Sawbones by Melissa Lenhardt Read Free Book Online

preparation instructions to the letter and without complaint while I dosed Anna with morphine-laced whisky. I rested my hand on Ida’s forehead. “There now, that will help ease the pain.”
    I moved to the end of the bed and placed most of my surgery tools into the waiting pan of hot water with a few drops of carbolic acid. “Ester, put the thread in there as well.”
    In the other pan, I washed my hands with lye soap and rinsed them. “Wash your hands,” I said to the women.
    I doused a clean cloth from my medical bag with chloroform. “Ester, I want you to be ready to receive the baby. Anna, hold this lightly over Ida’s nose and mouth.”
    With an assurance that belied her youth Anna went to the top of the bed and waited for my direction. Ester stood at the foot of the bed next to me. I nodded to Anna, who placed the cloth over Ida’s nose. Ida’s body relaxed.
    I pushed my right hand up the birth canal until I touched the baby. “Good.”
    “What?” Ester said.
    I pushed against the baby’s bottom to move it back into the womb and with my left hand pushed against Ida’s abdomen. I closed my eyes and visualized the baby’s situation in the womb as I maneuvered it into the correct birth position. Ida’s cervix contracted around my wrist. I stopped and pushed back against the baby’s desire to see the world. A trickle of sweat ran down between my breasts and my arm trembled with the effort. Finally, Ida’s contraction passed.
    It was almost time for the next contraction by the time I maneuvered the baby into the correct position. I removed my hand slowly. “Let her breathe.” Anna held the cloth aloft.
    “She’s overdue by about two weeks,” I said. I picked up the scalpel.
    “Yeah. What are you doing?” Ester said.
    “The baby is big, and your daughter is small. She will tear.” I took the scalpel and made a one-inch incision below her vagina. “This will help.”
    The baby crowned, and with the next contraction a beautiful little head emerged. I rotated the baby to release the shoulder, and the baby slid out into my hands. I held him upside down and slapped his back. He gave a lusty, life-affirming cry as I placed him in Ester’s waiting arms.
    “Congratulations, Grandma.”
    Tears flowed down Ester’s cheeks. “And a fine boy he is.” I tied the cord off and cut it with the scalpel while Ester cooed to her grandson. “Take him downstairs and clean him. Give him a sugar teat until Ida is ready to nurse.”
    I took the pan of soapy water to the window, glanced below, and when I saw the street was clear, tossed it. I cleared the chair, sat, and waited for the afterbirth. I glanced up at Anna, who was staring at me, eyes wide.
    “You are a doctor.”
    “I am.”
    “Why did you say you were a midwife?”
    In truth, the word doctor had slipped from my mouth before I considered the ramifications. I could have easily delivered the baby as a midwife and kept my identity a secret for a while longer. The horse was out of the barn now.
    “People accept women as midwives easier than as physicians.”
    “Oh, but this is wonderful. Father will be so pleased. Having a doctor as a founding member of our community. They are tremendously hard to recruit to the frontier.”
    “Can we keep my profession between us for a while longer?”
    “But, Father—”
    “I will tell Cornelius in due time.”
    Anna nodded but still looked a bit peaked.
    “Are you going to faint?”
    “I’ve never seen the like.”
    “Neither have I.”
    “You’ve never—?”
    I shook my head. “She would have died giving birth breech. She’s too small.”
    I caught the flush of blood and afterbirth in the empty pan and massaged Ida’s abdomen to staunch the bleeding. “Take this,” I said, holding the pan of afterbirth out to Anna.
    “Do you want me to throw it out?”
    “The window? Heavens, no. Place it on the dresser and put a towel over it for now. Bring me that pitcher of water.”
    “What are you doing?”