Sam laughed. ‘And your mobile number, obviously. And Owen’s. I’m not worried I won’t be able to contact you, Ness.’
Her sister appeared not to have heard. ‘I’ll let you know the room number when we get there. It’s only Birmingham, not far. I can always come back if you need me.’
‘Relax,’ Sam said, wincing as a particularly vigorous kick landed against her ribcage. ‘I’ve still got six weeks to go, and this baby is having far too much fun kicking me to make an appearance. Go and have some fun.’
Nessie nodded slowly. ‘Kathryn is next door, taking care of Luke, and, of course, Gabe will be here.’ She paused and gave Sam a meaningful look. ‘Don’t do anything without me.’
‘You’re my birthing partner,’ Sam said with a grin. ‘I’ve got no idea what to do without you.’
Owen poked his head around the door of the Star and Sixpence. ‘We should really get going if we want to beat the Friday-night traffic, Nessie.’
‘Okay,’ Nessie said, taking a deep breath. ‘Okay, you’re going to be fine. I’m going to be fine. We’re all going to be fine.’
‘Go!’ Sam said, giving her a little push towards the door. ‘See you tomorrow.’
Together with Gabe, Sam followed Nessie outside and waved as she and Owen got into their car. Once the Land Rover had vanished around the curve of the village green, Sam let out a long sigh. ‘I thought she was never going to leave.’
‘She worries about you,’ Gabe said. ‘We all do.’
It wasn’t anything he hadn’t told her before, but the words still sent a tiny thrill through Sam. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘You all worry too much. I’m fine.’ She gasped as the baby kicked again and Gabe raised his eyebrows. ‘Well, mostly fine,’ she said, in response to his unspoken disagreement.
‘What shall I cook you this evening?’ he asked, as they crossed the bar. ‘Pickled gherkins with bananas again?’
Sam grinned. She’d prided herself on having the most mundane pregnancy ever, but the weird food cravings had really started to kick in now that she was well into her third trimester. Gabe had taken her peculiar requests in his stride and Sam thought he was even enjoying the challenge. ‘Ham and pineapple pizza,’ she said, licking her lips at the thought. ‘But not made by you – yours is far too healthy. I’ll order one from Domino’s, thank you.’
Gabe raised his hands in despair. ‘She has a world-class chef at her disposal and all she wants is Domino’s.’
Seated at the bar, Ruby caught Sam’s eye and winked. ‘Ah, but sometimes quick and dirty is just what a lady wants. Isn’t that right, Sam?’
Gabe flicked an amused glance between the two of them and shook his head. ‘Quick and dirty. Got it.’
Unable to stop herself from blushing, Sam made for the stairs. ‘Sometimes, Gabe. Sometimes that’s exactly what we want.’
*
When Sam awoke in the night, cold and distinctly damp, she thought for one horrific moment that she’d wet the bed. A sense of incredulity washed over her; she was pretty sure she hadn’t done that since she was a toddler. But there was no escaping the fact that both her pyjamas and the sheets were uncomfortably wet; they’d need to be changed if she was going to get any more sleep.
Groaning, Sam swung her legs over the side of the bed and got slowly to her feet. She was halfway across the room when the contraction hit, gripping her sides and squeezing as though she’d been caught in an invisible vice.
‘Ow!’ she gasped, reaching for the end of the bed to support herself. ‘Shit, shit, shit. Ow!’
Once the wave had passed, Sam stood still for a moment and tried to get her head around what was happening. It couldn’t be a real contraction, she thought in panic; she wasn’t due for at least six more weeks. The baby hadn’t been anywhere near in the right place during her last midwife check-up. And that wet patch in the bed couldn’t possibly be her waters breaking . . . could it?
Nessie was going to kill her, Sam thought, closing her eyes. And then an altogether more embarrassing realisation occurred to her. She was going to have to tell Gabe what had happened and maybe even ask him to drive her to the hospital.
Shuffling towards the chest of drawers, she wriggled out of her wet pyjama bottoms and thought hopefully of the shower across the landing. Did she have time to sneak in there before she woke Gabe? Perhaps if she was quick . . .
Her body had other ideas. The next contraction was so strong that she had to grasp the chest of drawers for support.
When the pain had stopped, Sam abandoned all pretence at dignity and lifted her head to shout. ‘Gabe? Gabe! Wake up!’
He burst through the door, a barking Bucky at his heels, and looked wildly around before hurrying to her side. ‘What is it? What’s wrong?’
‘My waters have broken,’ she said, and watched as his face paled in comprehension. ‘I think the baby is coming.’
To his credit, he didn’t panic. ‘But it’s too early.’
‘Tell me about it,’ Sam ground out. She puffed out a short, unsteady breath as Bucky sniffed at her ankles. ‘All the same, something is definitely happening here.’
He eyed her sweat-beaded forehead and nodded. ‘Any contractions yet? We should check how far apart they are – the hospital will ask.’
She stared at him. ‘Yes! But how do you—?’
He offered a lopsided grin. ‘I have a big extended family. My cousins are always having babies – I know roughly what happens. Do you want me to call Nessie?’
Another contraction began, causing Sam to swear and grip his hand tightly. ‘I think you’d better call the hospital first. They might not want me to go in yet,’ she managed.
Gabe looked askance but did as Sam asked. She panted her way through the pain, listening as he explained the situation to the person on the other end of the phone. And then he covered the handset and looked at Sam. ‘They want you to go in.’
It was all she could do to nod.
‘What about Nessie?’ Gabe asked again, once he’d hung up. ‘Shall I call her?’
There wasn’t anyone she wanted to see more. But Nessie and Owen were away for a rare romantic mini-break and Sam was reluctant to summon her sister until she knew she wasn’t being fooled by Braxton Hicks contractions. ‘No, not yet. I don’t want to wake her unless we absolutely have to.’
Gabe’s eyes were steady on hers. ‘As you wish. Let’s get you downstairs.’
Slowly, watched by a whining Bucky, they made their way one step at a time down the stairs and into the darkened bar. They reached the door of the pub before Sam remembered her hospital bag, which Nessie had insisted on packing and leaving in the living room. Gabe dashed upstairs to retrieve it, then brought his car to the front of the pub and eased Sam into the passenger seat.
‘Just try to hold on until we get to the hospital,’ he said, as Sam gasped her way through another contraction. ‘I’m not sure I could cope with delivering a baby by the side of the road!’
It seemed to Sam that the journey took forever, even though she was well aware that Gabe was taking the deserted country roads much faster than the speed limit dictated. When the lights of the hospital finally loomed, she didn’t try to hide her sob of relief. She had no idea how often the contractions were coming, but it felt as though the next one began as soon as the previous wave ebbed away.
‘Almost there,’ Gabe said, braking sharply to turn into the car park. ‘Keep breathing.’
‘I am breathing,’ Sam snapped, her fingers gripping the door handle so hard her knuckles turned white. ‘Just drive the bloody car.’
There was an ambulance parked outside the entrance to the hospital. Gabe pulled to an untidy stop behind it and leapt out to run around to the passenger door. He yanked it open and crouched at Sam’s side. ‘Can you walk?’
Blowing her hair from her sweaty forehead, Sam considered the question. ‘I . . . I think so . . .’
But at that moment, one of the paramedics materialised next to Gabe with a wheelchair. ‘Ne
ed any help?’ she asked.
Gratitude whooshed over Sam; the truth was, she wasn’t at all sure she could walk, but there hadn’t seemed to be much of an alternative, until now.
‘Yes,’ she said, before Gabe could send the paramedic away. ‘Oh god, yes.’
The green-clad woman laughed. ‘No problem. Let’s get you inside so the midwives can check you over.’
Everything seemed to happen very fast after that. There were lots of questions and tests; Sam was tucked into a white-sheeted bed and hooked up to a monitor so the nurses could keep an eye on the baby’s heart rate. And, throughout it all, Gabe didn’t leave her side. For the most part, Sam was grateful he was there; despite the cool, matter-of-fact attitude of the hospital staff, her heart was thudding with the terrible fear that there was something wrong, that the baby would be born too early. The warmth of Gabe’s hand in hers calmed the panic that threatened to overwhelm her and reminded her she wasn’t alone, although she couldn’t help cringing as she wondered what he must be thinking; she was still his employer, after all. But that didn’t seem to matter.
‘I think it’s safe to say you’re in labour,’ a midwife called Nina told her after a thorough check-up. ‘You’re six centimetres dilated already, which means the baby is well on the way. But the good news is there’s no sign of infection and the heartbeat is strong and steady.’
‘But I’ve still got six weeks to go,’ Sam said, feeling her eyes fill with hot tears. ‘It’s too soon.’
Nina smiled. ‘It’s definitely an early appearance. But babies are usually born between 36 and 38 weeks anyway, so he or she isn’t that premature. And those born after 34 weeks don’t usually need much special care, providing there are no complications.’
Sam opened her mouth to ask what the complications might be, but another contraction began and she pressed her lips together instead.
Nina kept a practised eye on the monitor as she jotted some notes on Sam’s file. When the contraction had passed, she gave Sam a sympathetic look. ‘Have you given any thought to the kind of pain relief you might like?’
‘Not really,’ Sam replied, her mind a blank as she tried to remember the options she and Nessie had discussed. ‘I thought I had plenty of time to decide.’
‘You’re too far along for some things,’ Nina said. ‘Why don’t I go and see what your options are, and then you can decide what’s best for you?’
Once she’d disappeared along the corridor, Gabe fixed Sam with a determined look. ‘Six centimetres, Sam. I think it’s time to call Nessie.’
She couldn’t argue; her sister would be very unhappy if they didn’t call her. And if Sam was completely honest, she’d feel better for having Nessie beside her.
‘And,’ Gabe said, his voice even more uncompromising, ‘Joss should know too. I don’t suppose he’ll get here in time, at the rate things are progressing, but he has a right to know what’s happening at least.’
Once again, Sam decided not to argue. How could she when Gabe was right? ‘Okay,’ she said wearily. ‘His number is in my phone.’
He waited until Nina had returned before heading outside to make the calls. Sam watched him leave, overcome once more by a mixture of embarrassment and gratitude. He’d done everything she asked and more, she acknowledged with an uncomfortable shudder, fulfilling a role that was definitely above and beyond his responsibilities as an employee. But he’d been more than an employee almost from the start. And even though things hadn’t worked out romantically between them, she was proud and thankful to count him as something altogether more valuable than an employee or a fling; he was her friend.
Gabe arrived back at Sam’s side just as Nina was showing her how to use the gas and air mask.
Sam paused, the mask just inches from her face. ‘Did you get through?’
He nodded. ‘Nessie and Owen are on their way. I’ve left a message for Joss.’
Too late, Sam thought to wonder what he would make of hearing Gabe’s voice telling him the baby was on its way. Would he understand that events had moved too fast for any of them to control? And then a contraction forced the question out of her head; she jammed the mask over her mouth and breathed in the heady mixture.
The next thing she knew, her head was against the pillow and a jumble of concerned faces were staring down at her. ‘What happened?’ she mumbled, her tongue thick in her mouth.
‘You passed out,’ Gabe said. His features swam into focus and Sam saw he was grinning. ‘Again.’
‘A little too much gas and air,’ Nina said in a kind tone. ‘Try not to breathe so deeply next time.’
The gas definitely helped to dull the contractions, Sam thought as time went by; she could still feel the relentless squeeze of her muscles and the ever-increasing ache deep inside her that somehow managed to push and pull at the same time.
‘Don’t leave me,’ she gasped at Gabe during one wave of agony that seemed to last forever. ‘I can’t do this on my own.’
He smiled and held her fingers almost as firmly as she grasped his. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll stay as long as you need me.’
In the end, Nessie arrived just before the baby. She hurried into the room, her hair wild and unbrushed, her eyes panicky. ‘How are you?’ she asked Sam, who grimaced and moaned. Nessie’s gaze transferred to Gabe. ‘How is she?’
‘She’s doing brilliantly,’ Gabe said, barely taking his eyes from Sam.
‘Not long now,’ Nina called from the bottom of the bed. ‘Keep going, Sam. Push!’
Gritting her teeth, Sam did as she was told. The effort caused her to groan.
Nessie took the hand that was tangled in the rumpled sheets and wrapped her fingers around it. ‘I’m here. You can do it.’
The pain was so intense that it was all Sam could focus on. She was only dimly aware of Gabe speaking to her; the words were lost among the waves and it took her a moment to realise he had let go of her hand. But a thin, reedy wail split the air, cutting through the fog in Sam’s mind like a siren. Almost instantly, the pain stopped. Blearily, she looked at Nina, who beamed at her.
‘It’s a girl – congratulations!’
Dazed, Sam stared at the impossibly small body the midwife held. ‘Is everything . . . is she okay?’
‘Everything is fine,’ Nina reassured her. ‘Small but perfectly formed. And as you can hear, there’s nothing wrong with her lungs – she’s breathing all on her own!’
Sam sank into the damp bedsheets, relief washing over her like a flood. ‘Oh, thank god for that.’
Beside her, Nessie’s cheeks were wet as she smiled down at her. ‘Bloody well done, Sam. She’s gorgeous.’
Sam allowed her eyes to drift shut for a moment. She’d done it – she’d actually done it.
‘Here,’ Nina said, after a few more minutes had ticked by. ‘You can hold her now.’
The midwife placed the tiny bundle of white sheets and mottled pinky-blue skin into Sam’s arms. Sam gazed down at her daughter, utterly transfixed, for what felt like hours, then looked into Nessie’s damp-eyed gaze. ‘She’s got my nose. Joss is going to be furious.’
Nessie shook her head. ‘He is not. He’s going to be just as delighted as the rest of us. I’m so proud of you, Sam. You did wonderfully well.’
‘I couldn’t have done it without Gabe,’ Sam said, and noticed for the first time that he was no longer in the room. ‘Where’s he gone?’
‘He said something about trying Joss again,’ Nessie said gently. ‘I’m sure he’ll be back soon.’
But Sam was finding it hard to focus on anything but her tiny baby. She stared down at her again, not quite able to take in the fact that she was here already. ‘Hello,’ she whispered. ‘You caught us a bit by surprise. But the good news is that we know your name already.’ She hesitated and glanced up at Nessie, who nodded. ‘I think we’re going to call you Frances, after a very special friend of ours.’
*
There were more tests and checks, more doctors and nurses, but eve
ntually both Sam and the baby were given a clean bill of health.
‘We’ll have to keep an eye on her,’ Nina said, as the room began to empty. ‘But as long as she continues to breathe and feed well, she shouldn’t need any special care.’
‘Good,’ Sam said, glancing across at Frances, who lay in a transparent cot, swamped by a too-large Babygro. ‘Thank you.’
‘My pleasure,’ Nina replied, smiling.
Sam opened her mouth to speak again and was surprised by a sudden yawn.
Nessie laughed, before leaning back into the chair next to the bed and yawning herself. ‘You must be shattered. Why don’t you get some rest?’
‘Oh no, I couldn’t,’ Sam said, a spike of anxiety stabbing through her. ‘What if she wakes up?’
‘Then I’ll wake you up,’ Nessie answered. ‘I’ll be here, Sam. Go to sleep.’
‘But what about Joss? What if he arrives while I’m sleeping?’
The look Nessie gave her was half-amused, half-exasperated. ‘See my previous answer.’
Sam didn’t want to give in, but she could feel her eyelids sinking even as she fought them. ‘Promise you’ll wake me up if she needs me.’
‘Of course I will,’ Nessie said. ‘Now rest.’
*
When Sam opened her eyes again, it was Joss and not Nessie she saw.
‘Hello,’ he said softly, leaning forward in the chair. ‘I see you’ve been busy.’
Sam’s gaze flickered sideways to the cot; the baby’s outfit had been changed to one that no longer swamped her tiny frame. Someone had been shopping while she slept. ‘I have. Sorry.’
He laughed, an incredulous, delighted sound. ‘Bloody hell, Sam, don’t apologise. It’s me who should be saying sorry to you – I wasn’t there when you needed me.’
A frown creased Sam’s forehead then, because although she wished Joss had been there to see his daughter born, the truth was she hadn’t needed him at all. They’d both been well looked after by Gabe. ‘How long have you been here?’
‘About an hour,’ he replied, then hesitated. ‘Gabe came and picked me up.’
Sam blinked at him, wondering if she’d misheard. ‘Who did?’
Last Words at the Star and Sixpence Page 8
