“Channy?”
Seth sat on the bed beside her. “Her pressure is rising. She’s having ineffective contractions. Tuck and Hunt think she may not hold the pregnancy through the night. I woke Jamie and Tim.” He placed a consoling hand on hers “It’s going to be alright.”
“Where’s Kyle?” Harper stood and grabbed the robe Kip brought her.
“We sent him to change into scrubs and boil water,” Seth said with a straight face. In the past, men were sent to boil water to avoid driving the staff and birth mother crazy.
Harper laughed. “He’s too nervous. You’d think he was the father.” She looked at Seth. “Hopes can come true. This is more than casual feelings.”
When Seth held the door for Harper, Jamie went flying past them. “Baby has a mind of its own,” Seth said.
* * *
“Harper,I can’t do this. It’s too soon,” Chantal cried out.
“Tally, you can. Sweetie, you have no choice,” Kyle coached. He’d slipped behind her to support her.
“I don’t feel well; my head feels like it will explode. Make it stop!” Chantal writhed in the bed, holding her head.
Tuck switched her over to a full mask. As the cuff kept squeezing her arm ever tighter, Harper’s face conveyed fear as the monitor indicted Chantal’s blood pressure was 210/160.
“She needs labetalol and magnesium sulfate,” Harper yelled.
“Harper, they’re running. Kyle, we need to lay her flat,” Jamie called out.
Kyle slid out from behind her and helped lay her flat.
Chantal began to shake in the bed. “She’s seizing. Two milligrams of lorazepam going in,” Tim called.
Harper held her sister’s hand. “Channy? Please!”
Kyle made his way around the bed and wrapped an arm around Harper as Jamie forced air into Chantal’s lungs. The monitor, still flashing red, showed a too-high blood pressure.
“Nitropress, 50 milligrams in 250 cc D5W. Five ccs per minute,” Hunt ordered. “Two sublingual nitro stat.” He checked Chantal’s pupils.
Harper was close to passing out from hyperventilating. She swallowed back her tears, whispering, “She’s going to have a stroke.”
“Not if we can help it. Baby’s in trouble. We need to get her out,” Tuck called.
“Nitroglycerin bought a little time; Nitropress is working. Let’s deliver this baby.”
Harper now sat at her sister’s intubated head. Pressing her cheek to hers, she prayed for God to save them both.
Tuck, wearing a shield and surgical gown, slid the vacuum suction into the birth canal. Jamie climbed onto the bed and yelled, “C’mon, Chantal.” The whole bed rocked under his weight as he pressed on Chantal’s abdomen.
Tuck cradled the tiny newborn in his arms. “It’s a girl.”
Hunt clamped and cut the cord and took the baby from him.
“Bagging,” Tim said.
“Starting compressions,” Seth said.
The sound of a pin dropping could be heard. Suddenly there was tiny squeak. Tears flowed down Harper’s cheeks. “You did it, Channy.”
“Ah, Tally.” Kyle grabbed on to Harper.
Seth carried the baby girl from the room. “I want to get a good look at her.”
