The Iron Wagon by Al Lacy

Author:Al Lacy [Lacy, Al]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-60142-284-2
Publisher: The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group
Published: 2010-07-19T16:00:00+00:00

On the following Friday, Annabeth was working at Mile High Hospital. Just as she finished helping one of the surgeons repair a broken kneecap on a young man in his early twenties, Nurse Edna Colter entered the room. She smiled when she saw that the doctor was covering the patient with a sheet on the surgical table and that Annabeth was just putting away the surgical instruments after sterilizing them.

Edna greeted the doctor, then stepped up to Annabeth. “Honey, Dr. Carroll wants to see you as soon as possible. It appears that you’re about finished here.”

Annabeth nodded. “Yes, I am. Do you know what Dr. Carroll wants to see me about?”

“He has an emergency assignment for you.”

“You’d better hurry, then, Annabeth,” said the surgeon.

With a gracious expression, she said, “I will.”

With that, Annabeth hurried out the door with Nurse Colter behind her. Moments later, when Annabeth entered the office of the hospital’s chief administrator, she found Dr. Carroll in conversation with Breanna. Dr. Carroll’s back was toward Annabeth, but Breanna was facing her.

Annabeth smiled at her friend. Then the doctor finished what he was saying, and Annabeth said, “Hello, Breanna.”

Breanna smiled back. “Hello, Annabeth.” She hurried to her best friend. The two women hugged each other. Then Breanna said, “I know about your emergency assignment, but I’ll let the boss tell you.”

Dr. Carroll stepped closer to Annabeth. “I want you to help Dr. Bates deliver a baby. The young woman who is about to give birth to her first child is Grace Fawley, the widow of Charles Fawley, one of the miners killed in the cave-in at the Central City gold mine.”

“Oh, I see,” Annabeth said. “I remember hearing that Charles and his wife were Christians and members of Central City’s First Baptist Church.”

“That’s right,” said the doctor. “Mrs. Fawley will be in delivery room number four in just a few minutes. She’s having some serious difficulties. Two hospital attendants are taking Mrs. Fawley to the delivery room, and Dr. Bates is waiting there for her and for you too, Annabeth. I just sent word to him that you will be assisting him.”

“I’ll go right now, Doctor.” Annabeth hugged Breanna, then hurried out the office door.

Just as she entered the appointed delivery room, she saw two hospital attendants lifting the expectant mother off a padded cart onto the bed. Dr. Bates greeted Annabeth warmly. “I was very pleased when Dr. Carroll sent word that you would be assisting me. You have helped me deliver babies many, many times.”

“I’m glad he chose me, Doctor.” She turned her attention to Grace Fawley, who was obviously in a great deal of pain. The baby would be born quite soon.

As soon as the attendants had helped Grace get settled on the bed, they nodded at Dr. Bates and hurried out of the room with the cart.

Both doctor and nurse began preparations to deliver the baby. Though Grace was in much pain, she said with strained voice, “M-my husband, Charles, was one of the miners who was killed in the cave-in at the Central City gold mine in August.

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