Pietro and Valencia, Part eleven

Estrella had warned Pietro and Valencia to drive very slowly.   There was no road and the ground was very bumpy, boulders and trees had to be carefully driven around.  They had to look at everything so they would not miss the markers Estsrella had mapped out for them.  If they got lost they would not have enough food or water to finish the trip to Talico and they might wander forever in the desert.
Valencia wasn't feeling very well, her belly ached, but she did not want to worry Pietro so she kept her pain to herself.  She hoped it did not mean anything was wrong with the baby.
Pietro's eyes were gritty with dust and pinched from staring into the morning sun.  He glanced at Valencia and saw that her hand holding the map was clenched.  Frowning he asked her what was wrong.  "Valencia, are you alright?  Don't worry, we'll make it to Talico, God is on our side."
Valencia looked up at Pietro.  "Yes, my love, but ...." .  Valencia grimaced as a new and stronger pain washed over her.  "AH!  Pietro stop the jeep."  Pietro pushed down on the brake pedal and the jeep jerked to a stop.
"Valencia, what is it?  What's wrong?  What's happening?  Is it the bambino?"  Valencia wasn't answering, she was bent over gripping her stomach.  Sweat beaded on her forehead.  Uninteligible sounds came from her throat.  Pietro helped Valencia out of the jeep and grabbed a blanket and spread it out for her to lay on.
"Pietro, something is wrong!"  Valencia cried.  She was getting more scared as each moment passed and the pain worsened.
"What can I do?"  Pietro asked desperation in his voice.
"I don't know, I don't know what is wrong!"  Valencia was writhing on the blanket clutching her belly.  Pietro took Valencia's hand in his, if nothing else he would try to calm her.  "Listen, my love, I am here with you.  Squeeze my hand, maybe it will help you bear the pain."
Valencia looked into Pietro's eyes, she saw his love and also the fear in them.  She tried her best to stop writhing and focus on breathing, in and out, slowly and deeply.  She was a strong girl, she could make it through this, whatever it was.
Pietro watched her.  He was very worried, but he didn't know what he could do.
Some time later, neither knew how much time had passed since the pains began, but Valencia's pain was lessening.  The cramps were not as intense.  But Valencia knew something had changed, she could feel wetness between her legs. "Pietro, look away! Now, please!"  She begged.  She did not want him to see the blood she knew must be flowing out of her body.  She rolled off of the blanket and raising her dress, looked down where she felt the wetness coming from.  There was blood on her thighs and she could see the dark red seeping onto the dusty ground.  Tears formed in her eyes.  She knew what this meant, she had lost the baby.
"Valencia, What is going on?  When I can turn around?  Let me help you!"  Pietro could hear Valencia crying.
"Pietro, I... I think I have lost our baby!  Get one of the towels from the jeep, and some water.  And don't look at me!"  Valencia lowered her dress and covered her bloody thighs.  Pietro handed her the canteen of water and the towel and Valencia tore the towel into strips.  She cleaned her body and put one of the strips folded up between her legs like a pad.  She did not know how long the bleeding would last.  "You can look now, Pietro.  Help me up."  Pietro turned and stretched out his hand helping Valencia rise to her feet.  He jerked when Valencia swayed, and his arms both went around her protectively.
"I am alright, Pietro, just weak maybe.  Dig a hole so we can bury these bloody rags, and our....our baby.   I .... I will be okay, I think."  Valencia leaned on the jeep and watched as Pietro dug the hole and completed the task.  She said a prayer for the tiny lumps of clotted blood that had been and was no more their child. The baby had not been baptized, would God understand and accept the innocent bab into heaven?  Valencia hoped so.  She made the sign of the cross.  Pietro held her hand and kneeled in the dirt, his head hanging low on his chest.  "God, please take care of our little one for us...."  Pietro's voice broke.  He could say no more.  He helped Valencia into the jeep and got behind the wheel.
"What now?  What do we do now?"  He asked softly.
"We go on Pietro.  There is nothing else we can do."  Valencia was pale and her belly still hurt.  Not the sharp pains as before, but a deep aching.  She didn't know if the pain was real or because she was sad about the bambino.  It didn't matter, she hurt.  But she knew they must go on.  Looking up toward the burning sun she knew it was past noon already, they must go on, this had cost them time they could not afford to lose.  And, their baby.  Valencia cried softly as Pietro studied the map and began driving again.  He too felt the loss, not physically, like Valencia, but in his heart.  His child.  Their child was no more.  They had not even given the bambino a name, or known if it was a boy or a girl.  Pietro vowed that the Coyote would not take anything else from them.  His hatred grew as Valencia's tears fell.  They did not talk for a long time.  Neither knew what to say.