A Heart for Home (35 page)

“I know, and you are doing wonderfully well. I’d say you were made for having babies.”

“Aren’t all women?” She let Garth wipe the perspiration from her face and neck. “Thank you.”

“No. I’m sad to say that not all women are made to give birth.” Astrid heaved a sigh, thinking of Mrs. Moore down on the Rosebud Reservation. Even if the woman returned to her mother’s, she was going to have a hard time.

“Here . . .”

“Garth, get behind her so she can push against you.”

He scrambled to do so while Sophie’s groan turned to a wail.

“All right, cousin mine, let’s get this over with. On this next contraction, give it all you’ve got. Right now, we have a dark-haired baby, more like his pa. Or
her
pa.”

Sophie pushed so hard she nearly squished her husband against the headboard.

“We have a whole head now. Good work, Sophie. Easy . . . let me turn these shoulders. Okay now, push.”

Sophie bit off the scream and collapsed back against Garth as the baby girl slid into Astrid’s waiting hands.

“Oh, Sophie, she is beautiful.” Astrid wiped the mucus from the baby’s face and laid her on her mother’s chest. Using the corner of her apron, Astrid wiped her eyes and sniffed again. “Thank you, heavenly Father, for this gift from heaven, for the easy birth and – ”

The baby let out a yell that sounded more like an angry twomonth old than a newborn.

The three of them burst into laughter. Then Astrid saw the cord go slack and moved beside Sophie to begin kneading her lower abdomen.

“Ow! What are you doing?”

“Getting the uterus to contract and expel the afterbirth.”

“I’m not bread dough, you know.” She ran a finger over her daughter’s head. “Aren’t you lovely, little one? Ow!”

“That’s it.” Astrid folded the cloth over the afterbirth and, after tying off the cord, took the scissors from the disinfectant bath and cut the cord. “Here, let me have her for a few minutes.”

Taking the baby, she cleaned her up, wound a bandage around her middle, diapered her, and wrapped her in a soft flannel baby blanket. Handing the baby to Garth, she smiled. “You get to know her while I get Sophie cleaned up. Then, if you’ll make us some tea, I’ll leave the three of you to get some rest.”

A few minutes later with the bed changed, Sophie washed and in a clean nightdress, Astrid laid the baby against her mother’s breast and watched as she began rooting around for the nipple.

“She’s awfully strong, isn’t she?”

“She didn’t spend a whole lot of time being born – that’s why.

Good for baby and good for mother.”

Garth entered the room with the tea tray. “Here you go.” He set the tray down and packed some pillows behind his wife before handing her a cup of tea.

“Ow, you little piglet, you.” Sophie grimaced as the baby sucked.

“What are you going to call her?”

“I think Marie, after Garth’s favorite aunt. We’re not sure of a middle name yet.”

“That is a beautiful name. Marie Wiste.” Astrid watched as the baby nursed. “You’d think she was much older.”

“Well, she should have been born a week or two ago. Maybe that’s the difference. The twins were born early and so much smaller.” Sophie stroked her baby’s cheek and forehead with feather love touches.

“Should I telephone your mother?” Garth asked.

“No. Let her sleep. We can do that in the morning.” Sophie sipped from her tea. “I think I am ready to call it a night. With your approval, Dr. Bjorklund?”

“I’ll leave all the linens bundled in the kitchen.” Astrid stood and kissed the tops of both mother’s and baby’s head. “God bless. Now if you start really bleeding, you call me instantly.”

“I will.”

Garth walked her to the door. “You want me to walk you home?” “No. You go be with them. See you in the morning. I feel like I could fly anyway.” She swung her bag as she walked down the street. What a wonder-filled way to spend such a small part of the night.

She left a note for Thorliff and Elizabeth and made her way up the stairs.
Thank you, Lord,
sang in her heart as she washed up and slid a nightdress over her head. Morning would come mighty soon.

The entire town seemed to be celebrating the new life the next morning and throughout the day.

“Tante Sophie’s baby is named Marie?” Inga asked, or stated, for the third or fourth time.

Astrid nodded. “And no, you cannot go see her today.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Maybe.”

“So why the long face?” Astrid asked Inga at the breakfast table a few mornings later.

“She thought school started today.” Thorliff flipped his newspaper open.

“But it does.”

“Not for kindergarten.”

“Emmy and Two Shells went to school but not me.” Inga crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her lower lip.

“How long till she starts?”

“Two more days.” He looked over the top of the paper. “If you’re not careful, a bird might sit on your pouting lip.”

“Birds don’t come in the house.”

“At least we hope not.” Thelma set a bowl of oatmeal with raisins on it in front of Astrid. “Brown sugar is in the bowl.”

“Thank you. This looks perfect.” She tapped her brother’s arm. “Where’s Elizabeth?”

“I told her to sleep in. She had a bad night.”

“Any particular reason?”

“Not sure. I keep telling her not to worry about the hospital. It will all work out.”

Astrid winked at Inga, but the frown deepened. “Did you take Emmy her kitten?”

Inga nodded. “She named it Smokey ’cause it’s so gray. Grandma said the big orange cat might not like the new one.”

“She is kind of old. She might not be patient with a kitten around.”

“Will she hurt it?”

“Probably not bad, but she might take a swat at it and hiss.” Astrid sipped her coffee. “I have a couple of appointments this morning, but then I am going out to Mor’s. May Inga go with me?”

Thorliff looked at his daughter. “Pouty girls don’t get special treats.”

Inga smiled sweetly. “I’m not pouting no more.”

“
Any
more.”

She took a spoonful of oatmeal. “Anymore what?”

Thorliff started to explain but instead shook his head. “I’m printing tonight, Thelma, so don’t plan on me for supper.”

“We’ll bring you a plate.”

Astrid hid her smile behind her coffee cup. They had the same conversation every print day. Was it a game, or did they not even realize they did it?

A knock at the door sounded and Thorliff called, “Come in.”

Mr. Jeffers opened the door and stepped in. “Good morning.” Astrid caught a quick breath. She hadn’t planned on seeing him today, but even this bit made her smile. She caught Thorliff’s eye as he put the newspaper down, and his knowing look made the heat rise in her neck. Mr. Jeffers had a most pleasant voice.

“Joshua stopped me at breakfast and said he has some things to talk over this morning. I just saw him pass by on his way to the office and wondered how long until you’d be out there.”

“Coming right now.” Thorliff pushed back his chair. He leaned toward his daughter. “Yes, you may go with Tante Astrid, but you must wait patiently until she is ready. No questions, you understand?”

“Yes, Pa.”

“Good morning, Dr. Bjorklund. Fine day.”

“It is that. A tinge of fall, don’t you think?”

“Do you want a cup of coffee, Mr. Jeffers?” Thelma asked.

“No, thanks. I need to get out there,” he said, speaking to Thelma, but somehow his gaze caught Astrid’s.

“Did he say what he wanted?” Thorliff asked, as he ushered the other man out the door first.

“No.”

Astrid listened as their shoes clunked on the porch stairs. Seeing Mr. Jeffers was a surprise, a nice surprise. Good thing she’d fixed her hair and dressed for the day before coming downstairs. No more nightdress with a robe over it. Not that she did that very often, especially on days when she was the one in the office. She took in a deep breath and blew it out before realizing Inga was studying her. Astrid smiled, wondering what was going through the child’s mind.

“Thank you for breakfast, Thelma. I heard the doorbell, so someone
is waiting.”

The next two hours passed swiftly as Astrid examined Dorothy again for her monthly prenatal checkup. “You are doing wonderfully well. Do you have any questions?”

“No. I guess I’ve been through this enough by now that I know the procedures. Hard to believe, but Sarah went off to school today. She was so excited. Swen went by and pulled Benny’s wagon over to the school with him. Those two have become the best of friends.”

“Cousins should be best friends. When I think of those years with Sophie and Grace and me – we had wonderful times together. You should have seen us when we were all learning to sign.”

When Dorothy left, Mary Martha was waiting.

“What can I do for you today?”

Mary Martha shook her head. “This is so embarrassing.”

“This is Astrid you are talking to. How many years have we known each other?”

“A lot. But how many times do you treat boils?”

“Not often, but it’s easy. I lance it and dress it, and you apply this black ointment I’ll give you to draw it out, and it goes away. Where is it?”

“On my lower back, my way lower back.”

Astrid rolled her lips together. “Good thing you have a female doctor then, isn’t it?”

“Since I have never been to a male doctor, I have been spared that embarrassment. So what do you want me to do?”

“You can remove your clothes, put on one of these gowns with the ties to the back, and lie down on your stomach on the table while I get things ready. If you want, I can leave the room.”

“Just turn your back.”

Astrid turned to the cabinet and removed a lancet from the jar of alcohol, some gauze pads, and the jar of ointment, and laid them all on a sterile tray. “My mother used to do all these things, but most people just soaked the boil until it erupted or lanced it with a hot needle. But in your case, it would be difficult for you to do. Although I’m sure Pastor Solberg would have helped you.”

“Yes, but he would tease me too, and I’m not in the mood to be teased. This thing hurts.”

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Astrid swabbed the area with alcohol and sliced into the raised and angry-looking boil. Mopping up the pus, she waited until it ran clean blood and then packed the gauze on it. When it stopped bleeding, she spread ointment on and bandaged it. “Do you have any more?”

“Not that I know of. What causes such a thing?”

“Could have been a pimple or an ingrown hair that got infected. Hot compresses will help, and use this ointment.” She handed Mary Martha the little jar. “You can buy the whole thing or bring it back when you are done.”

“I’ll bring it back.”

As Astrid cleaned up the supplies, Mary Martha dressed again. “You know, it feels better already.”

“That ointment is very soothing. Works on things like sunburn and insect bites too. When we set up our pharmacopoeia at the hospital, we will carry things like this.” She walked Mary Martha to the door to find a construction worker there, with Toby at his side. The worker was supporting his injured hand, wrapped in a handkerchief but still dripping blood, with the other.

“Come right this way.” Astrid led the way to the other examining room and pointed to the chair. “Sit.”

Toby followed them. “He cut himself pretty bad. Do you need me to help?”

“What language does he speak?”

“German. I could get Mr. Geddick off the seeder plant.”

“We’ll see.” She laid a towel on the table by the chair and motioned the man to lay his hand down. Unwrapping the handkerchief, she nodded. “Wait here.”

“I’ll stay,” Toby assured her.

She left the room and asked Thelma to heat up some water to scrub the wound. “Keep your finger on that artery,” she said to Toby when she returned, pointing to the middle of the inner wrist. He pressed the spot, and in a few moments the bleeding slowed and then stopped. Thelma brought in a basin with steaming water and a pitcher with more.

“I’ll need to stitch this.” She smiled and spoke Norwegian slowly to the man. After cleansing the wound across the palm of his hand and scrubbing the hand too, she picked up the needle and quickly took four tight stitches in the hand. After coating the wound with more of the black salve, she bandaged it, tying the ends of the dressing on the back of his hand. “You have to keep this clean.”

The man made a face indicating he wasn’t sure what she meant.

She turned to Toby. “Make sure he wears gloves and comes here after work every day to have the dressing changed. I don’t want this to get infected, and with all that debris it could.”

“I will tell Mr. Geddick to make it clear. Thank you for seeing him so quickly.”

“What else could I do? Have him bleed all over the porch?”

Toby shook his head. “Leave it to Astrid, er, Dr. Bjorklund. Send us the bill.”

“I will.” She indicated to the man that they could leave.

He nodded. “Danke. Danke.”

“You are welcome.”

After they left, Thelma entered the room and started cleaning.

“How bad was it?”

“Four stitches. Could have been a lot worse. It didn’t look terribly deep, but it sure bled.”