell, and then start making your way back. We’ll go as far as we can, but I have a feeling this baby is not going to wait ’til we get to camp to make his or her appearance.”

  ***

  We manage to reach the fork in the road, the same spot we camped the night of my escape from the city, before Estell can’t go any farther. It’s been three hours, and Howard and Mark have already carried her part of the way because her contractions are only three minutes apart and almost two minutes long. The last few have seemed to be worse than the others, as she’s screaming up a storm.

  “I don’t think she can wait any longer,” Howard says.

  Mark nods, and the look of relief on his sweat-covered face is unmistakeable.

  Howard looks around. “Over there looks like the best place.”

  He points to a rocky outcrop with a flat area at the centre. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear it had been designed for the intended purpose. The rocks jutting out of the ground will give us coverage if anyone were to catch up with us, while also allowing plenty of room to congregate around Estell.

  Mark places Estell on the ground in the middle of the area at the same time she lets out a shrill squeal.

  Yikes, she sounds like she’s being murdered.

  I had no idea that having babies would be so noisy, or so painful. Not that I gave it much thought at all.

  Howard helps get Estell settled, with Mark supporting her from behind, then comes to my side.

  “Are you all right, beautiful?”

  “Yes?” I say, the word coming out more like a question. My feet are rooted in place, even though I should be helping.

  “It’s gonna be okay,” he says as he puts his arms around me. His warmth is calming, and I wish more than anything that I could stay in his embrace forever. “This baby is coming, though, and I don’t think my mum is going to make it here in time.”

  “What do we do?” I ask, my voice shaking.

  “We’re going to let nature take its course. Estell’s body knows what to do to bring this baby into the world. We are just going to be there for suppor—”

  His words are interrupted by a scream from Estell. I need to put aside all my fears, because she is going through something far scarier than I am. Howard puts his hand under my chin and lifts it until our eyes meet. He kisses me gently, but I can feel the love and strength he is sharing with me.

  Pulling away, he takes my hand. “Come on, let’s get some light in here.”

  “I have to push,” Estell cries as Howard lights the second of three lanterns. He hands the third to me and moves towards Estell and Mark.

  “Okay, that’s fine,” Howard says. “Don’t fight it. If your body is telling you to push, then listen to it.” I watch in awe as he kneels between Estell’s legs. “Beth, can you grab the med kit and a bottle of water from my backpack?”

  I scramble to find Howard’s bag, grabbing what he needs.

  Returning to his side, I hand him the items. He sets the med pack beside him and lifts the bottom of Estell’s nightie to reveal her private parts. I stumble back a few steps and grab the nearest rock to keep myself upright. I’ve never looked at my own body that way, let alone wondered what it might look like when a child is born. The sight is bloodied and swollen, and in the middle is a small area of what looks like hair.

  “Oh God, it hurts.” Estell’s moan breaks my stupor.

  I glance up to see Mark holding her hand and whispering something in her ear. The look of awe and admiration on his face makes me grateful for the risks we took to make sure they were together for this moment.

  “You’re doing fine,” Howard says, his tone one you would use when soothing a child. An image of me in Estell’s place pops into my mind, and I imagine him looking up at me with love and adoration in his gaze. It’s a future I never dreamt of until now.

  Blinking back tears, I swallow thickly as Howard places his hand against what I suspect is the top of the baby’s head. It almost looks like he is trying to push the baby back in. “You’re doing real good, Estell, nice strong pushes.”

  Again, I marvel at seeing Howard like this—so strong and controlled, yet gentle and caring at the same time. It’s very sexy.

  “The head is out. Beth, can you come help me, please?”

  I stand stunned for a moment, but when he looks over his shoulder at me, the pleading in his eyes snaps me into action.

  “Can you please hold her leg for me? We need to make sure she doesn’t close them.”

  I take a deep breath and kneel next to Howard, taking Estell’s left leg while Howard holds the right. My hands are shaking so badly I can only hope Estell won’t feel it.

  This close, the details of birth are even more gruesome. I have to close my eyes to keep my composure and avoid passing out. Never in a million years did I expect I would be present for, let alone helping with, such an event.

  Only when the squeal of a baby reaches my ears do I open my eyes. The sight before me is amazing. Mark and Estell are kissing as she cradles the squirming, pink, crying bundle of joy. The love between them is so palpable I have to look away. My eyes fall on Howard, who is staring at the couple with an almost envious expression on his face. As if sensing my gaze, he turns to me with a giant grin on his face.

  Is this what I have to look forward to in my future?

  “Oh, I missed it.”

  I blink and turn around, surprised to see Rhonda standing behind us, bag in hand. I’d forgotten Howard had sent for her.

  Howard stands and takes a cloth his mother offers, wiping his hands clean. He explains what happened and I can’t help but notice the look of pride on her face. I also notice the relief on Howard’s. As soon as his mum takes over, doing whatever there is left to do, he pulls me into his arms. It is only then that I feel he’s shaking.

  “Are you all right?” I ask.

  “I am now.” His mouth crashes into mine without warning. He kisses me with a desperation I’ve yet to experience. His hand around my waist pulls me tight against him, and it is hard to tell where I end and he begins.

  “That was the scariest thing I’ve had to do in a long while,” he says when he breaks away from me.

  “You were scared?” I ask, a little confused because he didn’t look it.

  “Of course I was scared. There is so much that can go wrong in childbirth, and I was so worried something would happen and I wouldn’t be able to help.”

  “Well, if it makes any difference, I had no idea that you felt like that. All I saw was confidence.”

  “Thanks.”

&
nbsp; “You’re welcome, and if I do say so myself, I found it more than a little appealing seeing you in charge like you were.”

  Howard doesn’t say anything more. He brings his lips to mine and in his kiss, I feel all the love and adoration he has for me.

  Chapter 21

  Howard and I sneak off to a dark corner to decompress for a few minutes. And also give the new family some time alone. I’m packing up the bags when Rhonda calls out.

  “Come here, guys, there’s someone who wants to meet you.”

  Howard holds out his hand and I take it without any hesitation. He leads me over to the outcrop of rocks where the new family has been getting to know one another.

  “Estell,” Rhonda says, getting her attention, “this is Bethanie Greene. She’s the one responsible for getting you out.”

  “Oh no, I’m not the only one responsible.”

  Estell smiles at me. “Thank you.” She tilts her head to the side. “You seem familiar. Do I know you?”

  I nod. “We met once before.”

  It takes her a couple of seconds, but when she realises who I am, she gasps. “Matron Greene? But . . . how?”

  “Well, I’m not Matron anymore. Just plain Beth. And after you were arrested, I was horrified to discover what would happen to you and your baby when she was born. I knew I had to find a way to save you. It took me a while to find out where you were being held, but once I did, it was just a matter of getting to Howard and coming after you.”

  Estell reaches up and takes my hand, holding it tight. “Thank you. Thank you, so much. I can never repay you for what you have done for me and my family.”

  “There’s nothing to repay. Seeing you and your baby happy and healthy is enough.”

  She sniffles, her eyes moist. “I can’t believe it. I thought you didn’t care. I never would have imagined you’d actually be the one to rescue me.” I ignore the pang of hurt caused by her words. She shifts her gaze from me to Mark and then the baby before looking up again. “Would you like to hold her?”

  “Oh, I . . .” I glance at Howard for reassurance. I’ve never been this close to a baby before. He shrugs, which is of no help whatsoever. I return my attention to Estell. “I’ve never held a baby before, so you’ll have to show me.”