by C D Cain
“Yes, but I don’t anticipate a lengthy admission. Probably only twenty-four to forty-eight hours. It’s just so we can monitor you more closely.”
Gentry gripped Sam’s shirt and tugged it hard. “Please, Sam. I don’t want to go to the hospital. Please.”
With urgency, Sam felt the need to take away whatever it was turning Gentry’s eyes this color green. She kissed her on her forehead and raised up to hold her eyes with hers. She didn’t look toward Timber as she spoke. “Timber, what if I take her by the lab and promise to keep a watch on her full time.” She held Gentry’s chin in between her fingers. “On one condition.”
“Anything.”
“You come to stay with me until further notice. I’ll admit you into Sam’s house of OB. Deal?”
“But Sam…”
“That’s the only way out of this. It’s either the hospital or my place. Take your pick. But I can guarantee you the food is better at mine. We’ll get take out like every night.”
“Low on the sodium,” Timber interrupted.
Gentry closed her eyes and yielded to her wishes. “Deal,” she whispered.
“Okay,” Dr. Waggoner said. “But I want to check you every week myself. Sam, let me know if she has any changes whatsoever.”
“Absolutely.”
“Of course, you know I want you off of work until I see you again. You’re right at thirty-six weeks, Ms. Bell. The baby looks good and we can induce labor, but I would like to do everything we can not to until at least thirty-eight weeks. You’ve got to take it easy over the next two weeks. Okay?”
“Yes, Dr. Waggoner. I’ll be good. I promise.”
Timber stopped as she was about to leave the room and turned to face Gentry. “Have you found any prospective couples for the adoption yet?”
Gentry looked over at the baby’s image frozen on the ultrasound monitor. She looked back at Sam who was studying it as well. “One has come to mind a few times, but I’ve not yet decided.”
“It’s no hurry. You take all the time you need. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly. Remember, we have counselors here if you need to talk with anyone about the feelings you may be having.”
“Thanks. But I think these are ones I’ve got to work out on my own.”
“Honey, I’m home.” Sam shut the door with her foot as she juggled her messenger bag and large pizza in her hands.
Sam saw Gentry’s arm raise up over the back of the sofa. “I’m here. Your slug of a house guest is still on the couch where you left her.” Jokingly, Gentry flexed her fingers but left the middle finger extended. “And you know how much I love it when you say that.”
Sam laughed to herself. In fact, she did know and has said it every time since she found out how much it annoyed Gentry. Sam walked around the couch and held the box of pizza over Gentry. “I guess I need to take this pizza somewhere else then.”
“Don’t you dare.” Gentry reached for it but Sam pulled it away before her hands were able to grab it.
“Uh, uh, uh. Kiss first.”
Gentry rolled her eyes and formed her lips into an exaggerated pucker that seemed even more so with the swelling in them. Over the last week, Sam had noted Gentry’s swelling to be increasing almost exponentially. She leaned over and kissed Gentry’s duck lips. “There, that’s better, honey.”
Gentry grunted at her. “I’m going to honey you one day.”
“Ooooh,” Sam purred. “Sounds fun. Sign me up for that.” She put the pizza down on the sofa table and dug into her messenger bag to pull the DVD of Fried Green Tomatoes from it. “I have this. It’s dinner and a movie tonight.”
The mocked scowl on Gentry’s face was lost the moment she saw the movie. She clapped her hands like a kid. “Yay!”
“What do you want to drink? Water?” Sam hollered over her shoulder as she walked to the kitchen.
“Sure. How was your day?”
“It was a day. How about you?”
“Beyond going in to see Dr. Waggoner, I did absolutely nothing but sit on this couch like a beached whale.”
Sam tossed Gentry’s bangs with her fingers. “It won’t be long now. You’re almost done.”
“Yeah, I know,” Gentry said flatly. She started to pull herself up more on the couch to make room for Sam.
“Uh, uh. Don’t move.” She raised Gentry’s feet up and sat down on the end of the couch to lower them across her lap.
“Oh dear Lord, that’s pure heaven right there,” Gentry said when Sam began massaging her foot. “I should not be letting you do that.”
“And why not?”
“Um, because you’re the one who has worked all day. Not me.”
“Yes, well, you’re the one carrying the baby. So, I think you’re one up on me.” She pressed her thumb into the instep of Gentry’s foot. “I’m sorry I missed your appointment today.”
“It’s alright. They told me you had an emergency at the hospital. Did everything go okay?”
“It did.” Sam moved her hands to massage Gentry’s other foot.
“She wants to induce.”
Sam frowned. “I know. She talked to me after her last patient left. It’s okay, Gen. You’re ready. The baby looks good. She’s developed well and thankfully she’s a girl so her lungs have matured faster. If she doesn’t induce, it could be dangerous for you both. Your labs today showed your liver is starting to be affected. They were elevated.”
Gentry tried to rub the throbbing from her temples. “I know. These headaches are getting worse and Tylenol doesn’t do anything but piss them off.” Gentry covered her eyes with her hand. “I’m scared, Sam.”
“I know you are. And it’s okay to be scared. It is.” Sam moved her hand up Gentry’s leg to caress her calf. “But I’m going to be right there the whole time. Timber is scheduling it where I can be off with you. You can do this.”
Gentry partially lifted her hand to expose her right eye. She stared at the mound of belly. “It’s not like I have a choice, is it?”
“Ummm, yeah, pretty much. She’s gotta come out eventually.” Sam massaged her feet a few minutes longer. “Let’s eat.” She gently guided her feet as Gentry sat up.
“What is that?” Gentry asked when Sam opened the box. “Where is all of the sauce?”
Sam had anticipated this reaction. “It’s a low sodium, heart-healthy pizza with olive oil, fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomato on a thin crust.”
“Yummy.” Gentry’s tone was thickened with sarcasm. She took a couple of bites and then ticked her head to the side. “It’s not bad at all.”
“See? Oh ye of little faith.” Sam rolled her slice end to end and took a large bite.
After dinner, Sam let the sofa out into a bed so Gentry would be more comfortable while they watched the movie. She had found lying on her side with her legs bent did seem to take some of the pressure off of her back. Sam pulled the light blanket over her arms when she noted the shiver in them as the ocean air blew in more readily through the open doors.
Gentry settled in further to the pillow that was Sam’s lap. “This is nice,” she murmured.
“It is.” Sam slid her hand under the back of Gentry’s shirt to run her fingers along her skin. “Hey, Gen?”
“Mmmm hmmm.”
“Have you decided what you want for after?” Sam paused for Gentry’s answer. Yet nothing came. “Hear me out, okay?” Sam continued quickly. “Of course, just like Timber said, you’ve got time to decide on adoptive parents. Most adoptive families wait so long that they stay on the ready for a phone call. It’s just if you haven’t decided on one yet, then we do need to make plans for directly after until you do. I don’t think you’ll be able to go back to your bus right after. I mean, if anyone could it would be you. But why? You’ve got me and I want to be here for you and the baby. I’ve got plenty of room here. You can keep sta
ying in the guest bedroom.” Sam feared she didn’t hide the ever-present disappointment that Gentry had asked to have her own room when she came to stay with Sam. Thankfully, she had been able to reject the money Gentry tried to pay for room and board. “I would really love to have you both here. I can help with the baby and take care of you while you recover. Or if you want to go back to your home, I can come there. I was just thinking there was a little bit more room here for a bassinette and all of the things we’ll need for her.” Sam decided to leave out the part of how she had already shopped and had things on hold at a store downtown. She figured if Gentry rejected her offer, she could always donate them to one of her patients in need.
“Thank you.” That was it. That was all Gentry said. And that came after several long seconds of pause.
Sam had just drifted into the twilight of sleep when she heard a light tap on the open door of her bedroom. “Are you okay?” The sheets fell from her shoulders as she raised up onto her elbow.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure.” Sam sat up against the headboard.
Gentry waited a moment before pushing herself off of the door facing she was leaning against. “I’ve not chosen a family yet because she hasn’t told me who she wants.”
“I’m sorry?”
“The baby.” Gentry sat on the end of the bed. “I don’t think it’s fair of me to make her choice for her. I don’t want to start her life like that. I’ve not seen a sign or felt she responded to any I read to her about. She’s her own little soul.” She rubbed her hand across the top of the covers. “I may not want to be her mom, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to do right by her. That’s the one instinct I feel. If she doesn’t show me…if I don’t see anything before she is born, then I’ll wait until after she’s born. Then maybe she’ll be able to show me in some way.” She felt the baby move. So far, the only reaction she had felt were the constant flutters in her tummy every time Sam spoke or ran her hands over her belly.
Chapter 24
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Gentry counted the drips of the IV one by one. She smoothed the wrinkles of the gown as it laid across her protuberant belly. She didn’t think of her mother much. Not much at all as she had gotten older. Nonetheless, something about the induction of her labor brought thoughts of her. Her mother had made a choice to permanently leave. As a child, Gentry blamed herself for this. That was a child’s mind of rationale. As an adult, especially at this moment of her own impending labor, she realized it had nothing at all to do with her and solely her mother’s struggles. Maybe it was genetic to not feel what some described as a deeper connection to their child during pregnancy. There was a connection, just not the one she had heard others describe. Hers was almost like a protective need she felt towards the baby.
She listened to the whooshing sound of the baby’s heartbeat through the monitor. “I don’t want to fuck you up like my family did me.” She felt the baby’s movement under her hand. “If I do this the right way, I won’t. If I stick to my path and let you find yours, I won’t.”
“Good morning,” Dr. Waggoner said as she peeped around the door left slightly ajar. “Are you ready to get this show on the road?”
“I suppose so,” Gentry said. “But I’d be a lot better if I could’ve had my coffee this morning. This is cruel and unusual punishment.”
Dr. Waggoner smiled. ”I’m sorry but you have to be NPO for an induction. On that note, have you had anything to eat or drink since midnight?”
“No.”
Dr. Waggoner walked over to inspect the monitor and IV next to the bed. She stretched the tracing paper out to see the graph of the baby’s heartbeat. “Looks good.” She gave her attention back to Gentry. “Where’s Sam? I thought I saw her earlier when they brought you back to the room?”
“You did. She’s moving her car.”
“Ah. MDI Hospital has lots of things but good parking is not one of them.” She wrote something down in Gentry’s chart before letting it hang at her side. “Alright. Do you have any questions for me?”
“Yes. What’s next?” Gentry again ran her hands over her belly.
“Well, now we see how you respond to the prostaglandin. If it doesn’t initiate cervical contractions, which fifty percent of the time it does, then we’ll start with Oxytocin. Your cervix looked good this morning to get things started. Now is the wait and see part.” She pointed her pen down to the paper she had just read. “We will follow to see how the baby responds to your contractions here. As long as she is doing well, we’ll plan a vaginal delivery.” She shrugged her shoulders. “If not, then we go to a C-section. Which is why you had to be NPO this morning. In the event we have to do surgery.”
“And the epidural you told me about. When do we do that?”
“That will depend on how your cervix responds. Ultimately, we would like for you to be at least four to five centimeters dilated with active cervical contractions before we do an epidural. We don’t want to do anything that may risk slowing your contractions.”
Gentry laid her head back on her pillow. “I’m just ready to get this all over with.”
Dr. Waggoner put her hand on Gentry’s arm. “I know. The unknown can be intimidating, if not scary as hell, particularly when there are so many variables at play. I can tell you this, you’re in good hands. We’ve got you.”
“Who’s got who?” Sam asked as she entered the room.
Dr. Waggoner smiled broadly and patted Gentry’s arm. “Really good hands.” She moved to the end of the bed. “Good morning, Sam.”
“Good morning, Timber. How’s she looking?”
“Everything’s looking good. Jesse will be your nurse today.’
“Oh, she’s good.”
“Yes, she is.” Timber smiled. “I may have had a hand in her scheduling today.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem at all. Okay, ladies, I’m off but will be checking in with Jesse regularly.” She dipped her head toward Gentry. “I’ll see you later.”
“Later,” Gentry muttered back.
Sam took Timber’s previous place at the bed and leaned down to kiss Gentry softly on the lips.
“Coffee? You’ve had coffee,” Gentry exclaimed.
“Sorry,” Sam whimpered. “I was weak.”
Gentry gripped the collar of Sam’s shirt and pulled her back down to her. She kissed her fully and then whined, “Mmmmm. You taste so good.”
Sam jokingly waggled her eyebrows. “Do I? Well now, what should we do about that?”
Gentry looked over her protuberant belly at Sam and laughed. “Oh hell, let’s get it on. I mean, what’s not to turn you on?”
“Normally, I would but it may get pretty awkward when the whole team of nurses come running in with the changes they see in your heartbeat.” Sam held up her hand. “How about if we do this instead?”
“What is that?”
“A deck of cards.”
“I know but what’s on the front of them.”
Sam smiled rather proudly of herself. “The national parks.”
Sam dotted the beads of sweat collecting at Gentry’s hairline. “That was a big one.”
“Who are you telling?” Gentry slowed her breath the best she could. “They’ve really gotten stronger since she did that.”
Gently, Sam continued to dry her forehead. “Yes they have. They added Oxytocin since the prostaglandin alone wasn’t doing it.”
“I meant when she broke my water.”
“Yes that too.” Sam managed to respond even though she was concentrating more on Gentry’s tracing than what she was saying. The baby’s heart rate was lowering with each contraction.
“Sam.”
“Uh huh.” Sam pulled the tracing further out from the printer to follow its pattern. She felt a nauseous energy form in the pit of her stomach. Beads of sweat began
to trickle down the small of her back.
“Sam.” Gentry said louder.
Sam shook her head and looked at Gentry. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t like the way the baby is responding to your contractions.” She reached up to clamp off the IV bag containing the Oxytocin. With the other hand, she discretely pushed the nurse call button on the side of the bed. “When you have a contraction, the baby’s heartbeat should increase or stay the same not get lower.” Lightly, she rubbed Gentry’s cheek.
“And it is getting lower?”
“It is. And it’s recurring with variable changes. Let’s get you on your side.”
As Jesse entered the room, she saw Sam beginning to reposition Gentry on her side. She rushed over to assist as Gentry was not much help. Another contraction came. Jesse eyed Sam as she studied the strip.
With gritted teeth, Sam shook her head. “No change. Hey Gentry, let’s do one more thing. We’re going to get you up on all fours. Okay?”
Gentry’s eyes were wide in her silence.
The two women worked in unison to reposition Gentry again. Jesse walked over to stand next to Sam who had not taken her eyes off of the tracing.
“I feel another one,” Gentry moaned. She remained on all fours even though the intensity of the contraction was more than she had previously experienced. She locked her elbows in hard determined she would remain upright.
Jesse pulled a cordless phone from her front scrub pocket. “Page Dr. Waggoner STAT. We’ve got a Category III tracing nonresponsive to repositioning. Get the OR team to room two for a STAT C-section.” She reached around Sam to increase the flow of the normal saline wide open. She squeezed in between her and the bed to grab a mask that hung over the head of it. She set it to deliver eight liters of oxygen per minute. “Ms. Bell, I’m going to put this on. We need to start oxygen.”
Sam had not moved.
Jesse gripped her arm tightly and shook it. “Are you with me Dr. LeJeune? We need to move.” Quickly, she unlocked the brake pedals of the bed.