‘It hurts,’ she whispered. ‘Oh God, it hurts.’
‘I know, love,’ he said soothingly, stroking her hot forehead. ‘I’m here. It’s all right.’
‘You won’t leave me, will you?’
‘They’d have to drag me away.’
The conductor came back ten minutes later, escorting a no-nonsense young woman in a VAD uniform. She carried a medical bag over her arm.
‘This young lady has midwifery experience,’ he told Charlie. ‘I’ll leave her to… yes. If you need anything, Miss Hunter, just call.’
The man fled, as if desperate to get away before a baby popped out. Bobby didn’t blame him.
‘Deborah Hunter,’ the nurse said by way of an introduction.
‘Charlie Atherton,’ Charlie said. ‘This is my wife, Bobby.’
The nurse nodded. ‘You may leave now, Mr Atherton. I can take things from here.’
‘I’m not leaving.’
Bobby let out a cry.
‘You ought to,’ Deborah said. ‘From the state of your wife, I’d say the baby might be here any minute. You’d rather not see that, I suppose.’
‘I’m a vet; I’m sure I’ve seen worse. And I’m not going to leave my wife while she’s in pain.’
‘Please,’ Bobby gasped. ‘Please, Nurse. I want him to stay.’
Deborah shrugged. ‘I can’t make him leave, I suppose. Just try not to get in the way, Mr Atherton. Now then, Mrs Atherton, when did your pains begin?’
‘I started noticing cramps yesterday morning. They… they weren’t too bad then.’
‘It sounds as though you may have been in labour for some time without realising it. How far apart are the pains?’
Bobby cried out again as the sensation of being torn apart shot through her.
‘I think… every five minutes or so,’ she panted.
‘Then we must be close.’
‘He’s a month early, Nurse,’ Charlie said. ‘Is that bad? It must mean there’s something wrong, does it?’
‘Not necessarily. He may be rather small on arrival, that’s all.’ Deborah looked up at Charlie. ‘If you really want to make yourself useful in the birthing room, call the guard and tell him I need hot water, soap and any clean towels he can find. Quickly.’
Charlie nodded and went to do as he was asked.
Time seemed to blur for Bobby after that. She might have been in labour for hours, or it might only have been minutes. She had a sensation of Charlie holding her hand, squeezing tightly on his fingers with each fresh burst of pain, and a woman’s voice telling her to push.
She had almost forgotten she was giving birth. There was only the pain she was trapped in, and a feeling it was going to last forever. Her body was being split into two pieces and she’d never be able to put it back together again. She felt delirious with agony.
And then, just as she was about to give up and wish herself dead rather than another minute of this, it was over. The pain subsided, and her body, weak and sore as it was, was under her control again. She could hear Charlie laughing softly, thewhisper of scissors, the gentle coo of the nurse, then a wail as from a good, healthy pair of little lungs.
‘My baby,’ Bobby gasped. ‘Is he…’
The nurse put a towel-wrapped form into her arms. ‘He’s a fine, strong baby boy. But you seemed to know that already.’
The baby’s cries ceased the moment Bobby held him. She stared with wonder at the tiny red face blinking at her with deep black eyes.
