Needed: Full-Time Father (Medical Romance) (12 page)

‘D
O YOU
speak Sudanese?’

Only briefly knocking on his office door before she entered, Madison strode in.

‘A tiny bit,’ Guy answered, sensing the urgency in her voice and ignoring the chance for a smart comeback. ‘Why?’

‘A woman’s presented to the maternity department. She’s a new migrant to Australia, she’s only been in the country for a couple of weeks. According to the records she’s not pregnant. However…’

‘How far?’ Guy asked, getting straight to the point.

‘Full term—at least they think so. They’re trying to get an interpreter for her but they’re not having much luck and it doesn’t look as if they’ve got that much time to spare. She’s got an old Caesarean scar and it’s unclear whether that baby survived. Basically, they want to take her to Theatre, but they need someone to translate.’

‘Fine. I’ll go straight up.’

‘You know we’ve got the budget meeting in an hour,’
Madison reminded him as Guy clicked off his pen and stood up.

‘I’ll tell the woman to hurry up and deliver, then,’ Guy retorted, but softened it with a smile. ‘I hate those meetings.’

‘No, I’m the one who really hates those meetings,’ Madison responded, but more to herself, rolling her eyes heavenwards at the thought of yet another meeting to discuss the findings of the last meeting. Glancing at her watch, Madison knew that if she wanted some lunch she’d better grab it now, but watching Guy head out the door, lunch was the last thing on her mind.

‘Guy?’ Madison called as he raced out the door, frowning as she halted him but briefly turning around. ‘Can I come and watch?’

‘Sure,’ he said after only a beat of hesitation. ‘So long as Maternity don’t mind.’

The obstetrician and midwives didn’t mind a bit. The relief on their faces when Guy appeared was evident. They barely even noticed Madison.

‘Her name’s Juka, and she doesn’t like any equipment near her. All I’ve managed is to take a pulse and temperature. She won’t even let me put the Doppler on to listen for the foetal heartbeat,’ Moira, one of the midwives, explained. ‘I tried to take her into the birthing suite and she panicked, so for now she’s in her room. Brett, the on-call obstetrician, is in with her now, but from the sound of it he’s not having any luck—basically the family just want to be left alone. She’s got a classical Caesarean scar, and that’s all we’ve been able to ascertain.’

A classical Caesarean scar was one that ran vertically down the abdomen and was rarely used now, except in the most dire of emergencies. The lateral incision was now the method of choice. Guy absorbed this information whole flicking through Juka’s thin notes.

‘She could have had a traumatic delivery in the past or it could have been just the method of choice at the time—but if she has had a bad time, that might explain why she’s reluctant to be examined. Right, I’ll go and see her. Seeing as you’ve met her, can you come in with me, Moira. If you don’t mind, I’ll bring in Madison as well. Someone has to account for my minutes spent away from the department after all, and who better than the NUM?’

‘Sure.’ Moira shrugged, but her answer came a beat too late. She was clearly wondering what good an emergency nurse could be, but Guy already had that one worked out.

‘We work well together,’ Guy explained, pulling on some gloves outside the room. ‘I’m not the only one who could use a familiar face right now.’

Entering the darkened room, they were met by a rather fraught-looking obstetrician. ‘The husband won’t let me examine her.’

‘Let me talk to him,’ Guy said, making his way over and introducing himself to the tall man standing quietly in the corner, a suspicious look on his face as three more strangers entered the room. But as Guy swiftly introduced himself he visibly relaxed and talked rapidly to Guy as Moira and Madison turned their attention to Juka.

A statuesque, gracious-looking woman, she was leaning over the sink in the room. Her eyes were closed, but not tightly, and concentration was etched on every feature. But she was curiously relaxed, nodding gratefully as Moira gently but unobtrusively rubbed her lower back as Guy translated the conversation he was having.

‘Juka has had two normal deliveries since the “operation.”’ Everyone present heard the quotation marks Guy carefully placed around the words. ‘I think, and bear in mind my Sudanese is very basic, their first child died
in utero
and there were no drugs to facilitate a delivery so they operated, but the anaesthetic wasn’t very successful…’ Moira’s eyes met Madison’s, both women sharing an anguished look for what this family must have been through. Guy carried on talking to Juka’s husband and at one point his hand instinctively reached over and gripped his shoulder before he addressed the rest of the medical personnel in the room.

‘She got a nasty infection, was very ill and very depressed afterwards—and I don’t think discussing this now is helping much. She doesn’t want any help. She wants to deliver her baby herself.’ Guy carried on translating as Juka’s partner spoke, but suddenly it was Juka speaking, holding on to the sink and slowly squatting down. ‘Baby is coming now.’

‘Let’s get her over to the delivery room,’ Brett said, clearly wanting the safety of numbers and preferably lots of equipment.

‘Leave her!’ Moira ordered. She supported Juka’s
shoulders, holding on to the woman as Juka did what she’d already done twice before, barely a murmur escaping her lips as she bore down.

‘I’ll get the delivery pack,’ Brett offered, but again Moira shook her head.

‘We’ve already got one,’ she said, gesturing to the table. ‘She’s fine, Brett. Just stay quiet or leave.’

Brett stayed quiet—they all did, watching as, in almost silence, Juka bore down, with no pain relief, with no aid or intervention, in what must have been the most frightening of circumstances, in a new country where she didn’t even speak the language. Somehow she blocked it all out and focused on the task in hand. After just a couple of dignified small groans, Madison watched in awe as Juka reached down and delivered her own baby, lifting her tiny child into the world, clutching him to her chest, stroking the tiny face. Only then did Moira intervene, grabbing a bunny rug and wrapping it around the babe as everyone waited for it to cry…

Guy made his way over and watched earnestly as Moira rubbed the tiny dark body more vigorously, not wanting to intrude but not wanting to stand back and do nothing as the seconds ticked on. Madison watched as Guy’s fingers moved toward the red emergency pusher, hastily peeling the paper on the delivery pack and handing Moira the cord ties and scissors so she could cut the cord and if necessary dash the baby over to the nursery. Only Juka remained calm, stroking her baby all over. Moira did the same and suddenly the baby’s face
moved. The eyes blinked, a tiny mouth opened, limbs angrily flailed as the newborn dragged in its first breath.

‘A wee boy.’ Moira grinned, guiding Juka to the bed and wrapping the pair in blankets as the husband moved closer. ‘Oh, would you look at the curls on him? That is one beautiful baby.’

Tears were streaming down Moira’s cheeks and only then did Madison realize that she was crying, too. She’d seen many births before but never one as beautiful and as low key as this. Nature had unfolded completely as it should, and Moira was right—it was an absolutely beautiful baby. His skin was a touch lighter than his mother’s, he had tiny black knots of curls on his head and the most gorgeous mouth, which searched furiously for food. His tiny, beautifully shaped head turned instinctively towards his mother, looking for security in a new unfamiliar world.

‘Let’s leave them,’ Guy suggested. ‘I mean us three,’ he added to Moira, who wasn’t going anywhere. ‘I think Juka won’t have any problem coping with delivering the placenta—given how easily she delivered the baby!’

‘That’s one long baby,’ Moira said, clutching Juka’s hand.

Juka was holding hers back, speaking words that Madison didn’t understand, but she just knew from her gestures that Juka was thanking Moira for her help and understanding—for being there for her.

‘We’ll be off, Moira,’ Guy said quietly. ‘If you can’t get an interpreter and need some help, call me any time. Switch can ring me at home tonight if needed, so pass
that on to the evening staff. I’ll call up this afternoon and talk to Juka and her husband anyway—I’d like to hear their story myself.’

‘Me, too,’ Moira said, staring down at baby and mother, clearly wondering what they must have been through. ‘Thanks so much, you two, for coming down. Given her history, it would have been awful for her to have been rushed into Theatre or delivery.’

‘That was wonderful,’ Madison breathed as they headed off to Admin for the budget meeting.

‘You really like nursing, don’t you?’

‘I love it,’ Madison admitted.

‘So what are you doing stuck in an office when all you want to be is out on the floor?’ Guy asked.

Madison gave a reluctant sigh. ‘Because of the hours—and the money,’ Madison said. ‘Although if I did shift work, the allowances would actually make up my pay.’

‘So why don’t you?’ Guy asked. ‘Alanna’s hanging out for your job and you’re hanging out for hers—why don’t you both swap?’

‘You make it sound so easy,’ Madison said as they both stopped at the canteen to grab a couple of coffees from the machine to take to the meeting.

‘It is that easy,’ Guy said, filling a cup and handing it to her before punching in the numbers of his own choice. ‘Lots of the nurses in Emergency have kids, and they manage to make it work.’

‘Most of them have partners,’ Madison replied, wrapping
a serviette around the hot cup before they headed back up the corridor and to the meeting where neither wanted to be.

‘So do you,’ Guy said as they reached the door. Madison was grateful for the serviette as her coffee slopped over the edges of her cup. ‘If you want one, that is.’

‘It’s too soon to be talking that way,’ Madison said, flustered, but Guy was completely unfazed, staring calmly back at her.

‘Is it? I know how I feel, Madison. I want all of you—and that isn’t going to change.’

‘I’ve got some very exciting news,’ Terrence Hall, the CEO, stared down the table at the gathered staff and Madison tried to drag her mind to the meeting in hand, but she was acutely aware of Guy sitting next to her, thoroughly bored, his long legs stretched out under the desk as he doodled on a pad. The budget meeting for the emergency department was ticking into its second hour. Guy’s words had sent her into an absolute spin—even if they hadn’t exactly been a revelation. Madison knew how she felt—knew how Guy felt too—it had been hearing him affirm it that had sent her into overdrive.

He wanted to be let into her life—wanted more than he was having.

He wanted the responsibility of a partnership, wanted to get to know Emily, who was so much a part of her. And what had seemed an impossibility only days ago was now a probability. It had become more a question of when rather than if she introduced him to Emily as her partner.

‘As you know,’ Terrence continued, and Madison again attempted to switch off her personal life and concentrate on the professional. ‘We’ve been trying to find the best way to honour Gerard Dalton’s contribution to the department, and we’re looking into some way to commemorate his name in the emergency unit. Madison, you suggested naming the resuscitation area after him.’

‘It’s just an idea,’ Madison responded, interested in the meeting now that it had turned away from figures and back to people. ‘Or perhaps we could call the observation ward the Dalton ward…’

‘Well, I’ve penciled in a meeting next week to discuss that. However, Yvonne Dalton and her solicitor came to see me earlier this week…’ Madison felt Guy’s body stiffen. His interest, which had been waning, suddenly picked up and Madison looked over at him, watching his taut face as he listened to what Terrence had to say. ‘Apparently, Gerard left provision in his will for the hospital to implement a scholarship programme in his name. It’s up to Yvonne as to how that scholarship should be administered but, following Gerard’s wishes, she’s come up with an extremely exciting proposal. As we all know, Gerard was a huge advocate of global medicine, of health care for all, not just the affluent. Now, the proposal is that when we are advertising for the intern rotation, we will offer within their contracts a fully funded, six-month trip to a developing country to practice medicine. Yvonne is looking into several options as to where the resources are most needed, but this has huge implications. If we stagger the
internships we can provide a full-time doctor and in turn we will attract far higher caliber doctors for the intern positions. I don’t need to tell you all that it’s not just a matter of attracting doctors in this day and age—it’s keeping them. This way, there’s a big incentive for them to complete their programme at this hospital—it’s a win-win situation for both.

‘It sounds wonderful,’ Madison said, trying to take it all in. Terrence was right. Attracting and retaining doctors was a never-ending task, but with a scholarship such as this, there was a very real chance of Heatherton Hospital recruiting some of Australia’s best medical minds, of Gerard’s vision for a real centre of medical excellence coming to fruition. She gave a tiny pensive smile at Gerard’s foresight, excited at the prospect of what lay ahead.

‘Right.’ Terrence clapped his hands. ‘I’m actually meeting Yvonne to go over some details in ten minutes so let’s wrap things up. The final item to discuss is the advertisement placed for a new director of Emergency. Naturally this has unsettled some of the staff, but I’d just like to point out that, as happy as we are with your performance, Guy, legally we have to advertise the position externally and go through an interview process. This has nothing to do with your performance, and everything to do with adhering to procedure. Guy, like everyone, has to formally apply for the position and be interviewed by a board…’ He carried on talking and even though every word he said was extremely carefully scripted, everyone present knew that basically
the interview process was a mere formality. Guy had done an amazing job in the short time he had been there, had stepped up to the position in the most trying of times and that, if he wanted it, the job was basically his.