Читать книгу Rescuing Dr Macallister - Sarah Morgan - Страница 9

WITH considerable help from Ben, Lindsay struggled through to the bedroom and settled down on the bed with a groan.

‘Don’t get too comfortable,’ Ben said immediately, pulling off his jacket and tossing it to one side. ‘I’m just going to nip down to my car for my bag and then I’m going to examine you.’

Ellie glanced sideways at her cousin, knowing what a private person she was and wondering how she’d react to the prospect of being examined by Ben, but Lindsay was breathing steadily, clearly thinking of nothing but her baby.

Ben strode out of the room and was back only minutes later, a large bag in his hand.

Lindsay lifted her eyebrows and gave a weak smile. ‘You must have been a Scout. Are you always this prepared?’

‘Since I started working in remote parts of the world.’ Ben gave a glimmer of a smile as he pushed up his sleeves and made for the bathroom. ‘Experience has taught me that it’s wise to always carry at least a basic supply of equipment with me.’

‘You don’t need to use that bathroom,’ Lindsay called after him. ‘I was only in there because I was cleaning it. There’s an en suite over there...’

She gestured with her head and Ben followed her instructions, grunting with satisfaction as he found the large bathroom.

Ellie was staring at her cousin in disbelief. ‘Why were you cleaning the bathroom? You’re in labour, for goodness’ sake.’

Lindsay shrugged sheepishly. ‘Nesting, I suppose. I decided it needed doing.’

‘You’re mad,’ Ellie stated with conviction, glancing up as Ben called over his shoulder from the bathroom.

‘Can you run me through your obstetric history while I wash my hands? This is your first pregnancy—correct?’ He turned on the hot tap and reached for the soap.

Lindsay answered his questions as thoroughly as she could before breaking off and whimpering as another pain hit her. ‘Oh, Ellie...’

‘Breathe with her,’ Ben instructed over his shoulder as he lathered his hands and forearms with soap, ‘and then get me some clean towels.’

He certainly wasn’t given to small talk, Ellie mused as she held Lindsay’s hand and reminded her how to breathe.

Lindsay followed her cousin’s cue and breathed out slowly, perspiration glistening on her forehead.

‘I’m OK now. Thanks. You know where the towels are.’

Quickly Ellie fetched the towels and piled them on the chair.

Ben helped himself and then sat down on the edge of the bed. ‘OK, this is what we’re going to do. First of all Ellie is going to have a hot shower and change out of those wet things. While she’s doing that, I’m going to take a look at you so that we know what we’re dealing with.’

Ellie suddenly realised that seeing Lindsay had distracted her from the fact that she was freezing cold.

Without further argument, she reached into her cousin’s wardrobe and dragged out a pair of jeans and a soft jumper and made for the shower.

Five minutes later her skin was glowing pink and warm from the hot water and the shivering had stopped. She dried her hair roughly with the damp towel and then walked quickly back into the bedroom, startled to see Lindsay smiling. What on earth had made her smile? Not Ben surely?

He glanced at her and his own smile faded, his dark gaze suddenly hard. ‘Get back in that bathroom and dry your hair properly.’

Obviously the smile was reserved for Lindsay.

Rolling her eyes, she returned to the bathroom, picked up the hair-dryer and waved it absently in the direction of her hair until it fell in soft, dark waves around her shoulders.

Lindsay looked at her critically as she walked back into the room. ‘You’d better help yourself to a belt or you’re going to lose those jeans.’

Ellie glanced down at herself, a rueful expression on her face. It was true that the jeans were loose, but they’d do.

‘Look at her,’ Lindsay murmured to Ben as she rubbed a hand over her stomach. ‘She puts on my pre-pregnancy jeans and they’re too loose. I hate her. She’s got legs up to her armpits and boobs to die for, and the worse thing is she never notices.’

‘It’s just a body, Lindsay,’ Ellie mumbled. ‘Everyone’s got one.’

Lindsay opened her mouth to say something else and then groaned as another contraction hit her. Ellie was by her side in an instant, holding her cousin’s hand and helping her breathe slowly.

‘I can feel something! It’s coming, I know it is. Oh, Ellie do something!’ Lindsay clutched her hand tightly and Ellie looked helplessly at Ben.

‘Get me some more light,’ he ordered, tugging on a pair of gloves and preparing to examine Lindsay again. ‘Lindsay, I’m going to take a look now and see what’s going on.’

Ellie grabbed a bedside lamp and removed the shade, exposing the bulb, while Lindsay looked on anxiously, her eyes brimming with tears.

‘Well?’

Ben’s face gave nothing away and when he spoke his tone was casual. ‘Well, you’re right when you say it’s coming. I can see a little bottom.’

‘Little? If it’s a little bottom it can’t be yours, Linny,’ Ellie joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere in the room.

Lindsay gave a weak smile, but there was no disguising her panic. ‘So it’s too late to go to hospital?’

‘Before the birth, yes,’ Ben said calmly. ‘After you’ve had the baby we’ll get you there. I want you to stand up, Lindsay, and hang onto Ellie. Arms around her neck, feet wide apart... That’s it—great.’

‘It’s going to fall on the floor,’ Lindsay muttered, and Ben shook his head.

‘It’s not going to fall anywhere. Trust me, Lindsay. Just hang onto Ellie and do as I say.’

Ellie winced as Lindsay’s fingers dug into her shoulders.

‘That’s good, Lindsay. Well done.’ Ben’s voice was deep and reassuring, his movements steady and confident as he worked. ‘That’s the bottom and the legs delivered.’

Lindsay gave a sob. ‘Is its head stuck?’

‘It’s not stuck. But we don’t rush this bit,’ Ben explained. ‘The head has to be delivered slowly. Just breathe and be patient.’

Two minutes later Lindsay dug her nails into Ellie’s shoulders again and there was a sudden wailing, just as they heard footsteps on the stairs.

‘Congratulations,’ Ben said softly. ‘You have a little girl.’

‘The door was open so I let myself in. I hope you don’t mind.’ The midwife bustled into the room and broke off in astonishment at the sight of the bawling baby in Lindsay’s arms. ‘So you were in labour.’

Ellie caught Ben’s eye and looked away again quickly.

‘It would appear that way,’ he drawled.

The midwife was staring at him with shock and blatant disapproval. ‘You delivered the baby?’

Ben didn’t spare her a glance, instead focusing all his attention on Lindsay.

‘He’s a doctor,’ Lindsay said weakly, and the midwife seemed flustered.

‘Oh. Well, naturally I didn’t think... I mean, he doesn’t look...’

Satisfied that all was still well with Lindsay, Ben lifted his dark head, his handsome face blank of expression. ‘As you’re here, you can take over and deliver the placenta. I didn’t have any Syntometrine so at the moment she’s having a physiological third stage.’

‘What on earth is that?’ Lindsay looked worried and the midwife was quick to explain, dragging her gaze away from Ben with visible effort.

‘It means that we haven’t given you an injection to make your uterus contract, but it’s nothing to worry about. It’s quite capable of doing it by itself. It will be no problem at all for a young, healthy thing like you.’

The midwife hurried to the bathroom and scrubbed her hands, talking over her shoulder as she did so. ‘I came as quickly as I could but the roads are terrible. There’s an awful storm outside.’

Ellie caught Ben’s eye again and this time failed to stifle a giggle. The midwife had a real talent for stating the obvious. She was beginning to think that Lindsay had had a lucky escape.

Lindsay obviously thought so too because she struggled to sit up, panic in her eyes as she looked at Ben.

‘Please, don’t leave me.’ She glanced furtively towards the bathroom. ‘I—I really want you to be here. I trust you.’

Ben was still for a moment. ‘I’m not leaving you,’ he said, his voice rough and yet gentle at the same time. ‘I’m going to warm the car up so that I can drive you both to hospital once the midwife has delivered the placenta.’

At that moment the midwife bustled out of the bathroom and overheard the last comment.

‘Oh, she won’t be going anywhere for a while. The roads—’

‘I’ll worry about the roads,’ Ben said tersely. ‘You worry about the placenta.’

The midwife looked taken aback. ‘Oh— Well, yes...’

Ben strode out of the room and Ellie flung open the wardrobes and found some warm clothes for Lindsay.

‘Where have you stashed all the baby things, Linny?’

‘In the chest of drawers in the box room.’ Lindsay gave a moan. ‘Ellie, will you hold her for a minute? Just until we get this bit over with?’

Ellie took the baby immediately, staring in awe at its delicate features. ‘Oh, you are so beautiful,’ she cooed. ‘No way can you be Lindsay’s...’

Lindsay gave a weak laugh and the midwife gave a grunt of satisfaction as she finally delivered the placenta.

‘There we are, pet. All done.’ She checked it carefully and dropped it into a kidney dish. ‘Now then, let’s get that baby on the breast to help your uterus contract.’

She helped Lindsay sit up and Ellie handed the baby back, still misty-eyed from the experience.

The baby was gorgeous.

‘Right.’ She cleared her throat and pulled herself together. ‘Baby clothes.’

Ben appeared in the doorway, his handsome features unsmiling. ‘How is she doing?’

‘All finished,’ the midwife said briskly. ‘Just having a little feed.’

Ellie smiled. ‘Come and see her, Ben—she’s beautiful!’

Was it her imagination or did his entire body tense?

‘I need to make a phone call,’ he said curtly. ‘Dress both of them warmly and I’ll meet you downstairs in five minutes.’

Ellie watched as he strode out of the room, wondering what on earth was wrong. Because something was wrong, she was sure of that.

She had one of her feelings...

Ben had saved the baby’s life. He’d been warm and kind to Lindsay, but now he was remote and untouchable again.

Why?

The midwife went downstairs to fetch something from her car and Ellie and Lindsay were finally left alone.

Lindsay turned to her with an excited smile. ‘Ellie, he’s gorgeous!’

‘He?’ Bemused, Ellie stared at the baby and then at her cousin. ‘It’s a girl!’

‘I’m not talking about the baby!’ Lindsay rolled her eyes. ‘I’m talking about Ben. Superman, or rather Superdoctor. Where on earth did you find him?’

Ellie hesitated. ‘I told you. My car broke down.’

‘And?’ Lindsay looked at her. ‘When my car breaks down I get the emergency road service. I don’t get anyone like Ben.’

Ellie rubbed the toe of her shoe on the carpet. ‘I flagged him down.’

‘You thumbed a lift?’ Lindsay’s voice rose. ‘Ellie, you shouldn’t take such risks! It’s dark, for goodness’ sake!’

‘You sound exactly like him.’ Ellie suppressed a yawn. ‘He’s done nothing but lecture me since I climbed into his car.’

‘And he’s right!’ Lindsay looked troubled. ‘There are some real perverts in the world, El.’

Ellie sighed. ‘You’ve been reading too many newspapers. Does he look like a pervert to you?’

‘No.’ Lindsay gave a sheepish grin. ‘He’s gorgeous. One hundred per cent virile male. Rough and wicked-looking. The sexiest man I’ve ever seen— apart from Paul, of course,’ she added hurriedly. ‘So what are you going to do about it?’

‘Do? What do you mean, what am I going to do about it?’ Ellie stared at her and laughed. ‘What do you expect me to do?’

‘I don’t know—but something.’ Lindsay’s eyes were shining with excitement. ‘You can’t let a man like that go to waste. Why not tell him you think he’s gorgeous and see what happens?’

‘I’ve done that already,’ Ellie confessed with a faint smile. ‘He was shocked.’

Lindsay gasped. ‘You told him he was gorgeous?’

‘Well, he is.’ Ellie shrugged dismissively. ‘It’s just the truth.’

‘Yes, but most people don’t often tell the truth,’ Lindsay pointed out, laughing until she clutched her sides with a groan. ‘Don’t make me laugh—I’m sore all over.’

‘I’m not trying to make you laugh and frankly I don’t see what’s so funny. Now he obviously thinks I’m a tart as well as reckless,’ Ellie said gloomily, and Lindsay burst into further noisy laughter.

‘A tart? You? Oh, that’s rich. You’ve never even had a proper boyfriend.’

‘Will you keep your voice down?’ Ellie glared at her and Lindsay covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter.

‘Sorry. It’s just that you’ve always said that you’ve never met anyone worth the effort.’ The laughter turned to speculation. ‘He might be worth the effort, Ellie.’

Ellie looked disapproving. ‘Linny, I’ve only just met the man! And, anyway, he makes me nervous.’

‘Does he now?’ Lindsay’s eyes were searching. ‘Well, that might be a good sign. Why does he make you nervous?’

‘I don’t know...’ Ellie gave a small shrug and stared at her fingers. ‘He’s very...controlled. And self-contained. And disapproving. I suppose he’s just different from the men I’m used to mixing with.’

‘That’s because you mix with a crowd of boys, not men,’ Lindsay said softly, ‘and there’s nothing boyish about Ben MacAllister. He’s a cool-headed, self-possessed, incredibly sexy man.’

‘Lindsay, you’ve just had a baby,’ Ellie reminded her. ‘You shouldn’t be thinking about sex.’

‘I’m not thinking about sex for me,’ Lindsay defended herself. ‘I’m thinking about sex for you.’ She gazed down at the baby and then looked at Ellie with a contemplative look on her face. ‘I just want you to meet someone special. You’re so pretty. I have no idea how you’ve kept men at bay for so long.’

Ellie shrugged and blushed slightly. ‘You know why. I just haven’t ever met anyone that I’ve wanted to—that’s seemed...’ She broke off and gave a shrug. ‘That’s seemed like the right man to—to—you know.’

‘Well, you couldn’t do better than Ben MacAllister.’ Lindsay gave her a dreamy look. ‘You only have to look at him to see that he would definitely know what to do with a woman in bed.’

‘Lindsay, those hormones are going to your head!’ Ellie started to laugh, her expression shocked and exasperated. ‘I’ve told you, I’ve only just met him.’

She hadn’t even thought of Ben MacAllister in those terms. And she didn’t intend to.

It was too unsettling.

She helped dress the baby and Lindsay in warm clothes, and then sprinted down the stairs to find Ben.

He was in the kitchen, talking quietly into his phone. As she walked into the room, his gaze flickered to hers and he quickly finished his conversation and looked at her questioningly.

‘Is she ready?’

For a moment Ellie stood rooted to the spot, remembering what Lindsay had said about him knowing what to do with a woman in bed. Her eyes rested on his broad shoulders and then drifted down to the long, powerful legs and she blushed slightly.

Oh, for heaven’s sake!

‘Ellie?’ His voice was sharp and she jumped slightly, hoping that he couldn’t read her mind.

Blow Lindsay and her fantasies! She couldn’t relate properly to the man any more.

‘Er, she’s fine, considering.’ She couldn’t keep the admiration out of her eyes. ‘You were amazing. I know how difficult that delivery was, but you made it look like a picnic.’

‘We were lucky,’ he said grimly, and she shook her head.

‘No.’ Her voice was soft. ‘You were skilled. Don’t think I can’t see that, and don’t think I’m not grateful because I am. Very.’

His dark eyes rested on hers for a long moment and a shiver ran through her.

He really was astonishingly attractive.

She pulled herself together. ‘I’ve been thinking about what you were saying about taking her to hospital. Maybe the midwife is right. Maybe we should wait until the storm dies down. They both seem OK for the moment and those potholes—’

‘Scared, Ellie?’ He lifted one dark eyebrow a fraction, his tone faintly mocking. ‘This from the girl who drove through a flood, flagged down a stranger and ripped off most of her clothes in my car? Are you trying to convince me that you’ve finally developed a sense of danger?’

‘I’m not scared!’ She glared at him and then gave a worried sigh. ‘Well, not for myself. For Lindsay and the baby. I just think maybe now the baby has been safely delivered, maybe we should wait—’

‘We’re not waiting.’ Ben thrust the phone into the pocket of his jeans and strode past her but she caught his arm.

‘Less than an hour ago you were telling me off for driving in that storm.’

His gaze was steady. ‘But this time I’ll be driving.’

She was outraged. ‘You’re a total chauvinist!’

‘Ellie, engage your brain.’ His voice was weary. ‘I have a car which is designed to operate in this weather. Your cousin has just had a difficult delivery. The longer we leave it, the worse the roads will get. I think everything is fine, but I’m not an obstetrician or a paediatrician and I’m not taking any chances. She’s going to hospital right now.’

Without waiting for a response from her, he strode out of the room and up the stairs to Lindsay, leaving Ellie staring after him.

He was right, of course. It was important to get Lindsay to the hospital. She hurried back out to the hall and glanced up the stairs. Ben tossed her his car keys.

‘Get some blankets and put them on the back seat. Strap her baby seat into the car and I’ll bring them out in a minute. The heating is already on full.’

Without waiting to argue, Ellie did as he instructed, sprinting back to the bedroom and dragging blankets out of the cupboard.

At the top of the stairs she slithered past Ben who was supporting Lindsay and carrying the baby.

She opened the front door and gasped at the strength of the wind.

The temperature had dropped and the freezing rain had turned to snow, the huge white flakes reducing visibility even further.

It was not a good night to be out in a car.

Pushing the thought aside, she made a dash for it, opened the back door and threw the blankets inside the car. She had no doubt that Ben was preparing for all eventualities but she didn’t even want to consider the possibility that they might be trapped in there.

Fastening her seat belt with frozen fingers, she glanced up to see Ben in the doorway with the baby in his arms. It was so well wrapped up it was barely visible.

Seconds later Lindsay was in the car and the baby was safely strapped in next to her.

‘I’m scared she’ll get cold,’ Lindsay breathed, and Ben slammed the car door shut and checked the heating.

‘Keep those blankets on her and she’ll be fine. She’s had a feed so that should help. I’ll drive as carefully as I can but this might be a rough ride,’ he warned them as he climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

The midwife waved them off and they made it back down the farm track with no problem and turned onto the lane that ran near Lindsay’s farm.

Ellie saw Ben’s fingers tighten on the steering-wheel and knew from the tension in his shoulders that the roads were bad, the snow making the driving conditions slushy and dangerous.

‘The quickest way to the hospital is back through the ford,’ she said quietly, and she saw him nod briefly.

How long had they been at Lindsay’s?

How much rain had fallen in that time?

As he approached the water Ellie closed her eyes and held onto Lindsay’s hands, but she needn’t have worried. The four-wheel-drive barely hesitated as it plunged happily through the water and up the other side.

Lindsay looked out of the back window and gasped. ‘There’s your little car.’ Suddenly understanding dawned and she stared at Ellie, horrified. ‘Oh, my God! You broke down because you drove through the ford, didn’t you? That’s why you got to me so quickly! Oh, Ellie! Whatever made you take such a risk?’

‘I love you,’ Ellie mumbled, ‘and no one else seemed prepared to try it. Don’t worry about the car. I’ll sort it out tomorrow.’

‘I’m not worried about your car, I’m worried about you!’

‘Don’t be.’ Ellie gave her a cheerful smile. ‘I’m not the one who’s just had an upside-down baby.’

‘She was the right way up,’ Lindsay pointed out, and Ellie shook her head.

‘No. Medically speaking she was upside down.’ She chatted away, distracting Lindsay as Ben negotiated the lethal road conditions. Once they hit the main road things improved slightly and Ben handed her his phone without taking his eyes off the road. The snow was falling silently onto the windscreen, obscuring his vision.

‘Call A and E. Ask for Sean Nicholson. Tell him our estimated time of arrival is five minutes. Ask him if we go to A and E or the labour ward. I spoke to him earlier and he should have fixed something up by now.’

Ellie stared at him, puzzled. Sean was the consultant in charge of the A and E department. How did Ben know him?

She shook herself and punched the number into the phone. Now wasn’t the time to worry about things like that or to tell him that she worked in that department and knew Sean very well herself.

She spoke to the receptionist and got through to Sean easily.

It was clear that Ben had already briefed him fully. ‘They’re expecting her on the labour ward,’ he said immediately. ‘Get MacAllister to use Entrance 6 and pull the car right up to the door. There’s a midwife waiting for her.’

‘We’ll be five minutes.’

Ellie handed the phone back to Ben, relayed Sean’s instructions and gave Lindsay’s hand a squeeze.

Lindsay looked at her, her eyes overly bright in the darkness. ‘Well, this wasn’t exactly what you’d call a textbook delivery.’

‘And since when has life gone according to the books? Mine never does,’ Ellie pointed out, and Lindsay grinned.

‘That’s because you read romance novels. Life is never like that.’

Briefly Ellie caught Ben’s glance in the rear-view mirror and then he was pulling up outside the entrance of the hospital.

‘OK, we’re here. Let’s get you checked out.’

Without further conversation he undid Lindsay’s seat belt, scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing and walked briskly the short distance to the medical team who were waiting with a wheelchair.

Then he returned to collect the baby.

Ellie followed, surprised to see Sean Nicholson hovering. ‘Hello, handsome. What’s an A and E consultant doing in a place like this?’ she quipped, and he gave a lopsided smile.

‘Interfering. Checking that the obstetrics team is doing its job.’

‘Well, thanks a lot, Nicholson.’ Jed Matthews, the obstetric consultant, glared at him and then smiled at his patient. ‘Hello, Lindsay. I hear you’ve been giving everyone heart failure.’

Lindsay stared at all the doctors in amazement. ‘Why am I getting all this attention? The baby’s been born!’

‘Well, you’re our VIP this week.’ Jed laughed. ‘That and the fact that, for some unknown reason, Obstetrics isn’t busy at the moment. Give me the low-down, Ben.’

‘It was a breech delivery but everything seemed fairly straightforward...’ Ben raked his dark hair out of his eyes as he ran Jed through the details of the delivery and then turned to Lindsay and gave her a brief smile. ‘You were brave. You did well.’

He turned on his heel but Lindsay reached out a hand to stop him leaving.

‘Wait!’ Her tone was urgent. ‘You can’t go! Not just like that. I haven’t thanked you for everything you’ve done. Paul is going to want to talk to you. If it hadn’t been for you...’ She bit her lip, visibly flustered. ‘Where can I get hold of you?’