There was no way she was going to make it to the hospital. I wasn't even really sure the ambulance would make it to the clinic in time.
“I'm not dilated at all, am I?” Emily asked, peeking over her knees at me. “My mother-in-law said I was just being dramatic.”
I rolled my stool back and took off my gloves. I'd delivered plenty of babies at the hospital, but that was at the hospital. With lots of machines and medicines and tools. This was going to be a first for me.
“Emily, I need you to call your husband and tell him to get here as quickly as possible,” I said, keeping my voice calm. She had another contraction and I felt like I should put my hands out just in case the baby popped out, even though I knew that wasn't how it worked.
“You're sending me home, aren't you?” she gasped once she recovered. “These are just the practice ones the book told me about.”
I smiled and took her hand. “These are the real deal. You're going to have your baby today. Probably very soon.”
Emily's eyes went wide and she froze for a second. She swallowed hard.
“Well, at least I don't feel like such a weeny. These contractions hurt like hell. I thought I was just being a wuss about them,” she said after a moment.
“Nope. They're very real and you're doing great. Call your husband. I'm going to go grab Dr. Matthews,” I told her, standing up and washing my hands. “If you get the feeling that you need to push, don't. Do not push without me in the room, understand? It's important.”
“No pushing. Got it.” She nodded her eyes wide. “Hannah?”
“Yes?”
“You're going to be with me, right? This wasn't the plan, and I'm scared.” She bit her lower lip.
“I promise I'll be here for you. It's not the plan, but we're going to make it work. You've got this, okay?” I tried to sound more in control than I felt. The baby was technically full term at thirty-six weeks, but still way too early. The implications of what could be causing this early labor made my heart sprint, but I didn't want Emily to know my worries.
She nodded. “Okay. No pushing.”
&nb
sp; I gave her a quick smile before darting out of the room. My heart was pounding in my chest and my knees were shaking. Delivering babies in a doctor's clinic wasn't exactly in my job description.
The door next to me opened and Dr. Matthews stepped out with his last patient.
“Now, go check out with Donna and I'll see you in three weeks,” he told the man. I recognized him as one of the farmers that was friends with my dad. He was a regular in the Gentleman's Poker Club. I gave him a polite nod as he passed.
“Thanks, Doc,” he said, giving me a return head bob as a greeting.
“Crazy day, huh?” Dr. Matthews said, turning to face me with a smile.
“It just got crazier,” I informed him. “Emily is nine centimeters and ready to push.”
To his credit, the only indication that I'd just dropped a bombshell on him was a slight tilt of his head and a slow nod.
“Room four?” he asked. I nodded. “Okay, then. Tell Donna we need supplies. There should be a delivery kit in the store room. I want the chopper, too.”
“You want a helicopter?” I asked, surprised.
“With a baby this early, anything can happen,” he said, his eyes going serious. “You ready?”
“This is my first non-hospital birth,” I admitted quietly. I didn't want Emily to hear me. It's never good to hear your nurse panicking.
Dr. Matthews smiled and put his hand on my shoulder. “Nothing like a first,” he said with a smile. He gave me a reassuring squeeze and then knocked on the door to Emily's room.
I heard him greet her as I hurried to the front desk where Donna was chatting with the farmer. I came up and put my hand on Donna's shoulder.
“I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need you to grab me some supplies for a patient,” I told her. “And Dr. Matthews wants HeliMed.”
Donna frowned for a moment, did the mental list of what patients were here, and then her eyes went wide. “You need the kit?”