Page 36 of Pieces into Place (Moonflower Cove Romance #16)
Blake
L aying in the hospital bed outside the operating room wasn’t how Blake saw her delivery going.
But there was no going back now. Her only concern was a healthy baby and if a c-section got her that result, then she would do it.
Even if it scared the shit out of her as she held onto Alexis’s hands as they waited for the operating room to be ready.
Vera and Dr. Jacobs had disappeared behind a door quickly after arriving at the OR.
Melanie had stayed with Alexis and Blake in the hallway as they waited for the okay.
Blake knew that sooner rather than later, she’d be separated from Alexis until she was situated in the room.
That terrified Blake. Not only because she was still in pain from the contractions, but because Alexis was her rock.
How was she going to remain calm without Alexis by her side?
She tried not to think about it as she focused on the contraction instead.
Blake was lying on her back, which was the position Melanie had told her to stay in until they got to the OR.
Melanie kept her eyes on the monitor as Blake worked through the pain.
It felt useless for her body to still be working so hard when the baby was about to be cut out of her.
All it did was add to the already exhausted way she felt.
After nearly all day in the hospital and most of it in labor, Blake was exhausted.
It was almost ten p.m. and Melanie told her they’d have the baby out fairly quickly once she was set up in the OR.
However, it would be a few hours before she would be settled into her own room. Blake knew she was in for a long night.
“Okay,” Dr. Jacobs came out into the hallway wearing a scrub hat and scrubs, “are you ready to have this baby?”
“Ready as I can be, I guess,” Blake tried to laugh, but it fell short. Dr. Jacobs walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
“I know this is scary. This is your first c-section, so you have every right to be scared. But this isn’t my first one. I got you and your baby. I promise.”
Dr. Jacobs’s words helped calm Blake down ever so slightly as she nodded her head. Blake moved her eyes to Vera, who was standing behind Dr. Jacobs. Her smile told her that she believed everything Dr. Jacobs was saying. So Blake knew it was okay for her to do the same.
“We’re going to go ahead and get you into the OR. Alexis, Vera will help you get ready and bring you in as soon as we have Blake ready, okay?”
“Okay,” Blake nervously said, her mouth drier than she’d realized before. She squeezed Alexis’s hand as Alexis bent down to hug her. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. I’ll be right there as soon as I can, okay?”
“Okay.”
“You got this, baby.” Alexis kissed her forehead, and Blake felt a tear fall from Alexis’s eyes onto her cheek. After another kiss, Alexis turned to look at Vera. “Can you stay with her? I can get ready by myself. Just… please. Stay with her since I can’t. ”
Vera looked at Dr. Jacobs, seemingly not wanting to overstep anything. But Dr. Jacobs nodded her head as Vera turned back to Alexis.
“I can.” Vera pulled Alexis into a quick hug. “I got her.”
“I’ll help Lex,” Melanie firmly nodded her head.
Alexis kissed Blake one more time before Melanie escorted her away. Vera took Alexis’s former position at the side of the bed as Blake squeezed her hand as she was wheeled into the OR.
The room was smaller than Blake had anticipated, but it was probably because there were so many people and machines filling the room.
She felt overwhelmed as Vera and another nurse helped her from the bed onto the operating table.
It was cold and Blake felt overly exposed as she sat naked on the exam table.
Blake had to take off her gown before the epidural to make the process quicker once the epidural was in place.
Although she understood the reasoning, she still hated feeling so exposed to everyone in the room.
Even though the entire room full of people would be seeing inside of her in only a few minutes.
Besides, they were all used to it, even if Blake wasn’t.
Her feet swung back and forth off the bed as the anesthesiologist got ready behind her.
Vera walked over to her, standing in front of Blake as she looked her in the eyes.
“I know this isn’t what you had planned, but I need you to know I’m so proud of you. You’ve handled a really hard day well.”
“I couldn’t have done this without you and Mom and Lex.”
“We’re all here for you, honey. Always.”
Blake noticed how Vera didn’t seem uncomfortable or uneasy at the fact Blake was sitting naked in front of her. Sure, Vera probably saw hundreds of naked women a week. But still. It was different for Blake when, ten months ago, she never would have imagined being so comfortable in Vera’s presence.
“So, they’re going to do the epidural, then we’ll get you laid down and get started.” As she spoke, Vera gently squeezed Blake’s shoulders. “It’ll all happen pretty quickly, but I’m going to do my best to keep you and Alexis informed about everything going on as it happens, okay?”
Blake nodded.
“I got you, baby.”
“I know you do, Mama.”
“Okay.” Vera pulled something out of her scrub pocket. “I’m going to put this behind your ear. It’s an anti-nausea patch. I like my patients to have it and not need it than not have it and need it.”
Carefully, Vera placed the patch behind Blake’s left ear. Blake felt her fingers gently rub over it.
“Vera,” the anesthesiologist’s voice behind her startled Blake, “we’re ready when you are.”
She nodded, looking at the other doctor before back to Blake.
“Okay, honey. Here’s what I want you to do.
” Vera took hold of the sides of her scrub top.
“Grab on to both sides of my top and pull it to you. Then I want you to put your forehead right here.” She pointed to her chest. “That’s going to help your back arch, which will help get the epidural in the best place.
As you’re doing that, just kinda curl around the baby and lean into me.
Pull as tight and as hard as you want on my scrubs. Just try not to move, okay?”
“Okay,” Blake repeated, and Vera nodded to the anesthesiologist.
Blake did as she was told, holding tightly onto Vera’s scrubs as she rested her forehead on Vera’s chest. She could feel Vera’s fingers on the upper part of her back gently rubbing as the doctor inserted the epidural needle.
The sensation was painful, but Blake tried to remain focused on Vera comforting her not only with her touch but the gentle words she whispered in her ear.
“You’re doing great, Blake. I know it hurts. I’m right here. I got you, baby. You’re doing so good, honey.”
After the anesthesiologist had the epidural placed, Vera and another nurse helped get her laid down on the bed.
They ensured Blake couldn’t feel anything as they turned up the medicine in the epidural.
Staring up at the sterile white ceiling, Blake tried to keep herself from freaking out as doctors and nurses attached monitors and IVs to her.
Vera never left Blake’s side, though. She kept stroking Blake’s hair or cheek to keep her calm.
Blake shifted her eyes from the ceiling to Vera as she smirked.
“You know, you should really put a picture of a beach or something on the ceiling.”
Vera burst out laughing, as did a few of the other people in the room. “You know, you make a very valid point. I’ll bring that up at the next board meeting.”
“Perfect,” Blake winked at her.
It wasn’t long before Alexis and Melanie joined Blake and Vera in the OR.
Alexis and Vera sat on either side of Blake’s head while Melanie stood behind Vera.
Blake noticed how Melanie kept her hand on Vera’s shoulder, and Blake was thankful that her mama had someone there for her, too.
After all, it was Vera’s first c-section on the other side of the curtain.
And even if it wasn’t her getting the surgery, it was her daughter. She knew how hard that was for her.
And for her mom.
Blake thought of Isla sitting in the waiting room by herself.
She hoped that Mason or Ellie or anyone had come to be with her.
It would be too hard on Isla if she had to wait all alone.
The mere thought of that broke Blake’s heart, but she didn’t have time to linger on it before Dr. Jacobs was getting ready to start the procedure .
“Blake, before I get started, I just want to double check you can’t feel anything, okay?”
“Okay.” Blake waited for a beat but couldn’t feel anything below her boobs. “This feels so weird.”
“Can you feel that?” Dr. Jacobs’s slightly panicked voice told Blake that maybe trying to crack a joke in an OR wasn’t the best idea. Granted, Vera’s snicker made it worth it.
“No, sorry,” Blake nervously laughed. “I can’t feel anything. That’s what’s weird.”
“You are so Isla Mackenzie’s child,” Dr. Jacobs laughed on the other side of the blue drape hanging a few inches from Blake’s face.
“Preach,” Vera agreed with a laugh.
The humor served as a distraction as Dr. Jacobs began the surgery.
With her arms strapped out away from her body, Blake felt beyond out of control of anything that was happening to her.
Knowing her baby girl was going to be safe was the only thing keeping Blake focused.
Alexis and Vera each had hold of one of Blake’s hands, with Alexis keeping close to her ear to whisper words of encouragement to Blake.
Vera had stood up when Dr. Jacobs began the surgery after checking with her and Blake that it was okay. She gave them a play-by-play of everything Dr. Jacobs was doing, which actually helped to calm Blake’s nerves.
“Lots of pressure,” Dr. Jacobs and Vera said at the same time. Blake wondered how many times the two of them said that very phrase each week.