Free Dance Into Destiny by Sherri L. Lewis Page A

trance.
    As Shara ran into the bathroom, she heard Tangee wailing. She found her sitting on the floor, rocking and holding her belly. Lakita was with her, trying to comfort her. Tangee had bloody streaks down her legs and a small pool gathered at her ankles. Shara ran over to them.
    â€œTangee?” She turned toward Lakita. “Wet some paper towels with hot water.”
    Shara cradled Tangee in her arms and whispered into her ear. “You’re okay, sweetie. The ambulance is going to be here in a few minutes. You’re going to be just fine. Nothing is going to happen to you.” Internally she prayed every healing scripture she could think of. Her hands shook as she wiped away the blood, which seemed to be flowing faster by the minute.
    â€œLakita, go find out what’s going on with the ambulance.”
    â€œPlease, Miss Shara—in this neighborhood? It’ll be tomorrow before they get here.”
    â€œLakita, just do what I said. Go to the church office, NOW!”
    Lakita sucked her teeth, rolled her eyes, and stomped out the door.
    Even though she didn’t appreciate Lakita’s attitude, Shara knew she was right. “Tangee, sweetie, can you walk? We need to get you to the van so we can get you to the hospital.”
    Tangee kept crying and rocking.
    Danae came rushing in the door. “Miss Shara, the am-balamps is going to be a while getting here. They said unless she unconscious, having a seizure or chest pain, she’s low priority.”
    â€œI know, Danae, go get Jaquell so he can take Tangee to the van.
    Tangee stopped rocking. “No, Miss Shara, I don’t want him carrying me. I got blood all over me.” Danae stood there.
    â€œDanae, did you hear me?” Shara tried not to scream at her.
    Jaquell’s six-foot tall frame lumbered through the doorway a few minutes later. He stopped when he saw Tangee. “What’s wrong with her?”
    â€œDon’t worry about it, Jacquell. Just pick her up and take her to the van.”
    He backed towards the door. “Unh, uh Miss Shara, she got blood all over her. I ain’t touching no blood. I ain’t trying to catch no AIDS.”
    Shara took a deep breath, but it didn’t keep her from yelling at him. “Boy, get your behind over here and pick Tangee up and put her in the van. I don’t want to hear another word. Just do it!” Her voice echoed off the bathroom walls.
    By the time they got to the van, Lakita had spread newspaper and towels over the first bench. Shara smiled at her with appreciation but Lakita looked away, obviously still angry with Shara for yelling at her.
    â€œYou should go to Atlanta Medical Center.” Lakita sucked her teeth. “She could bleed to death waiting at County Hospital.”
    â€œThanks, Lakita, good thinking.” Shara paused. “Can you come with me? I may need your help.”
    Lakita looked up at her and halfway smiled. “Yeah, Miss Shara. I’ll sit in the back with Tangee while you drive.”
    Shara prayed the whole way to the hospital, trusting God that Tangee and the baby would be okay.

Chapter Eight
    H ours had passed when Shara and Lakita approached the nurses’ station in the ER for the fifth time. The nurse sitting there knitted her eyebrows and pursed her lips. Shara guessed she was sick of seeing her face because she snatched up the phone. “Let me see if I can get the doctor to come out and give you an update.”
    A few minutes later, a middle-aged man wearing a long white coat over his hospital scrubs came out to the nurses’ station. “Ms. Madison? I’m Doctor Reisen. Your daughter will be fine. We were initially concerned she was having an ectopic because of the severity of her pain, but after a pelvic and transvaginal ultrasound, we were able to determine that she did, in fact, have an intrauterine pregnancy and has had a complete spontaneous abortion.
    â€œShe lost quite a bit of blood