Page 20 of Deadly Rescue
“What I wouldn’t give for some good drugs right about now,” Sophie groaned. “Any chance you have an epidural in that first aid kit?”
Leo smiled apologetically. “Sorry, no such luck, though I was happy to find this little guy.” He held up a small eye dropper. “Not that I expect any trouble, but this should help suction the babies airways in case they need help breathing.”
Sophie’s face paled, even as she forced a brave smile. “I know you’ll do what you can, doc. Thank you.”
Leo laid a comforting hand on her arm, giving a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Obstetrics isn’t my area of expertise, but it is my father’s, so I know quite a lot about it. Plus, I delivered several babies during my residency days.”
The overwhelming comfort he gave Sophie brought tears to Celina’s eyes, and she blinked them away, refusing to break down. Later. Later, when the dust had settled and she was lying in the comfort of Cooper’s arms, she would allow the events of the day to sink in. Right now, Sophie needed her to be strong to make it through this.
“Lookie what we found.” Polly strode boldly into the bedroom, wrestling a floor lamp in her hand. Cooper followed in her wake, two floor lamps gripped in either hand.
“That’s perfect, put them over here.” Leo stepped back and did a sweep of the room, and Celina realized he was probably searching for electrical outlets. “Let’s get this desk out and move that couch over here.”
“I didn’t hear any gunshots,” Celina teased Cooper. “I take it you didn’t have to bust doors down for the lamps?”
“There was a couple in one of the rooms at the end of the hall, completely oblivious to what’s going on” Cooper seemed almost disappointed he didn’t get to play with his gun. “They generously donated the lamps to our cause.”
“They practically handed us their electronics and jewelry too,” Polly said, “when they saw Cooper and his weapon. I think it was the scowl, though, that really scared them.”
Celina chuckled, and even Sophie smiled briefly.
Cooper rolled his eyes.
With Polly’s supervision, Leo and Cooper moved the desk out of the way, sliding the recliner chair and two side tables into the space. Leo reclined the chair back as far as it would go and used the extra pillows and blankets found in the closet to line the surface. Polly helped Cooper move a table on either side of the chair, putting the table lamps on top, and Leo lined the back half and sides with the floor lamps, angling the shades so they would hover over the chair. By some small miracle, they were able to find enough electrical outlets to get everything plugged in and turned on.
Hands on hips, Polly stood back to survey the set up. “Well, it’s pretty redneck, but I think it’ll work.”
“That’s good,” Sophie breathed, gasping as a contraction hit, “because I read somewhere that when it’s time to push, you gotta push.”
And she obviously needed to push. Gripping Celina’s hand and the bedsheets, she gave a howl as her upper body came off the couch cushions.
Leo quickly put his gloves back on and lifted the sheet, swearing softly. “One of the babies is crowning. Sophie, whatever you do,don’tpush until I tell you,” he said tightly, eyebrows furrowed. “Celina, help her breathe. Polly and Cooper, go scrub your hands until they’re pink.”
“But I have to push!” Sophie cried.
“Look at me, Soph,” Celina demanded. For the next minute, she kept her gaze glued to the pregnant woman’s, mimicking the Lamaze breathing tricks she’d learned in her birthing class. Sophia did her best to keep in rhythm with her.
Polly and Cooper ran back in the room. “Ready,” Polly said.
Leo nodded. “Polly, I need you here by me to hand me whatever I call for. When the babies arrive, you wrap them in a towel and hand them to Cooper to place under the lamps. Everyone got it?”
Eyes large in her pale face, Polly took her place next to Leo while Cooper positioned himself at the makeshift incubator. Sophie’s breaths were choppy as she breathed through the end of the contraction, and Celina kept eye contact, helping her through the pain.
Once the contraction passed, Sophie fell back against the cushions and Leo looked at her over her bent knees. “You did great. Next contraction, go ahead and bear down.”
“Almost there,” Celina promised, using a towel to mop Sophie’s face.
It seemed like only seconds before Sophie’s face tightened and she groaned, a fresh contraction setting in. Her grip on Celina’s hand became crushing once more.
“Okay Sophie, bear down with everything you’ve got,” Leo urged.
Here we go, Celina thought, anxiety knotting her stomach as they prepared for the inevitable.
“Wait!” Sophie shrieked, and everyone in the room froze. “Nelson. We need to put Nelson on speaker phone, he doesn’t even know I’m in labor.”
“Jesus, Soph, you just took a few years off my life.” Cooper whipped his cellphone out, dialing Nelson’s number and pressing speaker.
“Did you get to her?” Nelson immediately answered, and Sophie bit back a sob at the sound of his voice. “Is Sophie okay?”
