Page 25 of Pierre (Voodoo Guardians #40)

“I hate to ask this,” said Cruz, standing at the dinner table, “but we’ve had a request for a home visit. It’s a woman in labor, in trouble with a possible multiples birth.”

“I’ll go with you,” said Butch.

“I’ll go as well,” said Jane.

“Is three enough?” frowned Pierre.

“I think if you send any more than that, they’re going to be suspicious. We’ll keep our comms open and let you know where we are. The driver says it’s only a short distance. Ideally, we could walk, but given the nature of everything happening, he’ll take us.”

“Okay,” nodded Pierre.

Cruz, Jane, and Butch took off with their packs of supplies and followed the man to his truck. He kept thanking them for helping, praying that they would make it in time.

The woman in labor wasn’t his wife; instead, his younger sister, and this was her first child, or perhaps children. The moment they pulled up to the house, they heard the screams of her labor pains.

The home was so dark, they moved to open the windows to let what little light was coming from outside in. They then ordered as many candles lit as possible. Jane did the examination to help comfort the woman. As it turned out, this was the first examination she’d had during her pregnancy.

“How old is she?” asked Jane.

“Twenty,” said her brother.

“Twenty,” muttered Cruz. “She’s a baby. Where is the father?” Her brother stared at him, not saying anything. Cruz knew. He was either dead or a criminal roaming the streets.

“She’s definitely got twins in there,” said Jane. “Butch? I know it sounds old-fashioned, but I do need hot water, and I need you to find something that’s clean or at least close to clean. A table, chair, anything with a flat top to it.”

“Will this work, miss?” asked the brother. He pushed a small tray toward her, and she nodded.

“That works, thank you. Butch, clean it with the alcohol, and I need you to lay out the instruments once you’ve gloved up.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, nodding at Jane. Cruz took care of the other things that were needed, prepping for a possible emergency cesarean section.

“You should have brought her to the ship,” said Jane.

“I couldn’t,” said the brother. “It was too dangerous to take her out. They would have taken her and the babies.” Jane looked at the man, then back at Cruz and Butch.

“We deliver these babies, and then we get them on that damn ship,” she said.

As her labor pains increased, the contractions coming closer and closer together, Jane saw the first head of dark hair.

“I need you to push at the next contraction,” she instructed the woman. She shook her head, not wanting to feel the pain any longer. “Listen to me! Push or these babies will die!”

Her brother pleaded with her, and the woman nodded, finally giving a push as the first baby’s head appeared. On the next contraction, she pushed again, the little body sliding out into her arms. She handed the baby to Cruz, who wrapped her in a sterile towel and laid her on the mother’s chest.

“Okay, number two is coming,” she said calmly.

“You are not bothered by this,” said the brother. “You do this often?”

“I do,” she smiled. “I’m also a twin. It’s a wonderful thing, and your sister’s babies will be connected forever.”

When the next head of hair appeared, the woman pushed, and the baby made its appearance all at once. A boy. Slightly smaller than his sister, but healthy and screaming at the top of his lungs.

“A boy and a girl, both healthy,” said Jane.

Butch laughed, shaking his head with tears running down his cheeks. Cruz smiled, still awed by the miracle of childbirth.

“We should get them to the ship as soon as possible,” said Cruz.

“We’ve got a transport at the back of the house. Take them out there, and we’ll get them all back here,” said Pierre.

They loaded the mother, brother, and newborns into the vehicle and watched as they moved toward the ship. The doctors and nurses on board would do a thorough examination of both mother and children, ensuring that everything was fine.

Cruz packed up the surgical instruments, and they looked around the poor excuse for a home. Everything was dirty, worn, and not ideal for newborns. The twins would be lucky to see their first birthday.

“What do we do?” asked Butch.

“We can’t do anything,” said Jane. “What happens to them when we leave isn’t for us to decide.

We’ll give them instructions on how to clean this place up and make it sterile for the babies, but believe me, babies have been surviving in this environment for decades.

We can only hope that those two will as well. ”

“It doesn’t make it any better,” said Cruz.

When they stepped outside, they could see the hospital ship down the hill and only a few blocks away. It felt further when they rushed to arrive, but now, they knew it was a short walk.

None of them said anything to one another until they saw three children scurrying away on the sidewalk.

Cruz stopped, watching the children run up the hill and disappear around a corner.

They didn’t appear to be in trouble, just running.

Very early in the morning. Then, he started to walk away again and casually looked up and then back down.

“Are you seeing this?” whispered Butch.

“Fucking right I am,” said Cruz. “Jane? Get your sweet cheeks to that fucking ship, right now. Boys? You hear me? Meet Jane at the gates and get your asses up here now.”

“ Roger that.”