Disclaimer: I own nothing, and only borrowed these characters for a little while.


Dropping one file on the desk, another was already being thrust into his hand as he continued to walk down the corridor. "Mrs Sue Hudson, in her 17th hour of labour with twins and ready for an epidural."

Stepping into Room 6, Doctor Windemere flicked trough the file noting the relevant information. "Right Mrs Hudson we need to…"

A weary voice interrupted at him. "She can't hear you."

The Doctor looked up from the paperwork in surprise, and looked at the people before him for the first time. The woman in the bed was curled up on her side in pain with her eyes closed. One hand clenched the bed sheets whilst the other tightly gripped the hand of the man seated beside her, the same man who had snapped at him.

"I'm sorry what?"

The man ignored him to turn back, concern lining his features, as his patient groaned and so it was the woman with the badge standing somewhat redundantly off to the side who responded.

"She's deaf."

"Well, she's gonna have to open her eyes so we can talk about the epidural."

"I… Mr Hudson?"

He spared a glance at his watch as the husband slipped his spare hand to gently shake his wife's shoulder. He looked up in surprise when a verbal response was heard.

"No."

He watched as the husband tried yet again, but Mrs Hudson simply scrunched her eyes even more closed as she whimpered. "Jack, it hurts."

Trying to suppress his impatience (how much longer was this going to take, his tee time was 3!), the doctor was ill-prepared for when the husband turned to him. "What do you need to tell her?"

"How's she going to hear what I say? I need to-"

"What do you need to tell her?" the man repeated with a growl.

There was something in his tone that made him automatically comply, for the words he had delivered a thousand times before were spilling from his mouth. His jaw dropped as he saw his patient's husband turn his wife's palm up and begin to rapidly move his fingers over hers.

His voice trailed off. "Huh... what?..."

The father-to-be had no patience as he turned to him once again. "How else did you think we communicate in the dark?!" he said exasperatedly.

Whatever he was doing seemed to work, for as soon as he finished his medical spiel, asked the question and the fingers stopped moving, he got the answer he needed.

"Okay," came the response through gritted teeth. "I understand. I give consent. Just do it."

Summoning the junior staff member behind him, Doctor Windemere spared a hopeful glance at his watch. He might just make it.


Thomas John "TJ" Hudson arrived into the world after another 9 hours and 36 minutes, Jodie Louise Hudson joining him 7 minutes later.