‘Don’t look in the
toilet,’ she warned. Of course, instinct had me look straight between her
thighs and I recoiled with horror when I saw the bowl was a red pink colour
instead of clear. Terror flooded my system as my eyes flicked up to hers and my
hands started to shake.
‘Fuck, Ellie, you’re bleeding.’
‘Dan, I told you not to look! I’m fine,
honestly. Keep looking at me, I’m fine. It’s normal to have a bit of blood when
your waters break. I’m fine, but I won’t be if you just sit there, looking like
someone just ran over your puppy. I need to get dressed and we need to go. Now! ’
she ordered, forcefully. I got her bra and t-shirt on while she was seated, then
laced up her trainers. She made me yell in surprise when she doubled up and
screamed.
‘Ellie?’
‘Keep going,’ she whispered. ‘I’m ok.’
‘I’m fucking not. You’re screaming, you look
like you’re going to pass out, and I feel fucking useless.’
‘It’s just childbirth, Dan. Millions of women
go through it. It’s not pleasant, but I’ve done it with Oliver, and when Eva
gets here, it will all have been worth it, I promise.’
‘You’d better not be lying to me,’ I warned,
helping her up and trying not to look at the colour of the toilet again, while
she clutched my shoulders as I pulled up her knickers and jeans.
‘Ellie, Dan, talk to me, what’s happening?’
came Jenny’s voice from outside of our room.
‘Come in,’ I yelled, grateful for some support.
Seconds later, she was standing in the bathroom doorway.
‘She’s in labour?’ she asked.
‘Yes,’ I nodded. ‘Can you let Brooke and Molly
know, if they haven’t already woken up with all of the noise? James is waiting
to take us.’
‘I’ll follow with Brooke and Molly. Andy?’
‘Off duty and I don’t think it’s necessary for
you all to come, it could be ages,’ I suggested, as I helped Ellie up the
steps. Her legs seemed to be made of overcooked spaghetti, she kept stumbling
as she tried to walk.
‘It’s not going to be ages, Dan,’ she gasped.
‘If James doesn’t drive us fast, I’m going to be having her in the car.’
‘Fuck, fuck,’ I uttered. She was moving way too
slowly, all those stairs with her phobia were going to take forever. ‘Close
your eyes, baby,’ I warned.
‘What?’ she looked up at me, then screamed in
surprise as I crouched down and scooped her up into my arms. ‘Oliver Daniel
Davenport, don’t you dare carry me down those stairs,’ she warned, the first
flicker of fear I’d seen since I woke up flashing across her face.
‘I need to get you to the car and to the
hospital fast, and you know how slow you are on those stairs. You’ve got to
trust me, Ellie. I’ve got you and my daughter covered, I promise. Close your
eyes, baby.’
‘If we die on that staircase, I’m going to kill
you again when we get to heaven,’ she muttered through gritted teeth, doing as
she was told.
‘Tell me about Eva,’ I suggested, trying to
take her mind off it as I left the bedroom with Jenny in tow. ‘Who’s she going
to look like, you or me?’ Adrenaline kicked in as I made a start down the
stairs. I was in charge now, she needed to let me take control. I thudded down
them, Ellie tensing in my arms and burying her face in my chest, not answering
me. I didn’t like the look of her. She was really pale and clammy. I was
vaguely aware of Jenny branching off to go and get Brooke and Molly when we hit
the first floor, but I kept going. She knew where the hospital was, I’d had
them all practice emergency runs there on a timer. When I reached the ground
floor, the front door was wide open and I could see James standing by the open
back door of the Range Rover, whose engine was running. He nodded to me as I
approached, then looked down at Ellie. I stopped dead in my tracks when his
eyes shot back up to mine. I’d never seen James look scared of anything, but
right now he had fear in his eyes. I looked down at
toilet,’ she warned. Of course, instinct had me look straight between her
thighs and I recoiled with horror when I saw the bowl was a red pink colour
instead of clear. Terror flooded my system as my eyes flicked up to hers and my
hands started to shake.
‘Fuck, Ellie, you’re bleeding.’
‘Dan, I told you not to look! I’m fine,
honestly. Keep looking at me, I’m fine. It’s normal to have a bit of blood when
your waters break. I’m fine, but I won’t be if you just sit there, looking like
someone just ran over your puppy. I need to get dressed and we need to go. Now! ’
she ordered, forcefully. I got her bra and t-shirt on while she was seated, then
laced up her trainers. She made me yell in surprise when she doubled up and
screamed.
‘Ellie?’
‘Keep going,’ she whispered. ‘I’m ok.’
‘I’m fucking not. You’re screaming, you look
like you’re going to pass out, and I feel fucking useless.’
‘It’s just childbirth, Dan. Millions of women
go through it. It’s not pleasant, but I’ve done it with Oliver, and when Eva
gets here, it will all have been worth it, I promise.’
‘You’d better not be lying to me,’ I warned,
helping her up and trying not to look at the colour of the toilet again, while
she clutched my shoulders as I pulled up her knickers and jeans.
‘Ellie, Dan, talk to me, what’s happening?’
came Jenny’s voice from outside of our room.
‘Come in,’ I yelled, grateful for some support.
Seconds later, she was standing in the bathroom doorway.
‘She’s in labour?’ she asked.
‘Yes,’ I nodded. ‘Can you let Brooke and Molly
know, if they haven’t already woken up with all of the noise? James is waiting
to take us.’
‘I’ll follow with Brooke and Molly. Andy?’
‘Off duty and I don’t think it’s necessary for
you all to come, it could be ages,’ I suggested, as I helped Ellie up the
steps. Her legs seemed to be made of overcooked spaghetti, she kept stumbling
as she tried to walk.
‘It’s not going to be ages, Dan,’ she gasped.
‘If James doesn’t drive us fast, I’m going to be having her in the car.’
‘Fuck, fuck,’ I uttered. She was moving way too
slowly, all those stairs with her phobia were going to take forever. ‘Close
your eyes, baby,’ I warned.
‘What?’ she looked up at me, then screamed in
surprise as I crouched down and scooped her up into my arms. ‘Oliver Daniel
Davenport, don’t you dare carry me down those stairs,’ she warned, the first
flicker of fear I’d seen since I woke up flashing across her face.
‘I need to get you to the car and to the
hospital fast, and you know how slow you are on those stairs. You’ve got to
trust me, Ellie. I’ve got you and my daughter covered, I promise. Close your
eyes, baby.’
‘If we die on that staircase, I’m going to kill
you again when we get to heaven,’ she muttered through gritted teeth, doing as
she was told.
‘Tell me about Eva,’ I suggested, trying to
take her mind off it as I left the bedroom with Jenny in tow. ‘Who’s she going
to look like, you or me?’ Adrenaline kicked in as I made a start down the
stairs. I was in charge now, she needed to let me take control. I thudded down
them, Ellie tensing in my arms and burying her face in my chest, not answering
me. I didn’t like the look of her. She was really pale and clammy. I was
vaguely aware of Jenny branching off to go and get Brooke and Molly when we hit
the first floor, but I kept going. She knew where the hospital was, I’d had
them all practice emergency runs there on a timer. When I reached the ground
floor, the front door was wide open and I could see James standing by the open
back door of the Range Rover, whose engine was running. He nodded to me as I
approached, then looked down at Ellie. I stopped dead in my tracks when his
eyes shot back up to mine. I’d never seen James look scared of anything, but
right now he had fear in his eyes. I looked down at
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