The first pains started a week later, just as the Turners were getting ready for bed. Shelagh felt a slight twinge as she was putting on her night gown,

but thought nothing of it. She'd been having Braxton- Hicks contractions for the past few days, and figured they had come again. She decided not to

trouble her husband, who was out on a call, so she tucked Timothy into bed, then went to bed herself.

Some hours later, Bernadette awoke with a start, the pain was sharp now, and she felt her belly tighten, it left as soon as it came, so she lay back and

waited, sure enough, 8 minutes later, the pain returned. Patrick had returned home earlier and was now sleeping beside her. Shelagh roused him gently,

whispering in his ear, "It's time." Suddenly, her husband was wide awake, sitting up in bed, "are you sure?" Shelagh laughed, "Yes, my contractions are 8

minutes apart, I believe they started around 9pm, but I thought it was just another false labour." Just then another contraction came on, and seemed to be a

bit heavier that the previous, she grasped his arm for support. Once the pains had subsided, Patrick suggested he phone Nonnotus House. "Don't be

ridiculous," Shelagh replied, rising slowly from the bed, "you know as well as I that there is no point in Jenny Lee coming this early. Now, please make up

the bed with the delivery pack, and I'm going to go make you some tea, I think you need it," Patrick decided not to argue with his wife.

For a first pregnancy, Shelagh's labour progressed rather quickly, she had woken with pains at 3 in the morning, and by dawn, they were coming

every 4 minutes when she finally allowed her husband to phone the midwives. While Patrick got Timothy off to school, Jenny Lee examined Shelagh in the

bedroom. "Baby's heartbeat sounds splendid, you are coming along very nicely, I would say less than an hour and you can start pushing." Jenny said brightly.

Patrick came in the room, saying that a call had come in from the surgery, "Do you mind if I take the call darling, it shouldn't be long, but I can stay if you

need me." He said, stroking his wife's damp forehead as she leaned on the bed. Before Shelagh could reply, Jenny Lee shooed him out of the room, telling

him not to worry, there was an hour yet before anything should happen, and that she would telephone the surgery if he was needed, then she shut the

bedroom door. "You'd think with all the babies he has delivered, he'd be more composed, I went out to get the hot water going, and he nearly jumped out of

his skin!" Jenny said with a laugh. Shelagh smiled, "He can't help himself, he's so excited, he wanted to phone you the minute I went into labour." Another

contraction came on, and her waters broke with a gush onto the wood floor. Bernadette groaned and swore under her breath. Jenny Lee insisted that she lay

down, and proceeded to clean up the floor and check Shelagh's cervix, "Not very long now I expect, do you think we should call for the doctor?" Jenny

teased. Shelagh rolled her eyes, "Let him work, it is calming his nerves, besides, if he thinks that just because he is a doctor, he is going to be in the room

while I give birth, he had better think again." The pain hit again, it was getting stronger, Shelagh squeezed her eyes shut, clutching the sheets and trying

to breathe through the contraction, as she had always instructed her patients to do. "Chummy said that even after assisting so many births, delivering your

own isn't any easier, I am beginning to understand." She tensed as another contraction came over her, feeling the pressure that told her she would soon want

to push. Some time later, the door opened, and Trixie's blonde bob bounced into the room, "Good morning ladies, I was on my way back from the Parker

delivery, beautiful baby boy, when I ran into your husband, all in a tizzy to make it back before you gave birth, so I thought I'd pop in, I hope you don't mind.

Don't worry, I set Dr. Turner to boiling some more water, so he won't bother us." Shelagh smiled at the other young nurse, "I don't mind at all, especially

now that the going is getting rough." She took Trixie's outstretched hand just as the next contraction hit. Jenny checked her progress again, "Well Mrs.

Turner," she said with a grin, "On the next contraction, I think you can start pushing." Trixie and Jenny helped Shelagh onto her side, and Trixie held her leg

as Jenny bent between them, Shelagh felt the first waves of the contraction come on, and her heart leaped into her throat, this was it, at last she was

going to meet her baby. The contraction came full force, " Alright now Shelagh darling, push!"

Patrick sat at the kitchen table, his hands grasping a small glass of whiskey, his eyes, heavy with concern, focused in the direction of his bedroom.

He was not used to being so helpless in these situations, usually he was the one taking charge, now, he feared to even go near the door lest he be told off by

Nurse Franklin. He could hear his wife's labor progressing, but all he could do was wait. Then he heard it, the first shrill cries of a newborn, it was all he could

do not to jump up and bust down the door. Moments later, it opened, and Jenny Lee slipped out, a soft bundle in her arms, she smiled, "Dr. Turner, you have a

daughter."