Page 45 of A Ferry Merry Christmas
Speaking to his wife, James said, “Sweetie, hang up and I’ll call you back in less than a minute.”
Accepting Avery’s phone, he gave Avery and Harrison a quick update. “Lilly has been admitted and labor is progressing. As soon as her water broke, her pains increased dramatically. I need to be with her.” He looked around frantically, as if by some miracle he could be magically transported to his wife’s side.
“Does anyone have an idea when the tugboat will arrive?” he shouted.
The anguish in James’s voice seemed to have captured their attention. Travelers in the area gradually stopped talking, the complaints slowly dying down.
Avery overheard people mumbling, asking one another what was happening because clearly James’s distress was more than just the impatience and frustration they felt. Curious questions drifted across the open space. A few people moved closer to where James sat, as if to discover what the problem could be.
James was already back on the phone with his wife, so Avery took the opportunity to explain.
Standing on the chair to gather attention, she called out, “James’s wife is in labor. It’s their first baby.”
“Is she alone?”
“Her neighbor was there for a while, but I don’t know if she stayed.”
James stopped her. “Our neighbor has family obligations and had to leave. All Lilly has for support is me and I’m not there!” he cried out in desperation.
“Tell your wife that we’re with her, too,” a young woman with an oversized handbag and purple hair shouted out. Looking around her, she said, “Isn’t that right?”
Several of those who’d gathered close agreed, with approving nods.
“How far along is her labor?” Beth asked, joining the others. Olivia stood by her side, carefully watching her mother.
“I don’t know how far she’s dilated,” James answered. “Her water broke and she’s in the labor room. She said a nurse comes in every now and again to check her.”
“Is there anything we can do?” a young woman with heavily tattooed arms asked. She held a knitting project in her lap.
“There is,” Avery said. “Does anyone have a charger James can borrow? He’s using my phone now, but I only have about forty percent battery left.”
“He can use my phone.”
“Mine too, if he needs.”
A woman in the back stood up. “I have a charger, if he has an iPhone.”
Avery saw that he did. “He does.” The charger was passed along. Harrison located an outlet and plugged in James’s phone.
All at once James started calling out times, looking down at his wrist. “Five seconds. Ten seconds. Twenty. Thirty. Okay. Okay.”
A blond woman in a blue cable-knit sweater made her way forward. “My name is Cherise and I’m a nurse. I’ve worked in labor and delivery. I’ll be happy to do what I can to help so you understand the labor process.”
James held the phone away from his ear. “Lilly’s labor pains are thirty seconds long. Does that mean the baby will be born soon?” His eyes pleaded for any information Cherise had to give him.
“Not necessarily. Is this your first child?”
“Yes.” He nodded for emphasis.
“Most likely it will be several hours before your wife delivers.”
The relief showed in his shoulders as he relaxed slightly. “That’s good. I need to be there for Lilly.”
More passengers came closer to where James sat, forming a half-circle around him. When the next labor pain struck andJames counted out the seconds, several other voices joined his, loud enough for Lilly to hear.
James looked up and smiled as he explained to his wife what was happening. “Those voices are passengers on the ferry. You aren’t alone, Lilly, I’m here and all these people are, too.”
The band members Avery had noticed earlier had been some of the loudest complainers about the long delay. They were disgruntled to miss their paying gig and made sure the crew knew about it. It was one of the band members who’d shouted at James earlier when he claimed he needed to get off this ferry. Learning about Lilly, he now seemed regretful.
