by Karin Baine
‘What would I do without you?’ Izzy batted her eyelashes at him and accepted the prescribed treatment.
‘I think you’d manage pretty well,’ he muttered, refusing to get drawn back into that role of faithful servant he’d become during Janet’s pregnancy. It had hurt that much more when it had all been taken away from him, knowing she’d been taking advantage of his devotion and making a fool out of him. He wasn’t going to let that happen twice in his lifetime.
‘It was a joke, Cal. We both know I could do this without you.’ In case he’d doubted it, Izzy emphasised the fact he was dispensable and reinforced the notion that neither of them should get too comfortable about their situation.
‘Have you spoken to Mac yet?’ There was no point in being bitter about things now, so he moved them on to more practical, less emotive matters.
She’d been taking her time informing their bosses about the pregnancy, probably because she was afraid they’d ground her pretty soon. Working as ground crew overseeing hospital transfers might not be the job she’d signed up for, but there were too many health and safety risks involved professionally and personally to keep it secret for much longer.
‘Yes. He’s leaving it down to me to make the decision regarding when to take my maternity leave. Very sneaky, I thought. That way I can’t complain when I’m forced to bail out. I suppose it depends on how huge I end up too. If I’m incubating two baby elephants in here, my bulk could stop the helicopter from lifting off the ground at all.’
Mac had been smart to put the ball back in Izzy’s court because she would never jeopardise the safety of her crew over her pride. At least it was out in the open now and, bless her, her ‘normal’ clothes already seemed to be a bit snug. Her pride or denial that she was putting on weight couldn’t last for ever. Eventually she’d have to cave in and buy some maternity wear for a little comfort. It was rare for a multiple pregnancy to go to full term so there was no predicting how this one would advance or what toll it would take on her. He did know he’d be relieved when she made the decision not to go up in the air any more, for her own good and his peace of mind.
* * *
‘We’ve got a call.’ Mac sounded the alarm for the rest of the crew to get moving, everyone pulling on their flight gear as they made their way to the waiting helicopter. Izzy had that familiar rush of adrenaline that came with every call, reminding her that she had an important part to play in every one of these life-or-death calls.
‘Fifty-two-year-old woman thrown from her horse. May have sustained head and neck injuries.’ Cal repeated the details of the patient requiring their assistance.
‘We’ll need to set down somewhere close to the site. There’s an empty field next to the jumps there.’ He gave instructions to the pilot over the headset for a suitable green space to land, clear of buildings, people and anything else that could impede their arrival.
* * *
Izzy was trying to focus on the ground rushing up to meet them, estimating how long it would take them to reach those in danger. However, the noise and vibration of the chopper as they raced to the scene was beginning to affect her. Before the pregnancy all the shaking and shouting that went on prior to landing had served to heighten the thrill of hitting the ground running.
Today, though, her body was responding altogether differently to the experience. Every shudder, every drop in altitude had her stomach lurching. She didn’t know if it was a sudden and impractical bout of travel sickness or delayed morning sickness. One thing was sure, though, these babies seemed to be protesting about the current mode of transport. Unfortunate when it was also her place of work.
Izzy would never intentionally put any patient in jeopardy due to potential personal issues. She was hoping this was a one-off. If not, she was going to have to hang up her flight suit much earlier than she’d anticipated. She could hardly go running to someone’s rescue if she was going to be violently ill every time she was on a call-out.
The wind generated by the chopper blades flattened the grass around them and Izzy and Cal jumped out. She let him run on ahead in the hope he wouldn’t witness her vomit stop at the hedge and pulled the water bottle from the kit on her back to wash her mouth out. Except when she was ready to carry on he was glaring back at her. He didn’t have to say anything for her to know he wasn’t happy she was continuing to work as usual despite her discomfort. In other circumstances she might have accused him of pregnancy discrimination but given her current state she could see he had a point.
‘What? Drinking a full glass of milk before getting shaken about was never a good idea.’ She had an excuse this time but the next time he’d call her bluff. He could pull rank on her and play the doctor card to force her into co-operating. Anything more serious than some nausea and she’d put herself on bed rest. She was stubborn, but she was also a mum-to-be and she was learning what that entailed.
Cal opened his mouth to say something, probably to scold her, then took off again without saying a word towards the congregation in the adjacent field. It was almost worse having understanding colleagues trusting she knew her own body well enough to make the call when it came to cutting back on work, rather than have them making decisions on her behalf. Almost. Only because she’d have no right to rant and rave at anyone when the crew took off without her.
For now, she was making the most of still having the job she was trained to do, rushing towards someone relying on her and Cal to get them safely delivered to the nearest hospital.
He introduced himself to the gentleman kneeling on the ground next to the woman who’d apparently suffered the fall. ‘Can you tell me what happened?’
Izzy knelt on the wet grass beside them and began to unpack the medical equipment they were liable to require.
‘I found her like this. When she didn’t come home for lunch I came to look for her.’ It was clear the man was trying not to panic but he’d done the right thing by not moving her and phoning for help straight away.
‘She hasn’t gained consciousness since?’ A sign that she could have suffered a head injury from the fall or that the horse might have kicked out at her.
‘She’s made the odd moaning sound, but she hasn’t woken up.’
That was something at least. ‘How long ago did you find her?’
‘About fifteen, maybe twenty minutes ago.’ The man was clinging to his wife’s hand and Izzy prayed this had a happy ending. Since finding out she was going to have a family of her own she’d become much more sentimental concerning the partners and children involved on the cases. Now, with the love in her heart for the babies she was carrying and having Cal there for her, she better understood the impact of illness or injury on loved ones.
‘What’s her name?’
‘Agnes.’
‘Agnes, can you hear me?’ Cal tried to garner a response as Izzy set about getting her ready to be moved.
There was a faint groan to reassure them that Agnes was clinging to consciousness.
‘We think you’ve hit your head in a fall so it’s very important you stay still until we get that neck stabilised. We’re going to give you some pain relief then we’ll put a brace around your neck to keep you immobile. You might be uncomfortable but the sooner we can get you stable here the quicker we can get you into the helicopter and on your way to the hospital. Okay?’
She gave another groan in response and though she tried to bat them away at times they managed to get the brace and backboard on her.
‘We’re going to take her to the local hospital if you want to meet us there. The trauma team already knows we’re on our way.’ Cal relayed their intentions to the husband.
It was at least forty minutes there by road, but they could do it in less than fifteen by air. Part of the reason they’d been dispatched for this call.
When Izzy got to her feet to transport the trolley over to the helicopter she stumbled, a tad unbalanced
as the world around her began to spin. Thankfully she was holding onto the side of the stretcher, which prevented her from landing in a heap in the middle of the field.
The dizzy spell passed as quickly as it had begun but she could already feel Cal’s eyes burning a hole into her.
‘I’m fine,’ she mouthed as they rushed towards the chopper, but knew deep down this was the beginning of the end for her out in the field.
All systems were go as they hooked Agnes up to the monitors on board and radioed in their ETA.
‘I’ve got this.’ Cal nodded towards the jump seat, indicating he wanted her to sit this one out. There was nothing to be gained from arguing and detracting his attention from the patient when he was the medical lead and had the final say here.
Although she would challenge him if she categorically believed he was wrong, on this occasion she had to concede to his authority. She was no use to Cal or Agnes swaying on her feet and ready to pass out at any second.
‘There’s a protein bar and a juice in my bag. Take them.’ Cal went back on his word not to boss her around, but she needed it. She might have been insisting she could carry on as normal, but some things had to change. Including skipping meals and risking her blood pressure dropping too low.
In the past all that had meant was having dinner later than usual. Now it could put their missions in jeopardy. They couldn’t take the chance of her fainting in the middle of treating a patient or when they were in the air. From now on she was going to have to plan and prepare for all eventualities to prevent this from happening again. That was if she was ever allowed to fly again for the duration of the pregnancy when they’d have to log a record of this incident.
Regardless that she wasn’t hungry or thirsty, she followed Cal’s instruction so when they landed on the helipad on the hospital roof she was feeling more like herself.
‘Okay, Agnes. That’s us at the hospital now. The staff know we’re coming so they’ll be waiting for us to transfer you into their care.’ It was Cal who talked her through the proceedings as she continued to drift in and out of consciousness in the hope some of the information would filter through and the change in surroundings wouldn’t be too much of a shock.
Izzy took her place on the other side of the stretcher from Cal and they wheeled her out to the waiting trauma team. Cal reeled off Agnes’s personal details and his observations and once they’d handed over responsibility, the air crew was able to breathe again.
Not that Cal would let her get away with having a wobble on his watch without an investigation. ‘You’re going home for a proper meal and complete bed rest.’
It wasn’t the worst proposition she’d ever had, and it was one she’d welcome. There wasn’t a choice anyway when she was living with him. He’d insist on cooking her a nutritious meal and probably escort her to her room to make sure she followed his advice this time.
‘Yes, sir.’ She clicked her heels together and saluted, the teasing an attempt to reassure him he could stop fretting.
It was unfortunate that the sharp, sudden movement tilted the world around her all over again. That slight spinning sensation she’d experienced earlier evolved into a vortex sucking the oxygen out of the atmosphere and drawing her into its core. She couldn’t keep her focus on any one point, including Cal’s concerned face.
He sounded so far away as he called out her name. Then she was drifting away, the darkness that was calling her home. She was falling, her body crumpling under her as she gave in to unconsciousness, but the last thing she remembered was Cal’s arms around her and a feeling of weightlessness as she was carried off into the unknown.
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘IZZY? FIZZ?’ CAL called out to her the second he saw her wobble. He’d known something was wrong and wished he’d asked the hospital staff to send transport for her too.
He could see the unfocused gaze and reached her a millisecond before she passed out. With a volley of expletives to alert the rest of the air crew, he caught her in his arms and rushed her off in the direction the hospital staff had gone.
Everything in his training told him it was probably wasn’t anything more than a faint. Nothing unusual for a pregnant woman, especially one who hadn’t been eating properly and was overdoing it. It didn’t prevent him from reacting on an emotional level as he witnessed her collapse. All those irrational fears that he was going to lose another loved one came rushing to the surface, making him act as though her life depended on it.
Even pregnant with twins, she seemed so fragile in his arms, completely dependent on him to get her to safety. Whatever past hurt had been preventing him from bonding with these babies was immaterial compared to what he was feeling now, faced with the possibility of losing them for ever. He was their father after all and resisting that connection was pointless when nothing in the world could alter that fact. Worry was simply a part of fatherhood he’d never outrun, and when it could all be snatched away from him at any moment he didn’t know why he was trying. He should be making the most of every second of it.
By the time he’d whisked Izzy down to the emergency department she was thankfully beginning to come around.
‘Sasha, I need some help here.’ He commandeered an empty cubicle and called over one of the nurses he recognised from their transfers.
With a gentle hand he manoeuvred Izzy’s head to rest on the hospital bed, grateful he’d caught her before she’d hit the ground and perhaps given herself a concussion on top of everything else.
‘What’s happened to Iz?’ One of the benefits of rushing emergencies through was that at least they were familiar faces around here. Although given the capacity in which Sasha knew them she’d be forgiven for thinking some catastrophe had befallen the helicopter.
‘She fainted up on the roof while we were doing a handover. I should probably tell you she’s pregnant with twins, in her second trimester.’ Cal could see the surprise on the nurse’s face but as she didn’t push any further he refrained from sharing any more of Izzy’s personal information. Although he imagined people were going to find out he was the father sooner or later.
‘Did she hit her head at any point?’
‘No.’ He was confident about that at least, thanks to his quick reflexes and the close eye he’d been keeping on her.
‘Izzy? Can you hear me? It’s Sasha in Accident and Emergency. It would really help us if you could open your eyes, sweetie.’ Whilst she tried to rouse Izzy, Cal scooted over to the sink to wet some paper towels.
‘Cal? Where’s Cal?’
He heard her confused mumble and hurried back to her bedside to place the cold compress on her forehead. ‘I’m here, Fizz.’
She was trying to sit up, but he placed a hand on her chest and gently eased her back. ‘You fainted. We need you to rest up for a while.’
If she wouldn’t listen to him, perhaps the staff here could convince her.
‘The babies?’ Her first thoughts went to her bump, along with her hands.
Cal understood that sense of terror, that utter feeling of dread and powerlessness because that’s exactly what had happened to him when he’d seen her drop like a stone. He might not be Izzy’s romantic partner, but he was still entitled to worry about all of them. It was clear he was the only one they had in their lives to rely on and he didn’t want to let any of them down.
‘I’m sure they’re fine. You haven’t been out long, and I brought you straight here.’ He squeezed her hand, although he knew it wouldn’t do much to reassure her in the circumstances.
Her chin began to wobble, her throat bobbed up and down each time she swallowed, and Cal could see how much she was desperately trying to hold back tears. With a cough to clear his throat he looked to Sasha for help. ‘We can get an ultrasound to check everything’s okay with the babies, right? Just to put Izzy’s mind at ease.’
Sasha smiled at him in that way that said she k
new he needed the confirmation too. ‘Of course. We’re going to check your blood pressure and take some bloods first, Izzy, so we can see if there’s anything that caused you to faint. Have you been thirstier or needing to urinate more than usual?’
‘No. Why, do you think it could be gestational diabetes?’ Izzy was one step ahead of the nurse because of the symptoms she was describing, but Cal was sure it was something much simpler. Her blood sugar level was probably too low, rather than the opposite.
‘We’re just being thorough in our investigations but if you haven’t noticed any symptoms then it’s not likely to be GD. We’ll do all the tests anyway.’
‘She hasn’t been eating properly.’ He was ready for Izzy to call him a snitch, but she was waiting for Sasha’s opinion on continuing her casual attitude to mealtimes during pregnancy.
‘The thing to remember, Izzy, is that during pregnancy you’re sharing your blood supply with your baby, and in your case two babies. I would recommend carrying snacks with you. Going without food will affect you more now.’
‘Thanks, Sasha. I guess I’m going to have to start listening to my body more,’ Izzy said, looking a little more reassured that there was no reason this pregnancy shouldn’t go full term without any further complications. She probably just needed some rest and TLC, which Cal was always offering to help her with.
He knew their relationship had gone far beyond friendship, despite his intention not to get too close, but he was afraid to acknowledge it. There was so much on the line he couldn’t risk what they already had together. The best he could probably hope for was that she’d continue to let him play a part in her life.
* * *
