A Changing Experience
It was a warm day in Waycross of 2013. I was awakened by a Skype call from Ying. Apparently Melanie had gone into labor. So after dealing with traffic I was at the birthing center. I went in to see Ying waiting for me.
"Janie. What took you so long?" She asked.
"Traffic." I said. I walked into the room silently. Nancy was rubbing Mel's back. She was breathing heavily. I could hear sobbing. That's was when I know it was Alexis.
"How she doing?" I asked
"She's alright, but she's in pain." Nancy replied. I went over to Melanie and Nancy moved. Here I could see her better. Her eyes were dark and sunken in. Her face was bony and her limbs were almost skeletal. The only healthy part of her was the belly.
"Sweet Pea, you made it." She said weakly.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." I said.
"I'm so glad you're here. Nancy is a horrible partner." She said weakly.
"Ouch Alexis, that hurt." Nancy replied.
"It's ok Nancy, Aunt Lexi just wants me as her partner." I said.
"Did you just call her alter aunt?" She asked.
"Yes, because we're all her aunts." Alexis replied weakly.
"Yep and y'all are great aunts." I said
"Thank you sweet pea." She replied weakly. She was laying on her left side. She rubbed her belly attempting to calm the baby after a sudden inhalation she gritted her teeth. She winced as her tensed up. She was having contractions.
"Sweet Pea, it hurts." She sobbed weakly.
"It's ok, you're doing fine, Aunt Lexi." I replied. Suddenly she sat up as best she could as if on reflex. Then she suddenly blinked. She promptly began to murmur something. As I listened, I heard praying. That how I knew it was Mary.
"Aunt Mary are you ok?" I asked.
"Yes but Alexis couldn't take the pain, god bless her." She replied weakly. Suddenly she shook. She spasmed as her apparent pain increased. Then she stopped, the pain was over.
"Aunt Mary that contraction was unusually do you need anything?" I asked.
"Yes a change of position would be helpful Kitten." She said weakly. Suddenly she fell back. She rolled onto her right side facing me, she was trembling. It was clear she was weak. She wasn't doing well.
"Aunt Mary are you ok?" I asked.
"No, I think I over did it." She replied weakly. When she finally calmed down we heard a knock at the door to our surprise Elizabeth walked in. She has latex gloves and a white lab coat on. She knelt down in front of her and started to look her over. She was checking dilation.
"Ms. Magdalene I'm here to check you." She said.
"Ok please be careful." Mary replied.
"You are at 8cm." Elizabeth replied. Suddenly Mary's body tensed up she shook her head and blinked. As she did so, her body language changed, she had switched
"I feel like I'm almost ready. Angel will be my support?" Melanie asked weakly.
"Of course Aunt Mel." I said. Suddenly she gave a wince. Her body tightened as the pain grew. She grabbed my hand and griped it as tight as she could. Then she released. The pain was gone. Elizabeth checked her again. She looked up and stood up and walked over to us. I knew what the next words would be.
"She's ready." She said.
"Aunt Mel can you push?" I asked.
"I can try." She said weakly. She tensed up suddenly. She bore downs hard as she desperately tried to push. She was breathing heavily as she tried again. When she pushed again she gave out. She was tired as she fell back. She was sobbing.
"Aunt Mel are you alright?" I asked.
"Sweet pea? It's Aunt Lexi." She said weakly. Suddenly she bore down hard again as her pain increased, she sobbed louder. It was apparent she was weak. She let out a grunt as her pain peaked. Suddenly she fell back screaming in pain. She was exhausted.
"Aunt Lexi are you ok?" I asked
"No sweet pea, it hurts. " She sobbed weakly. She shuttered as her eyes closed. She shook as her breathing hastened. As she opened her eyes again, she relaxed. I knew she was someone else now. She was someone more experience.
"Sorry Cupcake Alexis couldn't take the pain, so I took over" Mrs. Johnstone said weakly.
"That's ok Auntie J. Is Alexis ok?" I asked. Mrs. Johnstone bore down hard. She grunted as she held the push. Then suddenly she fell back. She was sweating and exhausted. I could tell she was drained.
"It was almost this difficult as with Mickey and Eddie." She said weakly.
"How?" I asked
"I'm really tired." She added. Suddenly she bore down hard again. She gasped then fell back. Her body went limp momentarily, she needed to rest. She shuttered as her eyes closed. She shook as her breathing hastened. As she opened her eyes again, she relaxed. She opened them and I knew it was Melanie.
"Angel I feel like Mrs. J over did it. I need to rest." She said weakly.
"I was about to suggest that." I said. Noticing how exhausted she was I had to help. Slowly I began to rub her back. After a few moments the tension seemed to ease away. She sighed in relief. She was relaxed.
"Are you feeling better Aunt Mel?" I asked.
"Yes thank you so much Angel." She said weakly. Suddenly she tensed up. Her body went rigid and her eyes shut tight. She reached out and grabbed my hand. Finally she let go again.
"Aunt Mel please rest." I said.
"That's a good idea Sweet Pea." Alexis said weakly.
"Aunt Lexi?" I asked.
"Yes I took over for Mel." She replied. She fell back. She was tired and her head was beaded with sweat. She was weak. I rubbed her shoulders. She needed rest. They all did.
"Angel, thank you." Melanie said.
"You're welcome Aunt Mel." I said. She tensed up and bore down hard. Her body shook from strain. Suddenly she let out a grunt. Then she fell back exhausted.
"I haven't been so exhausted since I had Judah." Mary said weakly.
"Aunt Mary?" I asked.
"Yes, sorry Kitten. We're switching at random." She said weakly.