Chapter 140

Louisa complied, somewhat reluctantly. Where was Martin? Would he find her in time?

At the entrance a somewhat perturbed Martin raced up to reception. "I'm Dr Martin Ellingham. I understand my wife is here, and in labour. Where is she?"

"Er, yes Dr Ellingham. She's gone down to admissions. Down there on the left." The receptionist pointed.

Martin spun around and looked to where she was pointing. He spotted the sign, and was about to go there when a shout from behind stopped him. "Marty! Wait up."

Joan bustled towards him. "She's been admitted, Joan. I'm just about to go and find her. Come with me." He set off without giving Joan a chance to speak. She trailed in his wake as his long strides left her floundering.

By the time Joan caught up with him, he'd spoken to the admissions clerk and found out where Louisa was. They went along to the door of the room, and Martin knocked on the door.

A strange voice called, "Yes!"

Martin opened the door and walked in.

A joyful Louisa cried, "Martin!" and then began to cry. He rushed over to her, took her hand and said, "You'll be fine. Sh, don't cry."

She looked up at him, and a tremulous smile crossed her face. Then her nose crinkled in dismay. "Martin? What's that smell?"

He looked down at his once pristine suit and saw again the muck which was now on both his knees and arm of the jacket. "Er, I had to kneel in a field, Louisa."

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but could you go and change?" Louisa thought she would have enough to contend with, without him smelling like a farmyard.

"Er, yes. Possibly. I don't know. Yes. Joan, will you stay here?"

The midwife who was in the middle of her examination raised her eyebrows. "Are you Dr Ellingham?"

"Yes, that's correct. This is my aunt, Joan Norton. She brought Louisa into the hospital. As you may see, I was called out to an emergency."

Martin explained the circumstances to her.

"Well Dr Ellingham, I'm just in the middle of my initial examination of your wife and so I would be grateful if you and your aunt could wait outside, please?"

Martin turned to Louisa, "I'll go and see if I can find something to change into, meanwhile Joan will be just outside."

Louisa nodded. "Thank you."

He shepherded Joan out and found a chair for her. Then he went back to the admissions desk. "Yes Dr Ellingham?"

"Er, you may have noticed my less-than-clean attire. I wonder, would it be possible to get some clean clothes, which I could wear in my wife's room?"

"We don't keep adult clothes here, Dr Ellingham. Only baby things." The receptionist looked a bit taken aback at Martin's question.

"I know that. I was hoping for some surgical scrubs which would fit me, and keep the birthing room clean?"

"Well we don't have those to hand, but I'll phone A&E and see if they can help."

She went on the telephone and was put through. She relayed the unusual request and the person at the other end asked, 'what size'?

"What size are you Dr Ellingham?"

"Extra-large." Was his succinct reply. This was repeated to the person on the other end of the phone.

"They're going to look for some, for you. Please have a seat over there." She waved to some seats set back from the main corridor.

Sighing he did as he was told and sat waiting. Some 20 minutes later he was still waiting. He got up and went towards the desk. "Mart?"

Turning he saw Chris Parsons walking swiftly towards him, and carrying a bag with some scrubs in. "When I heard the name, I knew it was you. I take it Louisa is in labour?"

"Good to see you, Chris. Yes. I was called out and Louisa was at Joan's farm when her waters broke. They came in Joan's truck. I had arrived earlier with a patient, but I didn't know what was going on until Louisa called me. As I say, I'm grateful I was actually here and not stuck somewhere up on Bodmin."

Chris inspected his tall friend's attire and could tell it was distinctly unsanitary. He handed over the scrubs and pointed down a corridor to their right. If you go down there, you'll find a Gents, and you can change in there. I'll organise a locker for you to leave your things in. OK?"

Martin was very relieved. He'd had visions of being forced to leave the unit, altogether. "I owe you again, Chris. Thank you." He left to go and find the washroom.

He changed out of his suit into the scrubs, which did fit, thankfully. After putting the dirty suit in the scrubs bag, he washed up thoroughly and then went back outside.

Chris was still at the admissions desk. "Mart, best wishes to Louisa. Let me know what you get, yes?"

At Martin's puzzled look he added, "A boy or a girl, Martin."

Enlightenment swept over Martin's face. "Yes, of course Chris."

The receptionist called him over, "Here's a key to one of those lockers in room 142. You may leave your clothes and things in there."

Martin nodded his thanks and went swiftly off to find the locker-room.

The key was labelled 15 and he was soon putting away his things and locking up, before returning to Louisa's room. There was no sign of Joan so he assumed rightly, that she'd been allowed back in.

He was just in time to see Louisa grimace with pain. Going across to the bed he took her hand.

She smiled up at him. "The midwife said I was 2cm dilated."

"Ah. Still in the early stages then," he commented.

"Martin, the intervals between contractions aren't getting shorter. If anything they are slightly longer than they were." She looked at him for answers.

"In the early stages, Louisa it can take a little while for the contractions to begin in earnest. Occasionally they slow down again, and sometimes become less strong. However you are still in labour and we'll just have to wait."

"Oh."

"It's obvious that you've come in a little early, but given the circumstances, I'm glad you have." His soft voice washed over her, giving her the comfort she needed.

Joan looked at her watch and saw that if she was to get back to see to her chickens, she would need to leave withing the next hour. "Is Louisa allowed to have a drink, or something to eat?" she wanted to know.

Martin replied, "I wouldn't advise food, but yes, she can drink."

"What do you say Louisa? Cup of tea? How about you, Martin?"

Louisa just asked for water, and Martin said, "Yes, I don't like hospital tea or coffee."

There was already a carafe of water on the bedside table with a glass. Joan went out to see about getting a tea for herself and another glass for Martin.

She returned after a short while and handed him his glass. "I can stay another hour or so, but then I have to get home to see to the birds. How long before I can expect to see my grandchild?"

Martin was quick to say, "I'm afraid it is just a case of waiting. It is possible that labour will suddenly speed up, but it is unlikely to do so. I'm staying so Louisa will not be alone." He smiled at his wife.

"What about your patients?"

"I've emailed Pauline to put a notice up. Chris already knows I'm here, and why, so I imagine he will set the appropriate wheels in motion. As far as I'm concerned, I'm on paternity leave as of now."

Louisa's sigh of relief told him she'd been concerned he would have to go.

Conversation was general and eventually Joan left.

"Louisa, if you want to move around, that would be allowed. Is your robe in the case?"

"Yes, and my slippers. Please."

He picked her case up and got out the required items. He helped her off the bed and into her robe. Once she managed to put her slippers on, they went for a slow walk along the corridor, informing the admissions desk what they were doing.

Louisa felt better as she was walking along. She had another contraction and stopped to hold his hand, but she was soon able to continue. When they reached the end of the corridor they turned and went back.

Back in the room, she sat in a chair and smiled at him. "Not long to go now." She said.

"Er, no. How are you doing, really?"

"Good, now that you are here. Part of me dreaded this, with you being called out and not being able to get back, in time. Silly I know, but…" She left the sentence hanging.

"Hm. I was worried about that, as well. Joan said to me a while ago, that I needed to sort out my priorities, with regard to my job and you. I thought about it for a long time. However it occurred to me that my job is just that. You are my life," he said quietly.

Louisa teared up, and reached across to hold his hand. "Thank you, Martin. I feel the same way about you."

They sat for a while just holding hands, and then she had another contraction, which was stronger than the previous two. She gripped strongly onto his hand while she rode it out. "Ohh."

"Breathe through it, Louisa. Deep breaths, that's it."

After it stopped, she sank back onto the chair.

The midwife bustled in again. "How are you doing Mrs Ellingham? Still having the contractions?"

"Yes, but they are not as frequent as earlier." Louisa was biting her lip as she said this. A sure sign of her concerns.

"Well, I'll have a look and see if you have dilated any further. Pop up on the bed for me and loosen your robe. Dr Ellingham if you would move back, please? Her no-nonsense tone had Martin moving back towards the head of the bed. She had a look and said "you're dilated to 4 centimetres now. Sometimes this happens. There doesn't seem to be much going on and then suddenly you are in the middle of it. I'll be back again, soon."

Once she'd left, Louisa asked Martin, "Why isn't the cervix opening faster? Is there something wrong?"

"No, no, no. It's as she said. The process continues at its own rate. I wish I could say that it will be over in 5 minutes, but it just doesn't work like that. I'm sorry." Martin acted as though it was entirely his fault that things weren't going as quickly as Louisa wanted them to.

Louisa looked at him and realised that he too was experiencing his own pain at seeing hers. "Martin – it's not your fault. I'll be fine." Just then another contraction hit and she grimaced as she clasped his hand tightly.

For the next two hours, Louisa either walked about the room, sat in a chair, sat on the bed or laid on the bed. Periodically the midwife came in and checked her. Slowly the dilation increased until she was at last dilated to 9 centimetres.

"Not long to go now, Mrs Ellingham. Do not give in to the urge to push. You are not quite ready, yet. If you get that urge, pant through the contraction, OK?"

Louisa gasped, "Yes." The sweat was sheening her skin as she experienced each muscle clench.

Martin felt that by the time the baby was born, he'd have lost all feeling in his hand where Louisa had clutched it for support. Although he'd not indicated anything, he was also a little shocked by the epithets coming from her. Apparently "bastard" was the least of his shortcomings! He bore all this with great fortitude as he recalled similar insults given to their men, by other women in the throes of labour. In fact he'd read a study which showed that some pain relief was gained by swearing like a trooper!

"Right Mrs Ellingham, the baby is crowning and you are at full dilation. On the next contraction I want you to push."

Louisa took a deep breath and waited for the spasm to begin. As it did so she pushed downwards. Not a lot happened.

"Harder, Mrs Ellingham, but wait for the impulse to come."

Louisa nodded, as she was too stressed out to do anything else.

Martin's arm was on her shoulder and she felt him breathing with her. The next contraction came and again she began to push.

"Push, push, push," said the midwife. "Your baby is coming."

The contraction eased off and Louisa gasped with the effort of pushing.

Again and again she pushed, and slowly the baby came out. The midwife gently guided each shoulder out and then waited for the next contraction. "When I say push, I want a really big push this time."

Louisa snarled, "I'm trying. Can't you see that?"

A yelp came from her in the next instant and as the midwife said 'push', Louisa gathered her strength to give her all. Martin's hand tightened convulsively on her shoulder and then Louisa felt the baby slither out.

Immediately the midwife picked up the baby, "You have a girl," she said. Almost at once the baby began to cry.

Louisa turned to Martin with eyes streaming, "It's a girl! It's a girl!"

Martin looked shell-shocked but smiled his delight. He too had teared up.

The midwife secured the umbilical cord and then offered Martin the chance to sever it. She handed the scissors to him.

He took a deep breath before looking at Louisa. She nodded in encouragement. "Go on, do it Martin."

He stepped forward and looked at the cord. He extended the scissors and cut the cord in the designated place. The surrounding blood and vernix caught his eye and he felt the nausea rise in him. Turning he put down the scissors and quickly made his way to the toilet, to be sick.

As the afterbirth was delivered Louisa managed to say to the midwife, "He has a problem with blood."

"Time of delivery was 4:53."

The little girl was taken by another nurse to be cleaned and have her Apgar scores measured. All this while yelling loudly, and squirming determinedly.

"Is she alright?" Louisa was frightened that something would be wrong, because the baby was a week early.

"Yes, she's fine. A proper little madam, I'd say," laughed the midwife. "She has 10 fingers and toes, she weighs 8lb 5oz and she's, let's see, 20 inches long. A good size Mrs Ellingham, but given Dr Ellingham's height, perhaps not unexpected!"

She checked Louisa to make sure there was no extra bleeding, and cleared away the afterbirth. Louisa had not needed an episiotomy, but obviously was very sore down there. Louisa was washed and helped into a new nightgown. As she reclined back on the pillow her daughter was wrapped in a small blanket and brought across to her. She took her gently and peered in wonder at this perfect little girl. "Well Roberta Grace, what will you get up to, I wonder?"

The midwife said, "Is that her name? Roberta Grace?"

"Yes. We'd decided not to call her Louisa, or if it was a boy Martin, as we felt it would be too confusing. Roberta is my middle name and Grace is Joan's middle name.

Just then Martin came back in the room. He still looked a little pale, but strode quickly to the bed. He knew the sight of Louisa cuddling their daughter was something he would remember for the rest of his life.

Louisa repeated the physical measurements to him and he nodded. "Yes, as expected."

He sat on the edge of the bed and just stared at Roberta.

Louisa asked him, "Do you want to hold her?"

"Er, no. I might drop her, or do something wrong. I'm not very good with babies." He declined, somewhat fearfully.

Louisa looked at him, with a cajoling glance. "You can learn," she said as she held Roberta out to him.

Martin looked down and swallowed hard. "Yes. Yes, I could." He reached for the girl and gently held her in his large hands. They almost went right around her tiny body. He examined her carefully. He looked at her hands and could see for himself she had the full complement of fingers. The mop of dark hair, just like her mother's, made him catch his breath. She seemed unconcerned that he was holding her, and then she tried to open her eyes. The lights in the room were bright and he was treated to a full Ellingham scowl.

Martin handed her back to Louisa and contemplated the picture they made. As he did so the realisation dawned that he had, for only the second time in his life, fallen in love at first sight.

He bent down and kissed Louisa, "Thank you, for my daughter," he huskily whispered.

Her radiant smile filled his world with sunshine once again.

"Er, I'll go now and phone Chris and Joan. Are you sure you don't want me here?"

"Of course I want you here, Martin, but common sense tells me you need your sleep as much as I need mine. That, and a clean suit as well!" She teased him, but he could see the tiredness in her face.

Bending, he kissed her again and then left. She smiled after him and then her eyelids drooped and within minutes, she was fast asleep.

The End.

Thank you to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review. You cannot underestimate the lift they give an author. Some people might not like the way I've taken the story, but I never believed Martin had Asperger's, and I think that with time he would have mellowed and been able to fully participate in the give and take of married life. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! – Sprintz.