by Donna Steele
She smiled up at him again and they realized Mrs. Masters stood in the hall, listening. “Should I hold dinner until Miz Stevens returns?”
Dusty glanced over at Connie and turned his head to wink so Mrs. Masters couldn’t see. “Doctor Stevens will probably be late tonight. Save a plate, but go ahead and serve at the regular time.”
Connie also glanced away so Mrs. Masters wouldn’t spot her expression. The older woman stalked off and Connie laughed. “You know she’s never going to give in on that.”
“On calling Dee ‘Doctor Stevens?’ You’re probably right, but I’m not giving up either.”
As they walked into the dining room, Dusty’s mind reluctantly played scenarios of how things were going at the Ellis home.
~ ~ ~
Viola’s arrival was heaven-sent. The midwife had much more experience in this aspect of the medical field than Dee. Together they’d managed to turn the baby, though not without a great deal of effort. Dee found herself hoping again her trip here to the past would not outlast the shot she’d taken. This was not the way she had pictured having a baby herself.
Dee had no clear way to know if the child was in distress. She suspected that was the case, and the cord might be around the neck or body especially with all the manipulation they’d done. They needed to deliver this baby now, but exhaustion had claimed Grace.
“We’re going to have to push for her.” Viola took a deep breath.
Dee nodded. “How do you want to do that?”
Viola smiled. “You have the smaller hands,” she reminded Dee. “I’ll push. Izzy, you get behind her and let her use you to push against.”
Dee motioned to Elizabeth. “Can you cup her feet? Give her some leverage too.”
At the next contraction, the women worked together. Dee could feel the time slipping away. “I see the head.” Dee forced herself to speak calmly, though she knew Grace was beyond hearing at this point.
Viola pushed, her arm across Grace’s belly. Dee didn’t allow the head to slip back in at the end of the push. “Again.”
The cord had wrapped itself tightly around the child’s throat and Dee slipped a finger underneath to try to loosen the constriction. She met Viola’s eyes and shook her head. Time was up.
“Now.”
The next push forced the shoulders out and Dee quickly realized the cord not only constricted the neck but the body as well. The baby wasn’t crying or pinking up. She unwrapped the child and snatched the suction cup from the small bowl beside her.
She suctioned out the baby’s nose and mouth and toweled the tiny body roughly, trying to stimulate her. That brought no response, so Dee began infant CPR, leaving Grace to Viola, who moved into her place. “Bleeding.”
Dee glanced over but they each had their own patient. Hopefully Viola would know what to do. Elizabeth moved to Dee’s side. “Can I help?”
“Get the blankets. This little one won’t be able to warm herself alone.” Elizabeth moved away as Dee finally heard the baby mewl. Weak but alive. She hastily swaddled the baby and held her close as she returned to Viola.
“How is she?”
“The bleeding is slowing, but it’s not stopping.”
“Is the placenta whole?”
“No.”
“Maybe nursing will help.” Dee handed the baby to Elizabeth. “Put her to the breast, see if she can suckle.”
The baby managed to latch on and Viola gave Dee a respectful nod. “You do know what you’re doing.”
Viola snorted when Dee winked at her, which broke some of the tension. Neither patient was out of the woods yet, but they’d made a good team. Viola sent Izzy to find John so he could see his daughter.
Viola met him at the door. She towered a good three inches over the man. “You have a baby girl. And your wife survived, this time. Look at her.”
Pale as death, John stood rooted to the spot. Dee nearly came to his rescue, but Viola was relentless. “I told you last time Grace should not have a baby again so soon. I’ll tell you again, and this time I will also say, if you must have relief, you should go and find a good knot in a tree and take care of yourself that way. Because if you come near her before she recovers, I will personally slice it off and feed it to the pigs.”
Dee wasn’t entirely sure Viola was kidding. John obviously believed her. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be careful, ma’am.”
Viola glared at him. “I’ll know if you aren’t. Now go look after your boys. You might arrange for a woman to come in. It’ll be some time before Grace is up and about. She’ll need a lot of help.”
“I can send for my mother.”
“I said get someone to help. Grace can’t be waiting on that woman as well as three babies. Go, get on out of here. I’ll be staying the night to keep an eye on things.”
Whipped, the young man returned the baby to Elizabeth, and the only word Dee could use to describe his departure was that he ‘skedaddled.’
For the first time, Dee realized the sky had grown full dark. How long had she been here? Her back ached and exhaustion held her in its grip. Certainly not as much as Grace had endured, but this had been a long day.
“I can have John take you and Elizabeth home,” Viola offered. “I’m sure he’d like to get far away from me.”
“I feel like I should stay too, in case you need some help. I’d appreciate it if Elizabeth could get a ride with Izzy and let Dusty know we’re okay.”
Viola nodded. “I could use some company.” She turned to her assistant. “Izzy, you head on out. Come get me in the morning. Sooner if anyone needs me.”
“Are you sure you want me to go?” Elizabeth asked Dee.
“Tell Dusty where I am. I know he’s worried by now.”
“All right.” Elizabeth followed Izzy outside.
Dee and Viola each took a seat. “I’m sure you didn’t bring anything to eat.” Viola reached for her basket.
On cue Dee’s stomach rumbled and they both chuckled. “No. I wasn’t expecting this.”
“Share mine.” Viola found her basket and pulled some bread and cheese from it, breaking the small loaf in half. “Do you want to nap?”
“I’m fine so far,” Dee assured her. “You go ahead.”
Viola resumed her seat on the bench. “If you’re not tired, I’d like to talk.”
“Of course.”
“I’ve heard about you,” Viola began.
“I expect everyone in the county has.”
Viola grinned. “You wear britches?”
“I wish I could all the time. I hate these long skirts. They’re only good for getting in the way.”
A broad smile took over Viola’s face. “I like you. I didn’t know if I would when I got here. I expected you’d try to throw me out or something.”
“No way.” Dee shook her head. “Obstetrics is not my specialty.”
“Excuse me?”
“Obstet—I trained in trauma medicine.”
“You mentioned specialty. You’re not from around here.”
“I’m not. I’m from up north, New York.” She and Dusty had concocted a story, though the tale had holes. As yet, no one had challenged them too far. “In medical school I trained in all of the specialties. I found I liked to work the ER best.”
“ER?”
“Emergency room. Where I come from doctors don’t make house calls anymore. We work in hospitals most of the time, and the sick or hurt come to us. There aren’t enough doctors to go around, so we each do what we do best. The doctors who work with women’s bodies and pregnancy are called obstetricians. Others are surgeons or internists. Even within that we have specialists.”
Dee hooked her hair behind her ear, stretching. “Some surgeons only work on the heart or brain because they practice so much, t
hey’re better at their specialty. I handle unexpected accidents. Trauma.”
“Daphne Douglas’ hand.”
“Yes, and Connie’s appendectomy. They were emergencies. If there had been a surgeon nearby, I would have turned Connie over to her.”
“You know women surgeons?”
“I know women in all of the specialties.”
Viola rotated her neck, glancing over at Grace. “How many babies have you delivered?”
“Counting this one? Five. I’ve observed a few more, but for hands on, five.”
When Viola blinked, Dee added, “Why do you think I was so happy to see you, Viola? I needed the help and I learned a lot here today.”
Now Viola gaped at her.
“What?” Dee asked.
“You’re a doctor and you appreciate my help. Doc Tillman would have run me out of the house and then blamed me when things went wrong.”
“I’m not hearing a lot of nice things about the man.”
Viola shrugged. “I’m sure he saved his share of lives, delivered a lot of babies. I thought the man was lucky rather than a good doctor. In any case, he was a man and therefore automatically lifted to a higher level. I’ve set a few bones and sewed up a few cuts. I liked your touch there. You were quick and sure, working on Grace.”
“Tissue tearing is common enough in a regular birth. What happened here was not ‘regular’ in my experience.”
Viola swallowed her bite of bread. “No, it wasn’t.”
“How did you get your training?” Dee massaged her neck and imagined Dusty’s hands caressing the sore muscles.
“Same as Izzy’s doing. My granny was a midwife. She raised me after my parents died and took me along on her rounds. I’ve delivered nearly four hundred babies. I’ve lost some, lost some mothers too. Childbirth is riskier than people know.”
“True. Four hundred, that’s amazing.”
“What we have to watch out for here is more bleeding and then fever.”
“I agree. And we weren’t working in a sterile field.” Both women glanced over at the sleeping mother.
“What?”
“A lot of germs were around, and I couldn’t even change gloves during the procedure.”
“What are those gloves? I meant to ask.”
“They keep germs away from my patient. It’s why I dipped my hands in the bowl of alcohol so often. I don’t have many pairs of gloves with me, so I’ve been very careful not to tear them, and I sterilize them after each procedure in pure alcohol. That kills most of the germs and helps keep the patient safer.”
“So, you believe in germs.”
Dee smiled at the woman. “I do. I’ve seen them. Why don’t you come by the office tomorrow, or whenever you get free, and I’ll show you.”
“You’d help train me?”
“Sure. You’ve spent several hours training me today. We’ll both be better for sharing what we know.”
Viola gave a decisive nod. “Yes, I am glad I met you.”
“Then may I ask a question?” Dee faced Viola squarely.
“Sure.”
“You threatened John’s manhood, but what do women use for birth control around here?”
Viola’s eyes widened. “You aren’t opposed . . .”
“To birth control? Not at all. The practice saves women’s lives, even possibly Grace’s in the future.”
“I’ve never heard a doctor say that.”
“You’ve never talked to a female doctor.”
Viola grinned. “All right, then. Let me tell you about vinegar and sea sponge.”
Chapter 25
Dusty yanked open the front door upon hearing the carriage. Seeing only Elizabeth alight sent his pulse racing. He reached the bottom of the stairs before Elizabeth had settled her skirts.
“Where’s Dee?”
“Everything is fine. Miz Ellis’ delivery was difficult. Dee and Miz Hill—that’s the midwife—stayed in case of problems.”
“How will she get home?”
“She’s going to stay the night. Izzy—”she nodded toward the young woman still in the carriage—“is the midwife’s apprentice, and she’ll pick her up when she gets Miz Hill tomorrow.”
“All night? Should I go?”
Elizabeth shook her head, then waved Izzy on with her thanks. She motioned for Dusty to follow her inside. “How is Connie?”
“She’s fine. She went to bed a while ago. Does Dee need me?”
“I’m sure she and Viola can handle everything. What do you know about childbirth and its complications?”
“Nothing, but do you think Dee will be okay?”
“Yes, I do. Were there any patients we missed?”
Before he could answer, Mrs. Masters appeared at the door. She eyed the two of them and it appeared to Dusty as though she sniffed her disdain.
“Elizabeth, I’m sorry, have you eaten?” Dusty motioned in the direction of the dining room.
“No and I’m starved. Don’t bother Cook. I can make myself something. I will stay here tonight, in Connie’s room in case anyone needs anything.”
“Oh, yeah. Daphne came by to have her hand examined. She’ll come back tomorrow. There wasn’t anything else.”
“Good. I’m going to eat a bite of dinner, then go to bed. You should too. You have to be at school early tomorrow.”
School—he hadn’t even thought about that. He wouldn’t be here when Dee got home. This had been the longest they’d been apart since he’d seen her in that fateful bar.
It felt wrong.
~ ~ ~
She missed Dusty. Maybe it was stupid to feel that way, but Dee didn’t feel whole. Not something she could confess to him. Sure, she knew people here now. Some distrusted her, some respected her and others didn’t seem to care either way, but none were Dusty.
She’d had relationships before. She and her ex-boyfriend Randy had been living together when she started medical school. Their relationship hadn’t lasted long, not with her schedule.
Maybe things were different because of how she and Dusty had met, which neither could explain, or else she was finally ready for someone permanent in her life. Yes, they were all each other had of the world they were used to, but she felt closer to him than anyone in the world. Except maybe her father.
They’d begun sharing childhood stories in their talks after dinner, telling each other secrets never shared before.
I want to be in his arms.
She wouldn’t be leaving her patients, of course. Grace needed her, as well as the new baby who didn’t even have a name yet. Still, nothing changed her longing, her need, to be in Dusty’s embrace.
The baby nursed every hour or so, which helped both mother and daughter. So far, Grace had not developed a fever and hadn’t even woken the last time they held the baby to her breast. Her breathing stayed deep and easy as she rested from her ordeal. Viola speculated this might have been the first full night’s sleep she’d had in months.
John had stuck his head in once more to check on Grace, and this time Viola had given him a little more slack. He’d held the baby again and whispered Grace would probably want to name her after her late mother, Dorothy.
“She was hoping for a girl this time.” He looked between Dee and Viola. “Is she going to be okay?”
“I think so. That’s why we stayed. John, she had a rough time, too rough. You understood what I said earlier?”
“I do. Lord, when I came in here the first time, I thought she was dead for sure. I didn’t know what I was gonna do.”
“It will be hard for a few weeks but I’m counting on you not to make more work for her until she truly recovers from this. You know I’m talking months, don’t you?”
John solemnly n
odded. “We’re adults now, we’ve got other people to think about.”
“Exactly. I’m sorry you had such a fright, but sometimes that’s what it takes. Have you found anyone to come in?”
“Yes. Miz Haas over at the boardinghouse knows of a woman who needs a place for herself and her daughter. Things might be a touch crowded, but Miz Haas spoke highly of her.”
“Then she’ll be a good woman. Miz Haas has sound instincts about people.” Viola held out her hands. “I’ll take little Dorothy now. You go on and catch some sleep. Until the woman gets here, you’ll have to do the cooking and cleaning. Grace can only care for this little one right now.”
John mumbled some more thanks and left to sleep in the main room with the boys.
“You know Miz Haas, don’t you?” Viola turned to Dee.
“Yes. She actually helped with Connie’s surgery that night. Elizabeth wasn’t there when I began.”
“So she wasn’t exaggerating. Don’t know if you’re aware, but Miz Haas knows all the women in this county and probably all the surrounding ones. She won’t listen to a bad word about you.”
Dee sighed. “That’s very nice to hear. I do seem to make a good impression on the career women around here.”
Viola chuckled. “Hadn’t thought about things that way, but I guess you do.”
Chapter 26
Dee couldn’t say she was rested when she arrived at the house the next morning, though she wasn’t dragging either. She and Viola had taken turns napping, reminding her of her intern days.
To Dee’s wonder, Grace had not developed a fever. She would credit the gloves and sterilize them one more time. At least she’d managed not to tear them.
Dee invited both Viola and Izzy inside for breakfast. Dusty had already left for school, so she hid her disappointment and searched out Cook to arrange a meal for her friends. Fortunately, she missed Mrs. Masters, and Cook was happy to comply. Connie and Elizabeth joined them and they were having a lively conversation when Mrs. Masters appeared at the door.