Bonnie Sveen Fan, I thought the epidural problem would be an interesting dilemma for Ethan - he knows so much more than the average stand-in birth partner. Thank you for your review.

X-Sammii-X, thank you for your review and the name suggestions - Cal and Ariel might well stick with Liam and I think they might both like Madison. Ethan would be an amazing daddy! I hope he will get the chance. Thank you for your review.

CBloom2, that's a really good point about Cal realising what Ethan's going through - Ethan will probably play it down, but perhaps Cal needs to realise how great his brother is. Ethan is going to be a brilliant uncle. Thank you for your review.

Tanith Panic, thank you for your review and the name suggestions. A lot of people like Liam! I do like the name Darcy - I've always loved Darcey Bussell. I think Ariel might possibly have fooled Cal, but it's very difficult to fool Ethan in medical matters.

westlife4ever80, thank you for your review. Cal has to have his interview, but it won't last forever and I think everyone understands his reasons for being desperate to get out of there.

ETWentHome, thank you for your review. I'm glad Cal's feelings are coming across. It's difficult for Ethan - Ariel has every right to have an epidural, but Ethan can't help thinking like a doctor.


Ariel wouldn't meet Ethan's eye. She stared straight in front of her. Then she cried out as the pain hit her. Ethan put his arm around her and comforted her through the contraction, but then he knew he had to ask her again.

He felt guilty for trying to have such a serious conversation with her at such a critical stage, but he wanted to make sure she was doing this for the right reasons. Perhaps that was wrong of him – perhaps he needed to stop thinking as a doctor and accept that, for whatever reason, Ariel wanted an epidural. If he didn't happen to be a doctor, he wouldn't have questioned her decision. So perhaps he shouldn't question it now.

But he was a doctor.

"Ariel?" said Ethan softly. "You can tell me the truth. I won't be angry. I know you want Cal to be here and you're quite right. He ought to be here. He would have been here if he'd known it would be tonight."

"He was looking forward to it," said Ariel, and began to cry.

"I know," said Ethan, hugging her. "I'm sorry he's not here."

"He really wanted to be here."

Ethan rubbed her back. "Of course he did and he still might get here in time."

"But epidurals do slow down labour, don't they?"

"They can do, but that's not a reason for having one," said Ethan. "It might be too late in any case."

"But you said-"

"I know and you're right. As long as the baby's head isn't crowning, it's never really too late, but the delivery team might discourage it. They'd need to find the anaesthetist; then he or she would need to talk you through it; then it can take fifteen minutes to place the catheter and although pain relief should start quickly, the whole process could take forty minutes. So if they think you could be only an hour away from delivery, they might advise against it."

"But I am in pain!" said Ariel.

Ethan knew she was. Arguing with him was getting her through to an extent, but he didn't think it would last. "I know, Ariel. And if you're in enough pain to need an epidural, then of course you can have one as far as I'm concerned. But you can't use medical equipment for any other reason than that it was intended for. I'm so sorry." Ethan's voice was trembling. "It's a painkiller. Some painkillers in tablet form can give short-term relief from feelings of depression, but they are painkillers and I can't advocate taking them for anything other than pain. I wish I could tell you it was fine. I wish I could go along with what you want and pretend it's for the pain, but I'm a doctor and I can't." Tears filled his eyes. "Not even for you."

Ariel reached for his hand and held it tightly. "I understand, Ethan. It's okay. You can't help the way you feel. But… are you saying that if I ask for an epidural, you'll tell them why?"

Ethan hesitated. He fought to stop his tears from falling. "I don't know. I honestly don't know." He knew that if he did, the team would be less likely to accept Ariel's request. It was also a grey area because it was so difficult to say how much pain was too much pain. Everyone was different. Ariel might be in more pain than some people who requested – and got - epidurals.

"Okay. I won't do it," said Ariel.

Ethan blinked at her, but his eyes were too blurred. He took his glasses off and dashed his hands across them. "Sorry. Um, so you're saying you don't want an epidural?"

"Not if you feel this strongly about it," said Ariel. "And if you feel this strongly about it… well, Cal's a doctor too so he'll probably feel exactly the same way."

"Perhaps." Ethan personally had his doubts about what Cal would want, but if Ariel was Cal's patient rather than his girlfriend, Ethan rather thought he'd be against the epidural too.

"I'm sorry I even thought of it!" said Ariel passionately. "I'm sorry I upset you, Ethan. I never wanted that."

Ethan felt more tears filling his eyes. He knew he'd made the right decision ethically, but he knew it wouldn't be easy seeing Ariel in so much pain and to know he could have saved her from that. "Please don't apologise. You love Cal. You want him to be here. That's natural and I-I'm so happy my brother has found you."


Cal had thought the moment would never come.

But it was over. The interview was concluded and he was free to leave.

"Thank you for your assistance, Dr Knight. And I genuinely wish you and your family all the best. We'll do all we can to ensure you get there in time."

"You mean you'll have the blue lights flashing?" said Cal hopefully. He'd always wanted to drive in a police car with the lights flashing.

The policeman smiled. "I don't think we can quite stretch to that, but it will be quicker than public transport and much cheaper than a taxi."

Cal was grateful all the same. They could easily have turfed him out of the police station and left him to find his own way to the hospital. They went out into the foyer and he saw the policewoman standing by the desk. She smiled at him and Cal went over to her.

"They're finally letting you go then?" she said.

"Yes, they are," said Cal. "I just wanted to say thanks for keeping me sane. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there. Got myself in a whole lot more trouble, probably. But anyway, I appreciate it and I'm sorry for being a nuisance."

The policewoman patted his arm. "You weren't a nuisance, Caleb. Believe me, I've met much worse! I hope Ariel and the babies are okay."

"Thanks." Cal considered kissing her. The old Cal would have grabbed any excuse, but the new Cal found he didn't want to. The only girls he wanted to kiss were his girlfriend and his daughter.

The man on the desk called to Cal as he passed. "I've got your friend Max's number if you wanted to phone for an update. Pay phone's over there."

"Thank you!" said Cal, genuinely touched by all the trouble they were going to. He was sure he didn't deserve it – he might not have committed a crime, but he had, as was so often the case, made a difficult situation worse. He took the number gratefully and phoned Max. "Hey, mate. I'm just about to leave. Please tell me they're not born yet?"

"I haven't got a recent update, but I can get one," said Max. "Robyn, can you call Ethan for me?"

Cal faintly heard Robyn's voice in the background and a few agonising moments later, Max spoke again. "Robyn says Ariel's nine centimetres, whatever that means – I don't think I'm going to think about it, to be honest with you!" Max paused, listening to Robyn. "She's doing really well and there have been no complications or any need for the doctor to step in. Her vital signs are good."

"Thank God!" said Cal fervently.

"You're welcome," said Max cheekily.

"I wasn't talking to you!" said Cal, laughing. He didn't think he'd laughed for a long time. "But thanks, Max. I really appreciate it. But now I really have to go because I'm on a payphone and I really need to leave!"

"We're all keeping our fingers crossed," said Max.

Cal thanked him again and hung up. He looked at the policeman, feeling suddenly terrified, but he did his best to control it. "So. This is it."


Ethan was feeling so guilty. Ariel was screaming and crying and Nina was strongly suggesting she had an epidural, but Ariel kept saying no. She had been opposed to the idea before, but so many mothers felt as Ariel did to begin with, only to change their mind when the pain hit.

He couldn't bear to see her in pain. He had tears in his eyes as he massaged her back and told her how well she was doing.

"I want Cal!" cried Ariel. "I just want Cal!"

Ethan couldn't keep back a sob, though he doubted anyone had heard it. He turned away for a moment, fighting with his tears. One slipped down his face, then another, but he knew he couldn't let them consume him. His feelings didn't matter. Ariel needed him – and the fact he wasn't Cal meant she needed him even more.

He brushed his tears away and turned back to Ariel. "You can do this. I know you can. It's going to be okay. You're doing so well and Cal's on his way. It won't be long now." He wiped tears and perspiration from her face and then used the water spray. "You can do this and Cal's going to be so proud of you. Of all of you."

"I can't do this!" wailed Ariel. "It hurts so much."

"You can have an epidural," said Ethan gently. "It's fine. I won't tell them anything."

"No," sobbed Ariel. "I can't, Ethan. If I do, you'll never know why I'm doing it."

"Of course I'll know!" said Ethan. "Ariel, I can see how much pain you're in and I'm so sorry if what I said before makes you feel like you can't have one."

Ariel shook her head and held out her hand. Ethan took it in his and felt her bone-crushing grip. It hurt quite a lot, but he knew he was in much less pain than Ariel.

"That's good. Squeeze tighter if you like," said Ethan, hoping she wouldn't. "It's okay. That's what I'm here for."

Ariel started screaming again. Ethan began to worry and felt for the buzzer, but Nina was there before he could press it. Again, she advised an epidural but again, Ariel refused it.

Ethan felt terrible. He knew it was his fault, but he didn't know what he could do.

And then he remembered. He was a doctor.

He knew exactly what he could do.