stomach again, first on one side
and then on the other.
He looked the baby over and then wrapped it up
in one of the cloths and handed it to James. “She’s fine,
James, and I’m so tired I’m ready to fall over. I’m
going home. You’ll have to clean the baby up
yourself.”
Then he picked up his bag and left. James held
the baby away from him as if it were hot. He gaped
after the doctor’s back. “What do I do, Maude?”
“Just dip a cloth in the warm water and wipe her
down over and over until she’s clean. Keep her
covered up as much as you can so she doesn’t take a
chill.”
I longed to do the job myself, but I was so spent
I couldn’t even lift my head. James began the job of
washing our baby. He’d barely started when another
pain grabbed at me. I couldn’t help crying out. “I think
there’s another one coming, James. You better run after
Doctor Wilson and tell him.”
James laid our half-washed baby in its cradle and
pulled a little blanket up over her chest, then ran out
the door. He was back in a few minutes. “Sister Wilson
tried to get him up, but he just told her that there’s no
other baby in there, and you were fine. He said he’d
stop by tomorrow.”
Another pain came, not as strong as the ones
before the baby had come out, but a big pain just the
same. I felt the need to push again. I caught a deep
breath and bore down. Another mass slid out of me.
“Here it is, James. See if it’s all right.”
He pulled the covers back. “That’s not a baby. I
don’t know what that is.”
I tried to lift my head but I was too weak. “Run
up to the house and see if your mother’s back yet.”
He ran out of the room and was back in a minute.
“Dad says she’s not back yet, but he’ll send her as soon
as she gets here. Should I go get Helen or one of the
other women?”
“It’s the middle of the night, and they’ve all got
babies of their own to tend to. What does that thing
look like?”
“It’s almost as big as a baby, but it’s like a big
bag, and it’s blue and red and white and it’s got the
baby’s cord hanging from it. Lord Almighty! It’s
awful!”
I could hardly catch my breath. “It must be my
womb. It’s fallen out. What should we do?”
James paced back and forth and ran his fingers
through his hair, “I guess we should just try to get it
back in there.”
He worked at it and finally got it back up in me,
but after just a few minutes it slid back out.
He started pacing back and forth. “What are we
going to do, Maude? It won’t stay in there.”
I started crying. “I don’t know. Try to get back
again.”
James managed to shove the thing back up inside
me again, but it slid right back out.
I knew I had to get hold of myself for his sake.
He looked so scared that my heart ached for him. The
baby had started to cry. “We’ll just have to wait until
morning. It’s only a few hours until sunup. Help me sit
up, James.”
He leaned over me, and I put my arms around his
neck. He got me to a sitting position.
“Give me the baby, she wants to eat.” He picked
up the bundle and handed it to me. I uncovered my
breast and held the baby to it. She shook her head from
side to side and finally latched onto the nipple. She
rooted at it and began sucking and grunting.
James beamed. “Look at her go. She’s going to
be just fine, Maude.”
The nursing hurt, and that surprised me, but I
was so happy to see how lively the little one was that
I ignored the pain, and after a little while it let up. I
looked up at James.
I guess he was surprised by the expression on my
face. “What’s the matter, Maude? She’s fine.”
“She’s wonderful, but if I’ve lost my womb, we
won’t have any more babies. We won’t have a little
boy for you.”
“Little boy? I don’t care about that. Look at her
Maude, she’s beautiful, and she’s healthy, and she’s
got everything on her just perfect.”
“James, look at my womb again.”
He pulled the cover back and looked between
and then on the other.
He looked the baby over and then wrapped it up
in one of the cloths and handed it to James. “She’s fine,
James, and I’m so tired I’m ready to fall over. I’m
going home. You’ll have to clean the baby up
yourself.”
Then he picked up his bag and left. James held
the baby away from him as if it were hot. He gaped
after the doctor’s back. “What do I do, Maude?”
“Just dip a cloth in the warm water and wipe her
down over and over until she’s clean. Keep her
covered up as much as you can so she doesn’t take a
chill.”
I longed to do the job myself, but I was so spent
I couldn’t even lift my head. James began the job of
washing our baby. He’d barely started when another
pain grabbed at me. I couldn’t help crying out. “I think
there’s another one coming, James. You better run after
Doctor Wilson and tell him.”
James laid our half-washed baby in its cradle and
pulled a little blanket up over her chest, then ran out
the door. He was back in a few minutes. “Sister Wilson
tried to get him up, but he just told her that there’s no
other baby in there, and you were fine. He said he’d
stop by tomorrow.”
Another pain came, not as strong as the ones
before the baby had come out, but a big pain just the
same. I felt the need to push again. I caught a deep
breath and bore down. Another mass slid out of me.
“Here it is, James. See if it’s all right.”
He pulled the covers back. “That’s not a baby. I
don’t know what that is.”
I tried to lift my head but I was too weak. “Run
up to the house and see if your mother’s back yet.”
He ran out of the room and was back in a minute.
“Dad says she’s not back yet, but he’ll send her as soon
as she gets here. Should I go get Helen or one of the
other women?”
“It’s the middle of the night, and they’ve all got
babies of their own to tend to. What does that thing
look like?”
“It’s almost as big as a baby, but it’s like a big
bag, and it’s blue and red and white and it’s got the
baby’s cord hanging from it. Lord Almighty! It’s
awful!”
I could hardly catch my breath. “It must be my
womb. It’s fallen out. What should we do?”
James paced back and forth and ran his fingers
through his hair, “I guess we should just try to get it
back in there.”
He worked at it and finally got it back up in me,
but after just a few minutes it slid back out.
He started pacing back and forth. “What are we
going to do, Maude? It won’t stay in there.”
I started crying. “I don’t know. Try to get back
again.”
James managed to shove the thing back up inside
me again, but it slid right back out.
I knew I had to get hold of myself for his sake.
He looked so scared that my heart ached for him. The
baby had started to cry. “We’ll just have to wait until
morning. It’s only a few hours until sunup. Help me sit
up, James.”
He leaned over me, and I put my arms around his
neck. He got me to a sitting position.
“Give me the baby, she wants to eat.” He picked
up the bundle and handed it to me. I uncovered my
breast and held the baby to it. She shook her head from
side to side and finally latched onto the nipple. She
rooted at it and began sucking and grunting.
James beamed. “Look at her go. She’s going to
be just fine, Maude.”
The nursing hurt, and that surprised me, but I
was so happy to see how lively the little one was that
I ignored the pain, and after a little while it let up. I
looked up at James.
I guess he was surprised by the expression on my
face. “What’s the matter, Maude? She’s fine.”
“She’s wonderful, but if I’ve lost my womb, we
won’t have any more babies. We won’t have a little
boy for you.”
“Little boy? I don’t care about that. Look at her
Maude, she’s beautiful, and she’s healthy, and she’s
got everything on her just perfect.”
“James, look at my womb again.”
He pulled the cover back and looked between
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