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For a brief moment his eyes rested on Brooke and then he swivelled his gaze to Ally.
‘How are you doing?’
‘Fine.’ Ally gave a grunt and breathed in sharply as another pain hit her. ‘But, for goodness’ sake, tell this brute I don’t need a section, will you?’
Jed laughed. ‘You heard the woman, Sean. She doesn’t need a section.’
Sean groaned and rubbed his forehead with his fingers. ‘You wait, Matthews. One day you’ll be in this position and you’ll understand the appeal of surgery. Clean, fast and predictable.’
‘And totally unnecessary,’ Jed replied calmly. ‘She was fine last time, Sean. There’s no reason to suspect she’ll be anything but fine this time. Brooke’s a fantastic midwife. You couldn’t do better.’
Brooke felt her face warm at the compliment and busied herself, preparing for the delivery, but she knew Ally was watching her curiously.
Jed stayed for a few more minutes and then left, promising to pop back in ‘just to be nosy’ before Ally delivered.
Brooke grabbed a quick lunch and then went back to Ally who was pacing the floor with Sean’s help. Brooke turned the lights down in the delivery room and put on some soft music.
‘You’re doing so well, Ally.’ Apart from gas and air, Sean’s wife had managed without any pain relief.
Ally eased herself back onto the bed and sank against the cushions. ‘I’d forgotten how agonising it is.’ She was breathless and her face was white with strain. ‘I think I want to push.’
Brooke snapped on a pair of gloves. ‘Just hold on a second while I examine you quickly. I don’t want you pushing if you’re not fully dilated.’
She knew from the notes that Ally was a GP, but experience had taught her that a woman in labour still wanted explanations, no matter how professionally qualified they were.
‘I feel sick,’ Ally mumbled, and retched weakly into the bowl that Brooke quickly produced.
‘You’re doing fine, sweetheart,’ Sean murmured, stroking his wife’s blonde hair gently. His dark eyes were strained as he looked at Brooke. ‘How long now?’
‘Not long.’ Brooke glanced up as the door opened and Jed entered.
‘How are you doing here?’
‘The head’s down and she’s ready to push,’ Brooke murmured, encouraging Ally gently as she gave a groan. ‘I need another midwife—can you call for someone, Jed?’
‘I want to kneel.’ Ally struggled and Brooke helped her, but Sean was aghast.
‘You can’t kneel, Ally! They won’t be able to deliver it like that.’
‘Shut up, Nicholson,’ Jed muttered, taking his shoulder and drawing him away slightly. ‘Leave Brooke to it, will you? The midwives in this unit can deliver mothers hanging from the ceiling if that’s what they want.’
‘I don’t want to hang from the ceiling,’ Ally joked, and then groaned again as another pain hit her.
Grateful for Jed’s presence, Brooke talked quietly to Ally and together they found the position that she was most comfortable in. Suzie slipped into the room quietly and opened up the delivery pack.
Ally groaned. ‘Can I push?’
‘Whenever you like.’ Brooke knew that the baby was going to be delivered quite quickly and got herself ready, kneeling on the bed with Ally. Thank goodness for the loose cotton trousers they all wore as part of their uniform. Much more practical than a short dress! ‘Stop pushing when I say, Ally. OK, pant now. Pant. Well done.’
The head was delivered without any fuss and quickly Brooke checked that the cord wasn’t round the baby’s neck.
Sean was stroking his wife’s head now, murmuring words of encouragement in his deep voice.
Ally clutched the back of the bed and gasped as another pain hit her. Brooke delivered the shoulders and then the rest of the baby slithered into her waiting hands with an outraged yell.
‘Little boy,’ Brooke told them with a smile, waiting for Sean and Suzie to settle Ally before handing her the new baby.
‘Oh, Sean!’ Ally burst into tears and Sean blinked a few times and kissed his wife on the mouth.
