"We have been called. We need to be in the carriage within a few minutes" Said Vera as she headed to grab her stuff from the nurses room.
"No problem. We've already prepared and checked everything. We can head out now" replied Joan, who grabbed one bag and a personal one, as there is nothing else they really needed to to prepare. Everything else will be provided by the family.
Thankfully, following the hurried steps, they arrived shortly before Dr. Fares.
The carriage ride was hurried and mostly quiet, disturbed only by the horses' hooves and the steady clatter of the wheels. Although the streets weren't empty, few people were willing to wander outside in such cold weather. This year's winter had arrived colder than the last, or so Helen and the others claimed. Joan tightened her scarf around her neck, grateful that the carriage was warm enough.
It was Joan's first time traveling through the night, if going back from Lily's engagement party when it was barely darkened counted, then this was her second time.
Dr. Fares wasn't the chattering type, so he went straight to the point, briefly reiterating what they should and shouldn't do.
"If anything changes suddenly, one of you comes for me immediately," he said. "Don't wait to see whether it passes."
Vera nodded. "Understood."
Joan gave a quiet nod as well.
It wasn't much different from working in the hospital, except for the different bed, the unfamiliar surroundings, and the fact that they would have fewer hands available if something went wrong.
"We arrived" the driver's voice cut through from the front as he tagged at the horse to stop.
Johnson family's house wasn't small, although not huge either. It definitely is not cheap. Its value was apparent not only from its size but also from its classic design. They apparently run a business, with a couple of shops here and there. Though, Joan is not sure of what they sell.
As soon as they arrived, a maid was waiting for them, leading them inside, before taking their coats. There, they met with the man of the house.
"Good day, Dr. Fares." A man in his mid-thirties with black hair and blue lake eyes, greeted Dr Fares with a flat businesslike manner, as his tone was not cold it was not warm either. Beside him stood a woman with the same black hair and blue eyes, although, for some reason she seemed rather familiar to Joan.
"Good day, Mr...?"
"Joseph Johnson. My brother has a sudden business trip, and as you already know, my sister-in-law is in labour at this time, so we are here to look into things. This is our sister, Anna Johnson, she will lead you to our sister-in-law's room." With little time to spare, the brother-in-law summed up the situation in a few seconds.
They were led to the room on the second floor, by Miss Anna who became increasingly familiar to Joan, although still unknown. Screams and cries drew louder as they drew closer to the owner's room.
Dr. Fares was the first to step inside, followed by the nurses. A woman drenched in sweat was clutching the bed frame, her breathing uneven and shallow.
Some of her hair had stuck to her forehead and neck. She looked exhausted and desperate, her eyes darting toward every new person who entered the room.
Joan had seen that look before. It wasn't only pain. It was the uncertainty of not knowing how much longer it would last.
After Mrs Johnson turned around, to find her sister in law brought in a doctor. For some reason, Joan noticed a fleeting hatred, in Mrs Johnson's eyes as she looked toward her sister-in-law, but she didn't give it much thought, as helping her to the bed was given priority.
Dr Fares went with usual procedures, determining her cervix was dilated to about four fingers after the water broke. So, it will be some time before active labor could begin.
Once Dr. Fares was satisfied that there was nothing immediately concerning, he stepped outside after giving Julie a few words of encouragement.
Vera pulled the blanket higher over Julie's legs.
"Try to relax between contractions," she said. "You don't need to fight the pain before it comes."
Julie nodded weakly, gripping the blanket as another contraction began.
Joan stood on the other side of the bed, watching her breathing.
"Slowly," she reminded her. "That's it. Don't hold your breath."
Julie followed her instructions, though barely. When the pain finally eased, she sank back against the pillow with a tired sigh.
"As expected, it is still early. Don't you worry, it will be fine to wait for a few hours" said Dr Fares, comforting the sibling.
Hearing this, the two of them exchanged a knowing look, before miss Anna stepped forward and thanked him.
"Thank you for your hard work, doctor. How about some refreshments while you're here" taking the lead to a nearby living room on the second floor.
"No need, I have to go back, I just came out for a second to reassure you"
"Very well, but please don't tire yourself too much, we realize it could be a long wait for our sister in law"
It was only a few minutes before the doctor came back, during which Joan assisted Vera in wiping her face and body with a damp cloth, before helping her into a more comfortable position.
Of course, even with that, she continued to grit her teeth through the pain.
As the hours passed, the contractions gradually grew stronger and closer together. Julie became increasingly restless, sometimes asking how much longer she had to endure.
"Not much longer," Vera reassured her, though neither of them could give her an exact answer.
During one particularly painful contraction, Julie suddenly caught Joan's hand.
"I can't do this anymore…"
Joan squeezed her hand gently. "You don't have to think about the whole delivery. Just get through this one."
When the contraction passed, Julie released her hand and breathed shakily.
"One at a time," Joan added quietly.
The two nurses continued attending to Julie, helping her walk around the room and assisting with whatever she needed. Even when she is going through labour, Julie couldn't help but think about her in-laws' schemes, hoping for her husband to return sooner, all while worrying about her son…, who lately, had grown quieter and more withdrawn.
With the prolonged labour, they began to take turns to get a short break, heading to the kitchen for a drink of water and some prepared snacks a couple of times, with doctor Fares's permission, of course. It was these short breaks that helped them hold on for more than five hours.
–Weirdly, except for Miss Anna maid, who is helping bring the necessities, and the cook,there are no other servants, it wasn't as though they had gone to bed so early.
As Joan headed back from the bathroom, she tripped over someone hurrying out of the side stairs. At first glance, she thought it was a child, but once she looked closer, she recognised another familiar face.
–I finally remembered where I saw Miss Anna. She was the so-called aunt, who lost young Sam a few months ago. It appears she also didn't recognize me either....
"Hello there, are you okay?"
The child raised his eyes, following the source of the unknown voice. Seeing the nurses uniform, Samuel knew who she was, so he raised his eyes farther to see a rather familiar face.
"Im fine, thank you. And you are…?"
"I'm Joan Blackwood, one of the nurses who came to assist Dr Fares "
Hearing her name, Sam's eyes went blank for a dozen seconds, like he was trying to remember something, then suddenly, his blue eyes widened, sparkling in the dark corridor.
"Miss Joan, is that you?" Sam caught hold of her skirt, while exclaiming.
"Yes, Sam. I remember you too. How have you been?" Joan wanted to finish the pleasantries fast and go back before Dr. Fares started complaining.
"I'm okay. Miss Joan, How is my mother?"
Sam clutched her uniform tighter, with a downcast look.
"Don't worry, your mother will be fine" she said as she bent down to meet his eyes.
"Miss Joan...
Just as Sam was hesitating to say something, he was interrupted by Miss Anna's maid calling for him.
"It looks like they are looking for you, I also have to go back. How about talking another time?"
With that, Sam let go of her apron, although reluctantly. And Joan went back to her duties in the delivery room.
Several hours later, Vera checked the dilation again. It was now more than nine fingers. The instruments needed for the delivery had already been prepared and sterilized.
By then, everyone knew their position, and they moved into place without waiting for further instructions from Dr. Fares.
Thankfully, the birth went relatively well without any major complications. Julie did, however, faint shortly after delivering her final push.
"Congratulations. Both the mother and the son are healthy "
Thank you for the wait 🫶
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