by Ginny Dye
She looked up to find Janie’s eyes fastened on her. “When the next contraction comes, I want you to do your best not to push,” she said gently.
“The umbilical cord?” Janie croaked hoarsely.
Carrie nodded. “I’m going to see how tight it is. If we can get the baby out far enough, I can cut it to make sure it doesn’t get any tighter.”
“My pushing could tighten the cord before you get it cut,” Janie said, her voice trembling.
“Yes.” Carrie knew there was no room for anything but honesty.
“Oh…” Janie gasped. She placed a hand over her mouth to muffle her scream, and rolled her head from side to side, but she did not move her lower body.
Carrie was in awe at what a mother could do to protect her child. “That’s good,” she murmured. She waited for the contraction to end, and then started probing again, dismayed when she found the cord was hard and tight. The baby still felt warm, so she had hope it was alive, but she knew what she had to do. When she looked up, Janie was watching her with knowing eyes.
“Can you do it?” Janie asked shakily.
Carrie wanted to take a deep breath, but she would do nothing to diminish Janie’s confidence. She met her friend’s eyes squarely. “I can do it.”
She turned to Marietta. “Please bring my other bag from out in the hallway.” She heard the rumble of carriage wheels, muted because of the snow, and moved close to the window to peer out. She allowed a smile of relief when Florence climbed from the wagon, glanced up at the window Carrie was watching from, lifted her hand, and ran up the stairs.
Carrie turned back to Janie. “I have studied the Cesarean Section carefully since Dr. Wild performed it on me,” she said. “Will you allow me to do it?”
“Yes,” Janie replied instantly. “I knew something was wrong, and I knew you were the one I wanted to treat me and our baby.” Her gaze softened. “I trust you, Carrie…” Her words trailed off as another spasm gripped her.
Carrie prayed with all her might that her friend’s trust would be justified. Her mind raced as she thought through the procedure ahead. Suspecting she might have to do this tonight, she had already played it out in her mind during the train ride, but now that the moment was here, she wanted to make sure she didn’t forget anything.
Janie looked up when she heard running footsteps on the stairs. “Who…?”
“I had Harold go get Florence,” Carrie informed her. She looked at Martha. “I don’t want to offend you, but I also don’t know how comfortable you are with surgery.”
Martha smiled. “Just comfortable enough to be a wonderful assistant.”
Carrie smiled in return. “Thank you.” She turned to Marietta next. “Please have Matthew and Anthony bring as much hot water as they can. Tell them to leave it outside the door. Let him know Janie needs a Cesarean section, but assure him I know what I’m doing.” There was a light tap at the door. “And please let Florence in.”
Carrie knew the life of Janie’s baby was dependent upon their immediate action. She rapidly explained the situation.
Florence listened carefully and then nodded. “I imagine we need to get started.”
Carrie wanted to hug her, but settled for a warm smile. She reached into her surgical bag and pulled out two gowns. She handed one to Florence, removed her own coat, slipped a gown over her clothing, and then went to one of the buckets resting on the table. She plunged her hands into the hot water, reached for the soap Martha handed her, and washed them carefully. When she was convinced they were sterile, she dried them on a clean towel the midwife handed her. Florence finished at the same time she did.
Carrie reached into her bag again. “You can administer the chloroform?”
“Yes,” Florence assured her. She turned to Janie. “Are you ready for a rest?”
Janie locked eyes with her, and then turned to gaze at Carrie. “Carrie…” she murmured.
“I’m not going to touch you,” Carrie replied, “because I’m going to keep everything sterile, but I want you to close your eyes and feel my hug, Janie. I’ll be here when you wake up,” she promised. “I’ll be waiting with your child.” She prayed she would have a live baby waiting for her friend.
Janie nodded bravely, and lay her head back on the pillow. Florence skillfully administered the chloroform. Moments later, Janie’s body was limp on the bed.
When Carrie was confident Janie was completely unconscious, she motioned for Martha to pull Janie’s gown away from her. She could hear Marietta adding more wood to the fire so the room would stay warm. She closed her eyes, prayed for a moment, and then opened them with set lips and began the surgery. She would have to move quickly.
Carrie carefully cleaned Janie’s abdomen with an antiseptic liquid, and used her scalpel to make a six-inch incision in her friend’s lower abdomen. Her mind was already moving ahead. Without hesitation, she cut a second incision into the uterus, praying she would find a live child.
Her heart pounded when she saw blue lips on the tiny head encircled by the umbilical cord, but she took hope in the little body’s pink flesh. She cut through the cord quickly, lifted the child from the womb, placed it into Florence’s hands, and then turned back to Janie.
Janie’s little boy was in capable hands, now it was up to her to keep Janie alive. She smiled when she heard a tiny wail come from Janie’s son, and then she concentrated on her work. Carrie cleaned out the cavity left behind by the baby’s birth, and carefully sutured the incision in the uterus, making tiny, tight stitches. When she was satisfied, she wiped the incision with herbal remedies to be certain it was clean and sterilized, and then sutured Janie’s abdomen closed, repeating the sterilization process. She would do everything she could to make certain there was no infection. Finally, she applied and secured a large bandage.
Only then did Carrie straighten and step back.
“Well done,” Florence said quietly. “You should never have left surgery.”
Carrie met her eyes for a moment, and then turned to search for the baby. “How is…?”
Martha stepped forward. “This is one tough little boy,” she said proudly. “You would never know he almost died in there.”
Carrie gazed down, her heart swelling with gratitude as a pair of blue eyes stared back at her. The little boy squirmed, opened and closed his mouth, and then went back to staring at her. Carrie laughed. “I believe he’s hungry.”
Martha looked at Janie. “How long before she’s awake?”
“It won’t be long,” Carrie assured her. “She’s going to be sore, but the operation was successful. There is no reason she can’t nurse as soon as she regains consciousness.” She glanced at Marietta, surprised when she realized she and Janie had never talked about what she was going to name her child. “Do you know what this little boy’s name is?”
Marietta shook her head. “They refused to reveal it until the birth.”
Carrie smiled. “That sounds like them.” She turned toward the door. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I’m going to let Matthew know he is a father.”
*****
Matthew had refused to sit down for the last hour. All he could do was pace the room, stare out the window, and throw logs on the fire. The burst of sparks from the fireplace every time he tossed in a piece of dry wood somehow relieved his anxiety. It was as if the explosion of sparks helped release his own explosive emotions. He finally looked over at Anthony. “You haven’t said a word.”
“Is there something I could say that would help?”
“No,” Matthew admitted. He swung away from the window. “I was prepared to not like you,” he said abruptly.
Anthony met his eyes. “You were Robert’s best friend,” he responded. “I understand.”
Matthew stared at him, appreciating the steadiness in the man’s eyes. “You’re in love with Carrie.”
“Yes.”
Matthew waited for him to say more, but Anthony remained silent. His lips twitched. “You don’t talk a lot.”<
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Anthony shrugged. “I talk when there is something that needs to be said.”
“Have you told Carrie you love her?” Matthew asked directly.
“I have.”
Matthew opened his mouth to press harder, but Anthony kept talking, so he snapped his lips shut, discovering he was grateful for the distraction.
“She told me she loves me, but that she’s not ready to consider marriage again.”
“Did she say why?”
Anthony smiled slightly. “She is enjoying her freedom and isn’t ready to give it up.”
Matthew chuckled. “That sounds like Carrie.”
Anthony frowned. “Do you think she will change her mind?”
“I would tell you if I knew, but I doubt Carrie knows.” He took a deep breath and gazed at the empty staircase before he turned back to Anthony. “She loved Robert very much. It almost killed her when she lost both him and Bridget.”
Anthony nodded. “She said you were a large part of her deciding to live.”
Matthew closed his eyes, remembering her pitiful condition when he visited the plantation after Robert’s murder. “I promised Robert I would take care of her if anything ever happened to him, but it took a lot of people to love Carrie back to the land of the living. In the end, I believe she found a purpose bigger than herself that gave her a reason to live.”
“Being a doctor.”
Matthew nodded. “Yes. She decided to give it up when she couldn’t save her husband and child, but things happened to change her mind. It’s given her a reason to live, and it’s given her something to put her focus on.”
“She also happens to be a magnificent doctor,” Anthony stated as a gust of wind down the chimney sent a spray of sparks into the air.
Matthew nodded, understanding Anthony’s pain more than he would ever reveal. Some things were meant to remain in the past. “Give Carrie time,” he advised. “I was prepared to not like you, but I find that I actually like you enormously.” He paused. “Robert would have liked you, too.”
Anthony closed his eyes for a moment. They were shining when he opened them again. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “I have promised to give Carrie all the time she needs. I fell in love with her the first day I met her, but I completely backed off when I discovered what happened with Robert. I understand her grief because I have experienced it myself. I am prepared to wait.”
“Be patient,” Matthew advised again. “Carrie has more love to give than you realize. The time will come when she trusts life enough to give it again.”
A sound at the top of the stairs caused him to look up just as Carrie started down. The excited look on her face told him she hadn’t overheard any of their conversation. He sprang forward, meeting her at the bottom step. “Janie?”
Carrie grinned. “She’s fine,” she said cheerfully, but then fell silent, her eyes laughing up at him.
Matthew tensed, but realized Carrie wouldn’t tease if all hadn’t gone well. “If you make me wait, I promise you will pay for it,” he threatened.
Carrie laughed. “Janie and your son are doing fine, Matthew.”
Matthew froze and then threw back his head with a joyful laugh. “I have a son?” He laughed again, and then picked up Carrie to swing her around in his arms. “A son?”
Carrie caught her breath when he finally put her down. “A beautiful boy,” she confirmed in a soft voice. “He has your red hair and blue eyes.”
“We won’t hold that against him,” Matthew said happily. Then he sobered. “How is Janie? Did you have to do a Cesarean Section?”
“I did,” Carrie confirmed calmly. “It went well. She should wake fairly soon and be able to nurse your son. She’ll need to rest for about six weeks, but she’ll be fine. She can get out of bed and walk around as soon as she feels like it, but she is not to do any lifting or any work,” she said sternly. “She has two sets of stitches that need time to heal completely.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Matthew said solemnly. “I’ll make sure she follows doctor’s orders.” He leaned forward to give Carrie a warm hug. “Thank you,” he said in a husky whisper. “I realize I could have lost them both if you had not gotten here in time.”
Carrie didn’t deny the truth of his statement. “Does your son have a name? We would like to know what to call him.”
Matthew hesitated. “Janie wanted to be the one to tell you.” He thought for a moment, and then shook his head. “I won’t take that away from her. Can I come sit with her until she wakes up?”
“Certainly,” Carrie agreed. “I’m quite sure your nameless son would be thrilled to have his daddy hold him while he waits for his mama to regain consciousness,” she teased.
Matthew grinned and turned to dash up the stairs.
*****
Carrie watched him disappear, and then turned back to Anthony. “Thank you for keeping him company.”
“It didn’t take much,” Anthony admitted. “He didn’t say a word until the last few minutes.”
Carrie chuckled. “For a man who likes to talk so much, when Matthew is nervous, he doesn’t seem to know how to form a word.”
Anthony smiled and opened his arms.
Carrie went into them willingly.
“I’m very proud of you,” Anthony said, stroking her hair with his hand.
Carrie closed her eyes, relishing in the embrace.
“Were you scared?” Anthony asked.
“I was scared thinking about it,” Carrie admitted, “but once I started, all the fear melted away. I knew what I needed to do, and I knew how to do it.” She leaned her head back and smiled up into his face. “It’s rather an amazing feeling.” She pursed her lips. “I helped save a lot of lives during the war, but there was something sacred about lifting a baby’s body from within the womb. I was the first person to ever touch him.” She shook her head. “I’ve never had a feeling like that. I’ve delivered a lot of babies, but this was different.” She paused, remembering Florence’s words.
Anthony was watching her closely. “What?”
Carrie hesitated. “It was something Florence said,” she finally revealed. “She told me I should never have left surgery.”
Anthony continued to gaze at her. “Do you agree?”
Carrie turned to stare out the window, knowing she should get back upstairs. She wanted to be there when Janie came out from beneath the chloroform. “I don’t know,” she confessed. “I don’t regret becoming a homeopathic physician, because I know I’m able to help so many more people that way, but I also can’t deny there are times when surgery is the only thing that will save a patient.” She took a breath. “That little boy wouldn’t be alive if I hadn’t been able to perform that operation.” She allowed herself a moment of contemplation, and then turned to head back upstairs. No decisions would be made right away. “I must return to Janie.” She swung back to him. “You should go to bed. I know you must be exhausted. I’m sure Jeremy is waiting at the house for a report.”
Anthony nodded. “I will go let Jeremy know the good news, but I’ll wait up for you,” he said gently. He held up a hand. “I know you don’t need me to, but it will make me feel better.”
Carrie smiled, raised on her toes to kiss him warmly, and then ran up the stairs.
She could feel his eyes burning into her back.
*****
Janie was sitting up in the bed, her son nestled in her arms, when Carrie walked back into the room.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here when you woke!” Carrie cried.
Janie smiled weakly. “They are taking good care of me.” Her gaze included Florence, Martha, and Marietta, before her eyes landed on Matthew.
Carrie felt tears mist her eyes when she saw the love exchanged between the two of them. “How do you feel?” she demanded.
“Quite a bit like a pin cushion that has been stitched together,” Janie murmured, a smile filtering through the pain. “How long will it hurt this badly?”
“For a few days,” Carr
ie replied, “but you’ll feel better soon. You can get up and start walking around as soon as you feel like it, but you have to take it easy,” she said. “You can’t lift anything, and you’re not to do any work. Your incisions must have time to heal properly.”
Janie smiled again. “Matthew has already read me the riot act.” She shook her head. “Don’t worry. I have no desire to move, and I think I will rather enjoy ordering people around. It’s about time I got to be the one waited on.”
Carrie chuckled and let her eyes settle on the baby. “He’s beautiful,” she said tenderly. “You have a perfect baby boy.”
“Thanks to you,” Janie whispered. She reached out with her free hand to grip Carrie’s arm. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
Carrie grinned. “You can start by giving this baby a name,” she retorted.
Janie blinked back her tears and pressed Carrie’s hand more tightly. She peered down at her son, and then looked back into Carrie’s eyes. “I would like to introduce Robert Brady Justin to you, Carrie. We’re going to call him Robert.”
Carrie held a hand to her mouth. “Robert?”
Janie nodded. “We hope he will be as wonderful as Robert was.”
Carrie couldn’t stop the tears coursing down her face. “Robert…” she whispered. “He would be so proud.”
“He was the best friend any man could hope to have,” Matthew said. “His memory will live on through the child you saved.”
Carrie felt another piece of her grief dissolve. She had not been able to save Robert or Bridget, but she had saved this little boy.
Robert chose that moment to give a demanding cry, turning to nestle into Janie.
