“Sure thing.” The nurse put the blood pressure cuff on and went through the procedure. Laura closed her eyes and waited but the others saw the alarm in the nurse’s eyes when she took the reading. “Well, that didn’t work right. I need to try one more time, Mrs. Morgan. You go ahead and keep your eyes closed and I’ll be through in a few minutes.”
Once again she pumped up the cuff and took the readings. The reading was evidently the same and she wrote it down carefully before she pulled the cuff off. “I’ll need to call this in to the doctor. Is there a private phone I can use?”
Laura’s eyes flew open. “Private? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I have some other patient information to pass on as well and you know the confidentiality thing.”
“Come, I will show you where you may call,” Rosina said.
Meg and Betta plumped up Laura’s pillows and got her to drink a little water. Neither of them was happy with the way she looked or with the reaction of the nurse.
Suddenly she moaned and leaned over the edge of the bed and vomited up the little water she had just taken. “I’m sorry,” she whispered as she fell back against the pillows. Meg soothed her as Betta ran to tell the nurse.
* * *
When his phone rang toward the end of class, Sean expected it to be Maria but was surprised when it indicated an out of area call. “Excuse me for a moment, class” He answered the phone and Matteo said, “Sean, I must find Taylor immediately.”
“Hold on,” Sean said then quickly dismissed his class. “Now, what is it, Matteo? What’s happened?”
“It’s Signora Laura. She’s very ill. They are taking her to the hospital now and say that the baby may have to come tonight. Taylor needs to get back here right away!”
“Oh dear Lord,” Sean whispered. “Give me the number I can reach you at, Matteo. I’ll get plane reservations made and get back to you as soon as I can. Matteo, how bad—”
“I don’t know, Sean. But they are taking her by ambulance now.”
“I’ll call you back soon. Call me if there’s any change.”
Sean hung up the phone and looked at his watch. Taylor’s meeting with the faculty was just starting so he decided to call the airlines first. Fate was on their side. A flight was leaving in two hours with three empty first class seats. It would get them into New York about one a.m. There was no faster way. He called Maria immediately afterwards.
“Maria, it’s me. Don’t ask me lots of questions now, darling. I’ll explain it all later. I just got a call from Matteo. They are taking Laura to the hospital right now. I don’t know the details but they seem to think they may have to take the baby tonight. Taylor is here with me—no time to explain Maria, not now! Just pack some stuff and meet us at the airport by six-thirty at gate B-6. Just carry-on luggage, Maria. You can buy whatever we need when we get there. I’ll see you in about an hour. Drive carefully—Laura needs you.”
Quickly he made one more phone call to the provost’s office to notify them that he and Maria would be gone. Their exams were with their secretaries and student teaching assistants could administer them. Then he took off running across campus to the theatre where the meeting was being held in Popejoy Hall’s green room.
Everyone looked up startled as a disheveled, breathless, Sean Collins burst into the room. Taylor immediately rose to his feet, “Sean? What is it? Is it Laura?”
Gulping in air, Sean said, “Matteo called. They’re taking her to the hospital. They may have to take the baby tonight. We have a flight at seven.”
Taylor’s face went white and he turned back to the group. “I’m sorry. I have to go. My wife…our baby…”
Kris Straub took over. “Go, Taylor. This can all wait. We’ll all keep you in our thoughts that everything will be fine. Please let us know, Sean, when you have news.”
“Of course.”
Without a look back both men exited the room running.
* * *
Dr. Bernard was waiting when her ambulance arrived at the hospital. “Laura, like I told you on the phone, your blood pressure is up. The vomiting, nausea, and light sensitivity are all further signs that you may be developing full eclampsia. Right now,” she said as she helped move her from gurney to examining table, “I want to check you and the baby out, see how much this is influencing the baby. If the baby’s not showing signs of undue stress, I’ll put you on intravenous drugs to lower your blood pressure. But if there are any signs of fetal distress, I’m going to have to induce labor or, possibly, perform a caesarean.”
Tears ran helplessly down Laura’s face as she held her hands over her abdomen where her precious baby might be in trouble. “Whatever you have to do to save the baby, Doctor.”
“Taylor’s still gone?”
“He wasn’t supposed to be home ‘til tomorrow. I don’t know if Matteo has reached him yet.”
“Nurse Mondragon, would you go see if Mrs. Morgan’s family has arrived? Find out if they reached Mr. Morgan for us? Meanwhile, Laura, you and I have some work to do here.”
* * *
“Damn it! I knew I shouldn’t have left her, Sean. I should have stayed there.”
“Should haves don’t change anything, Taylor. We’ll get back to her as soon as we can. There’s Maria waiting for us.”
Taylor’s tiny mother-in-law was pacing in front of the check-in counter but she opened her arms to her son-in-law as he came toward her.
“Oh, Maria. What am I going to do?”
“You’re going to pray and keep good thoughts, Taylor Morgan. My Laura is strong. She and the baby will be all right,” she said fiercely. “But now, you two tell me exactly why Taylor is here while Laura is there. And you had better have a good reason.”
* * *
Maria was quietly furious with Sean and Taylor. She understood why they had kept her and Laura out of the discussion and she knew there was no way Taylor would have left Laura if he’d really thought there was any danger. Yet all she could think of was her little girl going through all of this without the support of her husband.
Her little girl—soon to be a mother, God and the Holy Mother willing. Her fingers never ceased to move as she said her rosary over and over in offering for her child.
* * *
The phone rang in Elodie Nee’s apartment. She’d been very depressed and angry since Taylor had left the show. He’d been so busy with Laura that she hadn’t seen him since then. Not wanting to be out of the picture, she’d bribed an admitting clerk to find someone on every shift who would let her know when Laura was admitted in labor.
But she wasn’t expecting the call this soon. Laura must still be over a month away from her due date. The clerk read her the admitting notes and acknowledged that it meant that Mrs. Morgan was in some trouble. Elodie thanked her then hung up the phone.
She called a good friend who was a doctor and told him what she’d just heard about a “dear friend”.
“I don’t think you have to worry too much, Elodie. Your friend will probably be fine, unless they don’t get the blood pressure under control. But before it gets that bad, they’ll probably take the baby by caesarean.”
She thanked him then hung up the phone and paced her apartment. Laura could die. Taylor would be devastated, of course, but he’d need all his friends to help pick up the pieces. And if the baby survived—well he couldn’t raise a baby on his own now, could he?
She smiled at the possibilities even as Taylor fought to stay calm high over the Midwest.
* * *
“Have you heard from Taylor?” Laura asked Meg as she took a turn sitting with her. Laura’s blood pressure was still high but she begged the doctor to wait as long as possible for Taylor to get there. Her anxiety wasn’t helping.
“He called from the plane. They’ll be in just after midnight. Matteo will be there to meet them.”
“Them?”
“Don’t ask me why or how, but your parents are with him.”
“What? But he was in Cali
fornia. Did he stop in Albuquerque?”
Meg watched the numbers fluctuate on the blood pressure monitor. “Laura, calm down. I don’t know any more than they’re on their way.”
“What time is it now, Meg?”
“Eleven-thirty.”
“And as long as we can wait, Laura.” Renee Bernard spoke from the door. “Your blood pressure is still going up and the protein levels in your urine are dangerous now. I’m seeing some distress in the fetal heartbeat.”
“Oh, no, please, no. Isn’t there anything you can do?”
“I’m going to give you something to induce labor but I can’t promise we won’t have to go to a C-section. Laura? Are you listening?” After Laura nodded and fixed her eyes on the doctor, she continued, “There are real risks here, Laura, and I’m not willing to take them. If Taylor’s not here when it’s time for this baby to come—by natural means or surgery—I am not going to hesitate. Do you understand?”
“I do. And I trust you. I just want him to be here.”
“I know you do. And I’m sorry, since his absence is partially my fault. I didn’t expect this to happen. Try to rest now. Meg, you’ll be with her?”
“We’re taking turns. Betta will be in soon.”
“Good, just try to keep her calm for now.”
* * *
When the plane finally landed, the flight attendants asked everyone to keep their seats while some passengers with an emergency exited first. Taylor, Maria, and Sean ran up the walkway to the passenger pickup area where Matteo was waiting. Taylor was on the phone as soon as he was in the car.
“They took her to delivery fifteen minutes ago, Taylor,” Meg reported. “She’s still in labor but I think the doctor is moving toward a C-section fast.”
“How is she? Is she in danger?”
“Taylor, I don’t know. Just tell Matteo to hurry. I’ll meet you at the emergency entrance and get you up here as fast as I can.”
“Meg—thanks. You’ve been wonderful in all of this. You’re going to make a hell of a doctor.”
“Not this kind, Taylor. Too nerve-wracking. I’ll stick with counseling. Hurry but be careful!”
* * *
The car pulled up to the emergency entrance closely followed by the police car that had been trying to pull them over for speeding the last ten blocks. Taylor and Maria jumped out of the car and ran inside while Matteo and Sean stayed to face the music.
True to her word, Meg was waiting and she ran with them to the stairwell. “This is faster than taking the elevator. We only have to go to the third floor.” Maria kicked off her shoes and left them behind as they began the climb.
* * *
Rosina was holding Laura’s hand—an emergency, last-minute choice for birth coach. Laura was beginning to tire and her doctor glanced at the clock. This had been a hard and fast labor with all the trauma preceding it. Laura’s blood pressure was down to an acceptable level but the exhaustion was taking its toll. The doctor decided to wait ten more minutes. No baby by then and she was doing a caesarean.
“Come on, Laura, we’re almost there. You can do this. Get ready to push.”
The door burst open and a masked, gowned figure flew into the room. The turquoise eyes above the mask locked onto Laura’s and she began to cry. “Oh, Taylor, you’re here. You’re here.”
Rosina moved away from her place by Laura’s head and left the delivery room to brief Maria. “She is strong, our Laura. She’ll be fine. The doctor thinks it will be soon but it may still have to be by surgery.”
Taylor held Laura’s hand tightly. “I am so sorry, my love. I should never have left you.”
“Taylor,” the doctor snapped. “You can apologize later. We have a baby coming so do your job.”
Taylor slid his arm under Laura and supported her as she got ready to push again.
“Now, Laura, I can see the head. Give us a good push—more—more—more—great! Breathe now. We have a redhead here but I can’t tell if it’s a girl or boy. You’re going to have to give us another push. Taylor, help her.”
Taylor held his breath as he concentrated on transferring all his strength to Laura. She was so pale, her hair matted with sweat, her eyes with circles under them. Still, she had never been more beautiful to him as she gave a cry that was echoed by the baby.
“A girl! Laura, Taylor, you have a girl! And she has her father’s lungs it seems,” the doctor said as the baby cried loudly. “You’re going to have some competition, Taylor,” she continued as they lay the baby on Laura’s heart. Tears flowed freely down both their faces as a turquoise-eyed, red-haired angel invaded their hearts.
* * *
Taylor emerged from the delivery room and pulled off the paper cap that covered his hair. Matteo and Sean had reached an agreement with the police officer who had issued a warning rather than a citation when he’d heard their story, so the whole family was waiting.
He smiled, an ear-to-ear grin. “We have a daughter. Annie Collins Morgan. She weighs 5 lbs., 14 ounces, is 16 inches long. She has her mother’s red hair and my eyes and is the most beautiful baby ever born. Laura was a miracle. I’m so proud of her.” He broke down in tears. “So proud.”
As the delivery room doors opened, a nurse peeked out and held her fingers to her lips with a smile before she very slowly walked past them pushing a bassinet. Sisters, grandparents, father, and friends got a good look at the baby before the nurse moved her down the hall to the nursery.
Next was a bed with Laura. “Mama! Did you see her? Isn’t she beautiful?”
“She’s beautiful, mi’ja just like her Mama,” Maria answered with tears in her eyes. “Muy bonita.”
Taylor took her hand and followed along as they went down the hallway to Laura’s room while the rest of the family hugged and cried and rejoiced in the safe arrival of the newest Morgan girl.
Chapter 24
The nurse sent Taylor from the room while they helped Laura clean up from the birth. By the time he was allowed back in, her hair had been braided and she was wearing a clean gown. Her eyes were closed but there was a soft smile on her lips.
“Hi,” Taylor said softly from the doorway.
“Hi, yourself,” Laura said as she held out a hand to him.
Taylor pulled his arm from behind his back and handed her six yellow roses. “I promised you half on delivery,” he said with a smile. “They should be diamonds or rubies or emeralds but these will have to do for now.”
“It’s four a.m., Taylor! How did you get yellow roses this time of night?”
“One of the phone calls from the plane. I told Matteo to find some somewhere so I could keep my promise. For all I know, they came from someone’s garden.”
He took the flowers from her and put them in the water pitcher before he sat beside her and took her hand. “How are you, my love?”
“Tired. But I’ve never been happier.”
“Me, too. I can’t believe how close I came to losing you.”
“That’s over, Taylor. We can forget about it now and concentrate on that angel down the hallway.”
“I went and looked in the nursery when they threw me out of here. She’s easily the prettiest baby in there.”
“Did everyone else go home?”
“Reluctantly. Dr. Bernard wouldn’t even let your mother come see you.”
“And I’m throwing you out, too, Taylor,” she said from the doorway. “Laura needs to rest and, from the look of you, a few hours sleep wouldn’t hurt you either.”
“I’m fine. I’d like to stay.”
“Sorry, Taylor. You can come back in the morning.”
“It is morning.”
“Not until nine o’clock, it isn’t. Your wife and daughter will be waiting,” she said as she casually took Laura’s wrist to check her pulse then glanced at the monitors before writing some notes on the chart she carried. “You’re looking much better, Laura. Your blood pressure is almost normal but I’m going to want to keep you for a couple of days just
to make sure we don’t have any lingering complications. You did a good job in there. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks. And thanks for helping me wait for Taylor to get here. She’s all right—our Annie?”
“Absolutely perfect with the requisite number of fingers and toes. The nurses are already raving about the color of her eyes. Since she wasn’t born with the usual dark blue, I’m pretty sure they’ll stay this color. You’re going to be beating boys off with a stick, Taylor.”
“I’ve had practice with Betta and Meg.”
“Good thing. You’re going to need it.” She paused at a sound in the hallway. “I think that’s for you—fifteen minutes then you’re out of here, Taylor.” She smiled as a nurse carrying a pink wrapped bundle pushed open the door. She stopped and looked at the baby as she was leaving. “Hello, Miss Annie. Your Mom and Dad are waiting to meet you.”
She watched as the nurse handed Annie to Laura and the three of them began the process of forming a family. It had been a good night despite the drama—the kind of night that reminded her of why she did this in the first place. Closing the door behind her, she smiled as she went to sign out before heading home for a few hours of sleep.
* * *
Taylor and Laura spoke in whispers as they admired their sleeping daughter. Despite the trauma she had been through, Annie Collins Morgan showed no signs of the stress. In her parent’s eyes, she was perfection.
Gently Laura unwrapped the blanket to free the baby’s hands. “Look, Taylor. Such tiny fingernails!”
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