My throat tightens painfully. “None of that matters,” I say fiercely. “We can get all that sorted.”
I glance down the empty road, rain pouring now, and there are no houses in sight.
I press my forehead to hers. “We’re getting you to the hospital,” I tell her as I pull out my mobile phone. “But first, we’re getting you comfortable. Can you breathe with me? Just like class.”
Her eyes squeeze shut as she nods, trying to follow my lead.
In through the nose.
Out through the mouth.
I pull my jacket off and wrap it around her shoulders, shielding her from the cold and the rain, my hands steady even though everything inside me is screaming.
“I’ve got you, Queenie,” I murmur, my voice breaking despite myself. “I’m not going anywhere. Not now. Not ever.”
I call emergency services with shaking hands, keeping Eden tucked against my chest as another shiver runs through her.
“Ambulance service. Is the patient breathing?”
“Yes,” I say quickly. “She’s conscious. She’s in labour. Thirty-seven weeks.”
We exchange details. My name. Eden’s name. The phone number in case we get cut off.
I tighten my hold as Eden whimpers. “We’re on a side road,” I say when she asks for the address, then I rattle off the farm address and do my best to explain exactly where we are.
“Okay,” the operator says calmly. “I need you to get the patient somewhere she can lie down. I’ll need you to examine her.”
My eyes widen in disbelief. “Examine her?” I bark. “We’re on a bloody farm lane. It’s pouring down and I’m on a motorbike. There’s nothing here.”
“Is there any form of shelter nearby?”
“No,” I snap, panic bleeding into my voice. “You just send an ambulance?”
“There’s been severe flooding in the village just down from you,” she explains. “All available units are currently tied up. We need to establish how far along Eden is.”
“It’s far enough,” I growl. “Her contractions are close together.”
Eden looks up at me, her eyes glassy. “What are they saying?”
I press a kiss to her damp hair. “Nothing, Queenie. You’re doing amazing. Everything’s fine.”
I scan the road, rain blurring my vision, then my eyes land on the track leading back towards the farm.
“Okay,” I say, forcing steadiness into my voice. “After the next contraction, do you think you can sit on the bike? Sideways. We need to get you somewhere you can lie down.”
She nods weakly and relief crashes through me so hard, my knees almost buckle.
I end the call without waiting for the dispatcher to respond.
“Breathe with me,” I murmur, helping Eden through the next contraction, counting low and steady until it passes.
Then I swing onto the bike and lift her carefully in front of me, settling her sideways, her legs dangling as I keep one arm locked tight around her.
“Hold on,” I whisper into her hair as the engine roars to life. “I’ve got you.”
And then I ride.
The second I stop outside the farmhouse, relief hits me so hard, it’s almost dizzying.
