Midwife in a Million Read Free

with me in Perth.’
    Kate rolled her eyes, glad he couldn’t see her. He’d asked her out a couple of times and Kate knew he’d have liked to have pursued their relationship ifshe’d been interested. She should have been but wasn’t. Mac’s pursuit had been a factor in her choice to work at one of the smaller hospitals in the suburbs of Perth after graduation.
    Mac went on. ‘Her first baby, Kate. It’s your call but I’m sure you’d prefer early labour to an eclampsia out there while you wait for the storm to pass. The weather could set in for days and your strip will wash out. It’ll get tricky if she’s as unstable as you think and the roads are cut.’
    Mac was right. She’d just needed to hear it twice. Road it was then. ‘Thanks for that, Mac. I’ll get back to you when I talk to her parents.’
    ‘Hear from you soon, then. Don’t forget to give me a ring when you get in so I can be sure you made it.’
    Kate pulled the earphones from her head slowly and walked back to her patient via the drug cupboard. She reached for what she needed, along with the tray of intravenous cannulas, and set it down on the table beside the bed.
    Lucy had fallen into an uneasy doze and every now and then her arm twitched in her sleep. Kate rechecked her blood pressure and the figures made her wince.
    ‘Lucy.’ Kate held the girl’s wrist as she counted her pulse. Lucy’s eyes flickered open. ‘I have to put a drip in your arm, poppet, and give you some drugs to bring your blood pressure down. Then I’ll ring your mum. The doctor says you have to go to Derby at least. Probably Perth.’
    Lucy’s eyes opened wide and the apprehension in them made Kate squeeze her hand again. She looked so frightened. Kate had been frightened too.
    ‘It’s okay, I’ll come with you most of the way but you’ll have to stay there until after your baby is born.’
    ‘Mum doesn’t know I’m having a baby.’ They both looked down at Lucy’s difficult to distinguish stomach.
    Kate remembered this all too well except she hadn’t had a mother. Just a ranting, wild-eyed father who’d bundled her off to strangers before anyone else found out.
    ‘We’ll have to tell her, but no one else needs to know just yet. This is serious, Luce. You could get really sick and so could your baby. I’m worried about you so we have no choice.’
    Lucy slumped back in the bed and closed her eyes and two big silver tears slid down her cheeks. ‘I understand. Will you tell Mum?’
    Kate looked down at Lucy’s soft round cheeks and her hand lifted and smoothed the limp hair back off her forehead. Poor Lucy. ‘If you want me to. Of course I will.’
    The next half an hour made Kate wonder how some people could be so lucky. Lucy’s mother sagged at the news but straightened with a determined glint in her eye. ‘My poor baby. To think she’d been worrying about upsetting me when I’d be more worried about her. Here was me thinking all sorts of terrible things when now I can see why she’s beenso quiet lately. And you say she’s sick?’ Mary Bolton stared at Kate hard. ‘How sick?’
    ‘It used to be called toxemia of pregnancy. Her blood pressure’s high and dangerous, for both her and her baby. I’m worried she could have a fit if it gets too high. They want her flown to Perth.’
    Mary stared out of the window and then back at Kate. ‘I had that ‘clampsia thing. Scared the pants off the old man when he woke up and the bed was shaking, with me staring at him like a stunned rabbit unable to speak.’ Mary shrugged. ‘Or so he said—that was just before Lucy was born,’ Mary said matter-of-factly and Kate’s stomach dropped. Maternal history of eclampsia as well? So her mother had progressed to fitting. Kate closed her eyes. More risk for Lucy.
    Mary glanced out of the window and frowned. ‘But the Flying Doctor won’t be able to fly in this weather.’
    Kate looked out of the window to see what she already knew. The sky was heavy and