She bent down next to the car so she was down at the woman’s level. ‘What’s your name?’
The woman winced for a second.
‘Labour pain?’ Viv asked.
The woman nodded, her face contorting for a few seconds. ‘Tho,’ she breathed. ‘My name is Tho.’
Viv nodded as one of the nurses ran over with the equipment. ‘Okay, Tho, I’m going to check you over before we move you from the car. First thing...’ She struggled, trying to find the words she needed, then catching sight of Mai Ahn waved her over. ‘Sorry,’ she apologised. ‘Can you ask if she has any pain or numbness, in her neck or back or legs—apart from her labour pains, I mean?’
Mai Ahn looked startled by the last remark but collected herself and asked the question.
Viv grabbed hold of one of the other nurse’s arms. ‘Can you get me a neck collar from the orthopaedic clinic?’ It wouldn’t be as good as the ones that paramedics normally had in their ambulances, but hopefully it would immobilise Tho’s neck enough for them to safely move her. She could hardly give birth in a car.
Mai Ahn turned back. ‘No unexpected back pain, and she can move her legs and hands with no problems.’
‘Thank you,’ Viv breathed. She wound the BP cuff around Tho’s arm and slipped a probe on her finger to check her pulse. Both were a little faster and higher than she’d expect—but then again, Tho had just been in a car accident.
‘What happened to the child?’ Tho asked. Tears were still falling down her face.
Viv glanced over her shoulder. Lien was dealing with the man in the upturned lorry, and both Joe and Duc were practically underneath the wheel arch, blocking her view completely.
Tho started babbling and Viv lost track of her words. Mai Ahn saw the distress and looked at Viv, asking for permission to come back over. Viv nodded, mouthing the word please at her.
Viv lifted the portable Doppler and waited a few moments until Tho had finished speaking to Mai Ahn.
Mai Ahn kept her face neutral. ‘A little kid ran in front of first her car, and then the lorry. They both swerved to avoid him. She wants to know how he is.’
Impatient horns started to sound around them. Viv glanced up. The traffic was tailing back in every direction. She ignored it and nodded. ‘Can you tell her that our doctors are looking after him, and that I’m going to listen to her baby now?’
She was always going to check on the health of the baby, but right now she was glad of the distraction for Tho.
Tho nodded and pulled her top up slightly. It only took Viv ten seconds to locate a heartbeat. She gave Tho a reassuring smile. ‘It sounds good. But let’s get you into the hospital, then we can contact your family.’
Tho looked relieved and Mai Ahn added another few words.
One of the nurses came over with a wheelchair. ‘One minute,’ said Viv.
She ran over to Lien. ‘I want to move my pregnant woman. She’s in active labour, her waters have broken but she’s stable and I have a neck collar on her. But I’m not an expert on spinal injuries. Can you do a quick check before I move her?’
Lien nodded. ‘Absolutely.’
The truck juddered and tilted towards them for a second and they both jumped. ‘Sorry,’ came the muffled shout underneath them.
Viv bent around the side and looked over the side of the overturned truck. Joe had his feet rooted on the ground and his back straining against the truck, giving it just a few inches of movement and allowing Duc to gently pull out the small child from under the wheel arch. Viv held her breath. The small boy was clearly unconscious, but his body and face seemed virtually unmarked. She’d been terrified about what might have been.
Sweat was coating them all. The heat outside was oppressive and as Viv turned, she saw an ice-juice cart at the corner of the street. Had that been what the little boy had been running towards?
Joe released the truck and immediately bent down next to Duc, checking the child’s breathing and pulse. ‘We’re taking the trolley,’ Duc said, waiting for Joe to come around and put his hands on either side of the child’s face to stabilise his neck. Duc looked up at Lien. ‘We’ll send it back out for your man.’
Lien nodded and turned to Viv. ‘Stay here. Give me two minutes and I’ll check your woman.’
Viv gave a scared nod. Road traffic accidents weren’t her thing at all. Her natural reaction had been to help. But she still felt out of her depth. She spoke a few words quietly to the man still behind the wheel. Keeping her fingers on his pulse and watching the rise and fall of his chest.
Lien was back in the promised two minutes. ‘I’ve secured the collar and she seems stable to move. Mai Ahn will help you. Meet you back inside once I’ve got my man out of the truck.’
In the distance Viv could hear sirens. It was probably police. As soon as the traffic stopped in Hanoi, people called the police.
It took a few moments to help Tho into the wheelchair, with Viv inconspicuously checking there was no sign of blood on the car seat or between her legs.
It was a relief to push her back into the air-conditioned hospital.
Sen met her at the door with a phone in her hand. ‘Ron said to give him a rundown. He’s about an hour away.’
Viv wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or offended. Sen had obviously decided to give their new obstetrician a call in case he was needed.
She was mindful of the fact this was one of his days off this week. But Ron had said he would always be flexible around his working hours—if there was an emergency, day or night, he wanted staff to feel as if they could call.
She hadn’t had to do that—yet.
She let Mai Ahn take the lead with the wheelchair. ‘Ron, I’ve got a lady at thirty-nine weeks with ruptured membranes and contractions who’s just been in involved in a car accident outside the hospital. I’ve not had a chance to do a proper assessment. Blood pressure and pulse both slightly high, no other obvious injuries, and no sign of bleeding. Can I call you back if I have any concerns?’
She didn’t want to be rude but was anxious to make a proper assessment of Tho. ‘You’ve got it,’ said Ron smoothly, as if he could read her mind. ‘I’m sure you can handle things.’
‘Thank you.’ She smiled as she switched the phone off. It was good to know there was back-up if she required it.
It didn’t take long to check Tho over. Yes, her waters had broken. Yes, she was in labour, which had started before she’d got into the car to drive to another hospital. Tho didn’t stay in this area but worked in an office a few streets away. She was familiar with May Mắn Hospital and was just relieved to be somewhere that could look after her.
Viv set her up on a foetal monitor. Her blood pressure and pulse rate were slowly but surely coming down—in between contractions, of course.
Sen gave a knock at the door and Viv went out to speak to her. ‘Tho’s husband returned the call you made. He’s stuck in the traffic jam. Might take a while to get here.’
Viv nodded. She had to admire the woman’s ruthless efficiency.
One of the other nurses came to join her, wheeling in a cradle for the imminent arrival.
Viv relayed the message to Tho, then quickly took a maternal history. There was nothing that concerned her. She spent the next five minutes doing a basic examination of Tho’s body to check for any other apparent injury. Tho tugged at the collar. Under normal circumstances patients involved in an accident should have an X-ray to make sure there were no neck or spinal injuries. But X-rays weren’t easy for a woman in labour.
Viv took her hand. ‘I need to get one of the doctors to recheck you before the collar can come off. I’m sorry, but it’s best to be safe.’
Tho pulled a face but nodded. ‘Let me finish another few checks,’ said Viv.
‘Can you find out how the little boy is?’
Viv gave a careful nod. ‘I’ll
let you know as soon as I can.’
It only took a few minutes to confirm that labour was indeed established and Tho was five centimetres dilated. Viv made her as comfortable as possible and, because she was unfamiliar with Tho’s plans for her birth, had Mai Ahn assist in the discussion.
One of the other nurses came into to relieve her for a few minutes and Viv gave Tho’s hand a squeeze. ‘I’ll find out what I can and see if I can find out where your husband is.’
She hurried down the corridor, searching the rooms for Joe and Duc. As she turned one of the corners she almost walked straight into Lien. ‘Oh, good, the little boy, how is he?’
Lien went to answer, then put a hand to her mouth and dashed into the nearest bathroom. Oh, no. Was it bad news?
Vivienne stood for a few moments then wrinkled her nose. Her spider sense was tingling. She stuck her head around the bathroom door. ‘Lien,’ she asked quietly, ‘is there something you want to tell me?’
Lien spun around, a paper towel at her mouth and her eyes wide.
She didn’t even make any attempt to deny it. She just moved over to Vivienne. ‘Please, don’t say anything. Joe and I want to keep things quiet for the first few months. We’ve still to tell our parents, and Regan.’
Vivienne smiled and shook her head. ‘Lien, your secret is safe with me.’ She reached out and gave her a huge hug. ‘Congratulations, I’m so happy for you all.’
Something tugged inside. She’d spent her life congratulating friends and colleagues on being pregnant. She was a midwife. Of course she loved babies. But she’d never really thought about having one herself.
Of course, at some point in the future she’d always pictured herself eventually having a family. But it had always seemed so far away.
So why now—for the first time—did she feel a pang of something else? She didn’t want to acknowledge it, because then she would need to admit it was a pang of envy, something she really didn’t want to admit to.
Lien nodded gratefully. ‘Sorry, I think it was just the shock of the accident and the heat outside.’
‘Can I do anything for you?’ asked Viv.
Lien shook her head. ‘No, I just want to carry on as normal. I’ll grab something to drink in the kitchen.’
Now it was Viv’s turn to shake her head. She took Lien’s hand and led her into the kitchen and sat her down at the small table, grabbing something from the fridge, filling two glasses, then adding ice.
She sat down opposite her. ‘So, we’re just two members of staff who’ve been involved in something scary, in searing heat, who are taking a five-minute break to get something to drink.’
Lien was watching her carefully. ‘What is this?’ she asked cautiously as she eyed the contents of the glass.
Viv smiled. ‘You can read a million potential cures for nausea online. I always recommend this one to my mums. Apple juice, ice cold. Give it a try.’
Lien took a tentative sip, gave a nod and sat back a little in her chair. She gave a little sigh and then smiled at Vivienne. ‘It feels good to finally have told someone.’
Viv raised her eyebrows. ‘You didn’t technically tell me. I guessed.’ She scratched at an itch on her shoulder.
Lien waved her hand. ‘Whatever.’
‘Have you seen anyone yet? Have you had a scan?’
Lien’s cheeks tinged pink. ‘Not officially. But Joe and I might have sneaked over the other night.’
Viv laughed. ‘Well, I can complete your booking paperwork and take your bloods whenever you like. And, I can do a proper scan.’ She raised her hand. ‘But it’s entirely up to you to decide when you want that.’ She looked at Lien carefully, she seemed a little more relaxed. ‘And you know Ron will see you whenever you’re ready.’
‘I know.’ She nodded. ‘Just give us a little longer.’ She gave a dreamy kind of smile. ‘There’s something so nice about it still feeling like our little secret.’
The look on her face said it all—the connection between her and Joe. The love. Vivienne swallowed. All of a sudden her independent streak didn’t seem quite so cool. All it made her feel was well and truly alone.
She gave herself a shake. ‘You feeling okay?’
Lien nodded and took another sip of the apple juice. ‘There might be something in your theory.’
Viv smiled then looked around. The clinic around them was surprisingly quiet. ‘Where is everyone?’
‘Oh, Duc is in Theatre.’
Viv straightened. ‘With the kid?’
Lien shook her head. ‘With my man—the guy from the truck. He had an open fractured tib and fib. Duc’s taken him in to repair it.’
‘So, what happened to the little boy?’
Lien’s face was serious. ‘Joe’s taken him in an ambulance to one of the bigger hospitals—he needs a CT scan. He had no visible injuries apart from a few scrapes. But he still hadn’t woken up.’
‘Oh.’ Viv sagged back in her chair. ‘Tho, my pregnant woman, has been asking. She’s upset. She wanted an update.’
Lien frowned. ‘I’m not sure that either of the drivers hit him. I think they just skidded and hit each other because they swerved to avoid him.’
‘So why’s he unconscious?’
Lien shook her head. ‘Joe and I suspect he got a fright, fell over and hit his head. Even then, there wasn’t a big lump or anything on his head. We did the Glasgow coma scale on him and he had reactions to pain. He just didn’t wake up.’
Viv put her hand up to her chest. ‘I’ll need to find a way to tell her something. Maybe just that he’s been taken to another hospital, but I couldn’t see any big injuries.’
Lien nodded. ‘She’ll just stress otherwise. You need to keep her calm. It’s hardly an ideal start to her labour.’
Viv stood up and pulled her burgundy scrub top away from her body, scratching her bare arm again. ‘I think I’ll just change quickly before I go back in. Still feel a bit icky.’ She gave Lien a smile. ‘And I’ve got a baby to deliver. Tell Duc to come and see me when he’s out of Theatre, would you?’
Lien gave a nod and Viv grabbed her juice glass and ducked back into the locker room. She ended up taking a quick two-minute shower and pulling on a fresh pair of scrubs, tying her hair up and tucking it away.
Just as she arrived back at the delivery room Tho’s husband rushed along the corridor to meet her. Viv held up her hand. ‘Slow down, everything’s fine.’ His anxious expression instantly changed to one of relief. She smiled and held the door open for him. ‘Come in. In a few hours you’ll meet your baby.’
* * *
Duc pulled his theatre cap from his head. He was a general surgeon, not an orthopaedic surgeon, but the open fracture had compromised some of the man’s blood vessels. If he hadn’t operated, the man could have ended up losing his leg.
He made his way down to the delivery room to check on the pregnant woman. The room was buzzing. He arrived just as Vivienne was handing the newborn baby to mum. She had a glow in her eyes. It was clear that she loved this part of her job.
He stayed silent for a few moments, watching her interactions with the new parents, as a little fire came to life somewhere inside him. He couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his lips.
A thought burst across his brain. He could watch her all day.
Maybe he shouldn’t be thinking like this, but he couldn’t help it. He’d asked her to come here and help him—and she’d done that. Now he was contemplating trying to get his old job back. The appointment of Ron was a huge factor. Ron was a safe pair of hands—someone he could trust. The new midwife from Australia would start in a few weeks too. At that point, it seemed it might be time to recruit a new doctor and get his old life back.
But even though he’d sent the emails and received a semi-positive response, something was holding him back.
And the longer he stoo
d here, the longer he thought that thing was Viv.
All of a sudden he wasn’t thinking about work any more. It would be easy to list all the ways she’d helped around here—how adaptable she’d been—not least today.
But he was thinking of all the little things, the personal things she did. The way he sometimes caught her looking at him. The way he knew he sometimes looked at her.
There it was again. The flare of attraction he kept trying to temper down. The one he constantly tried to ignore.
Just at that moment she threw back her head and laughed as the baby started to make a whole load of noises, almost as if it was having a conversation.
His stomach clenched as her gaze connected with his. For a second it looked as though she caught her breath. Then she pasted on a smile and waved him in. ‘Come and meet our latest arrival.’ She gestured to the parents. ‘This is Duc. He owns the hospital. And this...’ she smiled down at the baby ‘...is Tho and Jin’s beautiful baby daughter.’ She winked at them both. ‘Can’t give you a name as yet, because they were convinced they were having a boy.’
He owns the hospital. The statement made his footsteps falter.
He pushed the uncomfortable thought from his head and went over to admire the baby. He spoke in a low voice to Vivienne. ‘Do you need me to do anything for you?’
She gave a shake of her head. ‘Lien said we should take a precautionary X-ray once Tho had delivered, but apart from that, everything seems good.’
She lowered her voice. ‘Have you heard how the little guy is?’
He nodded and gave a smile of relief. ‘He woke up around an hour ago. He’s developed bruises to his back and hips and an egg on his head, but he’s conscious and talking.’
Her smile spread across her face and right up into her eyes. ‘Oh, thank goodness. Best news I’ve heard.’
Just Friends to Just Married? Page 11
