by Krista Lakes
Jacob nodded, a small smile on his face. He quickly took a bite of his meal and smiled a little bigger. He must have been enjoying his burger. I know I was.
“To being single,” he said, holding up his glass for a cheers.
“To being single.” I clinked my glass against his and we both drank.
We sat in comfortable silence for a moment. The warm breeze drifted across my skin and I felt relaxed for the what felt like the first time in months.
Coming home was definitely the right decision, I decided. I felt a tension I didn't even realize I had melting out of my shoulders. I ate slowly, not wanting to hurry this moment. I wanted this time with Jacob to last for as long as I could.
“Tell me about Denver,” I said, purposefully setting down my burger so I would have an excuse to stay longer. “I've never been. Is it good skiing?”
“In Denver?” He chuckled. “You don't ski in Denver. You have to drive two hours to get to the mountains to ski.”
“What? I thought that was Denver's thing!”
“Nope. It's a city, and it's not even in the mountains.” He shook his head and chuckled. “But, the view there is amazing. The mountains at sunset are breathtaking.”
I grinned and leaned back as he told me about his adventures. The night grew darker around us and Stephanie came out and refilled our drinks at least twice, but I swear it only felt like a few minutes. It felt like those times in biology lab back in high school.
It was perfect.
Chapter 11
The next day, the clinic was insanely busy. It seemed like everyone and their mother had some sort of medical complaint. I worked through lunch. I worked until my eyes were blurry and my stomach groaned with hunger. I snarfed a banana and some beef jerky between two patients just so that I wouldn't pass out from running around the office.
“Hannah? You have Emily in room four,” Donna reminded me as I chugged a cold cup of coffee that I'd forgotten this morning. “She knows we're behind, but it's been thirty minutes. Remember to check on her.”
“I'll be right in,” I promised. “What other patients do we have?”
Donna glanced down at her list. “Dr. Matthews is just finishing up with one and then we're actually caught up. No one's on the list.”
I stared at her for a moment. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “Everyone wanted to be seen as soon as possible. The rush is over.”
“Thank god,” I told her, finishing my coffee. “That morning was brutal. I'm going to need the open afternoon just to get half the charting caught up.”
“It's not even afternoon anymore.” Donna nodded. “Full moon tonight. And there's a huge storm moving in this evening. It makes everyone all crazy.”
I set my coffee cup down, made sure I didn't have any crumbs on my scrub top, and took two steps to the patient rooms before stopping.
“Why is Emily here? Her next appointment isn't for a few days.”
Donna handed me a clipboard with Emily's neat handwriting on the paperwork.
“She's been feeling some contractions and wanted Dr. Matthews to take a look. That's why she was willing to wait out the rush,” Donna explained. “It's her first baby. She's nervous about it.”
I nodded, taking the paperwork. “Thanks, Donna.”
I carried the clipboard into the exam room. Emily was pacing the small space, but she stopped and smiled as soon as I came in. She wore the exam gown with her clothes neatly stacked on the chair beside her.
“Hi, Emily. I'm so sorry about the wait,” I said, going to the sink and washing my hands. “It's been a crazy day.”
“It's no problem,” the young woman assured me. “Actually, I feel safer here than at home. Greg is out in the fields, and I don't want to be by myself.”
“Tell me what's going on,” I said, sitting on the small circular stool. It felt good to sit for a few minutes.
“Is it okay if I keep walking? It feels better if I'm moving.”
“Sure,” I told her with a smile. I looked down at her paperwork. “You said you're having contractions?”
“Yeah. I mean, I know I'm only at thirty-six weeks and I'm a first time mom, so they're probably just Braxton Hicks like the book says, but they just hurt so much...” She stopped and her face tightened as her body contracted. I could see the muscles across her stomach practically ripple under her exam gown.
There was no way those were “practice” contractions. Those were the real thing.
“How long has this been happening?” I asked, standing up and putting on a pair of gloves. All tiredness was leaving my body and getting replaced with adrenaline. If this was what I thought it was, my day was about to get even crazier.
“Um, since before breakfast. They're getting worse.” She whimpered and closed her eyes as her hands balled into fists.
“Breathe,” I coached, coming to her side. I waited until her eyes opened. “Okay. I need to check you. I think you might be in labor.”
Her eyes went wide. “But I'm only at thirty-six weeks!”
“Which is considered full term, but still early,” I assured her. “It'll take me two seconds to check.”
“Okay.” She swallowed hard and sat down on the exam table only to have another contraction ripple through her. It looked incredibly painful and was less than a minute from her last one.
When the contraction was over, she slid into place on the exam table and put her feet in the exam stirrups so I could check how dilated her cervix was. If she was anything over four centimeters, we would send her to the hospital, though given how closely her contractions were, I was ready to call an ambulance and send her to the hospital now. If I sped like a maniac, it was a good thirty minute drive to the nearest hospital.
“Oh boy,” I whispered to myself. I checked my measurements and then double-checked. She was nine centimeters of the needed ten and ready to go.
There was no way she was going to make it to the hospital. I wasn't even really sure the ambulance would make it to the clinic in time.
“I'm not dilated at all, am I?” Emily asked, peeking over her knees at me. “My mother-in-law said I was just being dramatic.”
I rolled my stool back and took off my gloves. I'd delivered plenty of babies at the hospital, but that was at the hospital. With lots of machines and medicines and tools. This was going to be a first for me.
“Emily, I need you to call your husband and tell him to get here as quickly as possible,” I said, keeping my voice calm. She had another contraction and I felt like I should put my hands out just in case the baby popped out, even though I knew that wasn't how it worked.
“You're sending me home, aren't you?” she gasped once she recovered. “These are just the practice ones the book told me about.”
I smiled and took her hand. “These are the real deal. You're going to have your baby today. Probably very soon.”
Emily's eyes went wide and she froze for a second. She swallowed hard.
“Well, at least I don't feel like such a weeny. These contractions hurt like hell. I thought I was just being a wuss about them,” she said after a moment.
“Nope. They're very real and you're doing great. Call your husband. I'm going to go grab Dr. Matthews,” I told her, standing up and washing my hands. “If you get the feeling that you need to push, don't. Do not push without me in the room, understand? It's important.”
“No pushing. Got it.” She nodded her eyes wide. “Hannah?”
“Yes?”
“You're going to be with me, right? This wasn't the plan, and I'm scared.” She bit her lower lip.
“I promise I'll be here for you. It's not the plan, but we're going to make it work. You've got this, okay?” I tried to sound more in control than I felt. The baby was technically full term at thirty-six weeks, but still way too early. The implications of what could be causing this early labor made my heart sprint, but I didn't want Emily to know my worries.
She nodded. “Okay. No pushing.”
&nb
sp; I gave her a quick smile before darting out of the room. My heart was pounding in my chest and my knees were shaking. Delivering babies in a doctor's clinic wasn't exactly in my job description.
The door next to me opened and Dr. Matthews stepped out with his last patient.
“Now, go check out with Donna and I'll see you in three weeks,” he told the man. I recognized him as one of the farmers that was friends with my dad. He was a regular in the Gentleman's Poker Club. I gave him a polite nod as he passed.
“Thanks, Doc,” he said, giving me a return head bob as a greeting.
“Crazy day, huh?” Dr. Matthews said, turning to face me with a smile.
“It just got crazier,” I informed him. “Emily is nine centimeters and ready to push.”
To his credit, the only indication that I'd just dropped a bombshell on him was a slight tilt of his head and a slow nod.
“Room four?” he asked. I nodded. “Okay, then. Tell Donna we need supplies. There should be a delivery kit in the store room. I want the chopper, too.”
“You want a helicopter?” I asked, surprised.
“With a baby this early, anything can happen,” he said, his eyes going serious. “You ready?”
“This is my first non-hospital birth,” I admitted quietly. I didn't want Emily to hear me. It's never good to hear your nurse panicking.
Dr. Matthews smiled and put his hand on my shoulder. “Nothing like a first,” he said with a smile. He gave me a reassuring squeeze and then knocked on the door to Emily's room.
I heard him greet her as I hurried to the front desk where Donna was chatting with the farmer. I came up and put my hand on Donna's shoulder.
“I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need you to grab me some supplies for a patient,” I told her. “And Dr. Matthews wants HeliMed.”
Donna frowned for a moment, did the mental list of what patients were here, and then her eyes went wide. “You need the kit?”
I nodded.
“Well, don't stand here gawking at me,” she chided. She turned to the farmer. “Mr. James, you're all squared away. Tell your wife I said hello and I'll see her at the next bridge game.”
She then picked up the phone and dialed from memory. “This is Riversville Clinic. We need a air evac.”
I could hear a voice on the other line. She nodded and then put her hand over the receiver.
“They're fighting the storm. It's going to be at least thirty minutes.”
I chewed on my lip. That wasn't going to be fast enough. “Have them come anyway, I guess. We'll figure it out.”
She gave me a smart nod. “Well, don't just stand there gawking at me. I'll get you the kit as soon as they've given me confirmation.”
I stood for a second, still trying to keep up with what exactly was happening. I gave her a nod and hurried back to Emily.
Dr. Matthews was coaching Emily through a difficult contraction. She moaned softly, fingers digging into the thin padding of the exam table.
Some women screamed. Some women cried. Some cursed. Some women went quiet. Everyone handled the pain of childbirth differently. I personally already knew I wanted an epidural and was probably going to be a screamer. Emily appeared to be the kind that went quiet.
“You're doing great.” Dr. Matthews' voice was low and soothing. He emanated a calm and gentle aura. It wasn't his usual joking or his high school bad-boy vibe. It was the mark of someone that cared and was there to help. He was a true healer.
I washed my hands and was drying just as Donna knocked on the door. I answered and Donna handed me the pouches of medical supplies, several towels, and two surgical gowns and eye-shields.
“I'll bring back Mr. Markins as soon as he arrives,” she told me. “I'll prep the rest, but that should get you started. Still thirty minutes ETA on the chopper.”
Her calm confidence soothed my nerves. “Thanks, Donna.”
“You'll get used to calling for the chopper,” she assured me, making sure I had everything. “We call them more than you'd expect. Oh, I have the ambulance on stand-by as well.”
It was a good thing to have an experienced secretary. It felt better to know that there was yet another person in the office who could help if things didn't quite go as planned.
I tried not to think of all the things that could go wrong. This baby was too early. What if the lungs didn't work? Why was the baby coming so early? There were so many terrifying things that could go wrong. I was glad there was a helicopter on the way. If things went south, we would need the speed of a helicopter.
I set the supplies down and started prepping things as Dr. Matthews kept Emily on task. The birth was coming on quickly. We both gowned up in the blue surgical gear, donning masks, gloves, and eye goggles. Births were known to get messy.
“Okay,” he said after a particularly long contraction. “You're ready to push.”
“Not without Greg,” she gasped, her body preparing for birth. Sweat dotted her brow and her blonde hair stuck to her skin. “He promised he'd be here.”
“I'm here,” Greg Markins announced, rushing into the exam room. He had on his work gear and pieces of hay in his hair. “I'm here, baby.”
Relief filled her face before another contraction hit. Greg gave her his hand and then immediately winced and regretted the decision as she squeezed hard.
“Perfect timing, Greg,” Dr. Mathew told him, centering himself between Emily's legs.
I hurried around the room, making sure things were ready for the baby. In the hospital, there were two nurses for mom, two nurses for the baby, a pediatrician, and an OB. Today, it was me and Dr. Matthews with back-up from Donna.
It was definitely makeshift, but it felt like we were prepared. I'd done this hundreds of times, but this one felt special. There was an new urgency and a lack of control that made this one different than all the hospital births I'd assisted with.
“And push.” Dr. Matthews voice was strong, yet compassionate. Emily grunted and squeezed her eyes shut, her knuckles going white with effort as she tried to bring her son into the world. “Good. Breathe. And push again.”
I held a bulb syringe and a blanket, ready to do my part once the baby arrived. Dr. Matthews kept gently coaching, telling her to push and reminding her to breathe. It was a steady process, yet I kept holding my breath with every push.
I prayed that this went well. I'd seen emergency births at the hospital that I wouldn't want to recreate here. I prayed for an easy birth, one that was safe for both the mother and child. Having a baby was a dangerous thing to do. Just because most mothers survived in this century didn't mean it was safe.
“Hannah, we're ready,” Dr. Matthews said quietly. He raised his voice. “Push, Emily. Push.”
Emily cried out for the first time all afternoon. Her poor husband looked pale as a sheet as she gripped his hand. Emily strained and used all her energy to bring life into the world.
A moment later, I could see the baby's head in Dr. Matthew's hands. I could tell he was grinning like a lunatic, even under the mask. A birth was always an amazing thing. “I've got him, push again.”
A slippery baby slid into his waiting hands and he quickly wrapped the child in a towel. Dr. Matthews' face went stony. The baby wasn't moving. There were no cries. The infant hung blue and limp in his hands.
“Suction,” Dr. Matthews commanded. I came in and suctioned the little boy's nose and mouth, making sure that they were clear before he could breathe in anything that would make him sick. There was still no movement.
My heart was falling through the floor.
No, I thought, fighting back tears. Not after all this.
“Again.” Dr. Matthews waited until I had cleared everything, and then began moving the baby around and vigorously rubbing the child's back.
Suddenly, the infant let out a strong shriek of anger at suddenly being cold, wet, having things sucked out of his mouth, and being rubbed. My heart moved out of my throat and I could breathe again.
Tears ran down
Emily's face as I took the baby from Dr. Matthews, did a quick check to make sure he was well. He was now breathing normally and moving appropriately. He lost the frightening blue pallor and quickly pinked. Once I knew he was okay, I placed the baby on Emily's chest. She and her husband both held onto their small family, crying tears of joy. I watched them for a second, enjoying their joy, before focusing on the rest of the birth process.
Dr. Matthews continued to coach Emily to continue to finish her labor. She was having a hard time concentrating on anything but her child. Luckily, her body was doing most of the work automatically.
“Do you want to cut the cord?” Dr. Matthews asked Greg.
Greg looked up bewildered. Dazed love filled his smile and he looked like the happiest deer in the headlights I'd ever seen.
“I guess that was the plan,” Greg replied after a moment. He smiled once more at his son before coming around to cut the cord. Dr. Matthews clamped in two places and handed the surgical scissors to the father. Greg cut the cord and then promptly returned to his baby and wife.
I continued to monitor the baby and make sure that Dr. Matthews had the appropriate tools and bins. We were going to have a lot of laundry to do later.
There was a gentle knock on the door and Donna cracked it open, making sure that she still kept the patient's privacy but that we could hear her.
“The chopper just landed,” she said through the small crack in the doorway. I hadn't even heard it land. “Everything okay?”
“Excellent,” Dr. Matthews replied. The placenta was delivered and Emily's bleeding controlled. He stood up and pulled off his gloves and mask. “And we don't need them. Just a regular ambulance.”
“I'll let them know,” Donna replied with a grin. “Ambulance will be on it's way to come get him.”
“Emily, Greg. The ambulance will take you to the hospital to get checked out,” Dr. Matthews informed them. “You don't have to take the helicopter today.”
“Okay,” Emily said, not looking up at either of us. She was solely and completely focused on her new little baby. As far as she was concerned, he was the only thing in the world that existed.
