The Two-Family House(19)

“We couldn’t even if we wanted to. There’s a foot of snow on the ground here, and it’s coming down fast. How’s it up there?”

“Not too bad,” she lied. “I haven’t been outside.”

“We’re not going to be able to get out of here until tomorrow morning. What should I tell Mort?”

“Don’t tell him anything. I don’t want Rose to get upset with me. Hopefully nothing will happen.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Me? I’m fine.” That was her second lie. The truth was she had been feeling strange all afternoon. She hadn’t been able to tolerate any food all day.

“All right. We’ll leave first thing in the morning, as early as we can.”

“Drive slowly.”

“I will.”

She was getting dinner ready when Mimi and Dinah knocked.

“Mommy has a stomachache,” Mimi told her, “but she said you don’t need to come down. Can we have dinner with you?”

“Of course! Boys! Mimi and Dinah are here!”

Helen settled the girls at the kitchen table with some paper and crayons while she finished getting dinner ready. Miraculously, George and Joe sat down to draw with them. It was a sweet domestic scene, even if it was only borrowed for the evening. By the time they were all fed and the kitchen was clean, Helen was exhausted.

So this is what it’s like to feed six children, she thought. She looked up at the clock—it was a few minutes past seven. Helen told Harry she was putting him in charge while she went downstairs to check on Rose.

The terrified looked on Judith’s face when she opened the door brought Helen to her senses. How could she have left Judith alone like that! For heaven’s sake, the girl was only twelve years old! With new determination, Helen walked into the bedroom to confront Rose. “I’m calling the doctor now,” she said. “This has gone on long enough.”

This time Rose didn’t argue. Her hair was wild and matted against her pillow. “All right,” she said to Helen. “Call him.”





Chapter 15





ROSE


When Helen came back from the kitchen into her bedroom, Rose knew something was wrong. Helen had been on the phone for twenty minutes. It was too long. Rose pulled the blanket up to her chest as far as it would go. “What did Dr. Blauner say?”

“I didn’t speak to him,” Helen said. “He’s not on call today. They’ve been trying to reach him, but the storm knocked out the telephone service where he lives—on Long Island somewhere.” Helen looked lost, like she didn’t know where to stand in the room.

“Well, what about Dr. Lowell? Or the other one? What’s his name again?”

“None of them are at the hospital. They went home early because of the storm.”

Rose tried to slow her breathing. “Well, there are dozens of doctors there. I’m sure they’re all good. When is the ambulance coming?”

When Helen didn’t answer, Rose pushed the blankets off of her. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and headed toward the closet in the corner. Helen’s silence agitated her. “I can be ready in five minutes,” she jabbered. “My bag is already packed. Maybe Judith will come with me. You don’t mind if Mimi and Dinah stay with you tonight?”

“Rose—”

“Do you think Judith should stay with you? I guess I don’t mind going to the hospital alone. I’ll be fine. I know what to expect.”

Helen took her arm. “It’s not coming,” she said.

“What’s not coming?”

“The ambulance.” Rose knew the words that were going to come out of Helen’s mouth before they were spoken. But even after she heard them, Rose couldn’t believe them. She pulled her arm away.

“What do you mean, it’s not coming? That’s what ambulances do. If you need them, they have to come!” There was a roaring in Rose’s ears that wouldn’t stop. The air was thick and she felt a burning in her lungs.

“Rose, listen to me. More than half the ambulances are stuck on the roads. The snow is coming down too fast. The drifts are three feet high because of the wind and only getting higher. They can’t get the ambulances out. They’re sending them only for absolute emergencies.”

“This is an emergency!” Rose shouted.

“They say it isn’t. No one is hurt and no one is dying. They won’t send anyone. They probably wouldn’t get here even if they tried. Rose, look at me. It’s going to be fine. You can have the baby here. People do it all the time. The nurse said there’s a midwife—”

“No! I’m not having the baby here! I won’t!” She pulled her robe tight and stormed out of the bedroom.

“Where are you going?” Helen ran into the hallway after her.

“To call a taxi. I’ll get a taxi to the hospital.”

“Rose, I tried. I swear, I tried. They’re not even answering the phones anymore. I called eight different taxi companies. No one is out on the roads.”

Rose started to cry, hot angry tears rolling down her cheeks. She let Helen lead her back to the bedroom, to the chair by the window, where she sat with her head in her hands. Her heart was beating too fast and her frustration turned into a raging wail. “How could this happen? This can’t be happening!” Judith came in then, panicked from her mother’s screams. “What’s wrong? Aunt Helen, what’s wrong with her?”