Lacy wanted to say yes, but she honestly wasn’t sure.Maybe you could go find me a wheelchair, she said.Type it on your phone.
He quickly pulled out his phone and typed the message, then turned and jogged inside.
Lacy hated that he had to communicate everything through text, but despite there being more accessibility for the hearing-impaired and deaf population, very, very few people in small-town Three Rivers knew sign language. Thankfully, most people they had to interact with could read, and Mitch returned only a few seconds later with a nurse and a wheelchair. He held her arm tightly—possessively—as he helped her into it.
The nurse asked, “Who’s your doctor?”
“Doctor Marsdon,” Lacy said. “I had an appointment with her later today.”
“We’ll page her,” the nurse said, and she started pushing Lacy into the hospital.
“My husband is deaf,” Lacy said. “You have to tell me where we’re going, so I can tell him.”
“Labor and delivery is on the third floor,” the woman said pleasantly.
Lacy raised her hand and waved it so Mitch would look at her. “We’ll get you checked in up there,” the woman said. “And they’ll give you a room number.” She stopped by the emergency desk and said, “Call Doctor Marsdon for Lacy Glover.”
“Yes, thank you,” Lacy said, marveling that Mitch had been able to tell her that.
Up they went to the third floor, and Lacy got put in Delivery Room Three. Mitch helped her change into a gown, and her contractions continued.
I never called your mother, Lacy said.
Mitch nodded, and he lifted his phone to do it.She’s not answering, he said.It’s still really early.
I called once, she said.She’s got it on that three-call thing. Call her again, and then again, and then it’ll ring.
He did, and his momma finally did pick up, and Mitch was able to get her on video and tell her that they were at the hospital.
A nurse named Mindy came in and checked Lacy. “Doctor Marsdon is on her way, and you’re dilated to a five already.” She beamed at Lacy like this was fantastic news, but all her statement did was send a round of nerves through Lacy’s whole body.
She leaned her head back against the pillow and nodded, everything rushing by while also moving incredibly slow.
Dr. Marsdon arrived; Lacy got her epidural; they received confirmation from Jacob that he and Ty would take care of the dogs that day.
My mom and daddy are here, Mitch said.I’m going to head outside and talk to them for a minute.
Lacy nodded and watched him depart mere moments before the doctor entered for probably the third time.
“How we doing?” she said. “I feel like you’ve got to be getting close.”
“I feel like I’ve been in labor for hours,” Lacy said, the discomfort coursing through every cell in her body rivaling that of being a week overdue. “I’ve been praying for this baby to come. Now I’m not so sure.”
Dr. Marsdon laughed and asked, “Lots of pressure?”
“So much,” Lacy said, as another contraction moved through her. She groaned and tried to sit up.
Dr. Marsdon took her position. “I think you’re ready to push.”
“Can you grab my husband?” Lacy said. “He just went out to see his parents.”
The nurse went to do that, and Lacy made it through the first push by herself before Mitch came running in, pure panic on his face.
I’m so sorry, he said as he came to stand behind her and shore her up. He hadn’t wanted to miss a moment of this, and he’d been worried sick for months that their baby would be born deaf. He brought it up every single day, while it was not something Lacy had worried about. Once she’d realized how much it concerned Mitch, she’d done her best to assure him and reassure him that they would do the best they could with whatever happened. After all, God never expected more than that.
Mitch seemed to agree most days, but he really didn’t want a deaf child, because so many opportunities for him had been limited, and he’d had to work harder than most people to be where he was and do what he did.
Several long, tiring minutes later, the doctor finally said, “And here she is!”
