Ellen glanced at Amelia, who'd settled between Krishna’s drawn legs. Amelia glanced up at Ellen. “It won’t be long.”
“Can you boil us some more water? We’ll need it to clean your wife and the baby when it comes.”
Himesh mumbled something to himself and staggered intothe kitchen. Their home was small but clean, and Himesh clearly worked hard at a decent-paying job. Krishna didn’t have to work, staying home with their two girls. That gave their baby a fighting chance.
Krishna clutched Ellen’s hand and gave a strangled scream.
“Here we go. Almost time to push,” Amelia muttered, wiping sweat off her brow with a bloody hand.
As the contraction passed, Ellen wiped Krishna’s brow with a wet rag. “You’re doing so well,” she told her. “You’re being so strong and brave.”
Krishna whimpered. “It’s too soon.”
Ellen patted Krishna’s hand. “Listen to me. That’s my concern. Right now your concern is getting this baby out. Let me worry about how early it is.” She smoothed a wet strand of hair away from Krishna’s face. “Besides, how early is it? Aren’t you eight months along?”
“Seven,” Krishna groaned as another contraction came over her.
“You’re doing well, Krishna,” Amelia said from her spot between her legs. “You’ve widened nicely, and I felt baby lower into position earlier. On the next contraction, try to give a little push. Nothing big, just a practice push so we can see how we are.”
It didn’t take too long once Krishna started pushing. This was her third delivery and the baby would be small. Ellen prayed it was another girl. In her experience, girls were stronger than boys when they came early.
“I see baby,” Amelia called out confidently.
Ellen had eased Krishna up into a reclined sitting position, using herself as a cushion behind her. “Do you hear, Krishna? We’re almost there.”
“It hurts,” Krishna got out.
“I know, I know.” Ellen stroked Krishna’s hair, once again overwhelmed by the notion that women did this every day and had since the beginning of time. “Almost over.”
“I see a head full of black hair!” Amelia grinned at Krishna. “Can’t tell if it’s curly or not yet, but I think this one will take after you.”
“It better,” Krishna choked. “After all the trouble I went through making these children, and they have the audacity to look like their father.”
Ellen and Amelia laughed. “That’s right.”
Amelia was in high spirits. Ellen and she had delivered babies together for five years now, though not frequently. Ellen had gotten to know Amelia’s tells. Although Amelia was always calm and confident, even cheerful under the worst of circumstances, Ellen could tell Amelia expected Krishna to recover completely from the birth with no bad effects.At least one person will be walking away from this alive.Ellen knew exactly how heartbroken and grief-stricken Krishna would be if her baby did not survive.
Another three pushes, and Amelia guided the baby's shoulders and body out of Krishna, eyes sparkling and breathing heavily. “A little boy, Krishna!”
Ellen eased up to shift to her knees at Krishna’s side, then hastily helped Krishna untie the drawstring around her shift’s neck, dragging it down to expose Krishna’s breasts. “Let’s put baby here,” she said, but Krishna had done this before. She practically grabbed the baby out of Amelia’s hands and planted it gently yet firmly against her beating heart.
“How is he? Will he live?” Krishna’s wide eyes and trembling mouth made Ellen’s heart twist. She wanted to get a good look at the baby’s color, but Krishna had covered the baby with both her hands, clutching him close.
Ellen swatted the baby’s backside as best she could.
A thin wail trickled up from the baby, and Ellen sighed in relief. “We need to make sure his airway is clear,” Ellen told Krishna. “Let me have him for a moment.” She carefully extricated the newborn from Krishna’s nervous grasp and held him, head leaning down, in one palm while she thumped his back with the heel of her other hand.
A thin trail of mucus fell from his crying mouth. His littlechest heaved, and he scrunched up his red face in anger. Ellen took note of the purple flush spreading underneath the gray, cheesy coating covering his body.Good, she thought.Circulation is good. Crying is good. We have hope.
Making sure to carefully avoid tangling the umbilical cord still pulsing with blood, Ellen settled the baby back in his mother’s arms. “He’s a good size for seven months,” Ellen encouraged. “The next week will be the most important.”
Krishna, wide-eyed, stared and nodded. “Can Himesh come hear this, too?”
Ellen turned to see Himesh wringing his hands in the doorway separating the kitchen and living area. “Come here and meet your son.” She backed away to give the parents space together. Glancing down at Amelia, she asked, “Afterbirth here?”
Amelia frowned, palpating Krishna’s swollen belly. “No.”
“Need help?”