‘You did the right thing phoning the medical centre.’ Sasha trotted along on Kevin’s other side.
In the cabin Tamara lay across the bunk; a large girl dressed in loose trackpants and sweatshirt. She was moaning and gripping her stomach. Then she stopped, breathing deeply.
Grady figured he knew what the problem was immediately but had to approach Tamara and her situation delicately. After he’d introduced Sasha and himself, he waited while Sasha went through the motions of checking her pulse and BP. The loaded glance Sasha gave him as she said, ‘All normal,’ told him she was onto it, too.
Sitting on the edge of the bunk Grady asked, ‘Tamara, is it all right if I lift your top and feel your abdomen area?’
The girl nodded. ‘What do you think is wrong with me?’
Uh-huh. His hand felt the contraction as Tamara suddenly gasped and snatched at Kevin’s hand. A scream filled the small room, piercing in its intensity. Grady waited, nodding at Sasha who’d grabbed the girl’s other hand.
When the contraction had passed, Sasha asked quietly, ‘When did you last have a period?’
‘Why?’ Tamara blinked. ‘I don’t remember. I’m never regular. What’s that got to do with anything anyway? This is my appendix, right?’
Grady drew a long, slow breath. ‘You’re having a baby, Tamara.’
The girl stared at him as though he’d lost his marbles. ‘No way. That’s not possible. I’d have known. You can’t just have a baby and not know. I’m not stupid.’
Sasha still held her hand. ‘No one’s saying you’re stupid. If you don’t have regular periods then you wouldn’t necessarily notice when you missed them. Have you had one in the last few months?’
‘Yes, of course I have.’ But Tamara’s focus was directed on the wall behind them. Tears were oozing down her face. ‘I must have.’
Kevin spoke up for the first time in a while. ‘A baby? We’re having a kid? No way, man. We’re too young. I haven’t even got a job. No, can’t happen.’ He pushed Grady out of the way and hauled his girlfriend into his arms. ‘I’ll get you to another doctor, Tam. This is crazy.’
Another contraction rippled through Tamara and she screamed louder than ever, holding onto Kevin as though her life depended on him.
As soon as the pain faded Grady said, ‘I know you don’t want to believe me but think about it. You’re having contractions. That’s what the pain is.’
Sasha added, ‘I’ve been timing them and they’re quite close. We need to examine you internally, Tamara. Are you okay about that?’
The girl nodded slowly, gulping as more tears splashed down her pale face. ‘I guess. Um, it feels like I have to push my stomach out. Is the baby trying to come out?’
‘I imagine so,’ Grady told her. ‘Let’s take a look and then we’ll know what’s going on.’ So much for a lead-in time while everyone got a little bit used to this unexpected situation. How hadn’t Tamara detected any changes in her body over the previous several months? She was a large girl but she must’ve noticed some weight gain. Glancing across at Sasha, he saw her doing that tummy rub thing and looking a little baffled at the situation. Hadn’t Tamara felt the baby kicking?
Hell, she won’t have had any bloods taken for blood grouping or antibody checks. Too late now. He’d cross his fingers and hope for a normal delivery with no hidden problems. Because, even without looking, he doubted they had time to get back to Takaka before this baby made an appearance.
Sasha helped Tamara remove her pants and gently settled her back on the bunk before placing a glove-covered hand on her knee. ‘I know this isn’t easy, Tamara, but try to relax. Let your legs drop wide. There, that’s it. Dr O’Neil will examine you. Are you all right with that?’
‘Yes,’ she whispered, and grabbed for Kevin’s hand again.
One look and Grady turned to Sasha, asking, ‘Have you got a sterile blanket in your medical kit?’
‘We always carry one in a sealed pack, in case of exactly this. Not that I ever thought I’d have to use it.’ She shook her head. ‘I can’t imagine…’
The look of disbelief in her eyes made him want to haul her in tight and reassure her. She’d done everything right so far. Sash didn’t turn a blind eye to the tricky things life threw at her. No, she pulled those shoulders back and straightened her spine to face the world head on. ‘Sasha, get the blanket, will you?’ Grady nudged her towards the door. ‘Quickly,’ he added quietly, so as not to panic Tamara. ‘I don’t think we’ve got long to wait.’
Tamara went rigid as another contraction hit. This time she held back her scream, instead burying her face in Kevin’s shirt. Almost as though now she knew what she faced the fear generated by the pain had gone. But she’d have more fears later when her situation really sank in.
Kevin seemed to be in total shock, barely managing to hold Tamara as she clung to him. ‘We need to get to a hospital. She can’t have her baby here.’
These two were barely more than kids themselves, and they’d just learned they were about to become parents, that life as they knew it was over for ever. Or had they even got that far yet? Probably not.
‘The baby’s head’s crowning,’ Grady told the young couple. ‘That means it’s coming out. We don’t have time to take you back to town.’
‘What? You mean Tam’s having the baby here? But she can’t. That’s wrong. What if something goes wrong?’
‘It won’t,’ Grady told Kevin. ‘Now, this is how you can help Tamara.’
And they got down to the business of delivering a baby in a cabin in the back of beyond. It happened so fast no one had time to raise any more doubts.
Soon Grady was handing a tiny baby into Sasha’s safe hands and the wrap she’d found in her bag of tricks so she could clear the airway and wipe out his mouth. ‘Tamara, Kevin, congratulations, you’ve got a little boy.’
Kevin whistled. ‘A boy. How cool’s that, man?’
‘A boy? Truly?’ Tamara’s eyes followed every movement Sasha made with her baby. ‘It’s Jordan. He’s come back.’
‘Who’s Jordan?’ Grady asked.
‘My little brother.’ Tamara stared at the baby, hunger filling her eyes. ‘Let me see him. Can I hold him?’ Tamara tried to push herself upright.
Grady leaned to give her a hand. ‘Not too far. The afterbirth’s coming.’
Kevin filled them in. ‘Jordan was killed when Tamara’s aunt backed over him in the driveway. No one in her family’s been the same since.’
Sasha froze for a moment. ‘That’s utterly terrible.’ Then she resumed checking the baby’s vitals. He gave a little cry. ‘There you go. His first cry. He’s so cute. Here, Tamara, meet your son.’ Tears streamed down Sasha’s face as she, oh, so gently placed the baby in his mother’s arms. ‘He’s just beautiful. Look, ten toes, ten fingers. And look at all that dark hair.’ The tears became a flood before she turned and ran outside, banging the door behind her.
Tamara and Kevin didn’t even notice, they were so absorbed in their baby. Grady cleaned up as best he could and then said, ‘I’ll give you a minute to yourselves,’ and headed out to find Sasha leaning against the car, sobbing her heart out.
Grady placed an arm around her shoulders, tugged her close, handed her a fistful of tissues he’d snatched from her medical kit on the way out. ‘Hey, look at you. If you’re like this for Tamara’s baby, what’ll you be like when Flipper arrives?’ He grinned down at her. Swallowed at the awe glittering in her eyes. ‘Guess seeing this is different for you now.’
‘When I was training as a nurse and saw babies being born I never knew this tugging of the heart. I fell in love with each one but…’ She waved a hand in the direction of the cabin, ‘Oh, wow. He’s so cute and tiny and vulnerable and helpless and all covered in mucky stuff.’
‘Yep, all of those. And some.’ Her body shook against him and he wrapped her closer, rubbed her back in circular motions to ease the tightness he felt in her muscles. ‘And very special. Just like Flipper is.’
‘How are those two going to manage?’ she sniffed. ‘They didn’t even know.’
‘Yes, well. It’s kind of sad. But who knows? They could step up to be the best parents ever.’ Grady continued to rub her back. ‘I wonder where they come from? They’ve obviously been through a huge trauma with her brother.’
‘We need to get them to Takaka and in touch with their family. This baby’s arrival might be what they all need.’ There was a waver in her voice, and under his hands he felt Sasha straightening, stiffening her shoulders, putting on her brave face again. The moment of tears was over.
Dropping a kiss on the top of her head, he stepped away, and instantly felt cold. Sash was such a part of him he didn’t know how to stop missing her whenever he wasn’t touching her. Which was almost all the time, especially since they’d made love and she’d kicked him out. Hell, he missed her all the time, full stop.
‘You sure you’re okay?’
‘It’s babymones.’ He must’ve looked blank because she explained. ‘Pregnancy hormones. A Jessica word. They knock me sideways at the most unexpected times. Have me crying and doing things I shouldn’t be doing.’
Like making love with me. It hung between them. He could see the truth in her eyes before she turned for the cabin. She was blaming her hormones for giving in to the need that had rolled through her the other night. Newsflash, Sash. Sex was all about hormones, too. And love, and being with someone special. He must have babymones, too. Because he sure hadn’t been in control that night either.
*