Dr. Scott Cain was a handsome man of medium height and build, in his early to mid-thirties. Wide-eyed, he scanned the people huddled in a group in front of the counter. Gladys waved at him.
His gaze swung back to Ronnie. "I was making my rounds at County when I was paged. Never would've guessed I'd be called in on an emergency like this."
"With all due respect, Dr. Cain, we're short on time."
Tiel shared Doc's impatience. The wet-behind the-ears
Dr. Cain was obviously awed to find himself a player in such high drama. He hadn't fully grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Doc asked if he'd been apprised of Sabra's condition.
"I was told she was in labor and that there might be complications."
Doc motioned him toward the prone girl. "Is it okay?"
Cain asked Ronnie, glancing fearfully at the pistol.
"Open up your bag."
"Huh? Oh, sure." He unlatched the black valise and held it open for Ronnie's inspection.
"Okay, go ahead. Help her, please. She's in a bad way."
"It would seem so," the doctor remarked as a contraction seized Sabra and she moaned.
Reflexively she reached for Tiel's hand. Tiel held on tight and spoke to her encouragingly. "The doctor's here,
Sabra. Things are going to get better now. I promise."
Doc was providing the doctor with pertinent information.
"She's seventeen. This is her first child. First preg
nancy." They took up positions near the girl, Doc on
Sabra's right side, Dr. Cain at her feet, Tiel on her left.
"How long has she been in labor?"
"Preliminary contractions started mid afternoon Her water broke about two hours ago. Pains escalated sharply after that, then for the last half hour they've tapered off."
"Hi, Sabra," the doctor said to the girl.
"Hi."
He placed his hands on her stomach and examined the mound with light, massaging squeezes.
"Breech, right?" Doc asked, seeking confirmation of his diagnosis.
"Right."
"Do you think you can turn the fetus?"
"That's very tricky."
"Do you have experience in breech births?"
"I've assisted."
That wasn't the hoped-for answer. Doc asked, "Did you bring a blood-pressure cuff?"
"In my bag."
The doctor continued to examine Sabra by gently probing her abdomen. Doc extended the blood-pressure cuff to him, but he declined to take it. He was speaking to
Sabra. 'Just relax, and everything will be all right."
She glanced at Ronnie and smiled hopefully. "How long before the baby comes, Dr. Cain?"
"That's hard to say. Babies have a mind of their own. I
would prefer taking you to the hospital while there's still time."
"No."
"It would be much safer for you and the baby."
"I can't leave on account of my father."
"He's very worried about you, Sabra. In fact, he's outside.
He told me to tell you—"
Her whole body jerked as though having a muscle spasm. "Daddy's here?" Her voice was high, thin, panicked.
"Ronnie?"
The news upset him as much as it had Sabra. "How'd he get here?"
Tiel patted the girl's shoulder. "It's okay. Don't think about your father now. Think about your baby. That's all you should be concerned with. Everything else will work out."
Sabra began to cry.
Doc leaned toward the doctor and whispered angrily,
"Why'n hell did you tell her that? Couldn't that news have waited?"
Dr. Cain looked confused. "I thought she would be comforted to know that her father was here. They didn't have time to fill me in on all the details of the situation. I
didn't know that information was going to upset her."
Doc looked ready to throttle him, and Tiel shared the impulse.
Doc was so angry his thin lips barely moved when he spoke. But knowing that any outward display of anger would only make the situation worse, he remained focused on the business at hand. "She hadn't dilated much when I examined her." Glancing at his wristwatch, he added, "But it's been over an hour since I did the internal."
The doctor nodded. "How much? Was she dilated, I
mean."
"About eight, ten centimeters."
"Hmm."
"You son of a bitch."
Doc's low growl brought Tiel's head up with a snap.
Had she heard him correctly? Apparently so, because Dr.
Cain was regarding him with consternation.
"Son of a bitch!" Doc repeated, this time in an angry exclamation.
What happened next was forever thereafter a blur in
Tiel's memory. She could never accurately remember the rapid sequence of events, but any recollection of them always made her hungry for chili.