Page 96 of The English Queen

Bruno knew something was up. “Baby, we can go to the hospital—”

“The boys—”

“Mummy, we can call daddy from hospital,” Winston sounded very responsible.

“No, no, sweetheart, I’m fine. It’s nothing. Who knows.” Rita groaned through another contraction.

They reached home and Rita waddled through the front door, looking at her watch. 16:45. 15 minutes. She could wait 15 minutes. She was in too much pain to sit.

Rita sent her boys upstairs to pack and said to Bruno, “Phone Ravi’s service. Page him. Tell him we are coming in as soon as the boys are with their dad.”

Bruno nodded. He had an expression of excitement and concern. Rita paced and got a text from Richard, “Running a bit late.”

“Fuuuuuck,” Rita let out after feeling something run down her leg.

“What? “I’m on hold.”

“My waters broke, I think. And now Richard is running late.”

“We can pack the boys in the car and race off to hospital,” Bruno said.

“We’ll have to,” Rita agreed.

“Hello, yes. Sorry. Long time no see,” Bruno joked nervously. “Well, we just got home and Rita’s having bad contractions. She thinks her waters have broken. Baby, how close are they?”

“I don’t know. I was trying to survive,” Rita choked out.

“She isn’t aware. They are close. Not much room to breathe.”

Bruno looked surprised, “Okay, I will do my best. We’ll race.”

Rita let out a shrill scream and Bruno checked his watch, “They’re back-to-back. That was what… three minutes? She can’t recover.”

He listened for a moment, “Well fuck. I will call.”

Bruno hung up and walked to his wife, concerned. His voice was calm, but his words were not.

“I am calling 999. Ravi thinks you’re in transition. He reached home in Marylebone and is about to head over. Said to call the emergency instead transporting you.”

“Fuck, fuck,” Rita groaned.

Those were not the words a woman in labour wanted to hear. To make matters worse, Sabine and Malcolm arrived home to find Bruno on the phone with the ambulance service. Bruno explained the situation to yet another group of people as Rita screamed through another contraction, bracing on the back of a couch. By this point, the boys returned from their packing. Any hope of contacting Richard flew out the window.

“You know I delivered Niall at Holyrood. So, this is fine. I was fine. And your father was terribly drunk. All we had was the palace doctor. Your father was out on your uncle’s stag and barely made it. Your Gran helped deliver him. It was fine. You can do it.”

Rita couldn’t concentrate on her mother’s words. She was too wrapped up in her own pain to focus. “Daddy, please, can you take the boys out. I am terrified I will frighten them.”

Gerry and Winston argued, and Ravi’s voice rang out. “Where’s the ambulance?”

Bruno said something in Spanish.

“Bruno, darling, English. Ravi, they aren’t here yet.”

“Fine, okay,” Ravi seemed calm. “Well, here it goes. Boys, I need a pillow, towels and for you to get me some hot water, okay? Can you help?”

“I’ll grab the towels! And a pillow.” Gerry said. “You bring the water.”

Winston looked paralysed in fear.

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