Do You Take This Child?

by Marie Ferrarella

  The priest looked as if he were about to launch into a story. The moments were precious, and they were slipping away. Sheila could be in labor for hours, or she could be delivering right now.

  “Father,” Slade urged, “if you could hurry—?”

  The older man laughed to himself, but he quickened his step. “I’m thinking that hurrying is what got you into this in the first place.” He saw the apprehensive look entering Slade’s eyes. This wasn’t the time for sermons, even if he were given to them. “No.” He held up his hand. “I won’t moralize. I promise.”

  There was only one nurse at the nurses’ station when they approached. The others were busy on the floor. She looked at them, obviously bewildered by the priest’s appearance, as they hurried up to her.

  “Quick,” Slade said, hoping he wasn’t too late, “where’s Dr. Pollack ?”

  “Room 520.” Dr. Pollack was a favorite among the nurses. The woman began to hurry behind Slade as the two men went toward the room she’d given them. “Is something wrong? No one told me that she needed a priest—”

  Slade didn’t want to waste any more time explaining the situation. “Just a precaution,” he assured her, ushering the priest along.

  The nurse stopped following, but her uncertainty mounted. “Um, friends are supposed to wait in the lounge.” She pointed in the direction they had just come from.

  “I’m not a friend,” Slade replied, tossing the words over his shoulder. They’d all find out soon enough. He might as well start the ball rolling. “I’m the baby’s father.”

  Slade didn’t turn around to look at her, but he heard the sharp intake of breath that announced the nurse’s response to the information.

  Father Cullum hesitated at the closed door. He’d never been present at a birth before. “Do you think it’s appropriate?”

  This wasn’t the time for niceties. “Definitely.” His hand on the older man’s arm, Slade ushered Father Cullum inside the room.

  Sheila was lying in the narrow bed, a monitor standing beside her like a electronic sentry. She had her hands wrapped around the edges of the headboard. Every muscle in her body was rigid.

  God, she looked awful, he thought. Tenderness, sweet and stinging, rose up within his chest as he approached the bed. “Sheila?”

  She couldn’t answer him. Not until her jailer set her free.

  When the contraction was over, Sheila sagged against the mattress, visibly drenched. She’d stood on the other side of this so many times, watching the monitor foreshadow contractions, commiserating with her patients. But she had never had a real affinity for the scope of their pain. Not until this moment.

  Sheila exhaled loudly, her breath shuddering through her body. She hadn’t realized that she had closed her eyes until she opened them again.

  She was glad to see Slade, glad to see someone here to hold the mounting fear at bay. She hadn’t thought she’d feel that, either, but it was there, a tiny pygmy warrior pricking at her consciousness, making her afraid.

  “Slade.” She sighed his name, trying to catch her breath. “I thought you’d had a change of heart.”

  “Not a chance.” He took her hand in his. “Father, this is Dr. Sheila Pollack.” He looked down at her, a sense of wonder nudging at him. It was still so hard to believe. He was going to have a child. “The mother of my baby.”

  Making his way around the monitoring equipment, Father Cullum leaned over and politely took her hand in his. Hers was slick with perspiration. He gave her a comforting smile. “So, Slade tells me that you want to get married.”

  She wasn’t so overcome with pain that she didn’t want to set the record straight. Her eyes shifted toward Slade. “Slade wants to get married, Father.”

  Father Cullum sensed her embarrassment and detected a trace of reluctance. Though he wasn’t the type to coerce, he fell back on the teachings he held dear. Still holding her hand, he reached for her soul and found the entrance through her eyes.

  “A child deserves to be born with the advantage of having both parents in its life.” The kindly smile widened. “Haven’t you heard, Doctor? The family is making a comeback.”

  She smiled weakly, glancing toward Slade before answering the priest. “He’s been talking to you, hasn’t he?”

  “Aye.” Father Cullum nodded. “I have the bent ear to prove it. Now then, I take it that this is your wish, as well?”

  It was framed in the form of a question, but it was clear that he was coaxing the right answer from her. Now that he was here, he was convinced that it was destiny that he should join these two together.

  Sheila was tired, more tired than she’d ever been in her life, facing who knew how many more hours of labor. She had no strength to argue, and maybe, just maybe, Slade was making some kind of sense.

  Besides, maybe somewhere deep down inside, she had never gotten over that night on the beach, or the man who had made time stand still for her.

  “Yes.” She hissed the response as another contraction began to take hold. It built up quickly until there was nothing but it and her. Everything else in the room disappeared.

  Sheila clenched her jaw, desperately not wanting to cry out. The groan escaped nonetheless.

  It prompted Father Cullum to open up his prayer book. He turned quickly to the proper passage, though it was out of habit rather than need. A priest for more than thirty years, he had married enough couples in his time to fill a good-size theater.

  “Then I think that I had better do this quickly, my dear, and then get out of your way.”

  Slade took Sheila’s hand in his. “The short version, Father,” he urged. “Please.” He felt Sheila’s fingers tightening around his. Was she afraid, or was another contraction on the way? He glanced at the monitor’s screen. There was no wave approaching. “Go ahead.”

  Father Cullum hoped the monsignor was going to be reasonable when he listened to this story.

  “Do you, Sheila Pollack, take this man, Slade Garrett, as your lawfully wedded spouse, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish as long as you both shall live?”

  She twisted, knowing it was useless. The contraction was going to follow her everywhere on this narrow bed. And beyond. She spoke quickly, while she still had the breath to do so. “I do.”

  It was coming, Slade thought. He could see it on the screen. A wave that was growing larger and larger until it washed over Sheila, consuming her. Her fingers were digging into his. He held on, wishing that he could somehow fuse her pain into himself.

  “And do you, Slade Garrett, take this woman, Sheila Pollack, as your lawfully wedded spouse—”

  Oh my God, the baby’s coming. She could feel it pushing. Sheila looked at Slade in panic. “I think it’s coming!”

  Father Cullum sped up, one word tripping after the next. “For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish as long as you both shall live?”

  She arched into a sitting position, pulling herself on Slade’s hand. “Oh, God, Slade, call the nurse. Now.”

  “Not yet,” he entreated her. “Hold on, Sheila, hold on. I do,” he answered Father Cullum. Slade waved his hand to speed up the older man’s words even faster. The other hand, clutched in Sheila’s, was being crushed as she tried to ride out yet another contraction.

  “By-the-power-vested-in-me-by-the-state-of-California-I-now-pronounce-you-man-and-wife.” It came out as almost one word. Father Cullum shut his book and exhaled. “I usually say you may kiss the bride here, but it looks like you’ve already done far more than that.”

  Sheila whimpered, waiting for the pain to subside before she spoke. Her baby was fighting hard to emerge. “Slade—”

  He didn’t think that Sheila realized that she was still clutching his hand. He disengaged himself from his new wife. Adrenaline pumped through him, making everything appear just a little surrealistic. Just like it did during the events he’d covered as a journalist.

  “I’m getting her,” Slade promi
sed.

  Father Cullum was already slipping out. Slade caught up to him at the door. “Thanks, Father.” Slade pulled out a wad of bills from his wallet.

  Father Cullum began to decline. After all, these weren’t exactly ordinary circumstances.

  “For the parish,” Slade urged, pushing the bills into the man’s hand. Having done that, he pulled open the door and hurried into the hallway.

  Father Cullum took the money and folded it into his prayer book. They could do with a few new hymn books, he thought.

  “My congratulations,” he said to Slade’s back. “And don’t forget to get the license to me so I can sign it properly.”

  “Will do,” Slade called over his shoulder. The full impact of what he had just done hadn’t hit him yet. There wasn’t time. “Nurse!” Slade called. Alerted by the urgency in his voice, the young woman hurried over. “I think it’s time.”

  She turned on her heel. “I’ll get Dr. Kelly.” After examining Sheila, the doctor had gone to look in on another patient on the floor.

  “Thanks” Slade hurried into Sheila’s room. He didn’t want to leave her alone.

  Married, he thought. They were married. He sincerely hoped he knew what he was doing.

  One look at Sheila chased away any lingering doubts. She looked so vulnerable. She needed him, he thought. The baby needed him.

  It was going to be all right.

  He took her hand in his, holding tightly. “Dr. Kelly’s coming.”

  Sheila felt as if she had almost bitten through her lower lip. In a haze of hot, demanding pain, she looked at Slade, moving her head from side to side. “Not soon enough.” Oh, God, here it comes again. “Slade, get the nurse in here.”

  He jerked a thumb toward the hall. “But she’s looking for—”

  There wasn’t any more time for talking. Holding on to the side rails, Sheila pulled herself up into a semisitting position, panting.

  Slade stared at her. “What are you—?” She’d stopped panting and began straining. A guttural groan materialized from nowhere, even though her lips were closed. “My God, Sheila, you’re having the baby.”

  Taking a break, she panted, her head falling back. “What was your first clue?”

  So this was what it felt like. This was what her patients had all endured. It felt as if her entire body was being ripped apart.

  At a loss, he pulled the side rail down to get closer to her. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Hold my shoulders.” Sheila braced herself to push again as Slade scrambled onto the bed behind her.

  She was vaguely aware of the door opening and closing, and of people rushing in, surrounding the bed. She began panting, knowing intellectually that this would help, emotionally afraid that it wouldn’t.

  “God, Sheila, you’re always in such a hurry.” Dr. James Kelly, a tall, angular man, sighed, a smile playing on his lips. “When I examined you a few minutes ago, you were only at five.”

  She knew what she knew. Her eyes were almost wild as she looked up at the obstetrician. “I’m a ten, Jim. A ten.”

  Doing his best to put her at ease, Jim patted her hand. “I was speaking of the dilation,” he teased.

  Slade couldn’t help wondering if there was more than just camaraderie between them. It was a stupid time to feel jealous, he thought. But it only further proved to him that he’d been right to do what he had.

  “So am I.” She didn’t know if she could stand much more of this. “Slade?”

  She needed to hold on to something, to someone. Sheila had no idea how lonely it felt to be pregnant like this. She’d borne up to it until now, but this last leg of the journey seemed so isolated to her. Knowing exactly what was waiting for her didn’t help. It didn’t cut through the loneliness or the fear.

  Pain blocked her at every turn.

  He would have held her to him if he could. “Right here, Sheila. I’m right here.” Slade raised his eyes to the doctor. The man had the sheet back and was taking measure of just how far along Sheila actually was. “What do you want me to do?”

  They had a moment, Jim thought, dropping the sheet back into place. But just barely. He nodded to the nurse to begin preparations in the delivery room. “For openers, you might tell me who you are.”

  This was a hell of a time for introductions. “My husband,” Sheila panted.

  This was news to her colleague. “Boy, can you ever keep a secret.” They had covered for each other for three years now. Jim thought he knew Sheila as well as anyone on the staff did. Everyone had assumed that she had taken on the role of a single mother. When had she gotten married?

  He took careful measure of the man beside her. “All right, Sheila’s husband,” Jim said gamely. “You’ll find a surgical shirt and pants to put on in the locker room. It’s right outside the delivery room.” He smiled down at Sheila. “We’re going in, Sheila. Or rather, the baby is coming out.”

  Jim wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know. “Hurry,” Sheila breathed.

  “We’ll do our best. The rest is up to you.” Jim was already out in the hall.

  Her eyes turned toward Slade, stopping him from leaving. “Hell of a homecoming, isn’t it?”

  Slade wiped away the beads of perspiration along her brow. Tenderness flowed through him, filling every available space in his body. Yeah, he thought, he’d done the right thing.

  “Can’t say I’ll ever forget it. I’ve been stateside for less than twenty-four hours and I’ve gotten a wife and a baby. Don’t think I’ll be able to top that any time soon.”

  He squeezed her hand, and then bent over, lightly touching his lips to hers. He saw the question in her eyes. “Now it’s official,” he whispered, remembering the priest’s words. “We’re married.”

  She wasn’t following him. “And if you didn’t kiss me, we wouldn’t be?”

  He grinned, his eyes caressing her. “Nope.”

  He was a strange, strange man. “What if I didn’t kiss back?”

  “Too late. You did.” He winked at her, squeezing her damp hand again. “See you in a couple of minutes, Mrs. Garrett.” Slade hurried out.

  Sheila had a feeling that it would have to be sooner than that.

  “Rachel,” she breathed, unable to find the nurse. It seemed ironic. How many times had Rachel assisted her as she brought a brand-new baby into the world? Now she was going to be assisting again, but there would be a new spin to the situation.

  “Yes, Dr. Pollack.”

  It wasn’t a question. Rachel understood what she was being asked to do. The nurse angled the gurney out into the hall. The delivery room was just two doors.

  Sheila heard a woman screaming somewhere on the floor as they approached the delivery room. She winced in sympathy as another contraction rolled in.

  She wasn’t going to do that, she swore to herself. No matter how much she wanted to, she wasn’t going to scream. “If I pull off your arm, Rachel,” she said weakly, “I didn’t mean it.”

  Rachel pushed the gurney into the delivery room. “I know that. You’ll do fine.”

  Sheila tried to smile as Rachel lined up the gurney beside the delivery table. Her face didn’t seem to be cooperating. “Funny, I’ve said the same words to I don’t know how many patients. I wonder if they didn’t believe me, either.”

  Rachel only laughed. “I’d wager that they all believed you. You’re too good a doctor to lie.” Gurney in place, she backed away. “I’ll be right back.”

  Momentarily alone, Sheila stared at the huge light directly above her head. How many times had she been in this very room, on the other side of the stirrups? Seeing it from this angle put a whole new perspective on it. Had she been too blasé with her patients? Did they feel like hitting her when she was cheerful?

  Mentally, she apologized to each and every one of them.

  Slade, dressed in green livery, was suddenly beside her. He took her clenched hand in his. “It’s going to be fine,” he promised her.

  Log
ically, she knew that. But it was hard to think with all this pain. “Easy for you to say.”

  “Yeah, it is,” he agreed. “My stomach’s upset, if that’s any consolation.”

  She appreciated what he was trying to do. “You’re just sorry you married me.”

  There she was dead wrong. “No, can’t say that I am.” He nodded at the doctor as the man walked in.

  On his signal, the doctor, Rachel and another nurse moved Sheila from the gurney onto the delivery table. The nurse pushed the gurney aside as Rachel quickly slipped the white paper leggings onto Sheila before positioning her in the stirrups.

  “Well,” Jim announced, “we’re all here. And you two have already been fruitful and multiplied.” He chuckled at his own joke. “Let’s see your work, Sheila.” He glanced up at Slade who was positioned behind her. “On my count, support her shoulders. You know the drill, Sheila. One, two, three. Push.”

  Sheila was certain that she had ground her teeth to nubs as she screwed up her eyes, and her mouth, and pushed for all she was worth.

  And then pushed again.

  “Rest!” David ordered.

  But she didn’t. She couldn’t. With all her heart, she knew that the baby had to emerge now. Now or never. She was light-headed and dizzy, but she continued bearing down and pushing.

  Until it was over.

  Falling back against Slade’s arms, she gasped for air. The sound mingled with the lusty cry that filled the delivery room.

  Bending, Slade brought his mouth down to her ear. “It’s a girl,” he whispered to her, his throat suddenly tightening to a pinhole. “We have a beautiful, pink baby girl.”

  His arms still around her shoulders, Slade couldn’t remember ever being happier.

  Chapter Five

  Slade walked off the elevator into the newspaper office. Semicontrolled chaos was going on all around him, but for the first time that he could remember, he didn’t feel as if he were part of it. He was preoccupied. And riding a high of a very unique nature.

  He’d never pictured himself in a traditional role. Never once thought of himself as being someone’s husband, much less someone’s father. But he knew when a thing felt right. And this did. It felt good right down to the bone.