A Complicated Birth

At the time Louisa begins labour, Martin Ellingham is in London rather than Basel. He is meeting with two doctors from Imperial and two doctors from the Swiss pharmaceutical company. Martin did not wish to attend the meeting and is incensed that they are now in their third hour with no reasonable progress made. Finally, one of the Swiss asks that they re-convene tomorrow morning after another analysis is run of test results. Martin gives directions to the two Imperial researchers and leaves for the surgical wing.

There he checks on several post-op patients he is managing for another consultant. One man is surprised that Martin is following him rather than his surgeon, and Martin brusquely responds that he is a fully-qualified vascular surgeon. Then he returns to his office for his case filled with new data on the Swiss drug and files for tomorrow's surgeries.

In his car, he finally listens to messages. Hearing one from Louisa announcing she is in labour, he phones Truro Hospital and finds she has been registered and is in an obstetrics ward with a midwife. Martin drives to the flat he let near Imperial, packs a case, and leaves for Cornwall.

At Truro Hospital, Selena MacKenzie and Isabelle Grayson are alternating between the labor room and the area where Joan Norton and Caroline Bosman are waiting. Now that she has to prick her fingers to test for blood sugar levels, Caroline has developed an aversion to the sight of blood. Not exactly a phobia only squeamish, she insists.

Louisa is holding up well and is five centimeters dilated. Several times Joan Norton grumbles: "that silly, silly boy" or "I've a mind to call him now and get him where he should be." Each time Caroline settles her saying Louisa knows that Martin will not be with her. Eventually, Joan goes outside to be alone with her thoughts about her nephew.

Near 10 o'clock Joan has not returned and Louisa is becoming exhausted by the pain. Grace McMahon, the midwife, gives her more gas and air which help but they also make her confused. Several times she repeats: "tell Gordon," and Selena looks questioningly at Isabelle. "Does she mean Martin?"

"Could be but I hope not. That stupid bastard better not show up. I'd love to have a word with him."

Grace rubs Louisa's back as she breathes through yet another prolonged contraction. At the end Louisa asks that Caroline send Gordon an email letting him know she is at hospital. Selena takes her hand and asks: "Louisa, do you want us to call Martin? Do you want him to come?"

"No," cries Louisa. "I called Martin." "Gordon's mum died." Then she grimaces as another contraction begins. The midwife is having an anaesthetist come in for an epidural and asks Isabelle and Selena to leave.

In the waiting area Selena asks Caroline: "Do you know someone named Gordon whose mum died? She's wants you to contact him about the baby. It's not one of the students – could it be someone else you and Louisa know?"

"Do you think she means Martin," Caroline wonders.

"No, it's a bit odd. She said she wanted you to send an email to Gordon but that she had called Martin."

"Oh God, do you think I should tell Joan she's called Martin? She's quite upset with her charming nephew, so I'm not sure she's ready for that."

"Probably not, but could you look through the emails on her phone and see if there's a Gordon.

Caroline takes Louisa's phone from her bag and finds nothing. Then she looks at the contacts section under "G" but there is no Gordon. Just then Joan returns still in a huff about Martin, and Caroline and Selena are distracted by her . Caroline is about to turn off the phone and drop it in her bag, when Al Large calls. He apologizes for phoning but wonders if he and Pauline should stand by to send the birth announcement. Caroline suggests they go to bed – she'll call when there is news.

As she is clicking off, she sees that Louisa has a few phone messages. Not sure if Louisa has heard them before she went into labour, Caroline takes a pen and paper to record them. The first is from the midwife and the second from Roger Fenn. In the third message, a man says: "Louisa, Gordon here. I've just finished in surgery and had a message from Margaret that my mum's died. Please phone me."

Caroline quickly hits "call back" and it goes immediately to an answerphone: "This is Mr. Day, please leave your name and number, and I shall return your call. Thank you." Caroline thinks for a minute: Mr. Day. Of course. Gordon Day, the doctor who drove Louisa from London to Portwenn and to whom she sent the wine.

There was some connection to Martin, but she can't think what it was. Does Louisa want her to send an email to Dr. Day to contact Martin? But if she has already called Martin, why would she want that? Caroline concludes that Louisa is in so much pain, she is not thinking correctly. Caroline has enough to contend with wondering if the great Martin Ellingham will actually darken the door of Truro Hospital.

A little after half midnight, a pale Isabelle appears to tell Joan it is time for the final pushing. Caroline asks how "bad" it is, and Isabelle assures her there is little blood if she wishes to come into the room with Joan. Caroline stiffens herself and takes Isabelle's hand. Inside, Louisa is huffing and grimacing as the midwife urges her to push.

Several times she falls back gasping for breath, but then Joan takes her hand saying: "Think of that bloody nephew of mine and push him in the bollocks where he damn well deserves to be kicked." All the women giggle and urge Louisa to push. Seeing Caroline, Louisa calls "Oh, Caro, you're here. Did you send the email to Gordon?" Caroline assures Louisa she will send the email as soon as the baby is born.

More than a few minutes later, they see the baby's head crown and Caroline tightens her grip on Isabelle's hand and looks away. As Louisa pushes the baby out, the midwife hands Joan scissors to cut the umbilical cord. They are crying and cheering Louisa.

Finally Joan shouts: "What do we have here – a chicken or a rooster?" The baby is a boy, a long thin boy. The waiting nurse cleans the baby, and the midwife administers the Apgar test. They are asked to leave as Louisa required an episiotomy and stitches are needed.

Outside, Joan, Selena and Isabelle leave to have a cup of tea and any bit of food they can find in the canteen. Caroline will remain to take the photo of mother and baby and then send it to Al Large for the birth announcement.

She removes the camera from her bag to be at the ready and then notices Louisa's phone. Perhaps she should check if there is an email address for Dr. Day. She enters the contact section under "D" and there is one for GMDay at St. Thomas's Hospital in London. Well if this is what Louisa wants, she will send a short email letting him know the baby has been born.

She presses his contact setting and that action leads not to an address but to a file marked "GMD." Puzzled, Caroline opens the file and sees numerous messages between Louisa and Dr. Day beginning with the email he sent thanking her for the wine and ending with his last email to her in April, the night before she met him in Plymouth.

Caroline recalls that a few months ago Louisa told her she was meeting a friend for lunch in Plymouth. It must have been Dr. Day. What in the bloody hell has been going on here? Caroline cannot bring herself to snoop any further, but at the right time, she must ask Louisa.

When she looks up, Martin Ellingham is walking toward her.

Continued. . . .