按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
all of them ready to pop。 Only four RN's were on shift； and that left her to handle the two women ing in all on her lonesome。
They were alternately terrified and hysterical； but Melissa didn't faze easily。 Not that she didn't care。 At twenty…eight； Melissa Reinhard was a natural…born mother； passionately dedicated to the art and science of bringing life into the world。 She'd spent three years on duty in Paradise County Hospital's maternity ward； above and beyond the two trips she'd made there herself。
Somewhere along the line there came a point where near…term histrionics were no longer a threat。 And undue panic would only spook everyone。
So when Emergency called； Melissa got to work。 First； she paged Gwen's physician and pulled her prenatal records； checking for aberrations。 The records showed a relatively normal arc： a little high blood pressure； good weight gain。 No major allergies。 No previous incidents。 Normal； normal； normal。 Melissa scanned the three sheets； fixing them in her mind。
By the time they rolled in； she was ready。
She looks more scared than hurt； Melissa noted immediately。 That's good。 Fear I can do something about。
First things first。
Dizziness； numbness of the extremities； heart palpitations。 They got her into the Monitoring Room with a minimum of questions and a maximum of efficiency。
It was a smallish space： two beds； a chair； and a bath。 It was decorated with absurdly cheerful wallpaper； balloons and little flowers everywhere。 By each bed was a table holding a CMS Fetal Monitor； a bulky gray box the size of a VCR。 A pair of cables plugged into the front on the one side of the center keypad； a slot fed a continuous strip of paper out the other。
Micki disengaged from Gwen to allow Melissa to gown her； get her vital signs； and get her into the bed。 Melissa looked at Micki。 〃Do you know what happened？〃
〃No。〃 Micki took a deep breath； posed herself。 〃We were having a picnic； up at Sam Lewis Park 。。。 and then； when she went to the bathroom； I heard screaming； and I came up to find her； and she was 。。。 〃 Swallowing hard； 〃 。。。 she was convulsing； and 。。。 〃 She buckled； choking on the recitation。
〃It's okay；〃 Melissa said。
〃So I surrounded her with light；〃 Micki went on。 〃For protection。 And then I drove her here。〃
Melissa paused for a second； did a quick reality check。 Surrounded her with light。 Uh…huh。
〃Ummm 。。。 okay；〃 she said at last； letting it go； turning back to Gwen。 〃Honey； can you breathe alright？〃
Gwen thrashed； eyes swimming over the oxygen mask。 It wasn't tanked； the better to let her recycle carbon dioxide into her system； calm her down a little。
〃You've been hyperventilating。 That explains the numbness and tingling。〃
Gwen shook her head； going no no no； her breath ing in great hitched gasps。 She shuddered and pitched forward； Melissa and Micki reached for her at the same time； easing her back onto the bed。
〃Whoa； easy！〃 Melissa said； 〃Look at me！〃 She grabbed Gwen's hands。
〃LOOK AT ME！〃
Her voice was forceful without anger； and it cleaved through Gwen's panic。 She caught Gwen's gaze； forced her to hold it。
〃You're safe now；〃 Melissa said； instantly shifting gears； going soft without losing an ounce of focus。 〃Everything's going to be fine。 Do you believe me？〃
〃I dun 。。。 I dun 。。。 〃 Gwen stammered。 She shook her head desperately； a spastic gyration somewhere between no and yes。
〃DO YOU？〃 Melissa said； her voice ing up a notch。
Gwen nodded； uncertain。
〃Good；〃 Melissa said； squeezing her hands for emphasis。 〃It's okay。 I want you to take slow； even breaths。 Can you do that for me？〃
Gwen nodded again。 Melissa checked her blood pressure： one thirty over eighty…four。
〃We're going to get a reading on your baby；〃 Melissa said； pulling the flowered flannel johnny up over the swell of Gwen's belly。 〃Are you in pain？〃 she added； feeling for the baby's position。
Gwen mewled： a dreadful； pathetic sound。 Evidently； the answer was yes。 It tripped the alarm lights in Micki's eyes。 〃Can't you give her something？〃 Micki demanded。
Melissa shook her head。 〃Anything we give her goes straight into the baby；〃 she said。
〃I'm scared。〃 Gwen's voice was tiny； hoarse。
〃Don't be。 Just lay back。 You're going to be fine。〃
Melissa probed the surface of Gwen's belly with her hands； feeling for something solid in the darkness。 God； she's big； she noted。 Her womb was a smooth hard ball of flesh； heavy with fluid。 There was a lot of retention going on in there。
〃Do you have a name picked out？〃 she asked； by way of distraction。
Gwen's eyes darted back and forth for a moment； searching through space。 Then she seemed to lock on target； smiled a little herself。
〃Spike；〃 she said。 〃His name is Spike。〃
〃Spike； huh？〃 Melissa arched her eyebrows in surprise。 She found the curved prominence that marked the baby's spine； moved farther along until she could discern the soft tiny dome of skull。 〃Well； let's see how ol' Spike is doing in there。〃
She reached into the drawer beneath the box； producing a squeeze bottle and a cabled oblong wand attached to an elastic strap。 〃This is a toco；〃 she said； holding up the disk。 〃It's short for toeter； and it sits right over your fundus； here； at the top of your uterus。 It'll measure contractions。〃
She slid the belt under Gwen's backside and positioned the toco a full hand's length above her belly button； snugging it down to the arcing rise of her womb。
〃And this；〃 she added； yanking another tangled cable free from the drawer and producing a disk the size of a stick…up air freshener。 〃This is the Ultrasound。〃
She squeezed a blue glob of conductive gel from the bottle and smeared it onto the disk。 〃No pictures； but it'll tell us if everything's alright。〃
She turned on the fetal monitor and the room was suddenly filled with a scratchy； thudding sound。 A stub of graph paper fed up and out of the slot like a little tongue。
〃This gives us our readout；〃 she said； pointing to the paper strip。 〃And see that little heart； there？〃 Indicating a little glowing logo on the LED panel。 〃That es on when we get Spike's heartbeat。
〃Here； watch；〃 she said； feeling for the best spot and placing the disk against Gwen's skin。
The room suddenly filled with a flat； rhythmic thud。 On the paper strip； a little mountain range appeared。 The topography of lifer。
〃See？〃 Melissa said； smoothing Gwen's hair back。 〃I told you。〃
Gwen saw the little light glowing in sync with the percussive thud of the sonogram。 She stared at it for a good long time before her fist unclenched。
Melissa smiled。 〃Okay； I want you to rest here quietly for a few minutes； just so we can make sure you're stable。 Can you do that？〃
Gwen nodded uncertainly。 Melissa smiled reassuringly； then turned to Micki。 〃Why don't we let her get some rest？〃 It was not a suggestion。
〃Wait；〃 Micki said； holding one hand up。 Her eyes rolled behind the lids for a second； and she tensed； like a cat responding to some invisible stimulus in the room。
〃Excuse me 。。。 〃
〃It's okay；〃 Micki assured her； and the queer look disappeared。 〃I just had to check。〃
〃For 。。。 ？〃 Not sure； herself； that she really wanted to know。
Micki started to say something； stopped herself。 〃Nothing；〃 she said at last。 〃Just thinking out loud。〃
〃Uh…huh；〃 Melissa empathized。 〃I know what you mean。〃 Then she hustled Micki out of the room and turned down the lights； before they wound up checking under the bed for gremlins。 To Gwen； she added； 〃We'll be right out here； if you need anything。〃
Gwen nodded； leaning back in exhaustion。 〃Micki 。。。 〃 she added。
Micki turned。 〃Yeah； babe 。。。 ？〃
〃Call Gary？〃
〃Sure thing。〃 Micki nodded as well； smiling。
And the door hissed shut between them。
Melissa showed Micki to a little waiting area full of stale magazines。 En route； she filled in a lot of blanks。
〃You said you were having a picnic；〃 she said。 〃Did Gwen eat before the seizure？〃
〃No； she didn't；〃 Micki replied。 〃She was on the phone for a while； trying to reach her husband； and then she had to use the can。 We were both pretty starved。〃
〃Uh…huh；〃 Melissa said； nodding to herself。 〃Her blood sugar's way down。〃
Micki looked at her worriedly。 〃Is she going to be okay？〃
Melissa smiled。 〃Yeah； she'll be fine。 This kind of thing happens a lot。 I have to check with her physician； but offhand I'd say we give her some ginger ale to get her blood sugar back up； let her rest； get an hour of good readout； and we can send her home。 He might want to have her in tomorrow； though。 Do a full sonogram； just to be safe。〃
〃You mean her doctor won't e in today？〃 Micki asked； a little shocked。
〃Are you kidding？〃 Smiling。 〃This is NFL playoff day； Eagles against the Giants。 Like I care； right？〃 Rolling her eyes。 〃Half the doctors on this staff are at home with their pagers turned off。 You could cure cancer and they wouldn't want to know about it until after six。〃
Micki smiled。
〃Oh； well；〃 Melissa said； politely excusing herself。 〃Make yourself fortable。 I have a call to make。〃
Micki nodded； and thanked her。 She