The Christmas Quilt: Quilts of Love Series by Vannetta Chapman Page A

and said, “She assisted with your birth, Adam. What more do you need to know?”
    Belinda’s words brought him back to the present.
    “She kept Leah calm and was a help to the paramedics. She knew how to stay out of the way, and her nursing background could come in handy should Leah go into labor again.”
    “Is that a possibility?” Adam asked.
    “It’s not likely. They already started administering fluids through her IV.” Belinda patted his arm. “Don’t worry, Adam.”
    “Remember, she has our phone,” Samuel said.
    Belinda buttoned her coat. The sun was adding warmth to the day, but the temperatures were probably in the low forties. “She’ll call me if Leah’s condition changes, and we’ll be with them shortly.”
    Adam nodded, but he still felt as if he were walking around half-awake. Was this all a bad dream? Would it soon be over? “All right. I’ll be ready to go as soon as I look after the animals and—”
    “Consider it done,” David said. “I’ll also post a note on your barn door for your customers, telling them you’ll be in touch about their engine repairs.”
    With a groan, Adam thought of the shelves of work waiting for him.
    “It will keep.” Samuel seemed able to read his mind. “Go with Belinda. I’ll ride over to your parents’ farm to update them on all that has happened.”
    “ Danki. ” The single word seemed inadequate, but what else was there to say?
    He climbed into Belinda’s little car, and stared out the window as they sped away. Soon his dirt lane turned to blacktop and blacktop turned to freeway. He’d never enjoyed riding in automobiles, even when he was on his rumspringa , though perhaps those months were when he first realized he had a knack for working on small engines.
    Machines fascinated him—parts and how they operated as a whole, especially when they were taken care of properly. But automobiles? No. The pace of travelling in them had always been too fast, and the way the cars’ windows shut out all of the smells and sounds seemed wrong. He missed those things. They grounded him when he went to other places like someone else’s home or the schoolhouse or town.
    This morning was different. This morning he wanted to urge Belinda to drive faster.
    And the fact he couldn’t hear the sounds of the small towns they passed, or smell the scents from the restaurants or farms, those things didn’t seem to matter. All that mattered was catching up with the ambulance, finding his way to the hospital, and hearing what the doctor had to say.
    They could finish with administering their medicines, and then he’d take his wife home. Less than six hours had passed since he found Leah on the floor of the bathroom, but he was more than ready for this trial to be over.

    Annie hadn’t stepped into a hospital since the day she rushed out of the front doors of Mercy, the day she’d received a call her father had been in a buggy accident. It was hard to fathom that three years had passed. The time had flown!
    As she walked into Lewistown Hospital, keeping pace beside Leah’s stretcher, the familiar sound of monitor beeps, soft-soled shoes on linoleum floors, and nurses talking to patients showered her like the snowflakes that had begun falling again outside.
    One of the paramedics, Stanley, pushed Leah through the double doors at the end of the hall and a nurse stepped in front of Annie, blocking her way. A few years older than Annie, she had glossy black hair flowing past her shoulders, pinned back away from her face, and a no-nonsense attitude. “I’m sorry, miss. Family has to wait outside, at least until we have her admitted.”
    “Oh. Yes, but you see, I’m a nurse.”
    To give her credit, Nurse Gabriella—Annie could read her nametag now—raised an eyebrow but didn’t so much as question her or show any other indication of softening on the regulations. “I’m proud to hear it, dear. Our waiting room is back that way. Someone will be out to see you as