скачать книгу бесплатно
‘Honestly?’ Lindsay bit her lip and shook her head. ‘No. I’m really panicking. I know it’s all going to go wrong.’
‘Why should it go wrong?’
A deep male voice came from behind them and Ellie turned in surprise and shock. For a brief moment she’d forgotten about the man in the car. When she’d left him at a run she’d assumed that he’d be driving back down the lane and out of her life. Instead, he was leaning against the doorway of the bathroom, surveying them both through slightly narrowed eyes.
Lindsay glanced at him and then back at Ellie, her expression bemused. ‘I— Who are you?’
‘A doctor. In the circumstances, I thought you might be glad of some help.’
Ellie gaped at him. He was a doctor? ‘You don’t look like a doctor.’
‘You shouldn’t be influenced by appearances.’ His gaze mocked her as he reminded her of their earlier conversation and she gave a weak smile.
‘Touché.’
Lindsay was staring at him. ‘You’re an obstetrician?’
‘No.’ His tone was clipped and businesslike. ‘But I have delivered plenty of babies in the course of my career. Your cousin mentioned that she isn’t a midwife so I thought I’d better check whether you needed help before I left.’
Ellie felt her body flood with relief. She’d been secretly terrified that she’d end up delivering the baby on her own. But he was a doctor.
He’d saved her life twice in one night.
‘We need help,’ she said firmly, ‘most definitely, don’t we, Linny?’
Lindsay looked apprehensive. ‘But we don’t know him, El.’
‘I do. He’s already rescued me once tonight already and it’s only nine o’clock. Trust me, he’s a hero. Cool, calm and totally in control. The perfect person to have around in a crisis. A bit tense, maybe...’ Ellie’s green eyes twinkled with laughter as she glanced at the stranger ‘...but he can’t help that. I’ll make him a bacon sandwich if I get a minute. I’m sure his blood sugar is low.’
‘My blood sugar is fine. And I’m beginning to think I should have left you stranded by the side of the road.’ He looked at her with exasperation and then his gaze flickered to Lindsay. ‘Is she always like this?’
‘Worse usually,’ Lindsay informed him, a weak smile touching her lips despite her own predicament. ‘She’s totally irrepressible. Says what she thinks and always laughs at the wrong time.’
Ellie looked indignant. ‘I don’t see that there’s ever a wrong time to laugh.’
Lindsay was staring at the doctor. ‘What did you mean when you said you should have left her at the side of the road? Why was she at the side of the road?’
Ellie reached for a towel and started rubbing her hair. ‘My car broke down.’
Lindsay’s eyes widened. ‘Why?’
‘Who knows?’ Ellie ignored the man’s ironic glance. ‘Anyway, this man saved me. And his name is—is...’
She broke off and stared at him blankly, suddenly aware that she hadn’t even asked his name.
‘Maybe you should have asked me that before you climbed into my car and stripped off,’ he suggested softly, and Lindsay’s expression was comical, her voice little more than a squeak.
‘What does he mean, you stripped off?’
‘I was soaking wet,’ Ellie explained quickly, glaring at the man crossly. What was she supposed to have done? Stayed in her sodden clothes?
He watched her for a long moment and a ghost of a smile played around his mouth.
‘I’m Ben MacAllister,’ he said finally, turning his attention back to Lindsay. ‘I can assure you that I’ve delivered babies on several occasions in conditions far more challenging than this.’
Ellie looked at her cousin. ‘There we are. Fate brought him to your doorway.’
Lindsay put a hand on hers and took a deep breath, clearly battling with a contraction. After about a minute she spoke again. ‘I don’t know. I...’ She dropped her voice, clearly embarrassed. ‘We don’t know him, Ellie. And we don’t really need him. You could do it if you had to.’
Oh, no, she couldn’t!
Ellie patted Lindsay’s hand and shot Ben a pleading glance. No way did she want him leaving!
‘Lindsay, I’m an A and E nurse, not a midwife,’ she pointed out hastily. ‘I’ll be here to help Ben and give you moral support, but I can’t take responsibility. You know I can’t. It wouldn’t be right. And I’ve known him long enough to know we can trust him. And, anyway, I’ve got one of my feelings.’
Lindsay groaned. ‘Good or bad?’
‘Good,’ Ellie said in a definite tone. She had to convince Lindsay. They needed a doctor.
Her eyes slid to his broad frame but he was still watching Lindsay, his eyes flicking down to his watch as she was racked by another contraction.
‘Only three minutes since the last one,’ he said softly. ‘I’d say this baby is in rather a hurry.’
‘Oh, God, I didn’t want this to happen. I didn’t want to have it at home.’ Lindsay gave a whimper of panic and Ben crouched down so that he was at her level.
‘Home is a great place to have a baby, Lindsay. Where I’ve been working, home is where everyone has their babies. I realise that you don’t know me, and you’re right to be cautious...’ the look he shot Ellie was meaningful. ‘But in this case I promise you can trust me.’
Lindsay stared at him dubiously. ‘It’s just that, well, you don’t look like a doctor.’
That was true enough, Ellie reflected. He looked like a film star.
The corner of his mouth moved slightly. ‘Because I need a shave? Do you want me to call someone who can vouch for me? Or you can give me a razor and I’ll shave here in your bathroom if it will make you feel better.’
There was humour in his tone and something else—a calm confidence that seemed to reassure Lindsay. ‘No—there’s no need to do that, and I’m sorry if I sound rude but I’m just panicking.’ She winced and shifted her position slightly. ‘You see, the baby is breech and they think I’ll need a section. I’m nobody’s idea of a good candidate for a home birth.’
Ben was suddenly still, although his expression didn’t change.
‘In that case I need to examine you and see if we’ve time to get you to hospital.’
Not by a flicker of an eyelid did he betray his concern, but Ellie knew he must have felt it. Even with her limited obstetric experience, she knew that breech births should take place in hospital.
Lindsay was looking at him with frightened eyes. ‘And what if there isn’t time? What happens then?’
‘Then I deliver a breech here.’ He sounded so relaxed and confident that even Lindsay started to look less traumatised.
‘And have you done that before?’
‘Of course.’
Ellie looked at him curiously, wondering if he was bluffing. Had he really delivered a breech?
Lindsay still looked worried. ‘Everyone told me that breech babies should be born in hospital. What if it all goes wrong—?’
‘It won’t go wrong.’ Ben rose to his feet with athletic grace, totally in control and sensationally attractive. ‘It seems to me that three of us and a baby cramped together in this small bathroom is pushing the realms of comfort. Let’s move into your bedroom, shall we? Then I can take a look at you. If there’s time to get you to hospital, I promise that I’ll get you there.’
Lindsay looked at him and then nodded, and Ellie breathed a sigh of relief.
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_fdba6b7f-246a-56e0-81e2-2c032384c5ec)
WITH considerable help from Ben, Lindsay struggled through to the bedroom and settled down on the bed with a groan.
‘Don’t get too comfortable,’ Ben said immediately, pulling off his jacket and tossing it to one side. ‘I’m just going to nip down to my car for my bag and then I’m going to examine you.’
Ellie glanced sideways at her cousin, knowing what a private person she was and wondering how she’d react to the prospect of being examined by Ben, but Lindsay was breathing steadily, clearly thinking of nothing but her baby.
Ben strode out of the room and was back only minutes later, a large bag in his hand.
Lindsay lifted her eyebrows and gave a weak smile. ‘You must have been a Scout. Are you always this prepared?’
‘Since I started working in remote parts of the world.’ Ben gave a glimmer of a smile as he pushed up his sleeves and made for the bathroom. ‘Experience has taught me that it’s wise to always carry at least a basic supply of equipment with me.’
‘You don’t need to use that bathroom,’ Lindsay called after him. ‘I was only in there because I was cleaning it. There’s an en suite over there...’
She gestured with her head and Ben followed her instructions, grunting with satisfaction as he found the large bathroom.
Ellie was staring at her cousin in disbelief. ‘Why were you cleaning the bathroom? You’re in labour, for goodness’ sake.’
Lindsay shrugged sheepishly. ‘Nesting, I suppose. I decided it needed doing.’
‘You’re mad,’ Ellie stated with conviction, glancing up as Ben called over his shoulder from the bathroom.
‘Can you run me through your obstetric history while I wash my hands? This is your first pregnancy—correct?’ He turned on the hot tap and reached for the soap.
Lindsay answered his questions as thoroughly as she could before breaking off and whimpering as another pain hit her. ‘Oh, Ellie...’
‘Breathe with her,’ Ben instructed over his shoulder as he lathered his hands and forearms with soap, ‘and then get me some clean towels.’
He certainly wasn’t given to small talk, Ellie mused as she held Lindsay’s hand and reminded her how to breathe.
Lindsay followed her cousin’s cue and breathed out slowly, perspiration glistening on her forehead.
‘I’m OK now. Thanks. You know where the towels are.’
Quickly Ellie fetched the towels and piled them on the chair.
Ben helped himself and then sat down on the edge of the bed. ‘OK, this is what we’re going to do. First of all Ellie is going to have a hot shower and change out of those wet things. While she’s doing that, I’m going to take a look at you so that we know what we’re dealing with.’
Ellie suddenly realised that seeing Lindsay had distracted her from the fact that she was freezing cold.
Without further argument, she reached into her cousin’s wardrobe and dragged out a pair of jeans and a soft jumper and made for the shower.
Five minutes later her skin was glowing pink and warm from the hot water and the shivering had stopped. She dried her hair roughly with the damp towel and then walked quickly back into the bedroom, startled to see Lindsay smiling. What on earth had made her smile? Not Ben surely?
He glanced at her and his own smile faded, his dark gaze suddenly hard. ‘Get back in that bathroom and dry your hair properly.’
Obviously the smile was reserved for Lindsay.
Rolling her eyes, she returned to the bathroom, picked up the hair-dryer and waved it absently in the direction of her hair until it fell in soft, dark waves around her shoulders.
Lindsay looked at her critically as she walked back into the room. ‘You’d better help yourself to a belt or you’re going to lose those jeans.’
Ellie glanced down at herself, a rueful expression on her face. It was true that the jeans were loose, but they’d do.
‘Look at her,’ Lindsay murmured to Ben as she rubbed a hand over her stomach. ‘She puts on my pre-pregnancy jeans and they’re too loose. I hate her. She’s got legs up to her armpits and boobs to die for, and the worse thing is she never notices.’
‘It’s just a body, Lindsay,’ Ellie mumbled. ‘Everyone’s got one.’
Lindsay opened her mouth to say something else and then groaned as another contraction hit her. Ellie was by her side in an instant, holding her cousin’s hand and helping her breathe slowly.
‘I can feel something! It’s coming, I know it is. Oh, Ellie do something!’ Lindsay clutched her hand tightly and Ellie looked helplessly at Ben.
‘Get me some more light,’ he ordered, tugging on a pair of gloves and preparing to examine Lindsay again. ‘Lindsay, I’m going to take a look now and see what’s going on.’
Ellie grabbed a bedside lamp and removed the shade, exposing the bulb, while Lindsay looked on anxiously, her eyes brimming with tears.
‘Well?’
Ben’s face gave nothing away and when he spoke his tone was casual. ‘Well, you’re right when you say it’s coming. I can see a little bottom.’
‘Little? If it’s a little bottom it can’t be yours, Linny,’ Ellie joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere in the room.
Lindsay gave a weak smile, but there was no disguising her panic. ‘So it’s too late to go to hospital?’
‘Before the birth, yes,’ Ben said calmly. ‘After you’ve had the baby we’ll get you there. I want you to stand up, Lindsay, and hang onto Ellie. Arms around her neck, feet wide apart... That’s it—great.’
‘It’s going to fall on the floor,’ Lindsay muttered, and Ben shook his head.
‘It’s not going to fall anywhere. Trust me, Lindsay. Just hang onto Ellie and do as I say.’
Ellie winced as Lindsay’s fingers dug into her shoulders.
‘That’s good, Lindsay. Well done.’ Ben’s voice was deep and reassuring, his movements steady and confident as he worked. ‘That’s the bottom and the legs delivered.’
Lindsay gave a sob. ‘Is its head stuck?’
‘It’s not stuck. But we don’t rush this bit,’ Ben explained. ‘The head has to be delivered slowly. Just breathe and be patient.’
Two minutes later Lindsay dug her nails into Ellie’s shoulders again and there was a sudden wailing, just as they heard footsteps on the stairs.
