Maude by Donna Mabry Page B

so
sharp I couldn’t catch my breath. The nature of the
pain had changed altogether. It wasn’t a cramp
anymore. No wonder Helen screamed. I held back a
cry, rolled over on my side and rode it out, staring at
the watch. After another five minutes, another one
washed over me. When it eased up, I shook James. He
was awake in an instant. “It’s time to go get the doctor.
I’m not going to make it until morning. Tell him I’m
sorry to get him out of bed.”
James pulled on his shirt and pants, kissed me on
the forehead, and ran out the door. I realized he was
barefoot. I hoped he wouldn’t catch cold.
After only a few minutes, he ran back in the
cabin. “Are you all right? Doctor Wilson will be here
in a little bit. He just got back from the Millers.”
He pulled a chair up next to the bed and clutched
my hand.Another pain came, and my whole body went
stiff. Even though I didn’t cry out, James’s face went
white. Finally, it passed, and I relaxed.
The doctor came and James jumped up out of his
seat, “The pains are real bad, doc.”
“Why don’t you wait out on the porch while I
look her over, James.”
James stopped at the door and looked back at us.
I could see that he wanted to stay, but I was glad to
have him gone.
“Go ahead, now,” the doctor said, waving his
hand towards the door. “I don’t need you here to tend
to.”
James shuffled out of the room and to the front
porch. I could see him standing there, almost pressed
up against the screen, straining to hear and see what
was happening inside.
Doctor Wilson sat on the chair and pressed his
palm against my stomach. “How far apart are the
pains, Maude?”
“Every few minutes, and the last ones were
awful hard.”
“Looks like it’s time. You’ll be fine.”
I thought his speech was slurred a little, and I
was sure I smelled liquor on his breath. I thought that
I must be wrong. He was a deacon at the church. He
would never drink alcohol. It must be the pains making
me think that. I looked hard at him. There were dark
circles under his eyes, and his hair hadn’t been
combed. “You look tired. Is the Miller baby all right?”
“He’s fine, he just took a lot longer than we
expected. He was breech, and it took a time to right
him.”
I wasn’t sure what that meant, but if it was all
right now, it couldn’t be too bad. I would ask James’s
mother about it later.
Another pain hit me. Doctor Wilson pressed his
hand harder against my stomach until it let up again.
“Let’s take a look,” he said, and pulled the covers
back.
Even though I knew Dr. Wilson delivered babies
all the time, it was embarrassing to have him see my
privates. I turned my head and looked at the wall until
he was finished. He said, “I can see his little head now.
When the next pain comes, I want you to push it on
out, Maude.”
I just nodded my head a little. The doctor put the
covers back up over my stomach, leaned back in the
chair and closed his eyes. It looked to me as if he’d
fallen asleep. It was only a matter of seconds until
another pain came, this one the worst of all. I pulled
my knees up and took a deep breath. I pushed as hard
as I could, and felt it slide out of me. The pain stopped.
Doctor Wilson was sound asleep.
“James,” I called.
James ran back in the room.
“I think it’s here, James. Wake up the doctor.”
James cursed, the first time I had ever heard him
do that, and shook the doctor’s arm. Doctor Wilson
jumped, and his eyes popped open.
“I think the baby’s here,” I said.
Doctor Wilson pulled the cover back down and
picked up the baby. “Sure is. I wish they were all that
fast.”
My heart raced. “It isn’t crying, is it all right?”
“She’s just fine. Not all babies cry, Maude.” He
held her up so I could look at her. The little face was
all scrunched up and she was blue, but she was waving
her little clenched fists in the air and seemed to be
breathing fine. Doctor Wilson tied off the cord and cut
it. He pressed on my