“What’s happening?” The drops in my eyes are disorienting me, and Will’s tension isn’t helping. I lean on the counter and close my eyes for a moment.
“The babies.” That gets me standing straight and opening my eyes.
“What? Isn’t it a bit early?” I didn’t think they were due for a week or two, but what would I know about pregnancy and childbirth?
“No, right on time, but that’s not the problem. The problem is we’re in Mum and Dad’s barn.”
“What do you mean you’re in Dad’s barn?” Again, don’t know much about childbirth, but a barn seems like an odd place to be. Although, we are talking about Freyja and my brother. Odd is standard practice for them.
“I mean, we’re in the fucking barn. Freyja was checking on the birthing cows and went into labour.” Only Freyja would be checking on cows days before her twins are due.
“And you’re calling me?” Perhaps a medical doctor, rather than an academic one, would be more appropriate, I think, but have the sense not to say. He’s strung out enough without me giving him attitude.
“No other fucker is answering their phone. What the hell use is a mobile if you don’t answer it?”
I hear a low moan.
“Was that Freyja?”
“No. That was a cow. She’s giving birth too. Focus, E. We don’t have time to get to the hospital. I need you to gather the family and get down here … oh, Jesus. Gotta go.”
And the line goes dead.
I’m pretty good at keeping my emotions off my face, but this is an extreme case.
“What’s wrong?” Sadie jumps up out of the seat where she’s been flicking through a pile of magazines so old they could rival the stratification of an Egyptian tomb.
“That was my brother. His wife’s just gone into labour. With twins. In a barn.”
Will has asked me to gather the family and I can’t even see enough to make a call.
“A barn? Oh my God. Is there anything I can do?” Sadie reaches out, takes the card and receipt from the receptionist, and starts to lead me towards the door, elbow cocked out for me to take as though I’m an octogenarian.
“I’m not that blind,” I start, and then immediately prove myself wrong by stumbling. I’m having trouble with depth of field, and the floor seems to be rolling. “Okay, maybe I am. I can’t see my phone. I need to call my mother. Or father.”
Sadie takes the phone, and while we wait for the lift I give her the code. She flicks expertly to Favourites and tries my mother, then my father. Neither of them answers.
One after another, we leave messages at offices or on mobiles for my brother, my sister, and their partners. This is damned frustrating.
“Fuck. I have to get to Bangalay. Now.” I stop at the entrance to the Ancient History building.
“Bangalay? That explains the barn. Isn’t that down the coast?”
“Yep. About two hours away. And I can’t drive.”
There’s no more than a nanosecond of hesitation from Sadie.
“We cancelled lectures for today because of your eyes. I can drive you.”
On any other day, in any other circumstances, my answer would be hell no. Spending two hours in a car with Sadie? And then being stuck in Bangalay with her for who knows how many hours—or, God forbid—days? That’s just asking for trouble. But it’s either accept her help or let my brother down, and that’s something I won’t ever do.
Sadie doesn’t wait for an answer. She nudges me onto the bench next to the revolving door.
“Wait here. I’ll get your keys. I think we should take your car. Mine’s not … entirely roadworthy.” I remember the battered red hatchback. Yes. Best take mine.
She’s back with my keys, laptop satchel and jacket in no time.
“I’ll pull the car around to the front, so you don’t have to navigate the carpark. Back in a sec.”
