Dino tucked blankets around her. ‘Keep the doors closed. I’m just going to help Mike secure your car then we’re going.’
‘I don’t think there’ll be time.’ Groaning in pain, Sue doubled over and Dino slid out of the way and let Meg take his place. He saw her reach for the Doppler probe, ready to listen to the foetal heart.
He heard her say, ‘When exactly is this baby due?’ and then the only sound was the angry squeal of the wind as it buffeted his body.
He helped Mike clear their belongings out of the car. Piles of brightly wrapped Christmas presents, two suitcases and a hamper of food all needed to be transported to the mountain rescue vehicle and then finally they were ready to leave.
‘Baby’s heart is one-forty. We all feel better for having heard that. There’s a car park just down there on that bend.’ Meg leaned
forward to talk to him. ‘It means going further down the road, but you can turn safely there. There’s no way you can turn here, the road just isn’t wide enough. You’ll go over the edge.’
Sue gave a whimper of fear and Mike’s knuckles were white on the seat.
By contrast, Meg’s eyes sparkled with the challenge. She was in her element here and Dino suddenly wished they didn’t have company in the back of the vehicle.
‘You need to be careful when you turn,’ she told him, ‘otherwise your tyres will spin out and you don’t want to lose traction this high up on the pass.’
‘All right—tell me where the turning place is.’
It was the most difficult drive of his life and he was relieved Meg knew the road so well.
‘Breathe, Sue.’ She was in the back with the labouring woman, encouraging her and keeping her warm.
Dino was just cresting the hill and making the final descent down towards the end of the mountain pass when Sue gave a sharp scream.
‘Oh—that’s so painful…’ She started to sob and Dino pushed his speed as much as he dared.
‘I suspect you’re in transition, Sue.’ He spoke the words over his shoulder, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. ‘Meg, you can give her gas and air.’
‘One step ahead of you on that one, Dr Zinetti. You just concentrate on the driving. Can you go any faster?’
Not without killing them all. Dino shifted gear and coaxed the vehicle down the final two bends in the road. An ambulance and a police car were waiting.
‘Dino.’ Meg leaned forward to speak to him. ‘There is no way Sue is going to be able to change ambulances.’
‘We’ll drive her straight to the hospital. With a police escort we can make it in about five minutes.’ Dino rolled down his window, had a succinct conversation with the police officer and moments later they were roaring through town behind the police car, sirens blaring and lights flashing.
‘It’s coming, Meg.’ Sue was panting. ‘I can feel the head.’
‘You have to get her to hospital,’ Mike bellowed, his face scarlet as he flapped around in a total panic. ‘You have to get her there right now! Aren’t you listening to what she’s saying? It’s coming!’
‘I’m listening, Mike, and we don’t have to get her to hospital.’ Meg’s voice was calm. ‘If necessary I can deliver a baby here, in the back of our ambulance. No worries. Don’t push, Sue. I want you to pant like this…’ She demonstrated and Dino smiled to himself.
No worries? Who was she kidding?
Fortunately her confidence seemed to reassure Sue and she was able to relax slightly and control her breathing.
He could hear Meg tearing open a delivery pack and talking quietly to Sue, encouraging her all the time. Somehow she’d managed to block out Mike’s pointless ranting and focus on the problem in hand.
Dino pulled up outside the emergency department as close to the entrance as possible. Leaving the engine running for the warmth, he vaulted into the back of the ambulance to help Meg.
‘Sterile gloves to your left.’ She gestured with her head. ‘You’re doing so well, Sue. Everything is fine.’
By the time he’d snapped on the sterile gloves the head was crowning. Dino used his left hand to control the escape of the head, murmuring encouragement to the labouring mother.
As the head was delivered, Mike made a strangled noise in his throat and crumpled to the floor of the vehicle with a dull thud.
Sue made a distressed sound and Meg grinned.