Linda took her baby and dressed her. “Not really. I’d love her to sleep better at night, but I don’t think that’s going to happen for some time. It’s a bit hard with her in our bed if you know what I mean.”
April glanced at her. “I see. Don’t you have a crib for her?” She watched the young woman try to wrangle the romper suit on her baby.
“Nope. We live in a tiny trailer. There’s barely enough room for us as it is.” She did the buttons up and put the baby on her knee.
“I’d advise against co-sleeping with the risk of SID’s. Is there any way you can fit a crib in?”
“I understand and we’re doing everything we can to rectify that, but it’s impossible right now. David’s great, really he is. On his days off he’s helping Joe renovate the old house on the property for us, but right now is busy season on the honey farm. They have to get the bees settled before it gets too cold. Mr. Hope comes and helps when he can too, so it shouldn’t be too long and we can move in.” She tickled the baby’s tummy until she squealed with laughter. “Until then, she sleeps with us, don’t you, Honey bear?”
“Oh, right. So that’s where she gets the name from. Honey. I like it, suits her.”
“Thanks. It was David’s suggestion.”
April made notes on the baby’s file. “I don’t need to see you for another three months, gorgeous Honey, unless you have problems that need my attention. Like a cuddle perhaps.” She chucked her under the chin, getting a toothless smile in return. “She’s perfectly fine, Linda. Call me if you have any problems or pop in. I’m here during school hours every day and do your best to get her into a crib sooner rather than later.”
“Thanks, April.”
The door burst open and Nancy burst in. “April, treatment room two, immediately.”
“Sorry.” She hurried out, down the hall and into the next room. Sally Fraser lay unconscious on the bed, her face pale and her husband gripping her lifeless hand. “What happened?” She reached for her stethoscope and listened to Sally’s heartbeat while her husband tried to find the words.
Liam ran in and she rattled off what she knew. “Heartbeat slow and thready, blood pressure through the roof. Skin cold and clammy.”
“Mr. Fraser, I need to know what happened and fast!” April pulled the ultrasound machine over and lifted Sally’s shirt. Blood pooled around her on the bed and Liam swore. “I’m calling the Care Flight. She needs to be in a hospital.”
“I don’t think we have time.” April squirted gel on the pregnant belly and rubbed the wand over it, her gaze on the screen. “Damn, I was hoping for better than this.” She looked at Liam. “Her placenta has come away from the womb.”
“She fell down the stairs. I offered to carry the washing basket for her, but she told me to stop fussing. Sally wanted to get one last load off the line before we went to stay at her mother’s on the mainland.” He wiped at the tears streaking down his cheeks. “She hates leaving it out overnight this time of year, you know? Says she’ll only have to wash it again if she does that.” His voice hitched as a sob rose in his throat. “I heard her scream and found her down in the bottom of the garden. She’d tumbled down a full flight of stone steps and I didn’t stop to think. I put her in the car and drove here.”
“You did the right thing, Paul.”
April grabbed Liam’s arm. “We have to operate. If we don’t, that baby will die and so might Sally.”
The distress was clear to see on his face. “We can’t. We don’t deliver babies here. You know I only do small surgery, everything else goes to the hospital.”
Nancy hovered by the door and April yelled in her direction. “Call Drew and tell him to get here now, then call Care Flight and see when they can make it. There’s no time to waste.” Nancy hurried away to do as April asked. She turned to Liam again. “We have no choice, Liam. We have to try. If we can deliver the baby and stop the bleeding, they can deal with it on the mainland but trust me on this, we cannot wait any longer. I’ll prep, you get ready to administer the anesthetic.” She attached a drip and hooked Sally up to monitors to watch her vital signs while her husband watched.
Nancy hurried out and came back minutes later. “The chopper is already out on a call and won’t make it for at least half an hour.”
Drew came running through the doors. “What are you doing? We can’t deal with this here, April.” He looked at her, his face blanching as she exposed Sally’s stomach. She’d wrapped a fetal monitor on and was monitoring the irregular heartbeat of the unborn infant.
“We have to do it, Drew, we can’t get her to the mainland in time. I have faith in you. Go prep now!” She pushed him out and left Liam with the patient. Together they stood at the basin scrubbing up for the operation.
When April held out a gown, Drew looked at her with panic in his eyes. “I’m not the right person to do this. You have no idea what you’re asking of me.”
“I’m asking you to use the gift you have and save that baby and its mother.” She turned him around and tied the gown before giving him a shove into the treatment room where Sally lay. “I won’t leave you, Drew. I’ll be right there beside you, I promise.”
“Paul, please go and sit with Nancy. We’ll let you know how things are as soon as we can.” April moved him from his wife’s side toward the door.
“Please, please don’t let them die.” He gripped her arm as she
