The Midwife's Marriage Proposal by Sarah Morgan

rucksack.’
    Creating a shelter wouldn’t help that much, but at least it would be better than nothing.
    Tom finished talking on the radio and strode back to her. ‘They’re sending a helicopter.’
    Sally looked at him. ‘You can’t deliver a baby in ahelicopter,’ she pointed out logically, and he ran a hand over the back of his neck.
    â€˜She’s that close? Seriously?’
    â€˜I can see the head.’ Sally looked at him, wondering what was the matter with him. ‘I need a tent, Tom. Now. It’s not much in the way of shelter, but it will help.’
    Tom seemed to stir himself. ‘Right. A tent. Mick, I need a hand.’
    Sally left the two of them to sort out some shelter and turned her attention back to Lucy.
    â€˜Don’t you worry about a thing,’ she said cheerfully. ‘We girls are going to manage this with no problem.’
    Lucy gave a hysterical laugh and caught Sally’s hand again. ‘Would you believe that I actually dismissed the idea of a home birth because they convinced me it was dangerous for my first baby? And here I am on the side of a mountain! I can’t believe this is happening!’
    â€˜Well, look on the bright side, at least you didn’t climb up the mountain,’ Sally said practically. ‘And home birth is not dangerous in the right circumstances. Everything seems fine to me. The only thing we really need to worry about is the cold.’
    â€˜Have you delivered babies at home before?’
    â€˜I worked in Nepal for a while,’ Sally told her chattily, happy to distract her. ‘Hardly any of the women there make it to health centres of any sort, and plenty of other cultures think that home is the place to give birth. I once looked after a woman who insisted on giving birth in her garden, surrounded by candles.’
    Lucy gave a hysterical laugh. ‘But none of them chose to deliver in a howling gale on a mountainside.’
    â€˜You’ve certainly picked the best view,’ Sally agreed with a laugh, grabbing the Pinard stethoscope from the rucksack and pressing it against Lucy’s abdomen. ‘Thismight be asking a bit much, but I want to try and listen to the baby’s heart.’
    For a few moments all she could hear was the wind and Lucy’s gasps, and then she shifted the stethoscope slightly and there it was. The wonderfully reassuring gallop of the baby’s heart.
    â€˜That’s fine, Lucy.’ She straightened. ‘He or she seems to be perfectly happy. Obviously enjoying being outdoors.’
    By now Lucy was inside the tent and she and Tom had manoeuvred a sterile sheet underneath her.
    Lucy gave a low moan. ‘I’m so scared. This isn’t how it should be …’
    â€˜There’s nothing to be scared of,’ Sally said immediately. ‘You’re doing beautifully. Are you warm enough?’
    Lucy nodded. ‘I am, but what about the baby?’
    â€˜Well, at the moment he’s still inside you so he’s fine,’ Sally said. ‘We’ll worry about his temperature once he’s safely out.’
    â€˜You keep calling the baby he,’ Lucy gasped, and Sally smiled, aware of Tom by her side.
    â€˜It’s a boy. Definitely.’ Her tone was dry. ‘Only a man could cause this much trouble.’
    Despite the tension of the situation, Lucy giggled. Tom picked up the banter. ‘You’re going to find out just what trouble is when this is over, Sally Jenner,’ he threatened, his blue eyes gleaming as they locked on hers.
    But despite his mockery and the kick of her heart, Sally couldn’t be anything but glad that he was there.
    She knew that if Lucy got into trouble, she was going to need him.
    Lucy chuckled and then groaned. ‘Don’t make me laugh—it hurts. How can you be so relaxed?’
    â€˜Because there is absolutely nothing to be tense about,’ Sally replied immediately.