The Greek Doctor's New-Year Baby

Madison swallowed hard. ‘I know the theory.’

‘But the practice feels incredibly scary when it’s you,’ he said wryly. ‘I know, matia mou. But it’s going to be fine.’

‘Try to relax, Dr Gregory,’ the ultrasonographer said. ‘Then the baby will settle down, too. Look up at the mobile.’

Madison smiled. ‘Dolphins.’

Theo glanced at the screen. ‘You’re still jumpy, kardoula mou. You need to relax so the baby relaxes, too. OK. Let’s bring in the big guns.’ To Madison’s surprise, he started singing. In Greek. She had no idea what the words meant, but the tune was soft and sweet and calming, and Theo had a gorgeous voice.

She hadn’t had the faintest idea that he could sing.

And it worked, because the ultrasonographer inserted the needle into her bump. ‘OK. All done. We’ll call you as soon as we get the results—well, you know the drill.’

‘We do,’ Theo said. ‘And I’m going to take Maddie home for two days of bed rest.’

‘Good idea,’ the ultrasonographer said. ‘Try not to worry, Dr Gregory. In most cases everything is absolutely fine. And do you want to know whether it’s a boy or a girl?’

Madison glanced at Theo.

‘Your choice, agapi mou,’ he said softly.

‘Then, yes, please. We’d like to know,’ Madison said.

The ultrasonographer wrote a note in the file. ‘I see you’re rhesus negative,’ she said. ‘So you know what this means.’

‘Anti-D,’ Madison said wryly. ‘Though I’m glad it’s a much smaller needle than the one you just used.’

When she’d been given the injection, Theo said, ‘Sit here for five minutes and catch your breath. I’ll call the taxi.’

He was steamrollering her again. And he was honestly expecting she’d submit to two days’ bed rest?

She was simmering all the way home.

And she exploded when Theo insisted that she go straight to bed.

‘You’re making a ridiculous fuss! Of course I don’t need to be in bed.’

‘Yes, you do. It’s called taking it easy.’

‘I can do that sitting on the sofa, if I have to.’

He folded his arms. ‘There’s no “if” about it, Maddie. You know as well as I do that after an invasive procedure you need to take it easy. Do I have to spell it out for you?’

She knew what he meant. The risk of miscarrying their baby. ‘No.’

‘You’re going on bed rest for two days, and that’s that.’

‘That’s outrageous.’

His mouth set in a thin line. ‘Has it occurred to you, Maddie, that I might be worried sick about you and about the baby, and I’m trying as hard as I can to be calm about it so I can support you through your worries instead of focusing on my own? So do me a favour and be sensible about this.’

She had a feeling that there was more to it than that. ‘This is about your mum, isn’t it?’

‘Hardly.’

He was being evasive, she was sure. ‘Then why don’t you tell me? Talk to me, Theo. Don’t shut me out. Not now.’

He was silent for a long, long time. And then he sighed. ‘Come and lie down. And then I’ll tell you everything.’

She allowed him to shepherd her upstairs and sat on the bed. ‘Talk to me,’ she said.

‘Given that you’ve just had an amniocentesis, this isn’t exactly a tactful subject,’ he warned. ‘You know my mum died very shortly after she had me.’ He dragged in a breath. ‘She had an amniotic fluid embolism.’

She blinked. ‘Theo, that really wasn’t your fault. And AFEs are incredibly rare.’

‘My head knows that. But my heart…I know how my father felt every time Eleni was pregnant—because I went straight into panic mode when you told me you were expecting our baby.’

‘And the rhesus negative business is a complication, so it makes things worse.’

‘Yes,’ he admitted.

She stroked his face. ‘First of all, I’m having anti-D so there’s nothing to worry about as far as the baby’s concerned. Secondly, it’s so unlikely that I’ll have an AFE—you’ve got more chance of going to the moon, Theo. Medicine’s advanced an awful lot since you were a baby.’

‘I know. I want our baby, Maddie, I really do—but I’m terrified I’m going to lose you because of the baby, the way my dad lost my mum. I’m an obstetrician. I know all the possible complications.’

‘You also know how rare they are.’ She reached up to kiss him. ‘We see the complicated cases. How many straightforward births are there where the midwives don’t need us at all?’