“How did you know it was a girl?” I said.

“Oh, everybody knows about Layla, son, everybody knows.”

Standing there holding my billfold, I watched Charles slowly pull away and I couldn’t help but wonder what in the hell was going on here.

Catching up to Maggie and Dr. Todd, I couldn’t wait to tell her what had just happened with Charles, but Maggie was already in deep conversation with Jonathan.

“So, Jonathan, how long have you been on staff here?” Maggie said.

“About four years. And you’re a registered nurse, right?” he said.

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Oh, Dr. Henderson told me. When I did my residency here, he was on staff.”

“And how did your uncle come to know Mama Vermillion?” Maggie asked.

“Oh,” Jonathan laughed. “I have six brothers and sisters and we were all brought into this world by Mama.”

Maggie lifted her head and looked at me and smiled.

With Dr. Todd’s help, we got express service through the emergency room and within 15 minutes we had arrived at the nurses’ station on the third floor.

“Head Nurse Blake, please?” Dr. Todd said, and in less than a minute Nurse Blake appeared.