Hide Your Love Away: book two

Chapter 5

(Pru)

There is a sharp pain in my stomach, it started yesterday. Every twenty minutes or so I get these sharp pains. I think my baby's dying. This can't be normal. At least that's what I thought before the doctor told me I'm eight months pregnant. Eight months...not four. My stomach has hardly grown. The baby is to small to be..."Nurse!" I get another pain. 

"Prudence... You're in labor. We need to put you under and remove the baby but cutting open your stomach. This is the safest way for both of you. Please nod your head if you'll allow us to put you under for surgery." A doctor comes in. I'm curled up in a ball because of the pain, I nod my head and feel a needle enter my thigh. Then my vision goes black. 

"Mom?" I see my mother standing in front of me. We are at the river where we used to go just to relax and swim. She has a baby in her arms. 

"Yes my little one. I'm sorry to have to see you like this. You need to go back... Paul is a wonderful boy, he needs you Prudence Dean."  she says in her normal soft voice. The sound brings tears to my eyes. But they don't fall down my cheeks, they float up into the sun turning gold. "We are in heaven darling...

"Is that...my baby?" She smiles sadly at me and walks over me handing me a little baby with big brown eyes just like her daddy, and his round rosy cheeks. "Julia..." I whisper. She giggles at me and I hold her close. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you..." I start crying more golden tears.

"Prudence... don't be sorry. You have a long life to live, I'll protect your child for now and her soul will come back to you when she's ready." I look at how small my baby is in my arms. "I will make sure nothing goes wrong for you from now on. I'll be a mother again. Now go...go back to Paul before it's too late. I'm proud of how strong you've been honey...now be strong one more time." 

I turn around and see a tired and sad Paul standing by a telephone... waiting for a call. I run to him and wrap his arms around me and then, "Clear!"

 I take in a deep breath and open my eyes finding myself back in my hospital bed. There is a crowd of nurses around me with shocked faces. "Check her vitals." The doctor says. "Prudence... Something went wrong with the fetus." I notice him no longer using the term baby.

"I know Doctor. Her name was Julia Nicole McCartney. My mother is watching her now..." I notice a nurse start crying. 

"She lived for ten minutes before passing. Her lungs weren't fully developed and they collapsed. Your heart stopped the same time as hers. We were able to bring you back... we did everything we could." 

"Can I see her?" A nurse brings me my baby wrapped tightly in a soft pink blanket. 

"What would you like us to do...with the body I mean."

"Cremation. Like my mother." 

"And a birth certificate?"

"She lived. She was strong for five minutes and that makes me a proud mother. I would like proof of her existence."  It's strange how calm I am...but I know my mother is watching out for my little one. And I will see her again. I kiss Julia on her cheeks before a nurse comes to take her away. "So long little one... until we meet again." I whisper. I need to call Paul.