The Whipping Club by Deborah Henry

keep her on the commode.”
                  “Yes, Sister.” Nurse wrapped a blanket around Marian’s shoulders.
    But as the head was crowning, Nurse moved her to the bed. The final push, and then the cry. A six-pound baby boy was born.
                  “Blood is good. Blood makes babies,” Nurse said as she wiped off the child.
                  Marian fell back, as Nurse continued to clean him up.
                  Sister Paulinas arrived later, examined Marian, and then placed some cotton swabs in her knickers.
                  “She’d do with a stitching,” Nurse recommended.
                  “She’ll be fine. I’m assigning her to nursery duty. She’ll mind the toddlers and come back up here to the newborns every four hours to express her milk.” Sister took the baby boy, inspected him, and handed him back to Nurse.
                  “I’ll be in the office.”
    Nurse placed Marian’s baby gently in her arms, whispering that she’d bring some hot sweet tea, and wiped her forehead with a washcloth.
                  “Thank you, Nurse,” Marian said, clutching her hand.
                  “Ava,” Nurse mumbled.
                  “Ava,” Marian repeated. “A lovely name.”
                  Nurse smiled her awkward smile and tried not to laugh.
                  “His name is Adrian.”
                  Nurse looked into the infant’s red, grumpy face, his tiny fist in his mouth.
                  “He’s bald.” Nurse began to laugh, but Marian interrupted her.
                  “Did you…did you mail my letter?”
                  “I’m hoping to soon.”
                  “Please.” Marian squeezed her hand again. “I don’t know how I would manage without you. Thanks for being here,” Marian whispered. “My da would have loved this little man,” she said. “And my
    fiancé, Ben Ellis, will love him, too.”
                  Nurse smiled, told her Ben Ellis was a nice name, though Sister Paulinas already told her that he graduated from Trinity. Even Nurse knew they didn’t allow Catholics at that school. And a Catholic would be damned to Hell if they ever set foot on that university.
    Sister Paulinas ranted that Ellis was no Catholic, certainly, and that he lived amongst them.
                  “You can rest assured he'll be well looked after,” Nurse said to play along. Marian seemed so hopeful with that bright smile of hers.
                  “Will you make certain?” Marian said. “Will you help him get to a good place in America, Nurse?”
                  “Only the ones who go fast get to America. And Sister Paulinas likes you, being educated and all and from a good family.”
                  “Leave us alone for awhile, would you?” Marian asked.
                  Nurse nodded and had left Marian sitting in the bed, rocking Adrian.
                  Now Nurse looked at the picture of Beth she had, and then wiped off the little bit of blood resting on her thigh. She’d bathe the babies early tonight, get everything in order. There was so much excitement to this day and she wondered if there would be more tonight. She washed up and combed her hair back, put her nurse’s cap on, studied her face in the glass. For the past year, she’d had the sense that Officer Dolan was watching her and she was starting to get the nerve to look back at him on a regular basis.
    It thrilled her that last week he had actually smiled at her before she’d blushed and turned away. It seemed she would always have a way with the men wherever she went, whatever her circumstances, she thought, and smoothed down her uniform, readied herself for her nighttime duties.
                  Much later in the evening, Nurse