Midwife in Need

by Fiona McArthur

  Sophie was back with some pillows and they made a place for Kayla to lie down if she wanted to. ‘I need a dish for the placenta and some scissors and string for the cord, Aunt Sophie.’

  ‘Kettle’s on. I’ll pop the kitchen scissors and tape in the pot as soon as it’s boiled.’ The old lady was in her element and Abbey had to smile.

  Vivie came back. ‘The doctor’s coming.’

  ‘Good girl.’ Abbey smiled reassuringly. ‘Perhaps you could run upstairs and find one of Kayla’s rugs for the baby and another towel, then you can hold Kayla’s hand because you know more than any of us how she’s feeling at the moment.’

  Vivie blushed with pleasure at being included and sprinted up the stairs on her errand.

  Within five minutes the first bulge of the baby’s head could be seen and shortly after the rest of Kayla’s baby was born into Abbey’s hands with a minimum of fuss. By the time Rohan hurried in, calm had been restored. Kayla was resting quietly with a bonny baby girl in her arms and Abbey, dressed in short pyjamas that exposed miles of legs and cleavage, was just delivering the placenta into an empty ice-cream container.

  Rohan smiled at the incongruity of the receptacle and tried to block out all thoughts of yesterday—and a goodbye kiss that had been so sweet it had lingered in his mind all night—to focus on the other people in the room. Aunt Sophie was grinning and Vivie smiled mistily beside Kayla.

  ‘Good morning, ladies,’ he said, and his lips twitched. ‘What a delightful activity for a Sunday morning.’

  ‘I don’t think,’ muttered Kayla, and everyone laughed, but then she smiled down at the baby in her arms.

  ‘You missed the exciting bit.’ Abbey looked up at him, and Rohan spread his hands.

  ‘As usual. You had it all under control, Sister.’ He tilted his head in appreciation of her capabilities and they shared a brief wordless rapport before he smiled at the two girls.

  ‘And it looks like Kayla makes beautiful babies like you do, Vivie.’ He crouched down beside Kayla and peeked at the baby snuggled next to her. ‘Congratulations. She looks closer to term than the ultrasound suggested, and seems happy where she is.’ He lifted one pink foot and ran his finger down the baby’s sole. ‘A few creases there—I’d say she’s only about two weeks early.’

  The baby started to nuzzle against her mother’s breast and they all smiled. ‘And hungry already.’ Rohan met Abbey’s eyes and asked a silent question.

  Abbey shook her head. ‘No worries. Third stage complete and no stitches needed. We’ll come up to the hospital in a while after Kayla has showered and had a chance to pack a bag. That way she can have help while she establishes breastfeeding.’

  Aunt Sophie’s bright eyes went from one to the other as she watched the communication between Rohan and Abbey with avid interest. ‘Do you want a cup of tea, Doctor? Because I sure as heck do.’

  Rohan hesitated and Sophie grinned when she saw him glance at Abbey before answering. ‘Don’t ask her. She’ll say she’s too busy. Sit with me for a moment while they sort themselves out.’ Sophie rose creakily from the chair and put the kettle on again, and Abbey shook her head in mock resignation as she got to her feet.

  ‘This is my Aunt Sophie. Aunt Sophie—Dr Rohan Roberts.’ Abbey looked indecisive for a moment and passed the decision to Kayla. ‘Would you like a cup of tea, Kayla, or do you want to go into the shower first?’

  ‘Shower, please.’ Kayla wriggled uncomfortably under the blanket Abbey had thrown over her and grinned. ‘I can’t believe how messy one little baby can be!’ She hugged her baby closer. ‘But she was worth it.’

  Abbey smiled. ‘As they are.’ She glanced at her aunt and Rohan. ‘Excuse us.’ In a remarkably short space of time, Abbey, Kayla, baby, Vivie and the mess had all disappeared. That left Rohan and Aunt Sophie sipping tea in the kitchen.

  Rohan wasn’t quite sure where to look or what to talk about. ‘Abbey is very efficient,’ Rohan said.

  ‘You have no idea,’ Sophie drawled in agreement. Then her face wrinkled up and she pinned Rohan with her sharp eyes as if she’d worked herself up to say her piece. ‘So what are your intentions with my niece, young man?’

  Initially, Rohan had to bite back an impatient rejoinder at Sophie’s blatant attempt at intimidation. He stared back at the old lady with her wild hair and wispy chin and her gappy, evil smile—and realised Sophie only cared that her niece didn’t get hurt.

  How could he complain about that? He agreed.

  More people should have been looking out for Abbey and he felt a strange kinship with this funny old lady with her spiky hair and few teeth.

  He looked towards the empty doorway through which Abbey had last disappeared, and forced himself to be honest with Sophie and himself. ‘I admire Abbey. I enjoy being with her and I don’t intend to hurt her. More than that…’ he met Sophie’s eyes ‘…I couldn’t say.’

  ‘Yet!’ Sophie closed her lips after the one word and tapped her teaspoon on the side of her cup. ‘That’s fair enough.’ There was silence for a minute and then Sophie added, ‘Just make sure you let me know if your intentions change. Keep it good, clean fun.’

  Her voice lowered as if she were talking to herself. ‘I won’t have her used and hurt like that last cad used her.’

  Rohan frowned. ‘You mean her ex-fiancé?’

  Sophie’s attention lifted from the cup she’d been staring into. ‘Told you about him, did she?’

  Rohan shook his head and wondered how deeply he wanted to become involved in this conversation. ‘No. Just that she’d been engaged.’

  Sophie huffed in disgust. ‘Well, he took her for what she had. Money my sister and her husband had put aside, her young girl’s heart and the spark that used to glow when she smiled.’ Sophie looked at Rohan with speculation. ‘Though I must admit I have seen a glimmer of the old spark lately.’

  ‘Who’s an old spark?’ Abbey said as she came into the room.

  To Rohan’s disappointment, Abbey’s tiny pyjamas had been replaced by a pair of jeans and a high-necked jumper. He sighed. Still, he had his memories.

  ‘Doris,’ said Aunt Sophie as quick as a flash, and Rohan reminded himself never to underestimate the old lady.

  Abbey laughed. ‘Judging by the bemused expression on our doctor’s face, I’d say it wasn’t Doris you were talking about, but I’m too busy to worry. Do you know where I put the car keys yesterday? I never lose them and today they seem to have disappeared.’

  ‘Your mind was on another planet when you came home from your day out. Ask the good doctor what happened to them,’ Sophie said wickedly, and Rohan decided it was time for him to leave. The women in this house were way too sharp.

  He stood up to say goodbye and that brought his eye level above the refrigerator.

  ‘Keys are on top of the fridge, and I’m out of here.’ He extended his hand to Sophie. ‘It’s been interesting meeting you, Sophie.’

  Sophie shook his hand firmly. ‘You can call me Aunt Sophie. Drop in any time. I get lonely.’

  ‘Between races,’ Abbey said dryly, and she smiled at Rohan as she grabbed the keys. ‘Thanks for coming.’

  He realised that he didn’t exist for her at the moment. Just like his mother on a crusade. As a child he’d been jealous but hopefully he’d grown out of that. After she’d died he’d sworn to never be dependent on anyone again, and he wasn’t going to start now. Right, then, he thought. ‘I’ll see you later.’ And left without a backward glance.

  CHAPTER SIX

  ON MONDAY morning life was back to normal. Abbey looked a little tired but was at the desk, waiting to do the round with him. She smiled in a distant way and chatted as they walked down the corridor. Abbey as a distant friend was the sensible thing. Sensible. He was leaving in a little less than a week. She was right—distance was probably the best thing for all concerned. Rohan just wished she’d be a little more distant in his night-time fantasies.

  Kayla smiled when they entered the room and Rohan cou
ld see the difference from the scared young woman of the previous week. He had to admit it looked like Abbey had done the right thing to take her in. An ironic thought when he’d been so against Abbey’s open-house policy and her penchant to fling herself into danger. ‘Good morning, clever Kayla.’

  He smiled at Kayla and her spiky-haired baby, and leaned over the baby’s cot to see what she had named her daughter. He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped. ‘Sophia? After Aunt Sophie?’

  Abbey shared a smiling glance with Kayla and the girl nodded happily. ‘Sophia Abigail. Abbey wouldn’t let me call her after her so I’ve made her middle name Abigail.’

  Rohan glanced at the pink in Abbey’s cheeks and bit back the teasing comment he’d have liked to have made. Of course, Abbey wouldn’t think she’d done anything special, but naming the baby after her aunt would probably give his Abbey more pleasure anyway. His Abbey?

  The floor shifted beneath his feet and he glanced up to see if anyone else had noticed a tremor. Nobody mentioned it. He hoped he wasn’t falling for Abbey because that sort of internal seismic activity needed urgent attention. Still off balance, he dragged his attention back to the youngest woman in the room.

  He cleared his throat. ‘So how is Miss Sophia feeding?’ He glanced at the feed chart on the baby’s cot and his eyes widened. By the amount of times this infant had demanded the breast, Kayla’s baby would never starve.

  ‘Like there’s no tomorrow,’ Abbey said, glad to get away from the naming embarrassment. ‘Kayla is managing breastfeeding beautifully and will probably only stay another day before coming home.’

  For some reason Abbey was even more aware of the nuances in Rohan’s voice this morning and her eyes kept straying to his face as he talked. It was amazing how many times their eyes had met in the short time he’d been on the ward this morning, and she just hoped he hadn’t thought she was behaving strangely.

  His lashes were long and thick and should have belonged to a girl, but there was nothing feminine about the strong cheekbones and sensual set of his lips. Lips that were firm, yet capable of such sweetness.

  She couldn’t help the memories of a kiss that had touched and lingered so persistently in her heart that she’d had her sleep ruined for the last two nights. She knew he’d kissed her as a one-off impulse and that he was probably just as disappointed in her kissing skills as Clayton had been.

  The phone rang back at the desk and Abbey excused herself to answer it—glad to get away from such a depressing thought. Rohan was just passing through Gladstone and it would take a better woman than her to entice him to stay. She just didn’t have the chemistry to be a sultry siren and she never would have. It shouldn’t even be worrying her. She sighed and rounded a corner in the corridor just as the phone stopped.

  She huffed in exasperation and glanced out the window towards the road, and her stomach sank. Kayla’s ex-boyfriend Trevor was limping and weaving up the path and he looked as though he hadn’t stopped drinking since the last memorable time Abbey had seen him—or changed his clothes or found his shoes.

  Absently, she rubbed the fading bruises on her wrist as she hurried to pass the door before he could open it to come in.

  With quick fingers she dialled the supervisor’s number and requested security support a.s.a.p.

  Abbey stood behind the desk and squared her shoulders for the expected confrontation as the door opened. ‘Can I help you?’ she asked pleasantly.

  Trevor squinted at her as if trying to focus. ‘My g’lfrien’ had a baby yesterday. Kayla. Where is she?’ His slurred voice had the same belligerent tone that Abbey remembered. She kept her voice gentle and non-combative.

  ‘I’m sorry. It’s against hospital policy to allow anyone who has been drinking alcohol to enter the patient areas.’ She tried a smile. ‘If you’d like to come back after you’ve had a rest, perhaps then you could see her.’

  ‘I know you.’ He glared at Abbey. ‘You helped her leave me. You broke my toe.’ He turned to look out into the street at Doris. ‘And that’s your car!’

  The sinking feeling in Abbey’s stomach increased as Trevor’s deductive skills functioned much better than Abbey felt they had a right to.

  His loud ‘I wanna see her now’ coincided with the arrival of two burley security guards and Abbey sagged a little against the desk in relief. One of them approached Trevor and shook his hand.

  ‘G’day, mate,’ he said as his partner came up on the other side of Trevor. They steered him around and towards the door. ‘I see you’ve been celebrating. Had a new baby, have you?’

  ‘Yeah. And the witch won’t let me see it.’ Trevor glared at Abbey over his shoulder as they escorted him out the door.

  Abbey listened to the guard’s friendliness and admired the improvement over the old-fashioned threats. Instead of an ugly scene, it turned into a well-ordered removal. ‘Best thing would be to come back later, after you’ve sobered up. It’s pretty special having a kid and you want it to see you looking your best. Don’t you?’ Their voices faded as they walked Trevor down the steps and Abbey heaved a sigh of relief as she sat down at the desk.

  ‘You didn’t come back.’ Rohan’s voice intruded into her thoughts and she jumped.

  He frowned. ‘Sorry. Did I startle you?’ She looked a little pale. ‘You all right?’ He was interrupted by the taller security guard.

  ‘He’s gone, Sister. Nasty bloke under the weather, that one, but not too bad when he’s sober. We’ve had him before down at the pub. Give us a ring if he comes back.’ He smiled at Abbey and Rohan, then strolled off with his friend.

  Rohan stared after them. ‘What was all that about?’

  Abbey was still distracted as she wondered how to break the news to Kayla. There was the added thought of what damage she could expect to be inflicted on Doris the next time Trevor came across her car. ‘I called Security to remove Kayla’s ex-boyfriend. He was drunk and demanding to see her. It didn’t seem a good idea in his state.’

  She saw his eyes go to her wrist and unconsciously she covered it. ‘Of course it’s not a good idea,’ Rohan said. ‘Did he threaten you?’

  Abbey refocussed on Rohan and shook her head. ‘No. Though he did recognise my car from when I went with Kayla to pick up her stuff. I called Security when I saw him coming.’

  Rohan looked out the window as if trying to see if Trevor was still there. ‘I knew this would happen. Why didn’t you call me? I was on the ward.’

  Just what she needed, a male ego, Abbey thought, and her voice couldn’t hide her irritation. ‘I can look after my ward without you, Rohan.’ Her voice was very clear. ‘I’m supposed to ring Security—not the doctor on call.’

  Rohan rolled his eyes in disgust. ‘I’m not suggesting I was going to tackle him in your hallway, Abbey, but I would have liked to have been beside you while you waited for Security to arrive. You’re too independent.’

  This conversation was a waste of energy and after two sleepless nights, thanks to him, Abbey didn’t have energy to spare. ‘Why wouldn’t I be independent, Dr Roberts? I’m thirty-one years old and in charge of my own life.’

  Now Rohan was irritated. ‘And everyone else’s life, from what I gather. Maybe you need someone in charge of you to lighten the load, Sister Wilson.’

  ‘Like who?’ Abbey said belligerently.

  They glared at each other until the ridiculousness of the conversation struck them both at the same time. Abbey blinked and Rohan smiled and held up his hands. ‘Truce,’ he said, and Abbey nodded.

  ‘I’m sorry, Abbey.’ Rohan drew a breath and relaxed his shoulders. ‘You seem to bring out protective instincts I thought I’d finished with,’ he said wryly.

  ‘I’m sorry, too. I should say thank you for your concern.’ Abbey rubbed her forehead. ‘I haven’t been sleeping well.’ Blast. She hadn’t meant to say that. His overactive ego didn’t need any further boost.

  His look was quizzical. ‘And why would that be?’

  She said the
first thing that came into her head that wasn’t the truth. ‘Worrying about the girls, I think.’

  Rohan’s smile disappeared. He’d hoped she’d been thinking of him. ‘Stop worrying about people who should be in charge of their own lives. There is more to life than looking after other people’s problems, Abbey.’

  She smiled at him but there was a hard edge to the tilt of her lips. ‘Like not caring? Like being insular and lonely and not accountable to anyone? Like you?’

  Rohan frowned at the sharp stab of discomfort he felt at Abbey’s reading of his character. He was shocked that was how she saw him and he wondered how much truth there was in her words. ‘I’m not lonely, and being unaccountable also means no one has to worry about me either. And I have no need to interfere in other people’s lives to feel fulfilled.’

  Abbey snorted and he couldn’t help think she sounded like Aunt Sophie. ‘Well, you don’t seem to have much problem sticking your oar in my business.’

  She laughed, unamused, and the sound grated on his ears. Something was eating at her and her usual calmness had disappeared. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes and his mounting anger disappeared.

  His voice gentled. ‘Where did all this come from?’ Her eyes shone with unshed tears and her answer was something he least expected.

  ‘You shouldn’t have kissed me.’ She clapped a hand over her mouth and almost bolted down the corridor. Her guard was down for once and he took off after her. She’d clamp down and he’d never find out why if he didn’t get his questions in before she erected that wall again. He followed her into the change room and leant his back against the door to block the exit.

  ‘Why shouldn’t I have kissed you, Abbey?’ His voice was gentle but demanded an answer, and she turned slowly to face him. He thought it was too late and she wasn’t going to reply but then she gave another one of those bitter little laughs that he’d be glad never to hear again from Abbey.

  Her voice was low and he could tell she was striving to keep it steady and impersonal. ‘Because you made me wish I had the skills to be a real woman. I’m hopelessly frigid. Now, leave me alone!’ The last three words were hissed between clenched teeth as she pushed past him to open the door.