A Proposal to Remember

Carlo found the bathroom, washed his hands and then crouched down beside Zan.

‘How are you doing, Kelly?’

‘Not too good.’ The girl was deathly pale and clearly exhausted.

‘Her waters broke in the night but she didn’t call until lunchtime,’ Zan told him. ‘I’ve tried to persuade them to go to the hospital but they won’t. She’s fully dilated and ready to push.’

‘So hospital isn’t an option for the moment,’ Carlo muttered, glancing around him with a frown. ‘This place is too cold for a premature baby.’

Without waiting for an answer from anyone, he reached into his pocket for his mobile phone, leaving Zan to deal with Kelly.

‘I’m just calling a friend,’ he told Mike, and proceeded to dial a number and speak in rapid Italian.

Zan had no idea what he was doing. She was too busy delivering the baby.

She’d brought clean sheets and blankets from the hospital, and she laid them out now and fished the mucus extractor out of her bag.

Then she prepared an injection to give Kelly to help her uterus contract once the baby had been born.

‘I’ll give that.’ Slipping the phone back into his pocket, Carlo took the syringe from her and watched while Zan delivered the baby’s head.

‘Gently now, Kelly,’ she said quietly as she controlled the delivery. ‘That’s great…’

As the head slid out Zan felt her heart start to pound. The baby was so tiny. It should have been born in hospital, with a team of paediatricians handy and a warm intensive-care cot ready.

Instead, it was about to be born in a filthy flat which was freezing cold, while snow fell outside.

Kelly gasped as another contraction hit her and Zan delivered the anterior shoulder, aware that Carlo had swiftly given the necessary injection and was now preparing himself to take the baby.

‘You see to the mother,’ he ordered quietly, and as the baby slithered into her waiting hands she found herself praying.

‘You have a little boy, Kelly,’ she said softly, passing the limp body to Carlo, who wrapped the baby in a towel.

Please, let him cry.

The baby lay still, showing no signs of life. His skin was tinged a sickly blue colour and he made no effort to breathe.

Kelly struggled upright and then gave a sob of desperation. ‘Why isn’t he crying? Why isn’t he crying?’

Zan bit her lip and tried to keep her voice steady. ‘Mr Bennett’s just examining him, Kelly.’

Kelly’s eyes were wild and she shook her head. ‘No! Oh, my God, no—tell me he isn’t—’

‘We’re working on it, Kelly,’ Carlo was using the mucus extractor to clear the airway but he glanced up when he heard the knock on the door.

‘Open it,’ he ordered harshly. Mike heard the command in his tone and for once responded without argument.

Zan’s eyes widened as he came back into the room carrying two heaters.

Following Carlo’s in

structions, Mike plugged the heaters in and positioned them.

Heat belted into the room and Carlo dried the baby carefully and reached for the oxygen. Then he directed a low flow of oxygen over the baby’s face to try and stimulate a gasp reflex.

Meanwhile Zan turned her attention back to Kelly and delivered the placenta.

Despite her weakened state, Kelly seemed to be doing remarkably well, but she was obviously beside herself with worry about the baby.