Page:Bad Girl (1929).pdf/181

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Quite unconsciously Edna addressed Eddie. He seemed to be the one that needed reassurance.

Edna fetched the hot-water bottle, and Dot took it under the covers with her. She lay very quietly for an hour while the others sat and talked to her. Gradually the chill passed. Dot felt quite all right again. She got up and began to hem diapers. The baby moved about with swift little flail-like motions of what Dr. Stewart had assured her was his arms and legs.

Everything was all right again, but there had been a pain that had come with the chill, a strange pain that had felt to Dot as though the baby were breaking away from her. She knew now that it had probably been half imagination and half plain, ordinary cramp. It had been a terrible moment.

And now as the days passed there came talk of vacations, Eddie's vacation that filled her with joy, and Dr. Stewart's that filled her with horror. Eddie was to have his the last week in June and the first in July. Dr. Stewart's happened to be at the same time, only his extended another week into July. It seemed that he hadn't had a rest in three years and was now able to take one. He had been arranging his cases for six months in a manner that would make the trip possible. Dot wouldn't need him before the end of July, he felt sure. He was going to Denver to see his mother. Dot mustn't worry. She was going to be fine. In the meanwhile, she was to go twice to see Dr. Simons, a colleague of Dr. Stewart's. Dr. Simons would examine her and telegraph to Denver in case there were unexpected developments. Dot took Dr. Simons' address and telephone number. She realized that Dr. Simons was doing a favor for her doctor and that was why she had to go to his office. Dr. Simons had to be saved the tiresome trip uptown.

Dr. Stewart would be in to see her once more before