by Kay Edwards
Dalton sat at the nurses' station writing down orders. His phone was on the desk so when it rang he pressed the speaker button again. "Doctor Nelson here…"
Brock's voice sounded on the other end. "I just wanted you to know that Wyatt and I are awesome and you are epic."
Dalton laughed. "Umm…ok."
The nursing staff listened as Brock continued to talk. "We got Rachel, a pony, but Misty pointed out that since you were actually the one that saved their lives and delivered Rachel in the middle of a Colorado blizzard, we couldn't be awesome. When I explained to her that we might go for epic, I think it may have worried her a bit with what that may actually involve us doing. I mean you and I both know that Wyatt and I would have to go big to beat the entire save your life and deliver a baby thing."
Dalton was laughing and shuddering at the same time. "I take it that is when your sister upped me to epic and gave you two awesome?"
Brock sounded proud on the other end of the line. "Yup we all got upgraded."
Dalton chuckled and then realized he said they got Rachel, a pony. He sobered up fast as he said. "Please tell me you two are going to wait to put her on that pony."
Brock laughed. "It's ok Dalton. We won't put her on until she can walk."
Dalton's voice was strangled as he said. "Brock your family is killing me."
Brock laughed. "That is kind of what we do. You were there when my dad was giving my mom grief about standing on the counter. Of course, you may not have been paying attention since you were lecturing Misty about the same thing. Well, I see Misty coming toward me. Dang if she doesn't look madder than a hornet. I'll let you go. Bye, Dalton."
Dalton shook his head and looked around at the shocked faces. "Are you all ok?"
Kim's mouth was opening and closing, but Miriam found her tongue. "You met her in the middle of a blizzard?"
Dalton looked at his phone annoyed. "I keep forgetting you all listen in on my calls."
Kim finally found her voice. "We can't help it. Your phone calls are" she paused and winked at Miriam "dare I say epic."
Dr. Huff had to agree. "I would love to know how you managed to keep the fact that you delivered a baby in the middle of a blizzard a secret."
Dalton shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it is just something that happened."
Kim sensed he was leaving something out. "Dalton, did you really save their lives?"
Dalton nodded his head. "The snow had already started when my dog led me to her. Her water had broken already, and her contractions were on top of each other. I picked her up and got back to my cabin as fast as I could. I could feel her body shuddering with each contraction. I'm not going to lie I was terrified."
Miriam was confused. "You are a doctor. Why would you be terrified?"
Dalton spoke softly. "I was in the middle of nowhere with no medical supplies and getting ready to deliver a baby that was only thirty-six weeks’ gestation. If Misty had needed a cesarean section, I could not have saved her. I didn't even know if she had the strength to push. By the time I got to her, she had already been walking for four hours in freezing temperatures."
Kim looked at him and said softly. "When you put it that way I can see how it would be terrifying."
Miriam spoke honestly. "I'm not going to lie. I'm glad it was slow enough for you to take that call. My respect for you continues to go up the more I see who you are. Though I will say, your future in-laws seem crazy. Was her mom really standing on the counter?"
Dalton smiled at her. "I try not to think about that, but yes Misty's dad was furious."
Kim had a question. "What happened to the baby's father?"
Dalton paused before he spoke. "Brent was killed in combat six months before Rachel was born."
Kim spoke with understanding. "That explains why you and Misty are proceeding with caution."
Dalton nodded. "That would be why."
The group chatted as they waited for their next patient to show up. Dalton was more than ready to get back to work. The others, however, were now even more curious about this young woman Misty.