The Midwife's Son

And just like that, the tension disappeared. The anger evaporated. His arms encircled this wonderful woman. ‘You are so good for me.’ And he kissed her, thoroughly. Until there was a knock on the door.

‘Mind if I get a coffee?’ Sheree asked.

Jess leapt back and winked at him. ‘Just leaving.’

* * *

In his consulting room Jackson studied the notes of his first patient for the day. Dawn Sullivan, thirty-nine years old, no major health issues during the five years she’d been coming to the Golden Bay Medical and Wellbeing Centre.

He turned to study the woman sitting opposite. Her cheeks appeared unnaturally pale. ‘So, Dawn, what brings you to see me today?’

‘I’m so tired all the time I can hardly get out of bed some days. I’ve got the attention span of a fly, which is great considering school started this week and I’m a teacher.’ Even as she spoke Dawn was yawning.

‘You don’t have any history of anaemia. How are your periods? Heavier than usual? Or do they last longer these days?’

Shaking her head, his patient told him, ‘All much the same as ever. But I do get lots of stomachaches. Actually, I ache everywhere at times. It’s like I’ve got the flu full time. I’d planned on finally painting my house over the summer break but hardly got one wall done I’ve been that short of energy. Not like me at all. Ask anyone around here. I always used to be on the go.’

‘How long has this been going on?’ he asked.

Dawn looked sheepish. ‘Months. At first I went to the naturopath, who gave me vitamins and minerals. Fat lot of good they turned out to be and nearly bankrupted me in the process. Whatever I’ve got is getting worse. I’ve lost a bit of weight, which normally would make me happy but right now worries me sick.’

Jackson felt as though he should be sitting in the back of a classroom as Dawn’s voice carried loudly across the small gap between them. He read Dawn’s blood pressure—normal; checked her eyes—they showed signs of anaemia. ‘Can you get up on the bed and I’ll examine your abdomen.’ After a few moments of gently pressing over the area he stepped back. ‘I can’t feel anything out of the ordinary.’

‘So what do you think is going on?’ Dawn sat up and pulled her top back into place.

‘I’d say you’re anaemic but the cause needs to be checked out. We’ll do some blood tests. Any changes in diet? Or are you a vegan?’

Dawn shuddered. ‘No, love my meat too much for that.’

‘We’ll start with these blood tests.’ He glanced at the patient notes on his computer screen. Something was bothering him. ‘Your house is going to have to wait a little longer for its new coat.’

‘Right now I’d be happy to have enough energy to teach all day.’

Jackson tapped his forefinger on the desktop. Checking Dawn’s address, he tried to remember the style of houses in that road. ‘Your house—how old is it?’

‘About seventy years. It’s a bungalow. The wide boards and wooden window frames type. Mighty cold in winter.’

‘Did you do a lot of preparation for the paint job? Sanding off old paint, for example?’

‘Yes, I spent weeks with an electric sander, getting down to bare boards. From what I could see, it hadn’t been done properly in for ever.’

Bingo. ‘I might be wrong but I have a hunch that what you’re suffering from is lead poisoning. The old paints are notorious for having a lead component. Did you wear a mask while you were using the sander?’

‘No. I can get lead from inhaling dust granules?’ Dawn sank down onto the chair, looking shocked. ‘It’s bad, isn’t it? Lead poisoning? Really?’

The more he thought about it the more certain he was. On the screen he ticked boxes on the laboratory form. ‘We won’t know for sure until the haematology results come back but I think we’re onto something. So let’s forget those vitamins and wait for a couple of days. If you do have lead in your system, it has to be removed by chelation therapy.’

‘Meaning?’ Dawn’s voice had grown smaller, no longer the booming teacher’s tone.

‘You’d be given chelation agents that absorb the lead from your body tissues, which is then passed out through your urine. It’s an effective way for cleaning up the lead and then we can treat the residual effects, like that lack of energy, which will be due to an anaemia caused by the poisoning.’ Signing the form, he added, ‘Take this through to Jess. I don’t think she’s left for her rounds yet.’

‘Thank you, Doctor.’

‘It’s Jackson, and I’ll phone you as soon as the results come through.’

‘Again, thank you. Guess this means the house and my job are on hold.’

‘Talk to the school board and see if you can take on reduced hours for this term.’ He held the door open and ushered Dawn through, before going in search of his next patient.

Kelly Brown walked carefully and slowly into his room and eased her bottom onto the edge of the chair. Her face, arms and every other bit of exposed skin was the colour of well-ripened tomatoes. She wore a loose dress that barely reached her thighs and probably had nothing on underneath.

Jackson sat down and said, ‘You’re here for that sunburn?’

Kelly nodded. ‘It’s awful. Can you do anything to stop the heat? Or the pain? I can’t wear clothes or lie under the sheet. It hurts all the time.’

‘I’ll give you a mild painkiller. I hope you’re drinking lots of water.’

‘Mum nags at me all the time.’ Kelly moved, grimaced.

‘Where did you get so much sun? It was overcast here yesterday.’ Or so he’d thought.

‘A group of us went over the hill to Kaiteriteri Beach. Everyone got a bit of sunburn but nothing like this.’

Jackson typed up details on her notes. ‘Do you have naturally fair skin?’ When she nodded he added, ‘You should know better, then. Lots of sunscreen all the time. Any blisters?’

‘On my back and all down the front. I’ve always been sort of careful but yesterday I forgot to take the sunblock with me and thought I’d be safe if I got out of the sun after an hour. But I fell asleep sunbathing.’

‘Cool showers, lots of fluids and a mild analgesic is all I can recommend, Kelly. And stay out of the sun in future.’

Taking the prescription he handed her, she said, ‘Think I’ll move to Alaska. Should be safe there.’

He laughed. ‘Might be eaten by a bear.’

‘At least that’d be different.’ Kelly hobbled to the door. ‘Thanks, Doctor. I hear you’re only here while Grady’s away. Can you tell Jess I won’t be able to babysit this week?’

‘Your cellphone not working?’ Why the hell did this teen think he should be passing Jess her messages?

‘Nothing wrong with it. Thought you might like an excuse to talk to her.’ With a cheeky wink the minx left his room.

Jackson stared after her. Small towns. There was no getting away from the fact everyone knew everyone’s business. How many weeks before he caught the big tin bird back to Asia? Too many.

Then he thought of the woman he was supposed to pass Kelly’s message on to and took back that thought. Not nearly enough days left.

CHAPTER SEVEN

JESS HELD BABY Carrington while his mother wriggled herself into a comfortable position on the bed.

‘Is this going to be hard? Painful?’ Anna asked, anxiety in her voice, as she reached for her baby.

‘No and no.’ Jess carefully placed the baby in Anna’s arms. ‘But remember I told you your milk mightn’t come in for the first few days. You’ll most likely be feeding him colostrum, which is full of goodies he needs.’

‘How do I hold him? Oh, hello, gorgeous. Aren’t you the most beautiful baby ever?’ Anna beamed as she studied her son.

‘He’s a little cracker, absolutely beautiful.?

?? As they all were. When Nicholas had been placed in her arms for the very first time she couldn’t believe her overwhelming sense of love for her son. She’d seen exactly the same reaction in every mother she’d delivered before and since Nicholas’s birth, only nowadays she understood how deep the bond ran. How it was the start of something that stayed with mothers for the rest of their lives. Life-changing, empowering. Frightening.

Anna finally raised her gaze. ‘Show me how to hold him so I can feed him.’

Tucking the baby in against Anna so she supported his shoulders, Jess then placed Anna’s hand on his head. ‘Holding him like that means he can access your nipple easily. That’s it. Now rub his mouth against your nipple to encourage him to suck. That’s it. Perfect.’

‘Wow, that’s awesome. Oh, my goodness, I’m feeding my baby.’ Anna’s eyes grew misty. ‘Danny, look at this.’

The baby’s father was transfixed, watching his son. A bemused expression covered his face. ‘That’s amazing.’