The Banty House

by Brown, Carolyn

  When it finally stopped, Sloan was there for her, and she was glad to have him to hang on to because her knees were weak and she was sweating bullets. “Just take me to the Banty House,” she whispered. “I feel sick, and I need to lie down.”

  “Do you need to go to the emergency room?” Sloan asked.

  “No. I’ve just never been that high up off the ground, and I found out the hard way that I don’t like heights,” she admitted honestly. “If I can just lie down for a little while, I’ll be fine.”

  “Just lean on me, and we’ll get you out of this crowd,” he said.

  She’d never appreciated anyone as much as she did Sloan right then. He never said that he told her so, not even once. He kept his arm tightly around her until he could flag down a golf cart and help her into the back seat. Five minutes later he was leading her up the porch steps to the Banty House.

  “Good God!” Betsy jumped up from her rocking chair. “Is she in labor? Doc said she can’t deliver the baby naturally, that he’ll have to take it.”

  Kate was on her feet next. “Take her into the parlor and put her on the sofa. I’ll call Doc. He’s at the Romp, so he can come on down here and check her.” She hurried into the house and headed for the kitchen telephone.

  “Why haven’t you already called him on your fancy phone?” Connie fussed at Sloan as she followed everyone into the house.

  “Didn’t even think of it,” Sloan said.

  “I did it to myself,” Ginger whispered. “I’ve never been that high and the bucket thing was rocking back and forth and”—she grabbed her stomach—“I think I just had a contraction.”

  “We’re going straight to the hospital,” Kate yelled into the phone and hung it up. “Get her out to the car, Sloan. I’ll lock the doors, and we’ll be there by the time you get the engine started.”

  “I’m fine,” Ginger protested just as her stomach knotted up again.

  Sloan picked her up like she was nothing more than a baby and carried her through the kitchen and out the garage door. He set her down in the passenger seat and hurried around to get behind the wheel, making plans about how to get out of town the whole time. Main Street was blocked, so he’d have to make a right turn before the old post office and circle around until he could get onto the road up to the highway.

  The sisters crawled into the back seat, and Kate said, “Just get us to the hospital. Don’t pay a bit of attention to the speed limit signs.”

  He had to go slowly in town, so as not to hit anyone, but when he got the big car out on the highway, he floored it. The five-minute trip to the hospital took less than three, and Doc Emerson even beat them there. He met them in the emergency-room lobby and started asking questions while the nurse put Ginger into a wheelchair and rolled her through a set of double doors and back to a cubicle.

  “Okay, ladies and Sloan, get out of here and go to the waiting room. I’m going to see what’s going on. I’ll be out to tell you in a few minutes,” Doc Emerson said.

  Sloan led the ladies out to the empty waiting area. They all three sat down in chairs next to each other and clutched their oversize handbags to their chests.

  “I told you not to let her—” Betsy started.

  “You know how stubborn she is,” Kate butted in.

  Connie pointed right at Kate. “She gets that from you.”

  “It’s my fault. I should’ve argued with her more,” Sloan lamented. “I told her not to get on the Ferris wheel, but she marched right over there and bought a ticket, and the guy rolled her up and let the last ones on, and it was too late for me to even get on it.” He plopped down in a chair with a thud and put his head in his hands. “The kid said it was safe for pregnant women.”

  “You are not to blame yourself,” Kate said. “She’s a grown woman, not a child.”

  “But I talked down to her like she was a kid,” Sloan said. “She was bullied by the baby’s father, and I’m sure she’s made up her mind not to let anyone do that to her again. I shouldn’t have pushed her like that.”

  The double doors opened and Sloan jumped up, but it was only a nurse. She went over to another family and said a few words to them. One of the guys in that group broke down and then the rest of the group was suddenly trying to comfort each other. Sloan was familiar with the heavy cloak of guilt landing on his shoulders, and he accepted it. No matter what the ladies said to encourage him, he knew that he could have kept Ginger from getting on that ride if he’d gone about it differently. He could have told her that he hated rides, that they made him sick, and asked her to please do something with him instead of going on the Ferris wheel. But oh, no! He had to demand that she not go, and she had to prove to him that she could do whatever she wanted and take care of herself.

  He got up and started to pace back and forth, from the doorway to the other side of the room and back again. On one of his trips, he heard the other group of people talking about how lucky they’d been. On another, he got a second tidbit. Evidently, a two-year-old had swallowed something poisonous, but the doctors were able to save the child’s life. Their tears had been ones of joy, not sorrow.

  If Ginger lost this baby because of him, she’d never forgive him, but worse yet, he’d never forgive himself. This time, visiting a grave like he’d done with his old teammates wouldn’t work—the guilt would stay with him forever.

  He was just past the doors going back into the emergency room when they swung open and Dr. Emerson came into the waiting room. The sisters, still wearing their long white dresses, had rushed to his side by the time Sloan could get whipped around and take a few steps back to him.

  “Is she all right?” Betsy and Connie asked at the same time.

  “Is the baby all right?” Kate laid a hand on Doc’s arm.

  Sloan just stood there, speechless, and waited for the bomb to explode.

  “Her blood pressure is way too high and the baby is in a little bit of distress, so it’s best that we go ahead with the cesarean today. We’re taking her to surgery now. She’s asked to see Sloan. I’ve told her five minutes, and she informed me that if she didn’t see him, she was going home. Sassy little piece of baggage,” he chuckled. “Reminds me so much of Betsy when she was young.”

  Betsy slumped into a nearby chair. “We’re gettin’ a baby today. Doc, please tell me that Ginger will be all right.”

  Kate and Connie sat on either side of her and looked up at the doctor with wide eyes.

  “She’ll be just fine. This would probably have happened no matter where she was or what she was doing. I’ll either come out as soon as I can to give you the news or else I’ll send a nurse, and y’all can move down to the surgery waiting room. Now, come on with me, Sloan. He’ll be back with you in a few minutes.”

  Sloan followed the doctor, but he was now convinced that there was definitely something wrong. Ginger would have asked to speak to Betsy and comfort her so she wouldn’t worry before she would have asked for Sloan if everything was really all right. He was sure that he was about to be told some bad news and then be asked to break it to the sisters.

  Doc pulled back a curtain and motioned Sloan forward. “Five minutes, and then you’ll have to suit up if you agree with her,” he said, then disappeared. “The nurse will be here to tell you what to do. I’m going to scrub up.”

  Sloan took a step into the tiny curtained area. Ginger had an IV in one arm, and a blood pressure cuff was fastened around the other. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, taking her hand in his.

  “What for?” Ginger asked. “I did this—you didn’t, and it’s going to be all right, but I’m scared. Doc says that if you put on a gown and mask, you can go into the delivery room with me. Please, Sloan. I’m terrified. If you’re there, I’ll be fine.” Her grip on his hand tightened.

  “Yes, I’d love to go with you,” Sloan said without hesitating for a second.

  “Okay, it’s time to gown up or get out.” An older nurse pushed the curtain all the way back.

  “I’m go
ing with her.” Sloan took Ginger’s hand in his.

  “Then follow me.” The nurse started pushing the bed out of that area and down a hallway. “I’ll talk while we walk. You will get into a surgical gown, cap, and mask, and you will stand behind a screen. The surgical area is sterile, so you can’t be in that part. You won’t see us take the baby out, and you won’t be able to cut the cord. Once we do the necessary things, like weighing, measuring, and cleaning her up a bit, one of you will have a two-hour bonding time with the baby, skin to skin. If the mother is awake and able, that’s her job, but if she gets tired, then you will take over. When that time is over, we’ll get her dressed and ready for other folks to hold her. Do y’all understand all that?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Sloan said.

  “What is skin to skin?” Ginger asked.

  “It’s a naked mama’s or daddy’s chest with the naked baby laid against it. We’ve found that it helps the baby bond and makes babies that are calmer than if we just take them away to the nursery,” she explained as she pushed Ginger into the surgery room and pointed to a small closet with an open door. “I’m going to get her prepped for this. You’ll find everything you need waiting in that room with the instructions about how to put it all on. Someone will come get you when it’s time.”

  Sloan let go of Ginger’s hand and leaned over the bed to give her a kiss. “I’m still scared. What if she don’t bond with me? What if I fall asleep and drop her? Doc said I’ll be awake but kind of drowsy.”

  “I’ll be right here with you until we take her home, I promise. If you get drowsy, I’ll take off my shirt and put her next to my skin,” he promised.

  “If the offer still stands, I think that your name should be on the birth certificate,” she said.

  “Okay, one more kiss and I’m turning her over to the surgical team,” the nurse said to Sloan.

  Ginger cupped Sloan’s face with both her hands, brought it to hers, and said, “Don’t take too long. I feel better when you’re holding my hand.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as they let me through the doors,” he promised.

  He rushed into the small room, scanned the directions on the wall, and shook a paper gown out of a wrapper. He had no trouble with the hat since it worked like a shower cap, but how did he tie the gown when the strings were behind him?

  “I’ve dismantled bombs,” he muttered. “I can figure this out.”

  Finally, he tied all four of the ties but the one near his neck and then slipped the thing over his head like a shirt. That done, he managed to tie the last one without too much trouble. He was pulling booties over his shoes when a nurse arrived.

  “Need me to . . . ?” She stopped and stared at the gown. “I see you’ve already got it done. We’re ready for you to join us. She’s been given an epidural, and it’ll only be a few minutes before we begin. By the way, how did you get that thing tied?”

  “Tied it first and then put it on,” he answered as he followed her out of the room.

  “You must work well under pressure,” she said. “Most fathers are so nervous they can’t even figure out the part about it tying in the back.”

  “My heart is racing, and my stomach is tied in knots,” he said.

  “Well, you’d never know it. You stay behind this screen. Your job is to hold your wife’s hand and keep her calm,” she said.

  “I’ll do the first and give the second my best shot.” He bent to kiss Ginger on the forehead and took her hand in his. Holding her hand wouldn’t be a tough job. He was already doing that. But keeping her calm might be harder, especially when he was more nervous than he’d ever been in his life—even when he dismantled bombs.

  The nurse disappeared, and Ginger giggled. “Love your new hat. It’s a little lighter shade, but it matches your eyes. I think I fell in love with your eyes even before I fell in love with you. I never believed in all that hogwash about love at first sight until . . .” She frowned. “I can’t feel my legs.”

  “Is that normal?” Sloan asked the nurse closest to him.

  Dr. Emerson chuckled. “That’s exactly what we want. Ginger, you will feel a little pressure.”

  Her eyes popped wide open and locked with Sloan’s. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Should he believe what she had said about falling in love with him? Or was it nothing more than the ramblings of a person under the influence of drugs and stress? Hopefully, she had meant what she told him and would put his name on the birth certificate.

  “I told you it was a big one.” Doc’s voice came through the screen.

  A baby’s healthy screams followed right after his statement.

  Ginger’s big brown eyes opened again and tears flowed down her cheeks. “Sloan, do something. They’re hurting our baby. Give her to me.”

  “Eight pounds, four ounces,” the nurse said. “Twenty inches long. Look at all this black hair.”

  “I guess she got something from me.” Sloan smiled down at Ginger.

  “Of course she did.” Ginger yawned. “You’re her father. Just look at the birth certificate. When can I see her?”

  “We’ll get her cleaned up and lay her on your chest in a few minutes,” Doc answered.

  “We did it, Sloan,” Ginger said. “Even though I did a stupid thing, we got through it together.”

  “We sure did,” he said. “And, darlin’, we’ll get through whatever the universe throws at us in the future. As long as we’ve got each other, we’ll jump every single hurdle. I promise not to try to boss you anymore.”

  “I will try to not be so bullheaded,” she told him.

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” Doc said from the other side of the curtain. “Now, go on out to the waiting room and tell the Banty House girls the news. They’ll be nervous as old mama hens in a room full of coyotes. We’ll have Ginger settled into a recovery room in a few minutes. There’s only supposed to be two at a time until she’s in a room in the maternity wing, but I’m going to bend the rules.”

  A nurse came from around the screen with the new baby in her arms. “Time for skin to skin. You ready to hold your daughter, Ginger?”

  “Oh, Sloan, look at all her dark hair. She looks like you,” she said as she opened her arms.

  In that moment, he wanted to be the father, not just on paper but for real.

  The nurse unsnapped one side of Ginger’s hospital gown and laid the baby next to the new mother’s bare skin. Then she covered them both with a soft, warm blanket. “I’ll stay with her until we get her into a room,” the nurse told him, “and then you can be there in case she gets tired.”

  “Thank you.” Sloan touched the baby’s face and fell in love with her that very instant. “God almighty! She’s beautiful, Ginger.”

  “Tell them everything went perfectly. A nurse will come get you soon.”

  Sloan bent to kiss Ginger on the cheek. “I’ll only be away from you a few minutes.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, “for everything.”

  “Rightbackatcha.” He felt like he was walking on air as he headed for the waiting room. The three sisters were the only ones there, and they all met him halfway across the room.

  “Sweet Jesus! We’ve been in here for hours,” Betsy said.

  “It’s only been thirty minutes,” Kate argued.

  “Well, it seemed like an eternity. Is she all right? Is the baby here? Is anything wrong? Please tell us that it all went well.” Connie finally stopped for a breath.

  “Ginger is holding the baby right now. Doc was right about it being a big baby. She weighed over eight pounds and is twenty inches long, and she’s got a lot of black hair.” He removed the cap from his head and ran his fingers through his own dark hair.

  Betsy sank into a chair and let out a whoosh of air. “Are you sure Ginger is going to be all right?”

  “Doc Emerson says it went well.” Sloan sat down beside Betsy and draped his arm around her shoulder. “I promise I won’t leave her side until Doc says she’s able to do whate
ver she wants.”

  Betsy patted his hand. “I’m holdin’ you to that. If you have to go anywhere, you call us and one or all of us will come and stay with her.”

  “When can we see her?” Kate asked.

  “As soon as they get her into a recovery room,” Sloan answered.

  “I call dibs on going in first,” Connie said.

  “Doc says he’ll bend the rules so we can all go in, and then, when she’s in the maternity wing, we can all stay as long as we want. But I’ll be staying in the room with her until I take her home,” Sloan answered.

  “You are a good man, Sloan,” Kate said.

  Ginger peeled back the blanket and counted Martha Belle’s toes and fingers. Then she covered her back up and said, “I wonder if my mother had a bonding time with me like this.”

  The nurse turned from checking her vital signs and said, “Were you talking to me?”

  “No, ma’am,” Ginger said.

  “Do you feel like you’re drifting off to sleep?” the nurse asked.

  Ginger shook her head. “I want to stay awake forever. I don’t want to miss a single thing that happens in her life.”

  The nurse giggled. “Girl, I’ve got four kids, and believe me, you will want to sleep. Matter of fact, you may decide you love to sleep more than you love chocolate.”

  But I won’t love it more than I love Sloan, she thought, and then sucked in a lungful of air. Had she really told him that during the birth? She drew her eyes down until her brows were a solid line. Maybe I was just thinking it. Everything is a little bit of a blur.

  The door opened and Sloan ushered the ladies into the small room. They tiptoed close to the bed in their white dresses, and all three of them had big smiles on their faces. Betsy was the first to reach the bed, and tears welled up in her eyes as she looked down at the baby. “She looks like Kate’s baby pictures.”

  “How can you say that?” Connie asked. “We all looked just alike at birth. If Mama hadn’t put names on the back of the pictures, we wouldn’t know which of us was which.”