Читать книгу Christmas Brides And Babies Collection - Rebecca Winters - Страница 20

‘YOU LOOK TERRIBLE, ELLA,’ Annabelle informed her best friend. ‘Rough night?’

‘I’m fine,’ Ella fibbed.

‘I’ve known you for a lot of years now,’ Annabelle said softly, ‘and you’re not fine. What’s wrong?’

Ella grimaced. It was all so complicated. Where did she even start?

‘That was a pretty stupid question,’ Annabelle said. ‘Obviously it’s Oliver.’

‘Not so much Oliver as his family,’ Ella admitted.

Annabelle winced. ‘I thought you said Thursday night went OK?’

‘Bits of it did,’ Ella said. ‘His brother’s nice, and so is his sister-in-law.’

‘So the problem’s his parents?’

Ella nodded miserably. But she couldn’t tell Annabelle the whole story. It wasn’t hers to tell, and it wouldn’t be fair to break Oliver’s confidence; Ella was the only person in the department who knew about his background. But she could tell Annabelle some of it, and maybe Annabelle would have some ideas about how to deal with it. ‘His mum wants me to have a paternity test.’

‘What?’ Annabelle looked shocked. ‘That’s ridiculous.’

But it didn’t bother Ella anywhere near as much as the other thing that the Countess had suggested. ‘And she wants Oliver to have custody of the baby.’

Annabelle frowned. ‘What does Oliver say about it?’

‘He doesn’t know,’ Ella admitted. ‘He wasn’t there when she said it.’

‘Then talk to him about it. Tell him what she said.’

‘That’s the problem. I can’t,’ Ella said. ‘He doesn’t get on that well with his parents.’

‘Then obviously he’ll take your side. And no way is he going to take the baby from you.’

Oh, but he could. Especially if she had a boy and Prue had a girl—because then Ella’s baby could be the future Earl of Darrington. But explaining that wouldn’t be fair to Oliver. ‘It’s complicated,’ Ella hedged. ‘And I don’t want to make things worse between Oliver and his parents. It wouldn’t be fair to make him choose sides.’

‘Talk to him,’ Annabelle advised. ‘And if Oliver Darrington’s even half the man I think he is, he’ll tell his mother to back off and to start treating you with a bit of courtesy.’

‘I’m not even officially his girlfriend,’ Ella pointed out.

‘He took you to meet his family. Which he wouldn’t have done if he wasn’t serious about trying to make a go of things with you,’ Annabelle countered.

But Oliver hadn’t said anything about his feelings. And Ella didn’t want to try to make a go of it just for the sake of the baby. Sienna’s words rang all too true: It’s much better for a baby to have one parent who really loves them, than two who fight all the time.

But, before she and Annabelle could discuss it any more, Jennie rushed over to them. ‘Ella, you’re needed in Room One,’ she said. ‘It’s Georgina.’

‘Georgina? As in Georgie, our mum-to-be with quads?’ Ella asked. Georgina was one of Ella’s special patients; after IVF treatment, the two embryos implanted had each split into identical twins, so Georgina was expecting quadruplets. ‘But she’s not due in for another appointment until next week.’

‘She thinks she’s in labour,’ Jennie said.

It was way too early for Georgina to be in labour. ‘I’m coming now,’ Ella said. She squeezed Annabelle’s hand. ‘Thanks for letting me talk. I’ll catch up with you later.’

‘Sure. Call me if you need anything.’

‘I will,’ Ella promised.

She went into Room One, where Georgina was sitting on the bed, looking worried. The younger woman’s face brightened when she saw Ella.

‘How are you doing, Georgie?’ Ella asked.

‘A bit scared. I think I’m in labour,’ Georgina said.

‘Is Leo not with you?’ Georgina’s partner had been to every single appointment with her.

‘He’s in New York. I called him and he’s getting the first plane back.’ Georgina bit her lip. ‘Mum’s got the vomiting bug that’s going round, and she doesn’t want to give it to me, or she’d be here to hold my hand—but she’s texted me a dozen times since I told her I was coming in.’

But texting wasn’t the same as having someone with you, especially if you were scared, Ella knew. ‘OK. Let’s have a look at what your lovely babies are up to,’ Ella said with a smile. ‘Jennie, can you see if Charlie’s around, please? He’ll want to see his patient immediately. And can you get the portable scanner, please?’

‘Sure,’ the trainee midwife said.

‘So are you having contractions, Georgie?’ Ella asked. ‘And have you timed them?’

‘I’m not sure—I think I’m getting twinges or something, but it doesn’t hurt as much as I expected and they’re all over the place. But, Ella, my tummy feels weird,’ Georgina said. ‘It’s all tight and shiny. My back aches. And I feel as if I’ve put on half a stone overnight.’

Alarm bells rang in the back of Ella’s head. She didn’t want to worry Georgina, but this didn’t sound like the beginnings of labour. It sounded like a complication—and, given that Georgina was carrying four babies, this could be a very tricky complication. ‘Would you mind baring your tummy for me so I can have a look?’ she asked, keeping her voice light and cheery.

‘Of course,’ Georgina said, and pulled up her top while she leaned back against the pillows.

Georgina’s abdomen definitely looked tight and shiny, as she’d said. But Ella wasn’t sure this was labour. She had a nasty feeling that one of the quads might be in trouble.

‘As soon as Charlie gets here,’ Ella said, ‘we’ll have a look on the ultrasound and see if they’re all waving at you this time.’

Georgina smiled, but Ella could tell that the young mum-to-be was panicking.

‘I’ll take your blood pressure while we’re waiting for Charlie,’ she said.

At least Georgina’s blood pressure was normal, but Ella would be a lot happier once she’d monitored all the babies.

Just then, Oliver walked in with Jennie, pushing the portable scanner. Ella’s heart skipped a beat when she saw him.

‘Sorry, Charlie’s in Theatre. Will I do?’ he asked.

Provided they could keep their private life out of it, yes. ‘Georgie, this is Oliver Darrington, our Assistant Head of Obstetrics,’ Ella said. ‘Oliver, this is Georgie. She’s twenty-eight weeks and she’s expecting quads.’

‘Congratulations,’ Oliver said, smiling at her.

‘Thank you,’ Georgina said.

‘Georgie thinks she might be in labour,’ Ella said. ‘Her blood pressure’s fine, but we need to do a scan to see what the babies are up to.’

‘OK. I’m sorry, Georgie, our gel’s a bit cold,’ Oliver apologised. ‘May I?’

‘Sure.’

Once the scan of the babies was on the screen, Ella spotted the problem immediately. The two girl quads were fine, but the two boys were definitely struggling; one of them had a lot of amniotic fluid in the sac, while the other had very little and was practically stuck against the wall of Georgie’s womb. The bigger boy twin had a full bladder; Ella couldn’t see the smaller twin’s bladder, but if her suspicions were right it wasn’t full.

‘Oliver, can we have a quick word?’ she asked, not wanting to worry Georgina by discussing her fears in front of her.

‘Sure. Would you excuse us a moment, Georgie?’ Oliver asked with a smile.

Georgie nodded.

‘Jennie, perhaps you can get Georgie a drink and make her comfortable for the next couple of minutes?’ Ella asked.

‘Thanks,’ Georgina said. ‘I have been feeling a bit thirsty, the last day or two.’

It was another maternal sign for twin-to-twin transfusion, Ella knew, and her misgivings increased. She waited until they were outside the room and the door was closed before she turned to Oliver. ‘I’ve been Georgie’s named midwife since day one and Charlie’s her named doctor—the quads have all been doing just fine, and Georgie was only in for a scan last week,’ Ella said. ‘When she told me her symptoms this morning and I examined her, I wondered if it might be twin-to-twin transfusion.’

‘Good call. The scan pretty much proved that,’ Oliver said.

‘But how could it happen so fast? Everything was fine last week. I’ve kept a really close eye on her because obviously with carrying quads she’s a high-risk mum.’

‘She’s in her last trimester,’ Oliver said, ‘so it’s an acute form of the condition rather than a chronic one—and acute TTT can happen practically overnight.’

‘So what are the options?’ Ella asked. ‘I’ve seen less than half a dozen cases of TTT in my career. Do we deliver the babies early, or do you put a hole in the membrane between the twins, or could you do laser surgery on the placenta to separate their bloodstreams?’

‘It’s a difficult call,’ Oliver said. ‘If you put a hole in the membrane so the twins share one sac, there’s a risk of entangling the umbilical cords, and that’s something I’d rather do at an earlier stage than Georgina’s at. This has all happened really quickly, so there’s a possibility that the recipient quad has a heart problem, because the excess blood and fluid will have put strain on his heart.’ He frowned. ‘I’d like to call Juliet Turner in.’

‘Juliet Turner?’ Ella asked.

‘She’s a neonatal specialist surgeon and she’s got a fabulous reputation for her work in utero. She might be able to operate on the quads if need be.’

‘What aren’t you telling me?’

‘She’s in Australia,’ Oliver admitted.

‘So it’ll be at least a day before she can get here—if she agrees to come,’ Ella pointed out. ‘And you’re just expecting the poor woman to drop everything and travel halfway round the world to come and treat Georgie’s babies?’

‘Juliet’s a professional.’

‘Surely there’s someone closer than Australia?’ Ella asked.

‘Juliet’s the best,’ Oliver said simply, ‘which is the whole point of Teddy’s. We can keep Georgina and the babies comfortable until she gets here.’

Ella was about to say that Juliet Turner might already have commitments which prevented her from rushing all the way from Australia to Cheltenham, but Oliver had the kind of stubborn expression that told her he’d talk the surgeon into changing any commitments for the sake of Georgina and the quads.

‘OK,’ she said. ‘And I guess that gives Leo—the quads’ dad—a chance to get here from New York. Let’s tell her together.’

She went back in with Oliver and sat on the bed, taking Georgina’s hand.

‘Everything’s not all right, is it?’ Georgina asked. ‘What’s happening to my babies?’

‘It’s something called twin-to-twin transfusion,’ Ella explained. ‘You know you’ve got two sets of identical twins.’

‘Two boys and two girls—Graham, Rupert, Lily and Rose,’ Georgina said.

‘Lovely names,’ Oliver said. ‘Two of my nieces are called Lily and Rose.’

‘What’s wrong with them?’ Georgina asked.

‘Lily and Rose are both fine,’ Ella reassured her. ‘But Graham and Rupert have a problem.

Normally identical twins share a placenta, and the blood flows evenly between the babies, so they both get the same amount of blood flow and nutrition. But sometimes there’s a problem with the blood vessels so one twin gets too much and one doesn’t get enough. The twin that gets too much blood wees more, and that produces more amniotic fluid round him, and the twin that doesn’t get enough wees less and has less amniotic fluid. That’s why it’s called twin-to-twin transfusion.’

‘Are they—will they be all right?’ Georgina asked. ‘And was it something I did?’

‘It’s definitely not anything you did,’ Oliver said. ‘It just happens, sometimes.’

‘You did the best thing by coming straight in to us when you weren’t feeling right,’ Ella added.

‘And we’ll do our very best to keep them healthy,’ Oliver said. ‘There are several things we can do, but I’d like to bring in a specialist who’s very, very experienced at doing surgery in the womb.’

‘You’re going to operate on one of the boys while they’re still inside me?’ Georgina asked, looking shocked.

‘That depends on what Juliet thinks is the best thing to do,’ Oliver said, ‘but it’s a possibility. You can discuss your options with Dr Warren, too. I know he’s been your named doctor since day one, so it’s important that you talk to him.’

‘So when’s this going to happen?’ Georgina asked. ‘Today? Because I want Leo here.’

‘Ella told me he’s coming from New York. Don’t worry, it won’t be today,’ Oliver said, ‘so there’s plenty of time for him to get here.’

‘We’re going to keep you in for a few days,’ Ella said. ‘I want to monitor the babies, so we’ll be hooking you up with some wires, and we’ll keep you comfortable until Juliet gets here.’

‘Can’t Charlie do the operation?’ Georgina asked.

‘Juliet has much more experience,’ Oliver said. ‘And I’m sure Charlie will be in to see you as soon as he’s out of Theatre and he will explain everything. I’m due in clinic, but if you need me then Ella will give me a call.’

‘Thank you,’ Georgina said.

Charlie came in as soon as he was out of Theatre. ‘I’m so sorry I wasn’t here, Georgie.’ Standing by the bed, he quickly read her case notes. He had been informed there was a situation on the way from Theatre. ‘Ella, who diagnosed the TTT?’

Ella filled him in on everything except Juliet’s potential involvement; it wasn’t her place to tell Charlie.

‘I understand it’s a little overwhelming, Georgie,’ Charlie said. ‘But there are treatment options. Don’t think the worst. We might not have to deliver the babies early.’

‘Oliver said the babies might have an operation in my womb,’ Georgina said.

‘It’s a possibility, but we’ll discuss every option with you and Leo and we’ll go ahead the way you want us to go,’ Charlie reassured her.

Ella stayed with Georgina until the end of her shift; but then she discovered that Lexie, the midwife who was meant to take over from her for the night shift, had gone down with the vomiting bug.

‘Don’t worry. I’ll stay with you, Georgie,’ Ella promised.

‘But—you’ve been working all day.’

‘That’s fine,’ Ella said with a smile. ‘You’re one of my mums, and I’m not leaving you while you’re worried.’

Clearly Oliver wasn’t happy about the situation when he heard about it, because he came to the door of Georgina’s room. ‘A word, Ella?’

‘How did you get on with Juliet?’ she asked, hoping to head him off.

‘She’ll be here on Monday. But that wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.’ He sighed. ‘Ella, you can’t work a double shift.’

Ordering her about again. ‘Watch me,’ Ella said grimly. ‘You know the situation. Lexie’s gone down with the virus.’

‘Health and Safety would have the biggest hissy fit in the world.’

Ella shrugged. ‘Their problem. I’m not leaving Georgie.’

‘I can get an agency nurse in to cover Lexie’s shift. Ella, you need to look after yourself.’ His face tightened. ‘And our baby.’

‘Georgie’s worried as it is,’ Ella pointed out. ‘I’m not leaving her to be looked after by someone she’s never met before. She knows me and she’s comfortable with me.’

‘And you’re putting your health at risk.’

‘OK, then. I’m off duty—and I’m visiting someone in Teddy’s.’

‘Now you’re being ridiculous.’ Oliver scowled at her.

‘I’m not. I care about my mums, and I’m not deserting someone who right now is on her own and worried sick about her babies. Georgie’s mum has the vomiting bug, so she can’t come in, and her husband’s on a plane back from New York. That means that Georgie’s on her own, knowing there’s something wrong with one of her babies and worrying that the worst is going to happen. I’m not just walking out of that door and leaving her to it.’

Oliver sighed. Why did Ella feel that she had to prove herself over and over again? ‘You’re a good midwife, Ella. Everyone in Teddy’s knows that.’

She lifted her chin. ‘Thank you.’

‘But you also have to remember that you’re pregnant. You can’t work a twenty-four-hour shift. I wouldn’t let a non-pregnant member of staff do that, let alone one who’s pregnant.’

Ella shrugged. ‘Then I’m a visitor who’s staying.’

A stubborn visitor. ‘Just promise me you’ll put your feet up, you won’t rush around, and you’ll eat properly.’

‘I’m not stupid, Oliver.’

‘I know that.’

‘I’m not going to do anything reckless or anything that could hurt the baby. But I can’t just walk away and leave Georgie worrying. Can’t you see that?’

Yes, he could. Because Ella was sweet and kind and was always the first to offer help. ‘All right,’ he said. ‘You can stay with her as a visitor, provided you put your feet up and rest properly. But you are absolutely not working. I’ll get agency cover.’

‘As long as the agency midwife knows that I’m Georgie’s named midwife and to run everything past me,’ Ella insisted.

If he didn’t agree, he knew Ella would find a way of breaking the rules and work a double shift. ‘All right,’ he said.

But two could play that game. And he made quite sure that Ella had a proper evening meal, because he brought it in to her himself on a tray. ‘No arguments,’ he said.

And he could see in her expression that she knew he’d call her on the situation in front of Georgie if she refused the meal—and he’d stay until she’d eaten it, if he had to. ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘That’s really kind of you and it looks scrumptious.’

When Oliver had left the room and closed the door behind him, Georgie asked, ‘What’s with the special treatment? Are you two an item?’

Not really, Ella thought. She wished they were, but it wasn’t going to happen because his parents would never accept her. So she couldn’t answer Georgie’s question honestly. ‘Oliver looks after all his team,’ she said. Which was true: sometimes she wondered what drove him to be so protective. ‘And I’m pregnant.’

‘Congratulations,’ Georgie asked. ‘When’s it due? That is, I take it you’re having just one and not quads?’

Ella smiled. ‘No, just the one baby. It’s early days. The baby’s so tiny at the moment it looks like a little bean on the scan.’ She took her phone from her pocket and flicked through to the photograph she’d taken of the scan picture. ‘Look, that’s my little one.’

‘Your first?’

Ella nodded. ‘And that’s scary enough. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be expecting quads.’

‘Really scary,’ Georgie said. ‘I never thought we’d be able to have children at all. It was a miracle that two embryos took—and even more of a miracle that both of them then became twins.’

Her baby was a miracle, too, Ella thought. Not that she wanted to discuss that. ‘Two girls and two boys—and they’ll all grow up close. That’s nice.’

‘All the way through, I’ve been so scared that we’d lose one of them,’ Georgie said. ‘All the stories you see on the Internet.’

‘Which do nothing but make new mums worry,’ Ella said. ‘Ignore them.’

‘I had—but now with this twin-to-twin thing…’

Ella took her hand. ‘Try not to worry. Oliver says Juliet’s the best and she’ll be able to keep your boys safe.’

‘I hope so,’ Georgie said.

Oliver came in twice more that evening—the first to check that everything was fine, and the second to bring both Georgie and Ella a mug of hot chocolate.

And then the penny dropped for Ella.

Oliver was officially off duty right now and had been for a while, but he was still here at the hospital. Was he checking up on her? She pushed the thought away. Of course it wasn’t that he didn’t trust her. She’d made him aware of his bossy tendencies, so it was more likely that he was worried about her but he was trying not to make the sort of fuss that would annoy her.

‘Shouldn’t you be at home by now?’ she asked. She saw the flash of guilt in his eyes, and knew that her guess had been right.

‘I’m catching up on some paperwork, so I thought I’d take a break and keep you both company for a bit.’

‘Oliver, it’s ten o’clock and you’re on an early shift tomorrow.’

His expression said very clearly, Yes, and you’ve been in all day.

‘Go home,’ she said gently, ‘and get some sleep.’

‘Are you sure you’re going to be all right here?’

‘I’m sure. And I’m on a late tomorrow, so I’m going to laze around all morning.’ She knew he’d pick up what she wasn’t saying in front of Georgie: don’t fuss. Though, at the same time, it warmed her that he was concerned and trying not to be overbearing about it.

If only his family was different…

But that wasn’t fair. It wasn’t his fault.

‘I’ll see you later, then,’ he said. ‘Call me if you need anything.’

‘I will,’ she promised.

But he came in again on his way out of the department, this time carrying a blanket, which he proceeded to tuck round her. Georgie had fallen asleep, so he simply mouthed, ‘Call me,’ rested the backs of his fingers briefly against her cheek, and left the room as quietly as he could.

Ella had to blink back the tears. This was the man she’d fallen for—kind, considerate and caring. But his parents would never accept her in his life. She couldn’t ask him to choose between them. Somehow, she’d have to find a way of backing off without either of them getting hurt.

Except she had a nasty feeling it was already too late for that.

She dozed in the chair next to Georgie’s bed, waking only when the agency midwife came in to check on them, until Leo arrived at the crack of dawn the next morning. Ella talked him through what was happening with the babies, drawing diagrams and labelling them to help him understand.

‘Sorry, my writing’s terrible,’ she said, wincing. At times like this, she really resented her dyslexia.

‘It’s because you’re a medic,’ Leo said with a smile. ‘All medics have terrible handwriting.’

‘I guess,’ she said.

She stayed with Georgie and Leo until the midwife from the early shift took over.

‘Thank you for staying with me,’ Georgie said. ‘That was above and beyond the call of duty.’

‘Any time,’ Ella said, meaning it. ‘I’m going home for a nap now, but if you need me just ask one of the midwives to call me, OK?’

‘You’re the best, Ella,’ Leo said, giving her a hug. ‘Thank you.’

‘No problem. Sit and cuddle your wife,’ she said with a smile.