Tornado Warning ("Disaster Strikes" Series)

Chapter 8: Special Delivery!

Author's Note/ Warning:
In this chapter, Mrs. Miller will have her baby (I'm kind of spoiling it, but oh well; I need to give you all a quick warning)

I don't think it's too graphic, but I'm warning you just in case.

Also, please forgive me/let me know if anything is not accurate. I've never had a baby (I'm only 16 years old) and I've never seen anyone have a baby in person. I'm relying on my imagination, Google, and any memories from TV/movies to write these scenes.

"Oh shit..." Sarah whispered to herself.

It's time... That could only mean one thing: Mrs. Miller's 'bundle of joy' decided that he/she didn't want to wait until her mother arrived at the hospital before being welcomed into this new world. In other words, there was going to be a baby, here and now.

Crouching down beside the teacher, Sarah tried her hardest to reassure her that everything would be okay.

"Help me, please!" Mrs. Miller desperately whispered to Sarah, allowing her terror to show on her face for the first time that day.

"I will, ma'am. I promise. Everything is going to be okay." She held the woman's hand tightly as she continued speaking. "I can't really help you on my own, though. I'm going to get help, all right? I'll be right back." She knew that Mrs. Miller needed medical help in order to ensure hers, and her baby's, health and safety. However, as Sarah started to stand up, Mrs. Miller gripped her hand even tighter.

"No! Please, don't leave me!" Tears streamed down her face as she refused to let Sarah go. "I can't do this by myself! I've never done this before!" The strong, brick wall had collapsed, and revealed the scared young woman that had been hiding behind her mask this entire time. Mrs. Miller, a mature and independent adult, desperately needed the comfort of the presence of Sarah, a teenage girl.

She was still indecisive though. On one hand, Mrs. Miller needed her. But on the other hand, everyone there (her, both teachers, and the baby) needed paramedics.

However, Mrs. Miller's next words cast all doubt out of Sarah's mind over what she should do. As if terrified of the repercussions of what she was about to say, she lowered her voice even more and breathed out, "Please, Sarah. I'm scared."

Steeling herself, Sarah nodded and agreed. "All right, I'm staying right here."

Mrs. Miller breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank God," She said. "Sarah, I don't know what I would do witho-" she cut off with a scream of pain as another contraction ripped through her body.

Once again, Sarah found that other people's panic helped clear her mind even further. She held both of the teacher's hands tightly in her left one, and spoke to her in a soothing voice. "All right, I need you to breathe, okay? Can you do that for me? In... and out... In... and out... That's it, nice job. In... and out... You're doing great."

Then, they heard Ms. Gomez's voice from outside the conference room. "Sarah? Jessica? Is everything all right in there?"

"We're fine! Mrs. Miller's just going to have her baby, no big deal! Any chance you could help us, please?"

"Umm, well, you see... The thing is..."

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I can't... blood and stuff like that, I'm not... well, I'm not very good with that."

Sarah rolled her eyes, growing more and more frustrated with the young woman. "All right then, fine," she huffed. "Just, I don't know, keep a lookout in case any EMTs or school staff comes near here."

"Can do!" Ms. Gomez shouted, obviously relieved that she didn't have to witness the miracle of life yet.

Turning her attention back to the task at hand, she saw Mrs. Miller looking at her with a mixture of pain and awe.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Sarah asked nervously.

In between pants, the teacher answered. "How are you... so calm... about this?"

She laughed in surprise, not expecting that question at all. "I live on a ranch, Mrs. Miller! I was there each time our horses had foals, and when our dogs had their puppies. I don't really have any experience with people though..."

Now it was the teacher's turn to laugh, before being gripped once again by a painful contraction.

And so, the two of them went on. Sarah holding Mrs. Miller's hands and coaching her breathing, while the latter went through labor! Using quite a bit of complicated maneuvering, Sarah took off the teacher's cardigan sweater to use as a blanket for when the baby came out. As time passed and contractions came and went, the baby's head slowly became more and more dilated. Eventually, the head was all the way out and Sarah guided the baby out.

"Congratulations! It's a girl!" she said, wrapping the crying girl in the cardigan and handing her to Mrs. Miller. The new mother's face glowed with happiness (and sweat) as she held her newborn. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief, and made to stand up, telling the teacher that she was going down to the bus ramp to bring the paramedics back, but once again, Mrs. Miller grabbed her arm to stop her. Problem is, she grabbed Sarah's right arm. Sarah cried out in pain and fell to her knees, clutching the broken arm to her chest. Mrs. Miller's eyes widened as she realized, for the first time, that Sarah was badly injured.

"Oh, Lord!" The teacher called out, moving into more of a sitting position and pushing herself towards Sarah.

"Dear, are you all right? Look at me, Sarah, how badly are you hurt? Oh sweet Jesus, I'm so sorry darling!"

Lifting up her left hand to tell the rambling teacher to stop, Sarah answered, "Look ma'am, I'm fine. I mean, I'm hurt, but I'm fi-"

"No you are not! You are hurt! What on Earth were you thinking, doing everything you were doing in this condition. Come on, we need to get you out of here!"

Not having any energy to argue, Sarah nodded her head, cringing in pain. Now that the danger to Mrs. Miller and her baby had passed, Sarah's adrenaline once again wore off, leaving her feeling even worse. The two of them - no, three of them - left the conference room together, and walked over to Ms. Gomez, who seemed extremely grateful that everything was okay and that she did not have to play a part in the birth. While Mrs. Miller was showing the other teacher the baby, and the two were talking, Sarah leaned against the conference room wall, with her head down and her eyes closed. She felt very lightheaded, and the sudden transition from complete darkness to blinding light did nothing to alleviate that feeling.

Suddenly though, she heard a voice calling her name, but it sounded... funny. Like when you change the channel on the TV, and you end up on one that's filled with static, but you can faintly hear the noise from the program through all the white noise. That was how Sarah felt. She felt someone shaking her, and it was as if the antennae were suddenly positioned in exactly the right spot; she could hear clearly now and opened her eyes, blinking against the sunlight.

As the face swam into focus, she realized that she was looking into the concerned face of Mrs. Miller.

"Sarah? Can you hear me? Can you see me?"

Blinking a little more, she felt like a switch had suddenly been flipped in her brain. Coherent thoughts began to form.

"Yes, sorry. Zoned out a bit. I'm okay."

Still not confident with that answer, Mrs. Miller nodded. She put her right arm behind Sarah's left arm and back and underneath her right arm, to prop her up. Then, the two of them made their way over to Ms. Gomez, who was holding the sleeping baby girl. Mrs. Miller's left arm helped support the other teacher, and the four of them walked down to the bus ramp together.