hospital have the correct medicine. You can trust them, Adam.”
“But if it’s time for the bopplin to be born—”
Time for the babies? It wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet. The babies were due at Christmas. Tears welled up in Leah’s eyes and threatened to spill over. Annie kept checking her watch, which was when Leah realized another contraction was due any minute.
“If it’s Gotte’s wille , then they will be,” Samuel agreed. “But every day we can give them in Leah’s womb is an extra day they have to gain weight, an extra day for their lungs to develop. It’s very important we give them that time.”
Adam continued to shake his head. “We knew there was a possibility we’d have to go to the hospital, but what you’re talking about is different. I want to do what’s best for Leah and for the babies. How long would she be there?”
“I don’t know. As long as it takes.” Samuel scrubbed his hand over his face. “I’ll speak plainly. We need to give them every chance we can. If they’re born tonight, they will have a difficult fight ahead of them. Their lungs might be underdeveloped and their birth weight will be low. Plus, I can’t assist that kind of birth here. Belinda can’t either.”
Adam reached for Leah’s hand and kissed it gently. She realized at that moment how difficult this must be for him. How could she comfort him?
“Everything will be fine, Adam.” She searched her heart for confidence she didn’t feel. What was it they had read in their Bible on Sunday? Not to worry, and about the flowers of the field. “Remember the verses you chose on Sunday? How God cares for us more than the flowers?”
“From Luke. Ya. ”
“If Samuel says we should go now, then we should go. Gotte has sent him to our community for this reason, because he knows what is best. The rest we shouldn’t worry about.”
“ Ya. Okay. I know you’re both right.” Adam stared at her, then up at Annie. “Will you go with us?”
“Of course.”
“Then place the call.”
As Samuel was pulling out the phone, the next contraction finally hit. Adam and Annie helped Leah through it. This time instead of counting, she focused on an image of lilies.
10
A dam actually flinched when the paramedic shut the back doors to the ambulance. His fraa was inside, not to mention his children.
“Annie’s with her,” Samuel reminded him.
“You’ll be mere moments behind,” David added. His hair looked as if he’d fallen asleep in the barn at some point.
Nodding, Adam kept his eyes glued to the Englisch vehicle as it pulled away from his home. Morning light was splashing across his fields, but what difference did it make? Leah was leaving. Leah was on her way to the hospital in Lewistown.
“I’m surprised they let Annie ride in the back,” Adam said as Belinda joined their group.
“ Ya , at first they didn’t seem to believe she was a nurse.” David laughed. The sound seemed foreign, out of place after Adam’s long night. “When she pulled out her old hospital ID, the taller fellow nearly popped a lens off his glasses.”
“It’s not completely out of the ordinary for a family member to ride in the back of the ambulance,” Belinda said.
She was short like Adam’s mother, extremely thin and probably had seen the far side of sixty. He’d known her for several years. He and Leah had visited with her several times, but still Adam felt slightly uncomfortable around her—maybe because of her short, uncovered gray hair.
Or maybe his discomfort came from realizing Belinda was responsible for birthing so many of the Amish babies in their community. As she was the area midwife, they depended on her expertise, but she wasn’t Amish. She existed in a gray area, somewhere in-between. Once he’d asked Annie why Belinda worked exclusively with Amish families. Annie had said Belinda considered it her ministry, but she wouldn’t give any details of the woman’s background. Adam’s mother had shrugged
“But if it’s time for the bopplin to be born—”
Time for the babies? It wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet. The babies were due at Christmas. Tears welled up in Leah’s eyes and threatened to spill over. Annie kept checking her watch, which was when Leah realized another contraction was due any minute.
“If it’s Gotte’s wille , then they will be,” Samuel agreed. “But every day we can give them in Leah’s womb is an extra day they have to gain weight, an extra day for their lungs to develop. It’s very important we give them that time.”
Adam continued to shake his head. “We knew there was a possibility we’d have to go to the hospital, but what you’re talking about is different. I want to do what’s best for Leah and for the babies. How long would she be there?”
“I don’t know. As long as it takes.” Samuel scrubbed his hand over his face. “I’ll speak plainly. We need to give them every chance we can. If they’re born tonight, they will have a difficult fight ahead of them. Their lungs might be underdeveloped and their birth weight will be low. Plus, I can’t assist that kind of birth here. Belinda can’t either.”
Adam reached for Leah’s hand and kissed it gently. She realized at that moment how difficult this must be for him. How could she comfort him?
“Everything will be fine, Adam.” She searched her heart for confidence she didn’t feel. What was it they had read in their Bible on Sunday? Not to worry, and about the flowers of the field. “Remember the verses you chose on Sunday? How God cares for us more than the flowers?”
“From Luke. Ya. ”
“If Samuel says we should go now, then we should go. Gotte has sent him to our community for this reason, because he knows what is best. The rest we shouldn’t worry about.”
“ Ya. Okay. I know you’re both right.” Adam stared at her, then up at Annie. “Will you go with us?”
“Of course.”
“Then place the call.”
As Samuel was pulling out the phone, the next contraction finally hit. Adam and Annie helped Leah through it. This time instead of counting, she focused on an image of lilies.
10
A dam actually flinched when the paramedic shut the back doors to the ambulance. His fraa was inside, not to mention his children.
“Annie’s with her,” Samuel reminded him.
“You’ll be mere moments behind,” David added. His hair looked as if he’d fallen asleep in the barn at some point.
Nodding, Adam kept his eyes glued to the Englisch vehicle as it pulled away from his home. Morning light was splashing across his fields, but what difference did it make? Leah was leaving. Leah was on her way to the hospital in Lewistown.
“I’m surprised they let Annie ride in the back,” Adam said as Belinda joined their group.
“ Ya , at first they didn’t seem to believe she was a nurse.” David laughed. The sound seemed foreign, out of place after Adam’s long night. “When she pulled out her old hospital ID, the taller fellow nearly popped a lens off his glasses.”
“It’s not completely out of the ordinary for a family member to ride in the back of the ambulance,” Belinda said.
She was short like Adam’s mother, extremely thin and probably had seen the far side of sixty. He’d known her for several years. He and Leah had visited with her several times, but still Adam felt slightly uncomfortable around her—maybe because of her short, uncovered gray hair.
Or maybe his discomfort came from realizing Belinda was responsible for birthing so many of the Amish babies in their community. As she was the area midwife, they depended on her expertise, but she wasn’t Amish. She existed in a gray area, somewhere in-between. Once he’d asked Annie why Belinda worked exclusively with Amish families. Annie had said Belinda considered it her ministry, but she wouldn’t give any details of the woman’s background. Adam’s mother had shrugged
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