Free Breathe Again by Kamy Chetty Page B

oxygen and suction, she made sure all of the equipment was ready for the baby’s arrival.
    “What are you doing here?”
    Great. Her night couldn't get any better.
    She shook her head as Nick surprised her with the iron control he had on his emotions. “I'm assisting.”
    The Terminator . They really called him that. She could see why. He had a button that switched his emotions on and off.
    “What's wrong with you?” he asked.
    She smiled. A false smile. “Nothing.”
    The doors opened and the patient, medics and a man who looked as if he was about to faint came through and into the room.
    A pile of notes were handed over by the medic, who gave them a brief handover. “This is Anne. She is full-term and in labor. Baby has crowned, and she is about to deliver. This is her first baby.”
    Skylar helped the paramedics get the patient settled onto the hospital stretcher. “Is that Dad?”
    The medic looked in the direction she pointed. “Yes. That's Mike. I'll leave you to it.”
    The medics left. Skylar quickly attached the monitoring equipment and listened to the baby's heartbeat. Anne was arching her back as a pain gripped her. She started pushing.
    “Anne, you need to pant through this, okay honey? If you push while the baby's head is there, you could tear.” Skylar held Anne's hand and panted with her until the pain subsided.
    Nick pulled on his gloves, went to Anne and lifted her gown. “The head is definitely crowning.”
    Skylar introduced herself to Anne before starting her examination. “Has the pregnancy been okay? Any problems with baby?”
    Anne shook her head. “Everything’s been fine. No problems. Scans been normal.”
    Mike looked even paler than he did when he came in.
    “He doesn’t look too good. We might have to help him along too,” Skylar said to Anne.
    Another contraction started, and Anne was having difficulty in talking.
    “It's okay, sweetie. Just breathe through this, okay? We are going to pant again. Once we’re ready, then the baby will be out. Baby looks to be a good size.”
    “They said he was a big baby. I was worried I may not be able to deliver naturally. Is Mike okay?”
    Skylar looked over and found Mike sitting in a chair with his head between his legs. A student nurse was helping him breathe.
    “He looks fine,” Skylar reassured Anne.
    “Bad timing,” Anne said.
    “It never is good timing for a baby.” Nick came forward.
    Skylar caught his gaze. Her chest felt tight. Her attention turned to the patient. “It's almost time, Anne. You're going to hold your baby soon.”
    As each contraction came, Anne pushed hard, and Skylar helped her count, but the baby was stubborn and refused to move. Skylar looked at the monitor—the dips in heart rate showed the baby was getting tired.
    Nick followed Skye’s gaze as he noted the slow recovery response time for the baby. “Anne, they were right about the baby being too big. If we don't get him out, he’s going to get tired. I might have to give you a hand to get him out. Did your midwife explain this might happen?”
    Anne nodded. “You might use forceps or I might have to go for a Caesarean section.”
    Nick squeezed her hand. “It might be too late for a Caesarean section.”
    Anne shook her head. “That’s not true. They do Caesarean sections all the time when the baby is in trouble.”
    Nick pursed his lips. Skylar sensed his frustration. He was wary of the explanations. She knew how his mind worked and knew what he was thinking. He wanted to get the baby out. It wouldn’t work without a co-operative Anne.
    She took her hand. “Yes. Most times when the baby is having problems, we can take you to theatre to perform a Caesarean section. But this time the baby’s head has crowned. It means the baby has travelled down the birth passage.”
    Anne’s gaze went from Nick to Skye. “But you can save him.”
    Skye squeezed her hand. “Yes, we can. His head is almost out. He needs some help and the best way to do that