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“I’ll be back,” the doctor said. “In the meantime, the nurse will start an IV so we can get the drugs to stop labor started.”

Everyone left the room, and they were alone. “What should I pray for?” Dave asked, at a loss.

Pensive, Katrina knew. “Pray that he’s safe. That’s all I care about right now. If they can stop labor for even a week to give the drugs time to work on his lungs, that would be wonderful.”

They held hands, and he silently prayed for the love of his life and their baby.

The nurse returned and started the IV. Ten minutes later, another nurse came in with a bag that was labeled from the pharmacy. “This is magnesium sulfate,” she explained. “For preterm labor.”

“That was fast,” Katrina said.

“Yeah, they don’t wait around when labor needs to stop. This might make you sleepy.”

She started the infusion and stood by Katrina making small talk, observing her. “I’ll get a set of vital signs.”

When she left the room, Dave pulled up a chair and watched the fluid running into Katrina’s vein.

“She wasn’t kidding. I can’t keep my eyes open.”

“Sleep,” he said, not letting go of her hand.

An hour passed, and the doctor returned. “She’s out, huh? I’m not surprised. The transport is on their way. You can follow them to New Orleans. It’s only about forty minutes from here. You’ll be able to stay with her, right in her room.”

He nodded, beyond words. Glancing at the time, it was almost ten. Before it got too late, he sent Justin a text message.Kat is in labor but not really, only two contractions, but she’s dilated so they’re giving her magnesium sulfate to stop labor. She’s being transferred to New Orleans so she’ll be closer to Children’s. Baby is fine so far.

Justin responded in minutes.If you want me to join you, I’m there. I’ll tell Maggie. Anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.

Dave considered spending the night and waking up in the morning with no clothes to change into.Can you bring me clean clothes and skivvies tomorrow? My dresser is in the front bedroom before you get to the nursery. I know, gross. Here’s the door lock code. Tell Dad.

He answered,I can’t wait to handle your underpants.

“What time is it?” a groggy Katrina asked.

“After ten. The transport is on the way,” he said, leaning over the side rail. She looked so fragile lying in the bed. “I’ll follow in the car. The doctor said I can spend the night with you, so I asked Justin to bring me clothes in the morning.”

“You don’t have to do that,” she mumbled.

Brushing her hair out of her eyes, Dave didn’t want to frighten her, so he chose his words carefully. “If you have the baby tonight, I want to be with you. If I go home, I might not get back in time.”

“The whole point of this is stopping the labor so he doesn’t come early.”

“That’s true, but it might not work. He might decide he wants to meet his mama. I want to be there with you.”

***

She closed her eyes again and remembered the birth of Annie’s baby the previous June. The scene was out of a comedy. Pregnant friends, Katrina and Maggie, one further along than the other, were at the bedside of their best friend while she labored. Annie’s husband, Steve, stayed in the waiting room, grateful that he wasn’t being forced to participate in the birth.

“Annie, I’m so sorry,” he had blubbered. “I just can’t watch it. I don’t want to see a baby come out ofthere.”

They were in their bedroom at home and she was trying to get her bag packed for the hospital.

“Here comes a contraction,” she mumbled. “Can you rub my back?”

She made little mewing sounds as the pain built, and Steve did as she asked, rubbing her back. He’d be an okay labor coach, but that was it. He didn’t want to do more than that.

As the contraction slacked off, she looked at her phone. The doctor had said to call when they were five minutes apart and she was there now. She hurriedly called before the next one started and the answering service picked up. Five minutes later, in the middle of a contraction, with Annie unable to speak, they called back and told her to head to the hospital. “Did you hear me, Mrs. Casson?” And she squeaked out, “Yes.”

When it was over, she rushed around getting everything she needed. “Maggie and Katrina want to be with me,” she said. “I’ll call them to meet us.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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