feel another contraction coming on, okay? Come on, legs up.”
Eric moved to stand by her head as the doc spread her legs, resting his one hand on her knee.
“You’re going to feel some pressure, Abby.”
Abby sucked in a breath, and her hands went helplessly to her chest, reaching for anything to grab.
Eric took her warm hand in his large, calloused one. “It’s all right, Abby.”
The doc pulled his hand out and ripped off his gloves, dumping them in the receptacle behind him. “The cervix has thinned, but she’s only dilated about one centimeter. Let’s just wait and see how it goes for the next little bit.”
“Am I in labor? I was dreaming. It was awful.” She was breathless as she spoke.
“Abby, you were having a nightmare, thrashing about pretty good,” Larry said. “The poor guard heard you screaming and thought someone was in here trying to hurt you. You want to tell me about it?”
Eric saw the fear light up her eyes as if she was facing the fires of hell. She shut her eyes, and a lone tear slipped out. She didn’t let go of Eric’s hand. In fact, she squeezed harder, and then she shook her head and stifled a frantic hiccup. She groaned and rolled to her side, clutching her belly, gasping for breath.
“Another contraction, Abby. Come on, don’t hold your breath.”
“It hurts,” she moaned.
Eric could feel her starting to panic. He rubbed her shoulder and back with his other hand. “Look at me. Don’t hold your breath. Let it go.… Breathe in. Come on, that’s it. Now let it out slowly.”
She locked eyes with Eric, and he could feel how she needed him, someone to be here with her. He also she knew that whatever she dreamed had put the fear of God into her.
As soon as the contraction passed, she took a deep breath.
“Captain, can I speak with you?” the doctor asked in a low voice.
Eric stood and let go of her hand. “Abby, I’ll be right back.”
When they emerged into the hall, Eric turned toward Larry. “Doc, what happened here? I thought the baby wasn’t due for a while.” His voice was sharp, and he knew he sounded annoyed.
Larry shook his head. “The guard heard her scream and yell. When he came in, she was thrashing around. One hell of a bad dream, I’d say. It’s obvious the stress of it put her in early labor. I just examined her. The contractions are strong. It’s too early, so we have to get the contractions to stop. Best-case scenario is if they stop on their own. Keep her in bed, and help her relax. If they don’t stop, I need to give her some terbutaline. The only problem is side effects. The drug can increase the heart rate of both Abby and the baby, but right now it’s a moot point, as we don’t have it on board. We would have to have it sent over from the hospital on base in Bahrain.”
Abby groaned again and sounded as if she was almost whimpering. Eric could see the beads of sweat on her forehead, and she doubled over, clutching her belly and gritting her teeth. He could see her trying to breathe. Lieutenant Lynn was talking to her.
“That was five minutes since the last one,” Todd said to the doctor as he approached. Eric took Abby’s hand again, and she held on.
“Isn’t it too early for me to have my baby?” Her voice trembled.
The doctor stood on the other side of the bed and leaned down so she could see him. “Listen to me. It’s early, but we’re going to try to stop it. First, though—and this is important—I need you to relax. It looks like your nightmare brought on early labor. Right now, chances are really good that we can get it to stop. You haven’t dilated past the point of no return yet. If you continue past five centimeters or your water breaks, there will be nothing I can do to stop labor, so I need you to calm down, take some deep breaths, and try not to move. Lieutenant Lynn is going check your vitals again while I talk to the captain.”
Eric gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Listen to the doc. I’ll be
Eric moved to stand by her head as the doc spread her legs, resting his one hand on her knee.
“You’re going to feel some pressure, Abby.”
Abby sucked in a breath, and her hands went helplessly to her chest, reaching for anything to grab.
Eric took her warm hand in his large, calloused one. “It’s all right, Abby.”
The doc pulled his hand out and ripped off his gloves, dumping them in the receptacle behind him. “The cervix has thinned, but she’s only dilated about one centimeter. Let’s just wait and see how it goes for the next little bit.”
“Am I in labor? I was dreaming. It was awful.” She was breathless as she spoke.
“Abby, you were having a nightmare, thrashing about pretty good,” Larry said. “The poor guard heard you screaming and thought someone was in here trying to hurt you. You want to tell me about it?”
Eric saw the fear light up her eyes as if she was facing the fires of hell. She shut her eyes, and a lone tear slipped out. She didn’t let go of Eric’s hand. In fact, she squeezed harder, and then she shook her head and stifled a frantic hiccup. She groaned and rolled to her side, clutching her belly, gasping for breath.
“Another contraction, Abby. Come on, don’t hold your breath.”
“It hurts,” she moaned.
Eric could feel her starting to panic. He rubbed her shoulder and back with his other hand. “Look at me. Don’t hold your breath. Let it go.… Breathe in. Come on, that’s it. Now let it out slowly.”
She locked eyes with Eric, and he could feel how she needed him, someone to be here with her. He also she knew that whatever she dreamed had put the fear of God into her.
As soon as the contraction passed, she took a deep breath.
“Captain, can I speak with you?” the doctor asked in a low voice.
Eric stood and let go of her hand. “Abby, I’ll be right back.”
When they emerged into the hall, Eric turned toward Larry. “Doc, what happened here? I thought the baby wasn’t due for a while.” His voice was sharp, and he knew he sounded annoyed.
Larry shook his head. “The guard heard her scream and yell. When he came in, she was thrashing around. One hell of a bad dream, I’d say. It’s obvious the stress of it put her in early labor. I just examined her. The contractions are strong. It’s too early, so we have to get the contractions to stop. Best-case scenario is if they stop on their own. Keep her in bed, and help her relax. If they don’t stop, I need to give her some terbutaline. The only problem is side effects. The drug can increase the heart rate of both Abby and the baby, but right now it’s a moot point, as we don’t have it on board. We would have to have it sent over from the hospital on base in Bahrain.”
Abby groaned again and sounded as if she was almost whimpering. Eric could see the beads of sweat on her forehead, and she doubled over, clutching her belly and gritting her teeth. He could see her trying to breathe. Lieutenant Lynn was talking to her.
“That was five minutes since the last one,” Todd said to the doctor as he approached. Eric took Abby’s hand again, and she held on.
“Isn’t it too early for me to have my baby?” Her voice trembled.
The doctor stood on the other side of the bed and leaned down so she could see him. “Listen to me. It’s early, but we’re going to try to stop it. First, though—and this is important—I need you to relax. It looks like your nightmare brought on early labor. Right now, chances are really good that we can get it to stop. You haven’t dilated past the point of no return yet. If you continue past five centimeters or your water breaks, there will be nothing I can do to stop labor, so I need you to calm down, take some deep breaths, and try not to move. Lieutenant Lynn is going check your vitals again while I talk to the captain.”
Eric gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Listen to the doc. I’ll be
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