Читать книгу A Mummy For His Baby - Molly Evans - Страница 9

CHAPTER ONE

WHAT HAD POSSESSED Aurora Hunt to return to this little town, she didn’t know. She should have figured out on her own how to survive, how to find a new job, how to create a new life. Somehow. But after being beaten down by life during several unforeseeable events she’d given up, given in, and gone home to her childhood home in western Pennsylvania to lick her wounds. Wounds that scarred her on the inside as well as the outside.

Nothing in this vast wildness settled in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains had changed much in two hundred years. The car models were newer, farmers plowed different fields, and there were more houses built on what had once been pasture. At the heart of it, its people, their culture, hadn’t changed—had refused to change—and that was why she’d left in the first place. In order to grow, things had to change, and she’d wanted to do all of that where there were more opportunities than in this remote village.

But due to a nearly catastrophic car wreck, she was back to square one. In one second, one dramatic turn of the wheel, her life had taken a path she’d never expected and she’d been forced to move in with her mother.

For now.

This situation was only temporary. Until she regained her strength and figured out what she was going to do with her life. A few weeks, tops. Living with her mother on a permanent basis was not an option.

Getting out of her car wasn’t as easy as getting into it. Nearly every movement she made was difficult, but she was grateful for the pain. At least it meant she was still alive, still moving forward. Nothing was what it had used to be. Nothing.

Today she was calling on an old friend to help put her life back together, one aching bone at a time.

The sign for the local medical clinic was a red arrow, pointing to a door. Until a few months ago there had been no medical clinic in Brush Valley. The closest one had been miles away. So it was understandable that this building didn’t quite look like it was a thriving business just yet.

It looked like the building had once belonged to an animal doctor instead of a people doctor. Faded paint indicated dogs to the left, cats to the right. She didn’t know which one to take, but since she was more of a dog person she entered through the left door. Fortunately both doors opened into the lobby of the clinic, which was nearly deserted.

“Good morning, can I help you?” A woman in an advanced stage of pregnancy smiled and offered her a clipboard to sign in.

“Yes. I have an appointment.”

“Okay, great.” She looked at Aurora’s name, then frowned. “Are you related to Sally Hunt?”

“Yes, she’s my mother.”

“Oh, then you must have grown up here!” She held out her hand. “I’m Cathy Carter. I think I went to school just after you.”

“Oh...great to meet you.”

Though Aurora didn’t recall everyone who had gone to school around the time she had, the woman did look vaguely familiar, with her big brown eyes and long brown hair.

“I’m sure you don’t remember me.” She patted her belly. “I looked much different back then.”

That made Aurora laugh. “Didn’t we all? Nice to see you again.”

“Have a seat and he’ll be with you in a few minutes. Just one patient ahead of you.” Cathy nodded to a young woman with a sniffling infant, pacing the small waiting room.

“No problem.”

“Angie, why don’t you bring Zachary back and we’ll have a look at him now?” Laboriously, Cathy rose from the chair and followed the mom and baby into the first exam room.

Aurora felt sorry for the woman, who looked like she was carrying a watermelon beneath her clothing. But although Cathy looked uncomfortable, she also looked happy, and there was something to be said about that.

While Aurora waited she paced the length of the waiting room as sitting caused her too much pain. As she moved back and forth, trying to keep her joints moving, she noticed a bulletin board, with notices for parents, and a table full of retirement magazines. There was a section of toys for little kids, but nothing for anyone else. It was a sparse attempt to keep those who were waiting entertained. These days, with all the electronic devices and people being plugged in, the corner looked lacking, without at least one charger available.

“Aurora?” Cathy called her to the desk. “I can take you back and get you in a patient room, take your vitals, while Beau—I mean Dr. Gutterman—looks at his other patient.”

“Oh, you can call him Beau. I know when we’re behind the desk we all go on a first-name basis.”

“That’s right. You’re a nurse, too, aren’t you?”

“Well, yes.” At least she had been. She didn’t want to say that she wasn’t a nurse any longer. Just because she was in between jobs at the moment. “I’m not working right now—but I guess once a nurse, always a nurse, right?”

“Yes, we’re kind of like the Marines that way.”

Cathy led the way and indicated a nice patient room. After a quick check, she left Aurora waiting for Beau.

“Leave the door open, please. I get a little claustrophobic.”

“Oh, sure. He’ll be right here.” Cathy pressed a hand to her back as a twinge of pain crossed her face.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. It’s just pushing on my back more and more the last few days.”

“Oh, boy. When are you due?” That low back pain was an ominous sign. Labor could commence at any moment.

“A few more weeks—but I’m feeling like I want to pop right now.” Cathy paused in the doorway and looked like she was about to pass out. “I’ve been having Braxton Hicks for days.”

Feeling that nurse’s instinct kick in, Aurora quickly moved to Cathy’s side and began to assess the woman. Maternity wasn’t her specialty, but she could see the swelling in the woman’s hands and face, the flushed cheeks and the fine sheen of sweat on her face and neck.

“Cathy, I’m not so sure they were false contractions. I think you’d better sit down.”

“I do, too.”

Without releasing her grip on Cathy’s arm, Aurora dragged one of the wheeled chairs in the room close, right behind the pregnant woman’s legs. “Here’s a chair.”

“Oh, boy.” Cathy dropped into the chair, then clutched her abdomen and leaned forward with a groan. “I think I’m going into labor right now.”

She blew out a breath and her face reddened further.

“Oh. Oh, no! My water just broke.”

The amniotic fluid housing the baby and adding cushioning splattered onto the floor. This was going to go hard and fast.

“Let me call for Beau.”

Aurora left the room for a second to dash across the hall and rap on the patient room door.

“Dr. Gutterman—there’s an issue out here!”

Beau jerked the door open with a scowl, then a surprised look raised his brows and a grin lit up his face. “Aurora! What are you—?”

“Cathy’s going into labor. Now.” Trying not to panic, Aurora released the doorknob.

“Oh! I knew she was close, but not that close.” Beau turned back to his patient’s mother. “I’m sorry, Angie. I’ll call in a prescription for Zach as soon as I can. Give me a call if he’s not better in a few days.”

Dispensing with any more pleasantries or greetings, Aurora grabbed his arm and dragged him into the hallway. “I mean right now.”

“Oh! I see.”

Beau headed into the other patient room. He looked at his nurse, struggling against pain in the office chair.

“Oh, boy. I haven’t delivered a baby in a long time.” He offered a quick glance to Aurora, his eyes wide. “Are you sure she’s going to have it right now?”

“Yes,” Aurora said as Cathy screamed again.

“We’d better call 911.”

“Do it—but you may be delivering a baby before they get here. This looks precipitous.”

Though Aurora had done several rotations in Delivery, she hadn’t attended a birth in some time—and this one was looking like it was going to be a doozy.

“No! I don’t want to have it here. I can’t!” Cathy huffed her breath in and out, her doe eyes wide in fear as she looked at Aurora for help. “We have plans.”

“Honey, those plans are about to go up in smoke,” Aurora said. “Where’s your husband?”

“Home.”

“You’d better call him,” Aurora said, and watched as Beau called the emergency services to send an ambulance as soon as possible. Out in the country, nothing was “stat”, or “fast,” as they were miles from everywhere.

“Okay. Okay...” Cathy took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair as the pain obviously eased. She held the phone to her ear. As she looked at Aurora for reassurance another frown crossed her face and she took a deep breath. “Honey? The baby’s coming!”

Aurora took the phone before Cathy crushed it to pieces in her hand. “Your wife is at the clinic and she’s in labor. You’d better get here quickly if you want to see your baby being born.”

Then she hung up. He’d either get there or he wouldn’t. Aurora’s first priority was to see this woman and her baby safe.

“Cathy, we’ve got to get you ready to have this baby.”

“What about the ambulance?” She rose from the chair with Beau and Aurora’s help, leaning heavily on both of them.

“You know as well as I do that it’ll take them half an hour to get here, and you’re going to have this baby long before that.”

Beau ripped off his lab coat and rolled up his sleeves, then scrubbed his hands and arms vigorously at the sink, jumping into the mode necessary to save both his nurse and her baby.

He knew heroes weren’t born. They were made. In situations like this.

“Aurora—good to see you, my friend, but it looks like we’re going to be welcoming a baby in the next few minutes. Are you up to it?”

“Absolutely.” There was nothing, not even the pain in her back, that would interfere with her ability to save a life or two today.

“Great. Let’s get her on the exam table and see what’s going on.”

His jaw was tense, and he didn’t look at Aurora as he scrubbed. When his child had been born his wife had died. That was all she knew. The shock of this unforeseen delivery was obviously stirring that memory. Was he struggling to push it aside? Until now she hadn’t thought of that, and her heart ached for him. Those memories had to be incredibly painful for him, but he was mustering through and doing what was needed in the moment.

“Oh, no. Oh, no.” Cathy bent at the waist and clutched her abdomen, nearly crushing Aurora’s fingers. “Agh!”

“Beau, I don’t think the table is going to work. It’s not designed for this. How about we put some blankets and sterile sheets on the floor and let her squat, like she seems to want to?”

“Okay. Good idea.” Beau grabbed blankets and two sterile packages.

Together she and Beau turned the room into an impromptu delivery suite. This was so over the top of what she’d expected to be doing today, but knowing there were no other options, and that Beau had her back, she had his—she knew they could do it together.

“Do you have a surgical kit around in case we need it?” Chewing her lip for a second, Aurora didn’t want to think about the possibility of having to do an emergency C-section, but planning for the worst and hoping for the best had always worked for her.

“Yes—there.” Beau pointed to another cupboard over the sink. “It’s a general kit. Everything we need should be in it.”

“Breathe, Cathy. Just breathe.” Aurora tried to keep her voice calm and not let the woman know about the anxiety pulsing through her body. “I’m going to reach around you and remove your shoes and leggings.”

“Okay.” Cathy nodded. “It’s easing now.” She took in a few deep breaths, sweat pouring off of her. “Beau, you aren’t going to fire me because I had my baby in your office, are you?”

Beau barked out a laugh and gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder, the light in his eyes not as dark as it had been a few moments ago. “No. Although I do have to say it’s going to go down as one of the most interesting days I’ve ever had.”

“That’s g-o-o-o-o-d!” Another contraction hit, nearly dropping Cathy to her knees.

“Let’s get you down before you fall.” Aurora tucked a hand on Cathy’s waist and eased her to her knees, then sat her back so that Beau could check and see if the baby was crowning.

A door slammed in the front office.

“We have company.”

“Cathy? Cathy! Where are you?” Hurried footsteps got closer to the room.

“We’re in the back, Ron!” Beau yelled toward the door.

“Oh, my God. You are in labor. It wasn’t a joke.” Ron, clearly Cathy’s husband, stood in the doorway, panting from his exertion, his eyes wide as he took in the scene. “I can’t believe it.”

“No jokes today. Wash your hands over there,” Aurora pointed to the sink. “This is going to go fast.”

“She’s definitely crowning,” Beau said after he had a quick look.

“He. It’s a he. I know it.” Cathy began to pant again. “Oh, here he comes! I have to push again—get me up!”

Cathy struggled to a sitting position, then Beau and Ron helped her to her knees. With one hand she held onto her husband, with the other she clutched the edge of the patient table.

“Go with it, Cathy. Wait until you can’t wait any longer and then push.”

“I’m pushing now!” Her statement ended in a scream, a gasp, then another push.

“He’s almost here,” Beau said from his position on the floor nearby. He placed a sterile cloth beneath the baby’s head and supported it. “Pant. I need to check the cord.”

Cathy cast tear-filled eyes at her husband, who looked like he’d been hit by a truck. “Honey? We’re having a baby today!”

“I... I can see that.” He looked down at his wife and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Wasn’t quite what I was expecting, though.”

“Me, either. Oh! Pushing again.”

“Go ahead. One more ought to do it.”

With a great groan, Cathy pushed the vernix-covered baby into Beau’s waiting hands.

“Ron? Can you help me sit her back?” Pain was slicing through Aurora’s back and she couldn’t do it alone.

“Yes.”

Together they eased Cathy into a reclining position, supported by her husband’s chest. Exhausted, Cathy drew in cleansing breaths and closed her eyes.

“We have to do a few things, then you can hold your baby.”

Beau’s voice, choked with emotion, drew her attention. He focused, he did the job, but she could see the pain in his face. Tears pricked Aurora’s eyes at the miracle of birth that had happened so unexpectedly right in front of her, but she shoved them back. Now wasn’t the time to think of the family that she’d wanted and never been able to have. Might never have. Beau was struggling with his own issues and had set them aside. So could she.

“You were right, Cathy. It’s a boy. He’s perfect.”

Beau provided the news, the tension in the room eased, and Aurora was able to take a deep breath, too.

“All parts are there, and exactly where they belong.”

He finished wiping the baby’s face, then Aurora used a suction bulb to clean out his mouth and nose and placed him in his mother’s arms.

“I can’t believe this! We delivered a baby today.” Beau gave a laugh and shook his head, some of the emotion leaving his face and his shoulders relaxing.

“I can’t either,” Cathy said, with tears flowing down her face as she looked at her baby, then leaned into her husband’s neck.

“How did this happen?” Ron asked. “I thought you weren’t due for two more weeks.”

“Well, your son had other plans.”

“I can certainly see that.” He let out a shaky breath and with one trembling finger touched his son’s hand. “I just can’t believe this.” He held out his hand. “I’m shaking. Nothing ever gets to me, but I’m shaking like a leaf.”

“Well, this circumstance is very different than anything else you’ve ever experienced, isn’t it?”

It wasn’t every day that a new dad had to come screeching into the parking lot of his wife’s place of work to see his baby being born.

“You’re right about that.” He blew out a breath and shook his head, letting out a tremulous laugh. “You are definitely right about that.”

The front door opened again, to admit the ambulance crew with their stretcher and equipment.

“Did we miss the party?” A leggy brunette paramedic stuck her head into the room, offering a cheery grin, but her observant dark eyes were looking for anything that was out of place.

“You sure did. It was a doozy, too.” Aurora shook her head, still in shock at the day’s events.

“Aurora...?” the paramedic said, and frowned as if she were trying to figure something out. “Is that really you? I haven’t seen you in years! It’s Missy!”

The woman who had gone to high school with Aurora held her arms out and embraced her.

“Missy—hi! Yeah. It’s me.” She gave a nervous laugh. This was turning into quite a day of friends from her past showing up unexpectedly. “It was a trip I hadn’t really planned. But here I am. It’s great to see you.”

“You, too. Everyone okay?” Missy asked. Those eyes of a trained observer looked around the room again, focusing on the mom and baby.

“I think so—but they’re going to need a trip to the hospital for a full exam.” Beau stripped his gloves off and tossed them on the growing pile of trash.

“You got it. Sirens or no sirens?” Missy gave a smile and a wink.

“No sirens today.” Beau shook his head and gave an amazed laugh. “Wow!”

Cathy reached out to Beau and he stepped forward and clasped her hand. “Beau. I hate to ask this right now, but can I have my maternity leave starting today?”

Everyone laughed at the absurd request.

“Of course you can. It’s not a problem. But I’ll miss you, and I just hope I don’t destroy the place while you’re gone.”

“You won’t. You’ll be fine.”

“Six weeks, right?”

“Yes. I’ll let you know if it needs to be longer.” She cast a loving eye on her husband and her baby as tears filled her eyes. “This has been such an amazing event, I’m not sure I’m going to want to come back.”

“Don’t talk like that.” Beau squeezed her fingers again and shook Ron’s hand. “Just keep me updated and let me know when you’re ready to come back.” He snorted. “If you are.”

“I will. I promise.”

“Ready now?” Missy asked.

“Ready.” Cathy sighed and clutched the baby securely in both arms.

After mother and baby had been packed onto the stretcher and were headed to the hospital Aurora and Beau faced each other, alone for the first time since the event had begun. For a few seconds they stared at each other, unblinking, then Aurora laughed.

The tension-reliever caught her by surprise, and she clasped her hands to her face. “Beau! We delivered a baby!”

“I know—I was here.” A grin split his face and he held his arms wide. “Now that all the excitement is over, let’s have a proper greeting. Come here.”

“I don’t think I can walk after that. My legs are shaking.”

But she had enough strength to close the gap, and Beau met her halfway.

“You held it together during a crisis—the sign of a true professional, right? That’s the most important part.” He closed his long arms around her and squeezed.