Page 53 of Prognosis Bad Timing

‘Donna,’ the pregnant one panted, sobbing and panting at the same time.

‘How pregnant are you?’ Carrie asked, helping her up onto the high bed.

The girl cried out as another contraction swept through her and clutched at Carrie’s shoulder.

‘We don’t know,’ her friend said. ‘She’s never seen a doctor.’

Charlie saw the look of surprise on Carrie’s face. It was common enough around these parts. The labouring girl looked like a street kid if her general unkempt appearance was anything to go by.

Street kids rarely sought any antenatal care.

‘How long have the pains been coming for?’ Carrie kept going, her mind sorting methodically through the required information.

‘They started about half an hour ago and they’ve just been getting worse.’

‘Have her membranes ruptured?’ Carrie asked.

Both girls looked at her blankly. ‘Have your waters broken?’ Charlie intervened. Medical terms weren’t well understood in this neck of the woods.

‘No,’ Donna replied.

‘I’ll call an ambulance,’ Charlie said.

He was back in two minutes and the tension in Carrie’s shoulders eased a little. She’d delivered a couple of babies, but never out of the comfort zone of a hospital.

‘Here,’ Charlie said, pulling a pre-packaged birthing kit out of a cupboard. ‘I’ll open this. Why don’t you do an examination?’

Carrie glanced at him. Her? He handed her some gloves and nodded and smiled at her. Her. She swallowed. She could do this. She’d done it before. And Charlie’s faith was buoying.

The gloves took for ever to get on over her shaking hands. She could hear Charlie talking soothingly to Donna in the background. Carrie lifted Donna’s dress and knew instantly she wouldn’t need to do a vaginal examination.

‘How far away is the ambulance?’ she asked.

‘Ten,’ he said.

‘We don’t have ten minutes — the head’s right there. It’s crowned.’

Charlie could see the anxiety in her gaze. But he’d already been pleasantly surprised at how Carrie had taken control just now. He could see the physician coming to the fore.

And she was doing fine.

‘All righty, then,’ he said calmly. ‘Looks like we’re going to deliver a baby.’

‘But —’

‘Babies that come this fast don’t usually need anything from us. All you need to do is catch.’

Carrie stared into his calm grey gaze. He looked in control. Confident. She nodded.

Catch. She’d done this before. She could do it again.

‘OK, Donna, next contraction, big push,’ Charlie said from his position at the head of the bed. ‘Your baby’s nearly out.’

They had only seconds to wait before Donna started moaning again. ‘That’s it, Donna, big push, good job,’ Carrie encouraged as the girl shut her eyes and bellowed as she bore down, clenching her fists.

‘Head’s out,’ Carrie called, caught up in the excitement and expectation of new life. ‘One more push with the next contraction and it’ll be all over.’

Donna pushed with all her might and the rest of the baby slipped out into Carrie’s waiting hands. ‘It’s a girl,’ she announced, grinning madly at Charlie as he handed her a sterile green towel to wrap around the already vigorously squawking, pink newborn.

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