Page 71 of The Christmas Eve Delivery

“Medical Center. How can I help you?”

“Lydia is in labor. What am I supposed to do?”

“Can I get your name?”

“Miles Carlisle,” I said.

“And your location?”

The lady’s voice on the other end of the line was entirely too calm. Did she not understand that we had a situation going on here? Lydia was in pain, and the baby was coming.

“Brookdale,” I replied.

“They’re part of my birth and delivery plan,” Lydia called out.

“She said you are part of her birth and delivery plan,” I repeated.

“Who is her physician?”

I was getting fed up with the twenty questions. I needed some advice.

“Who’s your doctor?” I asked as I conveyed the information back and forth.

“Dr. Rose.”

I repeated the name for the lady.

“Dr. Rose is located in Brookdale, not at the medical center,” she said as if I were stupid.

“Dr. Rose is located in Brookdale, and you’re the Birthing Center in Ines, and her labor and delivery plan is to have the baby there. Look, ma’am,” I said, trying to calm my own voice. “Dr. Rose and his patient?—”

“Her patient,” Lydia corrected me in the background.

“Her patient live in Brookdale. The labor and delivery plan is to go to Ines to deliver the baby at your medical center.” Maybe if I repeated myself she would understand the enormity of the situation.

“Well, that’s not a very good idea right now, not with the storm. We really don’t want people driving unless it’s an absolute emergency.”

“She’s having a baby!” I shouted.

“People have home births all the time. Did she not plan for this contingency?”

I didn’t bother to ask Lydia. She was too busy screaming her way through another contraction.

“Look, lady, is there anyone at the birthing center or not?”

“I assume not. I’m just an answering service, and their phones got forwarded to me because of the holidays.”

“This isn’t helpful,” I said and I hung up on her. “What’s Dr. Rose’s phone number?”

“You’ll have to look it up. I don’t have it memorized,” Lydia said. “Hurry, I don’t want to have the baby on the side of the road halfway between here and Ines.”

“You’re not going to have the baby halfway between here and the birthing center,” I promised.

I had that SUV. I’d be able to drive through the snow without any problems. I looked out the window. Then again, maybe not. The snow looked like nothing but a solid sheet of white.

Lydia didn’t seem to be in pain at the moment, but she was braced for it and panting hard. She had one knee on the seat of the couch, and her hands were gripping the back.

“Do you want to sit down? Get more comfortable? I asked.

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