Page 102 of Christmas for the Village Midwife
‘Good girl. Let me know when there’s another one.’
‘Oh, you’ll bloody know all right! Sorry, Vicar…’
‘I’m not a bit offended,’ he said mildly. ‘Quite understandable in the circumstances.’
Zoe nodded in thanks as Emilia handed her a glass of water with a straw. She held it up for Georgia to drink. Georgia pushed it away.
‘Have a bit,’ Zoe insisted. ‘You don’t want to be dehydrated.’
‘I don’t want it.’
‘Have some,’ Brett said, and Georgia glared at him.
‘You have it if you’re so bothered!’
Brett looked so shocked that in less stressful circumstances Zoe would have burst out laughing.
‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘Things will be said and done here that might be a bit out of character. Names…’ she reminded them. ‘We still haven’t thought of a name.’
‘How about Sod Off?’ Georgia shot back, and this time Zoe did laugh.
‘Will that be Sod Off as two words or one? What about a middle name?’
Georgia’s only reply was to let out another howl.
Zoe grabbed a towel to mop her brow. ‘Another one?’ she asked.
Georgia nodded, and Zoe glanced at Emilia.
‘Do you want to examine her again?’ Emilia asked.
‘I think we’re getting close. I could do with checking.’
Emilia went to get the sheet, leaving the vicar to scurry away again. At that same moment, there was a rap on the doors of the church that echoed around the space. One of the church helpers rushed to see who was there.
‘Don’t leave the doors open for long!’ Zoe shouted.
‘It’s nice,’ Georgia said. ‘I like…I’m boiling.’
‘I know. Brett, could you…?’
At Zoe’s bidding, he grabbed the damp cloth and mopped Georgia’s face.
Despite having done this many times before, Zoe was relieved at the prospect of the ambulance arriving. She could deliver Georgia’s baby, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be glad of some proper equipment to help things along. A heart monitor, blood pressure monitor, maybe some painkillers…all of it would help to make her job easier and to make Georgia more comfortable. Not to mention the reassurance it would give to Brett and everyone else in the church. Perhaps they had unshakeable faith in Zoe, but she realised she was just one person when many births – in hospital at least – had a team in attendance.
She wasn’t watching the doors as they opened, her attention wholly on Georgia, but had to do a double take when she heard Victor’s voice and turned to see him come in with Billie.
‘What the hell…?’ Alex leaped up from the seat where Zoe had asked him to wait and hurried over. ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked Billie. ‘How did you get here? I told you to stay home!’
‘I know, but I wanted to come.’
‘Don’t blame her,’ Victor said. ‘I offered to bring her down.’
Alex looked as if he wanted to have a sharp word with Victor but then seemed to swallow it back. ‘How the hell did you manage that?’
‘Farm vehicles’ll get through most anything. Leon told me he’d brought you and Zoe down. Corrine and me went to see if Billie wanted to come and sit with us while you were missing, but she wanted to come here to see if she could help. Said I could sort it. It’s Christmas, after all – she doesn’t want to be sitting all on her own in that house not knowing what time you might be back.’
‘I appreciate it,’ Alex said, sounding as if he didn’t really appreciate it one bit. He turned to Billie. ‘There’s not a lot you can do here, though. We’re all just sitting around waiting – it’s Zoe and Brett doing most of the work.’
