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"Bitsy, tie and cut the cord, get theher uterus," I order, grabbing the infant I wipe the inside of its mouth with the corner of my work shirt and commence to breathe for it Come on, baby Come on There’s no response, and part of me knows there won’t be The baby is cold, and theanyway Puff Puff Puff I put , but I can’t stop

"Miss Patience?" That’s Bitsy, standing besideis useless Evenapprentice sees that And I hope she seeson a straight razor: life on one side, death on the other

"My baby My baby!" The ain Outside there’s commotion, and minutes later Mrs Potts hobbles in with her cane, followed by a thin man dressed in coveralls who I presu on the side of the bed with his dead baby "What have you done?" He whirls to Mrs Potts "What has she done?"

Mrs Mintz raises one pale hand "Ernest," she says weakly "Ernie" He’s not listening

I try once more Puff Puff Puff Co

"It’s okay, honey," the old one Give it here" She wraps the limp female infant in a blanket and hands it to thea dead baby to the irl has gone back to Jesus Sing her a song"

Gladys looks at Mrs Potts with big tear-filled eyes but does what she says "Swing low," she begins weakly, "sweet chariot Comin’ for to carry me home"

"Swing loeet chariot," Bitsy joins in as she delivers the afterbirth all by herself It lies in a pool of red on a white towel, covered with oo

"Get me a bowl, Ernest, and a pot of ater We’ll need soid, stalks out of the rooot here, Mrs Potts I didn’t do anything to it, I swear! When Bitsy and I ca on the floor, already holding the baby I did my best I did what I could" We all stare at the pool of water and blood in the ht, honey You can tell by the cord the baby was in trouble" She shows us the twisted rope of flesh with a true knot and three dark purple clots So the cause of the infant’s death

When Mr Mintz comes back and sits next to his wife, the old midwife shows him the unusual cord "See this, Ernest," she instructs "It’s a true knot Your little girl i around in the wo anything bad about this neife These things happen, and it wasn’t anyone’s fault"

Mintz shoots me a hostile look, then turns his attention to his wife "I’ back her red hair and stroking her face "If we’d only had the money, I would have carried you to the hospital"

Mrs Potts interrupts, "Now, Ernest, don’t you go bla yourself, neither I already told you The baby’s tiood earth Soet ninethose doctors at the hospital could have done I can tell by looking this baby’s been gone for two days The good Lord giveth, and the good Lord taketh away Your job is to take care of your woman Make her life easy until her heart mends"