eChapter 26
"Amanda?" Camilla exhaled. "I need you to get Dr. Schuster! Something's wrong!" she cried between forced breaths.
Amanda brushed Camilla's damp hair off her forehead and tried to soothe the young woman, "No, nothing's wrong. This is all perfectly normal. You're in labor. You're baby's going to be here before you know it."
"Labor?!" Camilla snapped, her eyes wide with fear. "I should be in a hospital, not here!"
"Shhh, just relax. Try to breathe through the pain," Amanda assured her. She checked her watch and mentally calculated the time between the last contraction. "You still have plenty of time to get to a hospital. We just need to get Dr. Schuster's attention and let him know."
Camilla sunk back against the pillows and closed her eyes. "Please, try to get him. I'm scared," she whispered.
Amanda brushed her hair back once more and stood. She crossed the room to the locked wooden door and knocked on it a few times. She waited a minute then slapped the door with her open hand several times, hoping the sound would get Dr. Schuster's attention. Outside, the daylight was changing to dusk, what she could see of the sky between the overgrown trees around the house was becoming light gray as the sun began to set.
When Dr. Schuster didn't answer, she entered the small bathroom to the right. She found a few small washcloths folded on a shelf. Amanda took one of the cloths and soaked it with cold water before she returned to the bedroom. Camilla's eyes were still closed as she waited for the next round of pain to grip her body. Amanda sat on the edge of the bed beside her. She folded the wet cloth and draped it over Camilla's forehead. "Thank you," Camilla whispered sadly.
"You're going to be okay. Just rest," Amanda repeated.
Camilla opened her eyes and blinked back the tears now overflowing, "I never should have listened to Dr. Schuster. I never should have agreed to go with him. He told me... " she sobbed silently before she continued. "He told me he had set up a private meeting, so I could meet the family that is going to take my baby. He said they didn't drive in the city, so he was bringing me to their house…" she trailed off as the next contraction began.
Amanda reached out and held her hand in an effort to comfort her once more. Camilla gripped her fingers tightly as she fought the contraction that gripped her body. "Don't fight it. Just breathe… in and out… in and out," she instructed once more. Camilla responded as Amanda's instructions became a chant until finally, the contraction passed. "There, that's better. Good."
"Do you still think… is your husband going to find us? Before the baby comes?" Camilla questioned between several more long exhales.
Amanda wiped her brow with the damp cloth and smiled, "He's never let me down yet."
"I wish I could say the same. Every man in my life has let me down. My Dad left when I was nine, my Grandpa was nothing more than a drunk, and my baby's father… well… he couldn't hit me hard enough when I first told him I was pregnant. That's when I realized I would do anything to make sure that this little one had a good life with a family that could give him or her more than I ever could," Camilla explained softly.
Amanda wiped her tears away and gave her a weak smile, "I bet, deep down, you know that whatever decision you make, it will be out of love."
Camilla covered her belly protectively and cried, "I never knew I could love someone so much and my heart breaks to think what might happen right now."
Amanda fought back her own tears. Her left hand rubbed her belly as one of the twins prodded along. "We'll find a way out of this. I promise you, Camilla, we'll find a way out."
Camilla reached up suddenly and gripped Amanda's hand tightly, "It's another one!" Amanda checked her watch and fear washed over her as she quickly realized the contractions were coming faster and closer together. Silently, she prayed Lee would find them in time.
Three miles away, Lee drove toward the house Dr. Schuster had Amanda and Camilla locked in. He had just hung up the phone with Billy after learning Amanda's car was nowhere to be found nor had anyone seen her since she left Maggie and Tuck's earlier that day. The clerk at the store did inform Henderson and Waters that Amanda had left well before noon and Glennys Martin left just before they showed up.
A sick, worried feeling settled into the pit of Lee's stomach as he was torn with finishing the search for Dr. Schuster at this last location or leaving Francine and Edwards to do it themselves. "Amanda, where the hell are you?" Lee questioned aloud before slamming his hand off the steering wheel. He angrily jerked the wheel to the right to pull over, Francine following behind.
"What's going on?" she asked after he sprinted to her car.
"Amanda's still missing. No one has seen or heard from her since this morning. It's now, " Lee looked down at his watch, "Almost six-thirty. That's over six hours since the last time anyone saw her."
Francine glanced over at Tom sitting beside her, "Look, we're almost at the last location. Let's just finish this and then we can start our own search."
"Where? Where are we going to look for her? They've checked everywhere already," Lee snapped.
"What about the adoption agencies? What if…" Francine began when Tom interrupted her. "What if Amanda is completely fine? And we are making a bigger deal out of nothing?"
Lee erupted in anger, "Nothing? Listen you little-"
"Lee, calm down!" Francine shouted. "This isn't going to find Dr. Schuster or Amanda. So let's just finish our search. Billy's all over the search for her so just stop!"
Lee slammed his hand off the roof of Francine's car. He clenched his jaw tightly as he breathed heavily. He stared off into the distance weighing his options. After a long minute, he looked back at Francine and stated, "Let's find this house and then you can help me or not but I'm going to find Amanda."
"We'll follow you," Francine stated with a sharp nod at Lee and a glaring stare at Tom who slipped slightly lower in his seat.
Lee stormed back to the 'Vette and slid inside. He put the car in gear before spinning his tires as he jerked the car away from the side of the road. He drove faster than necessary until he reached the street they were searching for. Seeing children playing outside, he slowed his speed and scanned the houses, looking for the number Francine had written down.
As they neared the house, he pulled over again and parked his car. Francine once again pulled up behind him. The trio stood between the cars as they devised a plan. "How about Tom and I go to the door while you talk to the neighbors? A little divide and conquer?" she suggested with a strained smile.
Lee looked around and nodded, "Yeah, but in and out. I don't want to waste any more time than necessary."
"Agreed. Then, we go looking for Amanda," Francine declared with a nod from Tom. The trio separated, Lee headed to the neighbor's house while Francine and Tom approached the front door.
Back in the house, Dr. Schuster had just opened the locked door to check on Camilla. "Dr. Schuster, she really needs to get to a hospital," Amanda explained as Camilla gripped her hand once more.
"No, she'll be fine. After all, she has you to help her," Dr. Schuster stated coldly. From the bottom of the stairs, the strained sounds of the doorbell echoed around.
"I'll get it," a female voice replied. Amanda could hear the scraping sound of the deadbolt releasing then a familiar voice drifted up.
"Is Dr. Schuster here?" Francine asked.
Recognition hit almost immediately. Amanda's eyes widened and she quickly yelled out, "Francine! Help!" before both doors were slammed shut simultaneously.
