Page 112 of A Helpin g Hand for the Village Nurse

‘I can see the head…’

‘What?’ Heath yelped. ‘Should I get Stacey?’

‘No time,’ Ottilie said with more composure than she felt. For the first time in her nursing career, she looked at a patient and wondered if she was up to the job. She’d never assisted an emergency birth before. They were in a house with no proper equipment and no medics apart from her. Whatever happened next, it was all on her, and the notion momentarily terrified her.

She reached out and gently cradled the top of the baby’s head. It was warm and slippery, and she was going to struggle to keep a grip, but they were all Chloe had, so she had to step up to the plate; she had to be good enough.

‘OK, Chloe,’ she said, ‘if you need to bear down then go for it. Remember to pant, try to take it steady – you don’t want to tear.’

‘Shut up!’ Chloe wailed, gripping on to Heath’s hand so hard that it went white.

The head emerged, and as soon as Ottilie had it in her hand, the rest of Baby followed. There was a charged silence as Chloe slumped onto the bed.

‘Hand me the towels,’ Ottilie commanded.

Heath passed them over and Ottilie wrapped the tiny figure up.

‘Aren’t they supposed to cry?’ he asked, and Ottilie suddenly realised what was missing from this scene. She rubbed the towel vigorously over the little body and held her breath.

And then a second later, the cry rang through the air and she let out a sigh.

‘Yes,’ she said, smiling up at Heath. ‘Just like that.’

‘What did I get?’ Chloe asked.

Ottilie placed the baby onto her chest, skin to skin, tears in her eyes. ‘A little boy.’

‘How much does he weigh?’

‘Haven’t the foggiest,’ Ottilie said, laughing through her tears. ‘I can’t say getting the bathroom scales ready was top of my list of priorities.’

Heath stared at Ottilie, and then at the baby, and then back at Ottilie. ‘That might be the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.’

‘Is he all right?’ Chloe asked. ‘Is everything there?’

‘I expect the paramedics will check properly when they get here, but I think so,’ Ottilie said.

At that moment Stacey burst in. ‘What the…?’

‘Where the hell have you been?’ Chloe demanded.

Ottilie and Heath both laughed. It hadn’t taken long for things to get back to normal – or whatever passed for normal these days.

‘You know what’s funny that we haven’t even thought about,’ Heath said as they sat outside to give the paramedics room to examine Chloe and the baby. Ottilie was glad of the cold air on her face. She’d hardly been stinking drunk when they’d arrived but she was definitely sober now.

‘What?’

‘Chloe’s baby has just been delivered by Princess Leia.’

‘Assisted by Indiana Jones. God, we should have taken a photo – she’s going to want that one for the family album! Maybe she’ll call the baby Heath.’

‘Indy, more like.’

She blew out a long, tired breath, watching it curl into the night sky. ‘It’s at times like these I wish I smoked. I bet a cigarette is brilliant at moments like this.’

‘You’re incredible,’ he said, and when she turned to look at him he was gazing at her with something like awe on his face. ‘You were incredible in that room tonight. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve never met anyone like you. I thought you ought to know that before I lose the nerve to tell you.’

‘You were amazing yourself.’

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