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CHAPTER 3

And A Tough Morning

      IT WAS half past two in the morning when Normalade woke her.

      Lucy had gone sound asleep in the living room, sitting bolt upright in Mama's chair and cold as a piece of iron. She came up out of sleep with the dream she'd been having still streaming behind her. "Lucy! Lucy!" Mama kept crying, "You have to help me!"

      Then Lucy opened her eyes and saw it was only Normalade, with her pinkish blonde hair standing out around her head and shoulders like a bush, and her eyes as big as if something had just terrified her. "Lucy, wake up."

      "Mmmmm. . . ?" Then she was full awake. "What is it — is something the matter with Uncle Bob?"

      "No, it's . . . me."

      "What? What's you." Lucy got up and looked around.

      "I feel funny. I think the baby's coming."

      If Lucy had thought she was awake before — she was really awake now. "You're having it? Right now?"

      "I think . . . Yes. Because . . . oh, it was nasty! Like I'd wet the bed! I mean — I was asleep and I didn't even need to — and then I was awake and the bed was all wet, all around me. It just came gushing out of me! That's why —" Normalade gulped. "I'm pretty sure the baby's coming. I feel so . . . funny."

      Hearing this, Lucy began to feel funny herself. "I'll get Bobby."

      "I can't find him!" Normalade wailed. "I called for him and he wasn't here, so I came down and telephoned Gene's house — you were so sound asleep you never heard me — and they're not there. All I did was wake up his aunt, and she doesn't know where they went. So then I tried Tagg's, but nobody's there, either."

      Normalade's chest began heaving, "And now it hurts! It's like I've got the most awful cramps in the world — or worse." She burst wildly into tears. "I'm scared!"

      Lucy was now panicky herself. She didn't know any more about babies than Normalade. "Normalade, I don't know what to do. Maybe you should call your mother."

      "Well, I did. Just now — and it rang and rang over there and nobody answered."

      Helplessly, Lucy cried, "Well, who's your doctor." But Normalade only shook her head.

      "I don't know who else to call." Lucy said desperately. Of course neither Normalade nor Bobby would have gotten around to visiting a doctor. They'd talked vaguely once about a midwife who lived somewhere in the area, but Lucy didn't even know the woman's name."

      "You got to take me to a hospital," Normalade sobbed. "I need somebody to help me — right now!"

      Lucy stared at her. "But Normalade, the only hospital I know is in Albuquerque, and that's over an hour's drive away. And anyway, how can we —"

      "Oh Lucy, help me," she gasped. "I have to do something. Let's go to the hospital. I'm afraid I'm —" Her eyes grew larger, and she gave a little moan and leaned against the chair.

      Lucy stared at her. Uncle Bob was useless here. Bobby had vanished, just as he always did in a crisis. Which meant — oh Lord! — it was all up to her. "All right then. Let's go. The pickup is out back."

      "I got a little suitcase." Normalade was panting now. "In the hall."

      "I'll tell Uncle —" Lucy began. Then she stopped. What was she going to do with him? She couldn't take him along. And he could barely get out of bed without help. "Normalade, what about Uncle Bob?"

      Normalade was already at the door, holding out the keys to the truck. "Leave him! Please, Lucy — come on!" She was struggling to put on Bobby's mudhound jacket that she'd been wearing since she got too big to fit into her own coat. On the floor beside her was the bright pink duffel bag that she'd bought at Wal-Mart when she and Bobby were on their honeymoon.

      "I can't leave him alone," Lucy said urgently, "He can't even get out of bed by himself."

      Normalade was hanging onto the doorjamb for support, one hand under her big belly. "Omygod! You — Oh shit! With a furious look, Normalade staggered over to the telephone and dialed, leaning against the wall, panting. "Miss Rosana? This's Normalade Vance that called you before." (She paused, listening.) "Yes'm, I know Gene's not there, but I'm — having my baby now. Yes, right now! My sister-in-law's taking me to the hospital and my husband's uncle — you remember him? (another pause) Well he can't stay by himself. So if you'd come over . . . Oh, thank you so much! And — " Normalade began panting again. "We'll just leave the back door open and go now, okay? Thanks!"

      She hung up and turned to Lucy defiantly. "She's coming, okay? Let's go!"

      Before they left, Lucy looked up the number of her mother's old doctor, Dr. Swerengen, and called his service to tell them they were coming. Then she helped Normalade into the pickup, started it up, and headed out, hell-for-leather through the desert.

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