by Elle James
“I go with her,” Rucker called out.
Her captor spoke to his cohorts in Pashto.
They nodded, gripped Rucker’s arms and followed Nora and her escort into the building.
Inside, Nora heard a woman moaning in pain.
She wondered if the woman was being tortured, and if they would torture her next. Knowing panic would help no one, she forced herself to remain calm and study the building, searching for an opportunity and avenue for escape.
The man gripping her arm dragged her down a long hallway.
The sound of the woman moaning grew louder.
He stopped in front of a door and knocked.
An older woman, wearing a blue hijab wrapped around her head and neck, opened the door and spoke quickly in the native language.
The man replied and shoved Nora forward. “You will help,” he said.
“Help to do what?” Nora asked.
“It has been over a day and the baby has not come. You will help my wife.”
The older woman gave her a narrow-eyed look and spoke again to the man.
He barked a command to the woman, and she backed away from the door.
Nora looked past her to a bed where a woman lay, her moans weaker now.
Nora stepped past the woman and crossed to the one lying on the bed, her hands gripping the sheets on either side of her. Her belly rose like a small mountain beneath the covers.
Nora hadn’t delivered a baby since clinical rotations during her nurse’s training, but she’d studied enough and had helped several OB-GYN doctors during that time. Unbuttoning her jacket, she asked, “Who here speaks English?”
The woman in labor whispered. “I speak a little.”
“How close are the contractions?”
“Very close.”
“For how long?”
“Since sun went down.”
“Last night?” Nora’s heart skipped several beats. “Has your water broken?”
The woman shook her head. “Yes.”
“How long ago?”
“As the sun came up,” the woman said and cried out as another contraction took all her breath.
Nora shrugged out of her jacket, tossing it over a pillow on the floor.
Within minutes, she checked to see if the baby’s head had crowned. It had not. Instead, with every contraction, the baby’s bottom presented.
She smiled to the woman then went out into the hallway to speak to the man who had kidnapped her. “We have a breech presentation.”
“What do you mean? What is this breech?” the man Nora presumed was the woman’s husband asked.
“It means, it’s not coming out headfirst. If we don’t help the baby be born, the baby and the mother could die. You need to get her to a hospital.”
The husband shook his head. “That is not possible. You will help.” He held the gun up, pointing it at Nora’s chest.
“I’m a nurse, not a doctor. She needs a caesarian section to remove the baby from her abdomen.”
Again, the husband shook his head. “We cannot. If we go to a hospital, it will be reported. We will be targeted.”
Nora exchanged a glance with Rucker who stood behind the husband.
“Let me help her,” Rucker urged.
Nora studied the soldier. “Have you ever helped with the birth of a baby?”
He nodded. “Actually, I have, twice. Once in Texas on my way home from training, I came across a vehicle parked on the shoulder with its hazards lights on. A woman was standing beside it, holding her belly. I stopped and helped her deliver her baby in the back seat of the car.”
“A breech?” Nora asked. “They’re a lot more complicated.”
“Not a human breech. But I helped a friend of mine back in Texas deliver a breech calf,” Rucker said over the husband’s shoulder.
Nora’s lips pressed together. She stared at the man who’d brought her there at gunpoint. His forehead was creased in a frown. He was truly worried about his wife and child.
Nora addressed him. “Have you delivered a baby?”
The man shook his head. “This is my first child.”
“Let my driver in. He will assist.”
“My mother will help,” the husband said.
“We will need her as well. Let him in,” Nora commanded.
The man spoke to his wife.
She gripped the bedsheets as another excruciating contraction ripped through her. She cried out in Pashto.
The husband stepped aside, allowing Rucker into the room.
He entered, shrugged out of his body armor and jacket and turned to Nora. “Tell me what you need me to do.”
“For now, I need both of you to hold her legs while I work to deliver the baby.”
Nora turned to the husband. “I need the box of gloves from the back of my vehicle.” She gave him a narrow-eyed, scowl. “Touch anything else, and I won’t help.”
The children in the orphanage had enough strikes against them. She was determined that the vaccinations would arrive. If not that day, then the next.
The husband spun and rushed away from the room. His two armed guards remained, standing outside the room on either side of the door.
Rucker leaned forward and asked, “Have you delivered a breech baby before?”
Nora responded in a tone the mother wouldn’t hear. “No, but I’ve watched the procedure done. It can be delivered without a C-section.”
“Then let’s get this done. She’s getting weaker.”
“Hold her leg,” Nora instructed.
Rucker looped an arm around the woman’s thigh and held it back. The older woman did the same.
The contraction had helped the woman push the baby’s bottom into the birth canal.
Nora captured the mother’s attention. “Breathe, don’t push. I need to get the legs out first.”
The woman nodded, sweat beading across her forehead, her face pale.
Nora drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, showing the mother how to breathe to let the contraction pass without pushing.
The husband returned with the box of gloves.
Nora pulled on a pair. “You should leave,” she told the husband.
“She is my wife,” he said, his voice tense, his eyes wide. “You must save her and my child.”
“We will do what we can,” Nora said. “Breech births are very dangerous for the mother and the baby. She really needs to be in a hospital.”
Again, the father shook his head “We cannot.”
“Then leave and allow me to work with your wife. I’ll do my best.” She prayed her best was good enough. If it wasn’t good enough, and one or both died, would the father kill her and Rucker?
Chapter 5
If you’d asked Rucker what he’d be doing a couple days after nearly being blown up during a mission, he would never have guessed he’d be holding a stranger’s thigh in an attempt to deliver a breech baby.
What he did was nothing compared to what Nora accomplished in her attempt to save the lives of the mother and her unborn baby.
She worked quickly and efficiently, extricating the baby’s legs from the birth canal. Once the legs were free, the baby slipped out up to its neck. Then she fished out the arms.
“This is the tricky part,” Nora said quietly so that only Rucker could hear. “If we don’t get the baby’s head out quickly, it will asphyxiate and die.”
Holding the baby’s body with one hand, she guided Rucker’s other hand to the woman’s belly. “When I say push, bear down hard and keep pushing until I tell you to stop. Got it?”
He frowned. “Got it, but what am I doing?”
“I need you to push the baby’s head down through the birth canal while I catch it on the other side. Ready?”
Hell no. He wasn’t ready.
Nora didn’t give him time to think about it. “Push,” she directed.
He held up one thigh, while pushing on the mother’s belly. He could feel the baby’s head moving downward.
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“Keep pushing,” Nora whispered.
The mother-in-law watched, her eyes round, her arms holding onto the mother’s opposite thigh.
“Don’t stop until the baby is completely out,” Nora said, working her fingers around the baby’s chin and the back of its head.
The mother whimpered, too tired and weak to cry out.
When Rucker thought it had been too long and the baby would surely die, the head popped through. He released the woman’s leg and let go of the breath he’d been holding since he’d started pushing the baby’s head.
Nora caught the baby. Holding it by the ankles, she turned it upside down in an attempt to clear its lungs. Still the baby didn’t cry out, nor did it appear to be breathing.
Nora pressed the baby to her chest and rubbed his back vigorously, over and over.
Finally, the baby emitted a gurgling cough and let out a yell that made the mother sob.
Smiling, Nora laid the baby on the mother’s chest. Then she delivered the afterbirth.
The mother-in-law took over, helping to clean up the mother and the bed. She handed a pair of scissors to Nora.
Nora glanced at Rucker. “You want to cut the umbilical cord?”
Rucker held up his hands. “Uh, no thank you. Besides, you were the one who did all the work.”
“I’m just glad it turned out all right.” Nora cut the umbilical cord and leaned over the mother and child. “Congratulations on your baby boy.”
“Daera manana,” the woman said, smiling weakly at her baby. “Thank you.”
“Salaam aalaikum,” Nora said, running her hand over the baby’s head.
In English, Rucker repeated her sentiment. “Peace be with you.”
Nora gave the woman instructions on caring for herself after giving birth and for the baby.
Rucker was in awe of all she’d done, and that she hadn’t fallen apart in the middle of it. He would never admit it, but he was a bit shaken by the experience. They’d just delivered a breech baby in a war-torn country.
The door opened, and the father entered, his eyes wide and worried. “All is well?”
Nora nodded, peeling off her gloves. “Congratulations, you have a son, and your wife seems to be doing fine.”
The frown creasing the man’s forehead cleared. He hurried to his wife’s side and peered down at the baby in her arms, a smile spreading across his face. “Allah is good.” He looked up at Rucker and Nora. “Daera manana. Thank you.”
Nora nodded.
“My apologies for taking you at gunpoint. I did not know how else to get you here.” He held out his hand. “I am Pazir. My wife is Gulpari. We are in your debt for keeping my family alive.”
“Why didn’t you ask the base for help?” Nora asked.
Pazir shook his head. “The Taliban sees all. If I visit the base, they will assume I am passing secrets to the American forces. They will punish me by punishing my family.”
Gulpari clutched her baby close. “We did not know what else to do.”
Pazir sighed. “I took you at gunpoint as a show of force; the Taliban will not question.”
“Are you a member of the Taliban?” Rucker asked.
The man looked away. “In their eyes, I am.”
“In yours?” Rucker asked.
“To keep my family alive, I do what I have to.”
Rucker’s fists clenched. “Have you killed Americans?”
“No,” Pazir said. “I believe Allah is kind and good. But I must walk among the Taliban.”
Nora nodded. “I understand. I hope they don’t read into our visit today anything other than the opportunity to help your wife in labor.” She nodded toward Rucker. “Now, if you don’t mind, we need to get back to the base before dark. My people will be worried and will send out squads of soldiers to look for us.”
“Of course. I will take you back to the edge of the village, closest to the base.”
Rucker nodded. “And provide cover while we drive away from town?”
Pazir nodded. “I owe you for saving my wife and son’s lives. I will be forever in your debt.” He gave a slight bow. “You will follow me to your vehicle. My men and I will ride with you until we get close.”
“As long as they don’t plan on shooting us in the back of our heads,” Rucker said.
Pazir clasped his hands together and gave Rucker a slight bow. “You have my word. You and the nurse will be safe with us.”
“And you’ll give my driver his weapon back when we get there,” Nora said. It wasn’t a question, but a demand.
“To show my sincerity, he can have it back now.” Pazir pulled the handgun from a pocket buried in his loose clothing and handed it to Rucker.
Rucker ejected the magazine. It was still full. He shrugged into his uniform jacket, then his bulletproof vest and slid the handgun into the holster at his hip.
Nora slipped her jacket on over her bloodied T-shirt. “How did you know a nurse would be coming into town today?”
“We know,” Pazir said. “If you are certain my wife will be all right, you can come with me now.”
Nora looked toward the mother-in-law who had done a good job of cleaning up the mess of childbirth. The older woman gave her a sincere nod.
“She’ll be all right as long as you keep her clean and germ-free. The same goes for the baby. Wash hands with soap and water that has had the bacteria boiled out of it before handling the baby.”
Pazir spoke to his mother, and then nodded to Nora. “Follow me.”
He led them out to where the HUMMV was parked in the walled yard. Nora checked the items in the back. When she was satisfied, she nodded.
“We only took the gloves.” Pazir said something to the two men with the rifles.
One of them ran back into the house. A moment later, he returned with the box of surgical gloves and handed them to Pazir.
He, in turn, handed the box to Nora. “Again, I thank you for saving my wife and son. I am indebted to you. I will find a way to repay that honor.” He gave her a brief bow and waved a hand toward the HUMMV.
Rucker opened the door for her.
Nora climbed into the passenger seat.
After closing the door, Rucker hurried around to the driver’s seat. He didn’t completely trust the Afghans after they’d taken them at gunpoint.
The three men climbed into the back seat. This time their guns weren’t pointed at Rucker and Nora’s heads. The drive through the streets was a little less stressful, though Rucker knew the men could kill them if they wanted. The fact that Pazir considered himself part of the Taliban left Rucker uneasy. Even if he only belonged as an attempt to keep his family safe.
As he drove, Rucker studied the turns. Pazir took them a different route from the one that got them to his home in the first place. Rucker wasn’t sure he could find his way back to the walled home.
Pazir was smart. He didn’t want them retracing their route.
Soon, the Afghan had him stop. “We will leave you here. Follow the road ahead. It will take you to the main path leading back to the base. You will recognize it when you get there. Peace be with you.”
The three men left the vehicle and disappeared down a crowded street.
Rucker shifted into drive and moved slowly forward, not liking that they were without an escort preceding and following them. Hopefully, they were close enough to the base they could make a run for it, if they found themselves attacked. He inched through the throngs of people until they arrived at the main, wider road he remembered driving down earlier that day. He turned toward the base. “I suppose the vaccinations will have to be done another day,” he said.
Nora nodded. “It’s getting late in the day and I have the night shift. I need to get a few hours of sleep before I go on duty. Besides, I want to give the children the time and attention they deserve.”
Rucker nodded. “You really care about them, don’t you?”
She gave him a sad smile. “I do. I hate leaving them. I wish I could take
all of them home with me.”
“You have a big heart. And what you did for that woman and her baby…” He shook his head. “Delivering a baby is hard enough, but delivering a breech baby…” He reached across and took her hand. “You were amazing.”
She stared down at where his hand held hers without pulling away. “Thank you for helping.”
“I only did what you told me. You were the star of that show.” He winked.
She laughed softly. “I have to admit, I was shaking inside. That could have gone horribly wrong, ending in the death of the baby and the mother.” She looked up at him. “That would’ve been bad. And if they’d died, I wasn’t sure Pazir would let us live to come back to the base.”
“You had a lot riding on the outcome.” He squeezed her hand gently. “It all turned out for the best. And I think you made a friend out of a member of the Taliban.”
Nora grimaced. “I’m not sure that’s a good thing. What’s to keep them from abducting me or one of the other nurses again?”
“Are you going to the orphanage tomorrow?” Rucker asked.
She nodded. “I have to. I don’t have many days left here. I want to make sure those kids get the vaccinations they need.”
He gave a single nod. “I’ll arrange to be your driver again.”
“Thanks for being there for me.” She continued to hold his hand up until they drove up to the base gate. Then she pulled her fingers free and stared straight ahead.
After they showed their IDs and were let through, Rucker drove her directly to the medical facility. As soon as they arrived, it seemed like everyone inside flooded out into the open.
Captain Williams hurried forward with a couple Military Policemen. “Nora.” She hugged Nora and stepped back. “Lieutenant Michaels. We had a search party out looking for you. What happened?”
“We were abducted by several Afghans.” Nora looked to Rucker. “I’m tired and shaky. Could I get something to eat?”
“Absolutely.” Captain Williams slipped an arm around her waist. “Did they hurt you in any way?”
“No.” Nora gave a brief smile. “They wanted me to help deliver a baby.”
“Dear, sweet Jesus,” Captain Williams exclaimed.
A man in a white coat stepped forward. “Why didn’t they just ask one of us to come help?”
