Chapter 40! For my 40th chapter and my first of 2014 (!) I dedicate this chapter to my hometown of Cardiff and to all my Welsh friends who I miss everyday.
This is a bit of an action packed chapter - it's all kicking off and hold onto your hats because things are going to change for the Turners pretty soon!
Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed so far, especially those of you who wanted to say that my last chapter wasn't completely rubbish. It means so much to me that you all read my fic, and please do carry on reviewing!
This chapter's song is:
Are you ready for love - Elton John
Enjoy! xx
"Good morning, on all Obs SHO – I was bleeped? … Mmmhmm, right, what time? … And how far apart ? Oh I see right … Ok, so you think I need to send a midwife down? Okidokie – Give us 5, thanks." Throwing the handset back onto the cradle and wiping his hands over his tired eyes Dan stood up from his desk, logged out of his computer and walked out into the ward, hunting around he caught sight of Camilla and Shelagh deep in conversation at the nurses station.
"Ladies, I need one of you to go down to A&E for me, we've got a woman in labour – they think it's too risky to bring her up."
"I'll go."
"Shelagh, you're eight months pregnant! When I said ladies, I meant Camilla."
"He is right you know Shelagh … and anyway you always say how much you don't like A&E and that it's got a really rubbish filing system!"
"I suppose … Go on then!" Camilla jumped up and grabbed her cardigan off the back off the chair,
"Are the notes down there?" she asked.
"Yep, they didn't want to fax them up since I was going to send someone straight down."
"Fabulous, see you all in a bit!" Camilla said as she jogged off down the corridor and slipped out of the departments heavy fire doors. Dan gave Shelagh a brief smile and spun around to head back to the staff room, returning the brief smile Shelagh exhaled slowly and ran her hands the length of her bump taking a deep breath, the baby was making its presence known today. With a dull tightening pain that felt like the baby was trying to stand up against her cervix, another deep breath later and the ache passed and she stood up slowly and arched her back to ease the pressure.
"Tea Shelagh?" Called Dan from behind her,
"No thanks … can I have some water actually?"
"Yeah, are you alright? he replied, bringing out a steaming mug of NHS brand coffee and a glass of water.
"Yeah yeah, the baby's just being a pain in the arse, not behaving itself!"
"OK well, if you're sure?"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine in a second."
Sing a song, to yourself, think of someone listening. One melody, you're all for me. I'll write a symphony, just for you and me If you let me love you.I'll paint a masterpiece just for you to see If you let me love you, let me love you. Are you ready, are you ready for love? Yes, I am, are you?
Hearing a knock at the office door Dan pause itunes on his computer and called his guest in, it slowly creaked open and the pale and clammy face of Shelagh came around the door. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the edge of the door tightly and stared at him fearfully,
"Shelagh … What's wrong?"
"My waters have just broken."
"… What? What do you mean?"
"Daniel, now is not the time for dopey posh acting – my waters have just broken. Ring Julie … ring Julie - everyone else has deliveries on at the moment, I'm trying to ring Patrick but there's no answer, he's in Cardiff."
"Uhhh, right – shit, but you're not due for another month!"
"I know. I know the facts … but right now they are no help to me at all. Please Dan, I need your help … please."
"Right, I'll ring Julie … where are you going to be?"
"I'll be in room 3, it's the only one free. Please, don't tell the girls that I'm in there – they're busy enough … I can look after myself."
"Right … and you'll ring Patrick?"
"Yeah – Thanks Dan, you're a superstar."
"… Which of course is the point of such procedures. Now … uh, as I said this morning the University has been working with midwives working in and around Cardiff … uh, Swansea … the Vale of Glamorgan … and so on, to design this system for uh … for assisting women in childbirth from a whole and holistic point of view. Holistic being our good friend Mr Hunt's buzz word at the moment."
A ripple of dull laughter echoed around the lecture theatre, almost 100 obstetricians and midwives were dotted around the room from all over the country for Dr Emlyn Morgan-Evans' day long talk on his not quite revolutionary new "Maternity system", Dr Morgan-Evans was one of the few obstetrics consultants who supported women giving birth at home and consequentially was both incredibly popular and deemed a dangerous maverick. As he wound up his talk, Patrick stood up slowly, stiff from being sat down for so long in the universities antiquated seating and pulled on his jacket, slipping his hand into the pocket he went to pull out his mobile but before he could get it out he felt a hand on his elbow and replaced the phone.
"Dr Turner, Patrick Turner?"
"Dr Morgan-Evans! Yes, how do you do."
"How do you do, Emlyn please. Sorry for accosting you but you were pointed out to me, can I buy you a coffee?"
"Well that would be lovely thank you." Ushering Patrick away from the lecture theatre and out into the dark wood and flake painted foyer Emlyn continued,
"I think your talk's after lunch?"
"Yes, hopefully it'll interest everyone."
"Well I've been reading about your maternity department, and the idea of addiction maternity clinic attached? An excellent and revolutionary idea in maternity care. We must get away from that idea that maternity care is just about healthy women in labour, it's also about women with severe difficulties being pregnant!"
"Oh absolutely! Although actually I have very little to do with the day to day running of the clinic, I have an SHO who works with my wife … a senior midwife at my hospital to run it."
"I see, keeping it in the family are you?"
"Something like that. But you know, she really supports the clinic – she's 100% behind its work and so's Daniel … uh, Daniel Morecombe that's my SHO. I'm sure either of them'd be thrilled to talk to you about it in detail … although perhaps not Shelagh!"
"Sorry?"
"Uh, sorry – my wife Shelagh, she's eight months pregnant."
"Goodness, bit of a cliché isn't it – the obstetrician who got a midwife pregnant?"
"Oh yes, we're very keen on cliché's me and Shelagh! But I'm pleased to give you the wards number so that you can speak to Dan about it."
"That really would be fantastic! It's only filter coffee I'm afraid, sugar?"
"No thanks, just milk please. You know I never can remember the ward telephone number. Must be my age." he added with a small smile, digging into his jacket pocket he pulled out his mobile phone and peered at the screen. "Odd."
"Here's your coffee, what's odd?"
"Thanks, uh … nothing … I've had 15 missed calls from the hospital, and 3 from my wife. Sorry, let me just ring them back and make sure she's alright."
"Of course, I'll wait."
Dan cast an eye over the WET FLOOR sign that stood over the freshly mopped patch of floor where Shelagh's waters had broken almost an hour earlier, taking a swig of his now cold tea he ran his pen along his meds chart and finally happy with his dosage he signed at the bottom of the sheet just as the nurses station phone started ringing.
"Good afternoon, maternity. Dr Morecombe speaking." He said, absently into the receiver,
"Dan, it's Patrick, what's going on I've had loads of missed calls."
"Oh God Patrick, get back to London now! Shelagh's gone into labour and … just get back up here now." straightening up, Dan took a deep breath and glanced at the closed door of room 3.
"Is Shelagh OK?"
"Umm yeah, not exactly happy about your not being here … and being really quite vocal about that."
"But she's OK … and … the baby?"
"Both are fine at the moment Patrick. Don't panic, but you need to be here as soon as."
"Right – I'm on my way. And tell Shelagh I love her." He went to reply, but Patrick had already hung up, replacing the handset in the cradle Dan stood up quickly and wiped his palms along his trousers, taking three purposeful strides he paused before he did a firm knock that sounded far more confident than he was. In truth he was terrified, since he had arrived at the unit Shelagh was a supportive constant that looked after him, offered advice and now suddenly it was her who needed support.
"Can I come in?" He asked around the door,
"Hi Dan, yeah come on in, I'm decent."
"How are you?"
"Umm tired, in pain. Sick of people looking at my vagina!"
"It's all in a good cause Shelagh," replied Julie from the sink, pulling off her gloves. "You're 6cm dilated."
"And I just spoke to Patrick Shelagh, he's on his way back from Cardiff now and … and he says he loves you."
"Oh thank God, oh thank God for that! How long does it take from Cardiff?"
"Umm I'm not sure, three hours? Maybe four if he hits the London traffic."
"Right … so I've got time haven't I Julie?"
"You've got as much time as this baby wants to give us, but … if you carry on the way you are, and Patrick isn't held up I should say so yes."
"I just want him here, with me."
Hanging up, Patrick spun around and stared at Emlyn for a moment, speechless. Taking a deep breath he replaced his phone into his pocket and tried to talk as calmly as possible,
"Uh … Shelagh's gone into labour, she's in labour … she's in labour. The baby's not due for another month."
"Goodness. Right, go on go on, you get back to London. I'll make your apologies to everyone don't worry, go and be with your wife."
"You're sure?"
"Don't be soft, of course I'm bloody sure!"
"Thank you Emlyn, thank you!" Patrick said, grabbing the Welsh doctors arm in brief thanks before pulling his car keys from his trouser pocket and sprinting across the drizzly car park. Throwing himself into the car seat, he fumbled to get the key into the lock but before he turned it he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was going to get to London alive, now was not the time for panicky driving.
Inside the university foyer Dr Morgan-Evans watched Patrick reverse out of his parking space and drive quickly out onto the main road with a smile, taking a sip of his coffee he checked his watch and slowly walked back into the lecture theatre and up onto the stage.
"Right, everyone – I hope you're all feeling refreshed after that tea break! Now, our next speaker is Anwen Powell, a fantastic midwife who has been working with me since the Jurassic and I hope you all find her talk on community midwifery in immigrant communities very interesting … A little housekeeping though first, our after lunch speaker: Dr Patrick Turner who was going to be talking about midwifery and antenatal care for those with drug and alcohol dependency has been unexpectedly called away … his wife has gone into labour! So if anyone out there has a burning desire to talk for an hour and a half on … well anything really, please do let me know!"
*Shelagh is in labour – am on way back to London now. Dad*
*WTF? Is she OK? T*
*No idea, will let you know. Will you be OK for the moment? Dad*
*Yea, no worries. T*
*Give Shelagh my love. T*
*Will do – thanks. Dad*