Motherhood Is Murder

another onslaught.

Celia punched at my face screaming, ?You?re damn right I killed her. She was backing out. First she wanted Evelyn?s baby then she didn?t.?

Evelyn!

She punched at me again, this time landing a blow to the side of my head.

My vision blurred.

?After all I went through to get things arranged for her,? Celia spat. ?Then she falls in love with that stupid foot doc?wants his kids instead. And what? I?m supposed to be left high and dry? No. Plenty of buyers for that baby. And like I?m going to let her turn me in??

She pushed at me. I blocked her.

I heard a voice coming from the birth room.

I had to get to Evelyn. The woman in Miami had not lived to hold her baby. And now Evelyn and her baby?s life were on the line.

Celia seemed to momentarily retreat, I struggled to my feet, looking down the hall for Evelyn. When I glanced back at Celia she was clutching the patches in her hand.

Blood streamed from her nose and her smirk both sickened and frightened me.

My eyes locked on the patches, my vision suddenly clear. She peeled one off and dangled it in front of me. ?Helene was so addicted to cigarettes I knew she?d use the patches I gave her.? She laughed. ?Especially when I told her a proper mother couldn?t smoke. She?d have done anything to be a good mom even if it meant stealing the kid.?

Celia advanced on me, I stepped back.

?I never dreamed she?d use the patches on the night of the cruise. How perfect is that? With me nowhere near her.? Her lips curled and she lunged at me. ?But then you??

I thrust my elbow out using her own momentum against her. She cried out as my elbow connected with her broken nose. She fell to her knees. A moan came from the birthing room. I ran down the passage way. Evelyn was lying on a bed in the birthing room, her head rolling from side to side, a ridiculous smile on her face.

?I?m so high,? she said.

The first effects of fentanyl were like drinking a couple glasses of wine. Helene had seemed so drunk on the cruise; now I realized it had been the drug.

I rushed to Evelyn, but before I could reach her, Celia rammed her shoulder into my back. I stumbled and fell.

?You?re going to die!? she said through her teeth. ?You meddling??

I got to my feet and used my position below her as leverage and head-butted her in the chin with as much force as I could muster.

Fortunately, I have a very hard head.

Hers snapped back and she lost her balance. She stumbled and fell. I heard the door to the center open and Kenny called out.

?Help!? I screamed as I dove toward Evelyn.

?Whoa, whoa,? Evelyn kept repeating.

I pulled three patches off her arm.

How much had she absorbed already?

Kenny flew into the room and stopped short, his eyes bulging out of his head.

Poor kid, only seventeen. What did I expect?

Celia let out an ear-piercing scream and attacked me with new fury. Kenny pulled her off me and shoved her to the ground.

Sirens reverberated from down the block. Kenny and I tried to restrain Celia until the EMTs burst through the doors.

?In the back!? I screamed.

Kenny and I were trying to hold Celia down but she was punching and kicking at us with fury. We scrambled out of the way as one EMT grabbed and restrained her. The other EMT ran to Evelyn?s side.

I rushed to the EMT by Evelyn. ?She?s in labor and she?s been given fentanyl. This woman??I pointed at Celia??was trying to poison her and take her baby.?

The EMT frowned, looking at me like I was crazy. He pulled out a stethoscope and placed it on Evelyn?s chest.

?You have to get her to the hospital!? I cried.

The EMT continued to evaluate Evelyn.

I felt Kenny?s hands on my arms. ?Everything will be okay now, Kate.?

?They have to pump her stomach!? I screamed.

?She?s in active labor,? the EMT said to his partner.

I glanced over to the EMT holding Celia. She?d composed herself in their presence, her face a cold hard