Chapter Seven: Faith
The next few months of Amy's pregnancy went by well. There were no problems, and the baby was growing normally.
Then, the day came.
Amy went into labor late in the evening. She was eating dinner with Cassie when suddenly she felt a hard push in her womb. Then her water broke. She gasped out,
"Cassie, the baby's coming!"
Cassie jumped out of her chair, knocking it over in the process. It took all of her strength to lift Cassie out of her chair and carry her to the door. "Mother!" she called out, "Get the carriage! Amy's baby is coming!"
Mrs. Brown rushed outside and shouted for one of the drivers to bring the carriage. When she was back inside, she kissed Amy quickly on the forehead. "Be safe," she said quickly before going upstairs. Amy began to breathe more quickly. Then she began moaning.
"Cassie," she cried, "Help me!"
Cassie carried Amy down the porch steps and into the carriage that the driver had brought up. She shouted at the driver, "Go now! And hurry! We need to get Amy to the doctor!"
It was a fairly short carriage ride into town. When they got to the doctor's office, the driver carried Amy in while Cassie ran ahead. In no time, Amy was set down on a narrow bed in the delivery room. On the side table were rags, bowls of hot water, and a cross. Cassie pressed the cross into Amy's hand. "Take this, and don't let go of it."
"Jack!" Amy cried as Cassie removed her dress. She bunched the bodice up around her knees and bent over to examine the baby.
"Jack's not here," Cassie replied. She was scrubbing her hands furiously with soap and water.
"No!" Amy cried. "Jack HAS to be here! I won't give birth without him!"
Cassie tried to calm her down, "Amy, please. The baby needs to come out. Jack is not here. He can't get here in time. He's not due till tomorrow. We can't wait that long! We need to get that baby out NOW!" She was almost yelling.
Amy began to cry. "Cassie, I can't do this on my own."
"That's why I'm here with you!" Cassie was very emotional, but she didn't cry. Then she called out, "Get me another midwife! I need helped in here!" Then she bent over to examine Amy again. "Alright, sweetie, when I count to three, I want you to push!" At that moment, an older woman came into the room. Cassie wept with joy when she saw them. "Oh, thank the Lord!" The woman went to Amy's side and took one of her hands.. "Ok, Amy, you can do this! Ready?"
"No!" Amy wailed back.
"One…"
"No!"
"Two…" Cassie was ready. "Three!"
At that moment, Amy's head dropped. Cassie shrieked in terror. Another woman ran in.
"What's happened?" The woman, named Rachel, shouted. Cassie really was crying now.
"She's fainted! And she just went into labor!" Cassie fell to her knees, weeping. "They're going to die!" she wailed. The two other women sighed and pulled her to her feet. Then they took positions at Amy's womb. Rachel instructed the other,
"Sarah, go fetch the doctor."
Sarah quickly ran out of the room and came back with the doctor, an older man. He took in the situation and immediately ordered, "Rachel, get my tools. This calls for emergency procedures." Once she had left, he turned to Cassie. "Ma'am, you're going to have to wait outside." Then Cassie got angry.
"No, she's my sister. I was to be her midwife! I have a right to stay in here!" She had stopped crying and was glaring up into the doctor's eyes.
He sighed, "Alright, but stay out of our way."
- - - - - - -
Amy woke up to light. She sat up a little and saw Cassie sitting on a chair next to her bed, holding a bundle of blankets. She gasped with joy. Cassie looked up and smiled, "Look at your beautiful little daughter, Amy." She handed little Faith over to her sister. Amy took her gently and held her close to her chest. She marveled at the tiny little girl, wrapped in blankets. She had her mother's light brown hair, but her father's dark brown eyes. Amy gave her forehead a tiny kiss. Then she hugged the baby to her chest. "I love you, sweetheart. I love you, Faith." She held her baby for a long time, not wanting to let her go. She was so precious. Amy thought to herself, Wait until Jack sees her.
As if by magic, Jack rushed into the room at that minute. Amy held Faith with one arm and hugged Jack with the other. Just after he kissed her, he looked at his daughter. With wide eyes, he lifted her into his arms and held her close. Kissing her forehead, he whispered, "My beautiful little girl," and hugged her gently. Amy sighed and leaned back on the many pillows the doctor had put up for her. Cassie got up from her chair and walked over.
"Cassie," she said with a strong voice, "I couldn't be more proud of you."
"Me?!" Amy was surprised, "Cassie, it was you who took care of me all this time! I'm proud of you."
Cassie laughed. "What can I say? What are sisters for?"
"Exactly," Amy stuck her tongue out. Cassie copied her, and they both began to howl with laughter. Suddenly, the doctor rushed in, followed by the two nurses.
"What's going on in here?" he glared at Jack and Cassie. "You know that young woman needs rest."
Jack and Cassie stopped laughing and quieted down. Cassie sighed, "Well, Amy, we should get you to another room with a proper bed. This one is only meant for deliveries." Then Jack added, "I'll come by later tonight." He bent down to kiss her just before he left.
Cassie, with no effort, lifted Amy off of the bed. It was easier now that she didn't have a baby inside her. She carried her sister down the hall and into another bedroom, where there was a bed and crib set out for her. She put Amy down on the bed and wrapped the covers around her. Then she put baby Faith into her sister's arms.
"Sleep well, you two. I'll be back tonight to check on you." On her way out the door, Cassie blew them both a kiss. Just before Amy fell asleep, she said a quick prayer of thanks for Faith's safe birth.
