going.
“In this case, the expedient hearing proved worthwhile, because we have found that the charges do not have foundation. We are reinstating your license, without reprimand.”
Meg lifted her chin, her heart dancing. “Thank you,” she said, but some of the members of the board were already out of their chairs, collecting papers. For them, this was business as usual. But for Meg, it was the end of an extraordinary nightmare.
Half an hour later, Meg was still in a pleasant daze as she rode the elevator down from the sixth floor. The commissioner had shown her to the administrative office, which issued licenses, and the woman there helped her through the paperwork to update her profile and reinstate her license. She was in good standing now, free to practice as a midwife anywhere in the state.
“Congratulations on being reinstated.”
Meg turned to the other woman in the elevator. It was one of the board members, Judith. “Thanks. I’m sorry I didn’t notice you there. I’m still in a daze. The last few months have been crazy.”
“I’ll say. We don’t see cases like yours too often. You really went through the wringer. I know it must be extremely difficult to be under investigation, but our job is to protect the patient, first and foremost.”
“I understand that. I really do,” Meg agreed. “Practitioners need to be monitored. The standard of care is important.”
“I work for an ob-gyn now,” Judith went on, “but I was a midwife for a few years.” She let out a small laugh. “The hardest four years of my life, but also the most fulfilling.”
Their eyes met, and Meg nodded. “I’m hooked.”
“I sensed that about you.”
“I’m glad to be able to practice again. But I’ll never forget this case. I’ll never forget Deedee’s baby when I saw him at the hospital. Even stillborn, he was …” Meg’s voice cracked with emotion. “He was perfection.”
Judith bit her lower lip, nodding. “I lost a baby, too. It did me in. I was never able to go back to being a midwife with the same confidence. I admire you for getting back on that horse.”
“Like I said, I’m hooked.”
They were in the lobby now, lingering by the elevator. Judithopened her arms wide and folded Meg into a warm embrace. “Good luck to you, Meg. Go forth and bring lots of healthy babies into the world.”
Meg hugged Judith, taking her words as a mission. A responsibility. A prayer.
11
SEPTEMBER
S uch a sight! Remy King sat beside her sister-in-law Mary, each woman cradling a newborn in her arms. Fanny leaned back against the kitchen counter and clasped her hands together, delighted to have helped deliver both these babies. Last week she had spent a good day helping Mary Beiler and her husband, Five, give birth to their first, a boy named Nathan, and now today, Remy and Adam’s baby, Esther, had come into the world, blinking her eyes and screeching like a little chipmunk. Named after Adam’s mother, Essie was a feisty little thing!
Doc Trueherz had made it to the house in plenty of time to take care of the hard part. Dear Remy had pushed for so many hours, she was about spent. But Fanny had made up some herbs to give her strength, along with a light snack of toast and cheese to give hera boost, and that seemed to do the trick. Remy, who had been so pale during labor, now sat smiling with a pink radiance on her cheeks.
Adam King nodded at his wife and sister, who had become best friends over the past two years. “Now we’ll never be able to separate those two.”
Fanny and Doc Trueherz laughed along with Adam, who could not take his eyes off his wife and child. The two young mothers sat side by side on the daybed in the King kitchen. Each woman’s face glowed with love as she spoke gentle words to the infant in her arms. The room was filling up with family, who gathered round to coo over the new arrivals.
“I wish my parents could have seen this day,” Adam said wistfully. “My dat would have been
“In this case, the expedient hearing proved worthwhile, because we have found that the charges do not have foundation. We are reinstating your license, without reprimand.”
Meg lifted her chin, her heart dancing. “Thank you,” she said, but some of the members of the board were already out of their chairs, collecting papers. For them, this was business as usual. But for Meg, it was the end of an extraordinary nightmare.
Half an hour later, Meg was still in a pleasant daze as she rode the elevator down from the sixth floor. The commissioner had shown her to the administrative office, which issued licenses, and the woman there helped her through the paperwork to update her profile and reinstate her license. She was in good standing now, free to practice as a midwife anywhere in the state.
“Congratulations on being reinstated.”
Meg turned to the other woman in the elevator. It was one of the board members, Judith. “Thanks. I’m sorry I didn’t notice you there. I’m still in a daze. The last few months have been crazy.”
“I’ll say. We don’t see cases like yours too often. You really went through the wringer. I know it must be extremely difficult to be under investigation, but our job is to protect the patient, first and foremost.”
“I understand that. I really do,” Meg agreed. “Practitioners need to be monitored. The standard of care is important.”
“I work for an ob-gyn now,” Judith went on, “but I was a midwife for a few years.” She let out a small laugh. “The hardest four years of my life, but also the most fulfilling.”
Their eyes met, and Meg nodded. “I’m hooked.”
“I sensed that about you.”
“I’m glad to be able to practice again. But I’ll never forget this case. I’ll never forget Deedee’s baby when I saw him at the hospital. Even stillborn, he was …” Meg’s voice cracked with emotion. “He was perfection.”
Judith bit her lower lip, nodding. “I lost a baby, too. It did me in. I was never able to go back to being a midwife with the same confidence. I admire you for getting back on that horse.”
“Like I said, I’m hooked.”
They were in the lobby now, lingering by the elevator. Judithopened her arms wide and folded Meg into a warm embrace. “Good luck to you, Meg. Go forth and bring lots of healthy babies into the world.”
Meg hugged Judith, taking her words as a mission. A responsibility. A prayer.
11
SEPTEMBER
S uch a sight! Remy King sat beside her sister-in-law Mary, each woman cradling a newborn in her arms. Fanny leaned back against the kitchen counter and clasped her hands together, delighted to have helped deliver both these babies. Last week she had spent a good day helping Mary Beiler and her husband, Five, give birth to their first, a boy named Nathan, and now today, Remy and Adam’s baby, Esther, had come into the world, blinking her eyes and screeching like a little chipmunk. Named after Adam’s mother, Essie was a feisty little thing!
Doc Trueherz had made it to the house in plenty of time to take care of the hard part. Dear Remy had pushed for so many hours, she was about spent. But Fanny had made up some herbs to give her strength, along with a light snack of toast and cheese to give hera boost, and that seemed to do the trick. Remy, who had been so pale during labor, now sat smiling with a pink radiance on her cheeks.
Adam King nodded at his wife and sister, who had become best friends over the past two years. “Now we’ll never be able to separate those two.”
Fanny and Doc Trueherz laughed along with Adam, who could not take his eyes off his wife and child. The two young mothers sat side by side on the daybed in the King kitchen. Each woman’s face glowed with love as she spoke gentle words to the infant in her arms. The room was filling up with family, who gathered round to coo over the new arrivals.
“I wish my parents could have seen this day,” Adam said wistfully. “My dat would have been
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