Lisa heard more wild giggles down the phone as a vision of Doc McFluffins running speedily around the garden with Felicity in hot pursuit enteredher mind. ‘Callum, Callum?’
‘Yes?’
‘Is Alice or Megan with you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Can I speak … please, can you pass Megan the phone?’ Lisa could hear laughter and chaos ensuing in the background, before finally hearing the phone being passed over.
‘Hello.’
‘Megan, it’s Lisa.’
‘Mummy didn’t mean to let the rabbit out, he bit her.’ Megan’s voice was defensive on her mum’s behalf.
‘Megan it’s fine, he’s a feisty rabbit. But I do need to speak to your mummy. Do you know how to switch to speakerphone?’
Lisa had no idea what the noise Megan made meant, but she guessed it was an indication that she had asked a stupid question.
‘Done. Mummy, Lisa wants you, she’s on speaker.’
Panting Felicity shouted, ‘Sorry Lisa. I—’
‘Flick I think the baby’s coming.’
‘What?’
Lisa felt pain grip her stomach once more. ‘Oww, oww, oww,’ her voice was a whimper.
Felicity spoke directly into the phone, ‘Lisa, do you have contractions?’
Lisa couldn’t answer.
‘When you can I want you to phone the hospital. Is Nathan with you?’
‘No ... he’s at work.’
‘Right I’ll be there as soon as I’ve caught Doc McFluffins. Megan, Alice, Callum, Fred, stoplaughing and help me get that rabbit back in his hutch. Lisa needs us. Her baby’s coming.’
Lisa heard a squeal of excitement. With the pain easing off she was able to speak again. ‘Thank you. Am I still on speaker phone?’
‘No.’
‘Flick, what if I just need a big poo?’
‘Do you feel like you need a big poo?’
‘Yes—’
‘OK. Definitely, don’t sit on the toilet. Phone the hospital.Put the front door on the latch, and we’ll be with you soon. Don’t push anything out until we get there!’
‘Wait! What?’
Lisa ran the bath the midwife told her to take. Not Lisa’s usual midwife, the lady at the end of the phone had advised that as this was Lisa’s first delivery, it would be hours before the baby made an appearance. Lisa was relieved but equally scared. If there were hoursto go how much more intense would the pain get? Between contractions, she felt normal but when they came, the pain was all-consuming. She’d contemplated calling the fire station but once again decided against it. If the incident was as bad as it looked on her phone, people needed Nathan more than she did, at least for the next few hours.Please let the midwife be right about that.
As Lisawent to lift Nathan’s T-shirt over her head, she felt a pop in her groin. Warm liquid flooded down her legs. Lisa looked at it in horror, wondering if she had wet herself the way Melissa had described before realisation dawned. Her waters had broken. She threw a towel onto the floor in the hope of mopping it up. An intense pain surged low down in her pelvis. Lisa gripped the sink and growled. Shehad no idea where the sound was coming from – guttural, primitive, deeper than any noise she’d ever made before.
‘Lisa! Lisa, we’re here.’
