pushed against her, trying to keep himself in the room but one of the nurses saw them and looked at Sarah, asking what was happening. Sarah told her that Elise evicted David from the room, and the nurse dragged him out into the hallway, demanding that he stay outside.
“I can’t have you upsetting her while she’s in labor. Stay out here,” she scolded him sharply.
David looked on helplessly as the door was closed and he listened to Elise screaming behind it. He was awash in fear and panic as he waited, not knowing what was going on, and every time anyone came out of the room, he grabbed at them, begging for information. He knew deep in him that everything happening just then was his own fault, and regret tangled with fear inside of him, wreaking havoc in his heart and mind. All he could do was wait, and he knew that it didn’t matter what side of the door he was on, she was in the delivery room because of him. All he could do was wait and hope. He knew he would never forgive himself if anything happened to either Elise or their baby.
Elise struggled through her contraction, sweat pouring from her face, her teeth gritted tightly against the intense pain, and when it finally let her go, she took a deep breath and laid back against the pillow while the nurse checked her again and called the doctor. Sarah held on to her hand tightly.
“I think it’s time,” she said encouragingly to Elise. “We’re going to get through this.”
Elise could only close her eyes and cry, praying in desperation for the safe delivery of a healthy baby. The doctor came in and David scrambled to look through the open door until they closed it. He couldn’t see enough to sooth the anguish that was engulfing him.
The contractions were nearly constant as the doctor pulled gloves on and readied Elise for her delivery. Sarah held her hand tightly as she closed her eyes and listened to the doctor while he instructed her to push and breathe. She pushed for what seemed like forever, and the doctors and nurses were anxiously working around her trying to help her. The baby was turned so that it wouldn’t come out when she pushed, and the pain felt to her as though she were being torn right in half from the legs to the top of her skull. She cried out and pushed over and over, losing her breath and straining hard from the pressure, and just as the medical team was about to give up and cut her open to deliver the baby cesarean, the baby turned just enough that Elise was able to push again a few more times, panting in exhaustion, and then in a moment of wonder, the doctor was holding her baby in his hands.
Sarah was weeping with joy, and she looked down at Elise and said happily, “It’s a girl! You have a girl!” Elise felt some relief as she looked at the doctors and nurses rushing around her tiny baby.
They let her glimpse the baby for a moment, and in that moment, Elise fell in love with her daughter for the rest of her life. She had caramel colored skin and tiny dark curls on her head. They cleaned her quickly and rushed her out of the room and past David, who was waiting just outside the door. The doctor helped Elise finish her delivery and the nurses cleaned her up and let her rest.
David caught a quick look at the baby and the nurse who had sent him out the door smiled at him as she rushed by, letting him peek for an instant at the infant screaming in the plastic bassinet tub she was wheeling past him.
“It’s a girl, David, you have a daughter. You’ll have to wait to see her.” And with that, the nurse rushed the baby away. David watched them wheel her swiftly down the hall and he covered his mouth with his hands, closing his eyes and weeping silently in gratitude that she was born alive. He hoped with everything in him that she would be alright. One of the other nurses stepped out of Elise’s room and he grasped at her arm and asked with wide anxious eyes, “Is Elise alright? Is she okay?”
The nurse nodded and patted his
“I can’t have you upsetting her while she’s in labor. Stay out here,” she scolded him sharply.
David looked on helplessly as the door was closed and he listened to Elise screaming behind it. He was awash in fear and panic as he waited, not knowing what was going on, and every time anyone came out of the room, he grabbed at them, begging for information. He knew deep in him that everything happening just then was his own fault, and regret tangled with fear inside of him, wreaking havoc in his heart and mind. All he could do was wait, and he knew that it didn’t matter what side of the door he was on, she was in the delivery room because of him. All he could do was wait and hope. He knew he would never forgive himself if anything happened to either Elise or their baby.
Elise struggled through her contraction, sweat pouring from her face, her teeth gritted tightly against the intense pain, and when it finally let her go, she took a deep breath and laid back against the pillow while the nurse checked her again and called the doctor. Sarah held on to her hand tightly.
“I think it’s time,” she said encouragingly to Elise. “We’re going to get through this.”
Elise could only close her eyes and cry, praying in desperation for the safe delivery of a healthy baby. The doctor came in and David scrambled to look through the open door until they closed it. He couldn’t see enough to sooth the anguish that was engulfing him.
The contractions were nearly constant as the doctor pulled gloves on and readied Elise for her delivery. Sarah held her hand tightly as she closed her eyes and listened to the doctor while he instructed her to push and breathe. She pushed for what seemed like forever, and the doctors and nurses were anxiously working around her trying to help her. The baby was turned so that it wouldn’t come out when she pushed, and the pain felt to her as though she were being torn right in half from the legs to the top of her skull. She cried out and pushed over and over, losing her breath and straining hard from the pressure, and just as the medical team was about to give up and cut her open to deliver the baby cesarean, the baby turned just enough that Elise was able to push again a few more times, panting in exhaustion, and then in a moment of wonder, the doctor was holding her baby in his hands.
Sarah was weeping with joy, and she looked down at Elise and said happily, “It’s a girl! You have a girl!” Elise felt some relief as she looked at the doctors and nurses rushing around her tiny baby.
They let her glimpse the baby for a moment, and in that moment, Elise fell in love with her daughter for the rest of her life. She had caramel colored skin and tiny dark curls on her head. They cleaned her quickly and rushed her out of the room and past David, who was waiting just outside the door. The doctor helped Elise finish her delivery and the nurses cleaned her up and let her rest.
David caught a quick look at the baby and the nurse who had sent him out the door smiled at him as she rushed by, letting him peek for an instant at the infant screaming in the plastic bassinet tub she was wheeling past him.
“It’s a girl, David, you have a daughter. You’ll have to wait to see her.” And with that, the nurse rushed the baby away. David watched them wheel her swiftly down the hall and he covered his mouth with his hands, closing his eyes and weeping silently in gratitude that she was born alive. He hoped with everything in him that she would be alright. One of the other nurses stepped out of Elise’s room and he grasped at her arm and asked with wide anxious eyes, “Is Elise alright? Is she okay?”
The nurse nodded and patted his
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