Clay had come back to the patrol car and dropped into his seat across
from the young husband. "Got a name picked out for the baby?" he
asked.
Haverstraw's face lighted. "Oh, yes," he exclaimed. "If it's a boy,
we're going to call him Harmon Pierce Haverstraw. That was my
grandfather's name. And if she's a girl, it's going to be Caroline May
after Ellen's mother and grandmother."
The intercom came to life. "Anyone up there?" Kelly's voice asked.
Before they could answer, the wail of a baby sounded over the system.
Haverstraw yelled.
"Congratulations, Mr. Haverstraw," Kelly said, "you've got a
fine-looking son."
"Hey," the happy young father yelped, "hey, how about that? I've got a
son." He pounded the two grinning troopers on the back. Suddenly he
froze. "What about Ellen? How's Ellen?" he called out.
"She's just fine," Kelly replied. "We'll let you in here in a couple
of minutes but we've got to get us gals and your new son looking
pretty for papa. Just relax."
Haverstraw sank down onto the jump seat with a happy dazed look on his
face.
Ben smiled and reached for the radio. "I guess our newest citizen
deserves a ride in style," he said. "We're going to have to transfer
Mrs. Haverstraw and er, oh yes, Master Harmon Pierce to an ambulance
and then to a hospital now, George. You have any preference on where
they go?"
"Gosh, no," the man replied. "I guess the closest one to wherever we
are." He paused thoughtfully. "Just where are we? I've lost all sense
of distance or time or anything else."
Ben looked at the radiodometer. "We're just about due south of
Indianapolis. How would that be?"
"Oh, that's fine," Haverstraw replied.
"You can come back now, Mr. Haverstraw," Kelly called out. Haverstraw
jumped up. Clay got up with him. "Come on, papa," he grinned, "I'll
show you the way."
Ben smiled and then called into Indianapolis Control for an ambulance.
"Ambulance on the way," Control replied. "Don't you need a wrecker,
too, Five Six?"
Ben grinned. "Not this time. We didn't lose one. We gained one."
He got up and went back to have a look at Harmon Pierce Haverstraw,
age five minutes, temporary address, North American Continental
Thruway 26-West, Mile Marker 632.
Fifteen minutes later, mother and baby were in the ambulance heading
north to the hospital. Haverstraw, calmed down with a sedative
administered by Kelly, had nearly wrung their hands off in gratitude
as he said good-by.
"I'll mail you all cigars when I get home," he shouted as he waved and
climbed into his car.
Beulah's trio watched the new father ease carefully into the traffic
as the ambulance headed down the police-way. Haverstraw would have to
cut over to the next exchange and then go north to Indianapolis. He'd
arrive later than his family. This time, he was the very picture of
careful driving and caution as he threaded his way across the green.
"I wonder if he knows what brand of cigars I smoke?" Kelly mused.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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