She hadn’t actually given any thought to the future. Technically her job as their housekeeper was going to come to an end in a few days but no one had mentioned her moving out. And she couldn’t imagine living anywhere other than High Fell Barn.
Perhaps the children would slowly just get used to the idea that she lived with them and from there it would be a natural progression for her and Patrick to get together.
Hayley was about to indulge in another brief wedding fantasy when Charlotte suddenly went rigid and started to fit.
‘Oh, God, no, don’t do this to me,’ Hayley muttered, slamming her hand onto the crash button while supporting Charlotte to make sure she didn’t fall off the bed.
The door swung open and Maggie ran in. ‘What’s happened?’
‘She’s fitting,’ Hayley gritted, turning Charlotte onto her left side and reaching for the oxygen. ‘Call Patrick and the anaesthetist and I need some mag sulphate.’
‘I’ll get the trolley.’
Maggie ran out of the room but she was back moments later and Patrick was with her.
Attaching Charlotte to a pulse oximeter, Hayley didn’t even question how he’d arrived so fast. ‘Her sats are 96.’
‘How long has she been fitting?’
‘Two minutes.’
‘Let’s give her a loading dose of 4 grams of mag sulphate. Have we got an infusion pump?’
They worked as a team, slick and professional as they tried to control the seizure.
‘Foetal bradychardia,’ Maggie said, watching the trace, and Patrick nodded.
‘As soon as she’s stable I’m going to do a Caesarean section. Gary?’
‘Yes.’ The anaesthetist was monitoring Charlotte’s airway and breathing. ‘Let’s do it. Who is the next of kin?’
‘Her husband, Andrew,’ Hayley said. ‘But he’s just gone to phone his sister. They were staying with her over Christmas.’
‘I’ll go and sort out consent,’ Patrick said, and Gary glanced at him.
‘Didn’t she show any early signs?’
Patrick checked Charlotte’s patellar reflexes. ‘Yes, although some of her readings were borderline. Her blood pressure was never quite high enough to ring alarm bells. But they ignored mild proteinurea, which wouldn’t have happened in my unit.’
Gary lifted an eyebrow. ‘Are you going to call them?’
‘Yes.’
Surprised by Patrick’s unusually terse tone, Hayley glanced at him and realised that he was really angry.
‘Hayley is the hero of the hour,’ he said quietly. ‘She spotted it in clinic.’
Embarrassed to suddenly be the focus of attention, Hayley blushed and the anaesthetist smiled.
‘Can we offer you a permanent job?’
‘Oh—Well…’ Hayley gave an embarrassed laugh, aware of Patrick’s swift glance, but she was spared the trouble of answering by the arrival of Patrick’s registrar and the rest of the team.
It was only later—hours after Patrick had safely delivered a baby girl and Charlotte was stable—that she had time to think about that remark.
A permanent job?
Stay here—permanently?