Married In Haste

Angie Dellazola gritted her teeth and bit back a groan of pain. Her sister Glory was clutching her hand so hard, the bones ground together. "Easy, Glory," Angie pleaded in a soothing tone. "Easy..."Glory wasn't about to be soothed. Beyond mangling Angie's hand, she was screaming. And swearing: really, really bad words, words a nice Catholic girl probably shouldn't even know. Words that caused Aunt Stella, in the corner by the door to the hallway, to gasp, glance heavenward and frantically finger her rosary.It was Angie's first day on the job at the New Bethlehem Flat Clinic--and also the day that Glory's baby had decided to be born.Glory's water had broken forty-five minutes ago. She was fully dilated and ninety percent effaced, in active labor, swiftly approaching transition. Dr. Brett Bravo, Angie's childhood friend and now her boss, had decided that the baby was coming too fast to chance heading for the hospital fifty miles away along a tortuous mountain road. He'd opted for a home delivery in an upstairs bedroom of the Della-zola house."You're doing great, honey," Angie encouraged when Glory stopped screaming long enough to suck in a breath. "Try not to push quite yet. Just breathe, the way they taught you in that childbirth class--light, panting breaths and--""Angela Marie," Glory cut in with a guttural groan."Don't you tell me to breathe. Ican'tbreathe. It hurts too damn much...." With that, she clamped down all the harder on Angie's hand and let out another blood-curdling shriek.Rose--Angie and Glory's mother--who hovered close on the other side of the plastic-sheeted bed, chided, "Now, Glory, honey... Angie's right. You got to go with it. Don't tense up."Glory grunted. "I guess you didn't hear me. I said it hurts. It hurts really, really, really bad....""I know it hurts," said their mamma. "I've been there and you know I have." Rose wasn't exaggerating. She'd given birth to nine children--seven girls and two boys."So I want you to listen, I want you to--""Listen?"Glory blew sweat-soaked hair out of her eyes. "You want me tolisten....""Honey, you got to stop fighting it.""Oh, God..." Glory shook her head wildly. "Oh, sweet Lord, here comes another one...."From the doorway to the hall, Trista, the oldest Dellazola sister, chirped brightly, "How about some ice chips?" Trista had left her three daughters with their second sister, Clarice, and rushed over to help out. "Hel-lo?" Tris warbled again, when no one answered her the first time. "Ice chips?" Again, she got no reply--well, except for another long shriek from Glory. Trista winced. "Ice chips. Definitely. Dani will have them all ready." Danielle, downstairs in the kitchen, was the fourth sister in the family--Angie being the third. "I'll just need that bowl," Tris announced, as if anybody cared. She darted into the room long enough to grab the empty plastic bowl from the nightstand. "Be right back...." She whirled and sprinted for the stairs.More screaming ensued. Angie submitted her hand to continued bone-grinding. Mamma Rose wiped her laboring daughter's brow with a cool cloth as Aunt Stella sent up more prayers to the virgin. Finally, the contraction peaked and faded off.About then, Trista reappeared with the crushed ice and a spoon. She edged in between Rose and the head-board and offered the ice to Glory. Glory groaned, opened her mouth and let Trista feed it to her. "Mmm," moaned Glory. "Good...""You're welcome," Trista said with a tight little smile, and offered another spoonful.Glory started to take it--and then blinked, tossed her head to get the clammy hair out of her eyes and shot a sharp glance around the room. "Where's Dr. Brett?""He's here," Angie promised."Where? I don't see him.""Honey. Settle down," Angie soothed. "He only went in the other room to make a couple of calls.""I need him," moaned Glory. "I need my doctor. I need himnow....""Glory. He'll be back iRimmer, Christine is the author of 'Married In Haste', published 2006 under ISBN 9780373247776 and ISBN 037324777X.