Chapter 11
The next day, the clinic was insanely busy. It seemed like everyone and their mother had some sort of medical complaint. I worked through lunch. I worked until my eyes were blurry and my stomach groaned with hunger. I snarfed a banana and some beef jerky between two patients just so that I wouldn't pass out from running around the office.
“Hannah? You have Emily in room four,” Donna reminded me as I chugged a cold cup of coffee that I'd forgotten this morning. “She knows we're behind, but it's been thirty minutes. Remember to check on her.”
“I'll be right in,” I promised. “What other patients do we have?”
Donna glanced down at her list. “Dr. Matthews is just finishing up with one and then we're actually caught up. No one's on the list.”
I stared at her for a moment. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “Everyone wanted to be seen as soon as possible. The rush is over.”
“Thank god,” I told her, finishing my coffee. “That morning was brutal. I'm going to need the open afternoon just to get half the charting caught up.”
“It's not even afternoon anymore.” Donna nodded. “Full moon tonight. And there's a huge storm moving in this evening. It makes everyone all crazy.”
I set my coffee cup down, made sure I didn't have any crumbs on my scrub top, and took two steps to the patient rooms before stopping.
“Why is Emily here? Her next appointment isn't for a few days.”
Donna handed me a clipboard with Emily's neat handwriting on the paperwork.
“She's been feeling some contractions and wanted Dr. Matthews to take a look. That's why she was willing to wait out the rush,” Donna explained. “It's her first baby. She's nervous about it.”
I nodded, taking the paperwork. “Thanks, Donna.”
I carried the clipboard into the exam room. Emily was pacing the small space, but she stopped and smiled as soon as I came in. She wore the exam gown with her clothes neatly stacked on the chair beside her.
“Hi, Emily. I'm so sorry about the wait,” I said, going to the sink and washing my hands. “It's been a crazy day.”
“It's no problem,” the young woman assured me. “Actually, I feel safer here than at home. Greg is out in the fields, and I don't want to be by myself.”
“Tell me what's going on,” I said, sitting on the small circular stool. It felt good to sit for a few minutes.
“Is it okay if I keep walking? It feels better if I'm moving.”
“Sure,” I told her with a smile. I looked down at her paperwork. “You said you're having contractions?”
“Yeah. I mean, I know I'm only at thirty-six weeks and I'm a first time mom, so they're probably just Braxton Hicks like the book says, but they just hurt so much...” She stopped and her face tightened as her body contracted. I could see the muscles across her stomach practically ripple under her exam gown.
There was no way those were “practice” contractions. Those were the real thing.
“How long has this been happening?” I asked, standing up and putting on a pair of gloves. All tiredness was leaving my body and getting replaced with adrenaline. If this was what I thought it was, my day was about to get even crazier.
“Um, since before breakfast. They're getting worse.” She whimpered and closed her eyes as her hands balled into fists.
“Breathe,” I coached, coming to her side. I waited until her eyes opened. “Okay. I need to check you. I think you might be in labor.”
Her eyes went wide. “But I'm only at thirty-six weeks!”
“Which is considered full term, but still early,” I assured her. “It'll take me two seconds to check.”
“Okay.” She swallowed hard and sat down on the exam table only to have another contraction ripple through her. It looked incredibly painful and was less than a minute from her last one.
When the contraction was over, she slid into place on the exam table and put her feet in the exam stirrups so I could check how dilated her cervix was. If she was anything over four centimeters, we would send her to the hospital, though given how closely her contractions were, I was ready to call an ambulance and send her to the hospital now. If I sped like a maniac, it was a good thirty minute drive to the nearest hospital.
“Oh boy,” I whispered to myself. I checked my measurements and then double-checked. She was nine centimeters of the needed ten and ready to go.