Page 90 of Silver Lining
"Nobody talks to me like that!" Bubbles sputtered up at the corners of her lips.
"Now here's how it's going to go." Reaching, she picked up the basin again and caught another gush of vomit. "The only way you get rid of me and I get rid of you," she paused to wipe Philadelphia 's mouth and hand her the water, "is after you produce that baby. So here's what you do. The next time you have a contraction, you concentrate on making it stronger and harder. When the time comes, I'll tell you to push, and you bet ter damned well do it."
"I don't take orders from you. I'll do what I please!"
"Not today you won't. Today, me and Livvy and Mother Nature are going to dictate what you do. Now let go of those covers. I need to see if you're leaking blood again."
"No, you don't," Philadelphia snapped, baring her teeth. "If you think I'm going to let you inspect my bottom—"
"Before today is over, I'm going to be sick of looking at your bottom." Louise preferred a male patient every time. Women could be such a pain in the butt. She sighed. "Let go of the covers, or I will break your fingers."
"What?" Shock widened Philadelphia 's blue-green eyes, and her mouth dropped open. "What did you say?"
"I said I am going to check and see if you're bleeding again. If you resist, I'll break your fingers. And I'll enjoy doing it." Louise pried up one finger, pulling it back far enough that Philadelphia screamed and snatched her hand away.
"That's better."
"I … I can't … you… "
"I've been told my bedside manner stinks," Louise commented, hauling down the covers for a look. She didn't spot blood on the pad, or the cotton packing Livvy had put between Philadelphia 's legs. "Coddling only makes it harder to get things done."
Philadelphia screamed. "Livvy!"
Louise pulled up the covers and sat down. "I expect Livvy isn't one for coddling either, although I could be wrong."
"Not by much," Livvy said, carrying a tea tray into the room. Her nostrils pinched, and she glanced toward the vomit basin. "We'll start with sage tea, see where we go from there."
And so began six hours of vigilance, worry, work, and a growing sense of helplessness. Louise and Livvy took turns rubbing Philadelphia 's back, wiping sweat from her forehead, or wrapping her in extra blankets when the chills shook her. They brought her tansy tea and sage tea, gave her cold water when she demanded it, and held the bedpan when the urge inevitably came. They changed the bloody sheets and Philadelphia 's nightgown about once every hour and a half. Afterward, one of them would take the sheets and nightgown and the vomit basin downstairs where Gilly waited with a laundry tub and hot, fresh coffee.
When it was Louise's turn, she lingered, glad to escape the odors in the bedroom upstairs. Glad to sit for a minute and rest her own back.
But this time she strode into the kitchen too spitting mad to think about coffee or a minute's rest.
"What's happening up there?" Max asked. "It's been hours."
"Shut up," Howard snarled, then asked Louise the same question. An hour ago, Livvy had implored Howard to send for Doc Pope, but he'd refused. Until Philadelphia sent for him and asked him to fetch the doctor, he would not break his promise.
Furious, Louise walked up to him, slammed her fists on her hips, and leaned into his face. "Listen to me, you son of a bitch. Your daughter has been losing blood for six goddamned hours. She's weak, she's sick, she's in pain. And she is going to die if you don't get a doctor out here and damned soon! Whatever is happening up there, it's beyond what Livvy and I can handle. Now I don't like Philadelphia ; I don't like one damned thing about her. But I promised Max that she isn't going to die, and she goddamned well isn't! So. Are you going to send a cowboy to fetch the doc, or do I have to go out there, climb on a horse, and go get the doc myself! I promise you, somebody is going to town to get the doctor and right now. The question is, who's it going to be?"
"It's going to be me," Max said grimly. Long ago the men had shed jackets and ties and rolled up their sleeves. Max pushed down his cuffs and headed toward the back door where he'd hung his jacket.
"You're not going anywhere, McCord. This isn't your decision. Nobody goes for the doctor until I talk to my daughter first."
Louise ignored him. "Don't waste a minute, Max. She's in a real bad way."
"I'm going, too," Wally said, jumping to his feet. "I can't sit here doing nothing. I'm going crazy."
"You stay where you are! I'm going upstairs to speak to my daughter, then we'll decide."
"No, you're not going upstairs. Sit down, Mr. Houser." Louise gave him a push on his chest, and he was startled enough to sit down hard. "Believe me, you don't want to go up there. Give me that whiskey bottle. Gilly? I need a glass."
Gilly brought three glasses, dropped into a chair, then poured for herself, Louise, and Howard Houser.
"The clothesline is full of frozen sheets. All I can do now is wash them, wring them out, and stack them in the box over there in the corner. I don't know what we'll do about nightgowns. We've gone through all of Philadelphia 's, and we've started on Mama's." She gave Louise a look of anguish. "I'm so scared. Is Philadelphia going to die?"
Louise tossed back the whiskey, then studied the bottom of the glass. " Philadelphia 's lost a lot of blood. She's very sick and very weak. I hope the doctor can save her, but I guess it could go either way."
Houser propped his elbows on the table and dropped his head in his hands. "You're not a doctor; you don't know. What you are is a vulgar-mouthed interfering woman."
