A Randall Hero

When Lucy woke him again, he checked his watch. It was almost six-thirty. He felt sure that was good. A weak sun was providing a little more warmth, and he realized he’d need to get out of the truck to see if he could flag down a car so they could get help.

“Okay, Lucy, I’m going to get near the road so I can flag down a car. You’ll be all right here under the blanket. Okay?”

“I don’t want you to go.”

“How else will we get help?” He laughed slightly. “Believe me, I’d rather stay here with you.”

“Can’t you wait a little while?”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll wait until seven.”

“Thank you. I know I’m being too clingy, but—but you’re so comforting.”

“You’re not clingy. I just want to take care of you, Lucy. It’s important to get you to the hospital before anything happens.”

“First babies are supposed to take a long time.”

“Okay. We’ll just stay where we are for a little bit longer.”

To John’s surprise, he went to sleep again, as did Lucy. He awoke at eight o’clock, long after his normal time. Lucy was still sleeping against him. He smiled down at her. He guessed her labor wasn’t as imminent as it had sounded at six.

He tried to open the glove box without disturbing her, knowing he had several packets of peanut butter crackers in there. He was hungry. Of course he would save a packet for Lucy. Unfortunately, she woke up.

Her eyes flew open and she looked around frantically for a moment. Then she settled down as she realized where she was.

“Are you hungry?” he asked her. “I think I have a couple of packets of peanut butter crackers.”

“Where?”

“In the glove box. Can you reach them?”

“Yes.” She opened the glove box and found the packets. She handed them both to John.

“Don’t you want one?”

“I’ve heard that you shouldn’t eat if you’re in labor.”

“I don’t think that would hurt anything. Take a packet.”

“All right.”

They unwrapped the crackers and ate them slowly.

Lucy had only eaten one when she tensed again. “It’s another pain.”

“All right.” He checked his watch. It was eight-twenty.

“I’ll wait until you feel another one. Then I’ll go up on the road and try to flag someone down.”

“Okay.”

“Eat the rest of your crackers. You’ll need them.”

She ate slowly, trying to make them last.

John brought out the Gatorade again for them each to have a drink.

When the next pain came so soon, it surprised them both. John checked his watch again. It wasn’t eight-thirty yet. The pains were coming faster.

“Don’t go, John. Please.”

“I have to. We’ve got to get you to a hospital.”

“But you said we’d be all right.”

“We will be, if we have to deliver your baby here, but I’d prefer a hospital. Now, be strong. I’m going to cover you back up and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“You aren’t going to leave, are you? I mean, walk somewhere?”

“No. That would take too long.”

“Okay.”

He tucked her in and got out of the truck. After climbing up to the road, he paced back and forth in front of her car, hoping someone would come by.

He almost gave up and decided to go back down to his truck to see how Lucy was doing, but at the last minute, he heard a vehicle approaching.

Stepping farther out into the road, he waved his arms as the pickup came into sight.

“You break down?” the man asked, after lowering his window.

“Yeah, and I’ve got a woman in labor down there.”

“All right. I’m going as far as Rawhide. Will that help?”

“That’s where we need to go. I’ll just go bring her up.”

“Need some help?”

“No, I’ve got her.”

John slid back down to the truck and opened the passenger door. “Lucy, we’ve got a ride.”

She looked up at him and he saw the pain on her face. “Thank God. This baby wants to be born.”

Chapter Two

John scooped Lucy up in his arms, comforter and all.