A Proposal to Remember

‘Doctors. That’s what happened,’ Mike answered bitterly. ‘Eddie found a lump in his testicle but his GP kept telling him it was nothing. By the time he found out how serious it was he had just a few weeks to live.’

Kelly reached out a hand but Mike turned away and strode into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him.

Kelly flinched and looked at them helplessly. ‘He adored Eddie. They were twins. When he lost him I thought…’ She broke off and looked at the closed door with something close to desperation in her eyes. ‘I thought I’d lose Mike, too. We’ve been going through a terrible patch. He never lets me out of his sight. He says I’m all he has now and he doesn’t want to put me in anyone’s care.’

Carlo let out a breath, visibly moved.

‘I can understand that. In the same circumstances I wouldn’t be that eager to trust the medical profession either.’ Carlo rose to his feet and glanced at Zan. ‘Try and get the baby on the breast. His blood sugar is low and he needs food. If his breathing changes, call me. I’m going to talk to Mike.’

He opened the kitchen door and closed it behind him, and Zan lifted the baby, positioning him against Kelly’s breast, trying to encourage him to feed.

The baby played idly with the nipple but showed no inclination to suck.

Kelly gave a sob of desperation. ‘He can’t do it,’ she wailed, and Zan frowned, determined not to give up.

‘He’s very little,’ she said quietly. ‘His suck reflex may not be fully developed yet. We’ll just persevere.’

She also suspected that Kelly’s poor physical condition might limit her supply of milk, but now wasn’t the time to discuss that.

There was no other way of getting food into the baby in this tiny flat. He desperately needed to be in Special Care, with high-tech equipment and a specialised medical team.

At least Carlo’s heaters had warmed the place up.

Even as she held the baby in place for another try, Carlo and Mike came out of the kitchen and Carlo reached for his phone.

‘We’re taking you both to hospital,’ he said gruffly, his voice heavily accented and lines of strain visible around his dark eyes. ‘Mike’s agreed it’s the best thing.’

‘Oh, Mike…’ Kelly burst into tears again and Zan gave a sigh of relief.

She just hoped it wouldn’t be too late for the baby.

Carlo was talking into his phone and within minutes an ambulance crew were at the door.

Only moments later the baby was in the warm incubator inside the ambulance and Mike and Kelly were seated next to her.

Zan looked at Carlo in amazement. ‘How did you arrange all that so quickly?’

‘I didn’t.’ He flashed her a smile and sprang into the ambulance after the crew. ‘I arranged it all before I left. They’ve been parked at the end of the road, waiting for my call.’

Zan was stunned. ‘But Mike might have refused…’

‘I have amazing powers of persuasion.’ He lowered his voice and gave her a sexy smile. ‘You’d do well to remember that, Suzannah.’

Zan followed the ambulance in her car and once back at the hospital the whole team moved into action.

The baby was taken to the special care baby unit and Kelly was taken to the ward for a check-up and a rest.

‘But I want to see the baby,’ she fretted, as they examined her again.

‘As soon as the paediatric staff ring us, we’ll take you up to the special care baby unit,’ Zan promised. ‘They’re just taking a good look at him and deciding what he needs.’

Mike was hovering nearby, not knowing whether to worry more about his wife or his son.

Carlo had gone straight up with the baby and the ambulance crew and was supervising the hand-over.

Zan was only too aware that the baby was alive only because of him and she was totally in awe of his skills as a doctor.

He was incredible.