The Baby Emergency. Carol Marinelli

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СКАЧАТЬ checked each child carefully, smiling to herself as she did so, taking in the little bottoms sticking up in the air, thumbs tucked into mouths, the babies sleeping on blissfully as Shelly watched over them. A couple of the cheekier babies had extensions on their cots to stop them climbing out, but for now they all looked like cute little angels.

      Angus was sleeping and Shelly roused him gently, carefully checking his observations and the little toes sticking out of the damp plaster, making sure the circulation to his foot was adequate. Annie was right, Shelly thought as she flicked on the cot light and checked him more closely, Angus was beautifully kept—his little nails short and clean, his hair soft and shiny, no rashes or bruises, nothing to indicate he was anything other than loved and cherished.

      ‘Is he all right?’ Mrs Marshall’s anxious face appeared at the end of the cot. ‘I was just getting a coffee.’

      ‘He’s fine,’ Shelly reassured her. ‘He’ll probably sleep soundly for the next couple of hours. He was given a strong painkiller so he’s quite comfortable. Would you like me to get you a camp bed? We can set it up beside the cot.’

      Mrs Marshall shook her head. ‘Thanks, but no. The day nurse, Annie I think her name was, already offered, but I’m going to go home. I’ve got the other two to sort out and it’s been an exhausting day.’

      ‘I’m sure it has. We can always ring you if there are any problems, if he gets too distressed,’ Shelly said.

      ‘Of course.’ Mrs Marshall gave a tired smile. ‘But he normally sleeps right through.’ The mobile telephone ringing in her bag made them both jump and Shelly waited patiently as Mrs Marshall took the call.

      ‘That was my husband, Doug. He’s come to pick me up.’ Walking over to her son, she gave him a tender kiss and stroked his little lock of hair. Shelly knew she should mention that mobiles were supposed to be turned off on the ward, given her little lecture about the interference they could cause with the equipment, but she didn’t. Trying to put herself in Mrs Marshall’s place for a moment, she figured it could wait for the morning.

      Shelly had always been a quick worker and was grateful for the chance to make up a few bottles for when the babies inevitably awoke and to prepare some jugs of boiled water and change the sterilising solutions. Happy she was on top of things, Shelly set up an oxygen tent for the inevitable new admission and prepared the sterilising equipment and nurses’ gowns along with some literature on bronchiolitis for the undoubtedly anxious parents.

      ‘How’s it going?’ Melissa popped her head in the darkened room and smiled as she saw Shelly setting up the room. ‘Finally, someone who doesn’t have to be told! How are they all?’

      ‘Settled. I’ve put the new admission in here so it’s nearer the nurses’ station, but cot six needs an eye kept on—she’s still a bit wheezy even after her nebuliser. Cots two and four are due for a feed at eleven so I’ve left their obs till then. Their mums aren’t staying, so if they wake up at the same time I might need you or Nicola to feed one of them—their bottles are all ready.’

      ‘Good.’

      ‘How’s Angus?’

      ‘Fine.’

      ‘And the mother?’

      ‘She’s fine too, she’s gone home.’

      Melissa shot her a shrewd look. ‘So what’s the problem?’

      ‘I don’t know,’ Shelly admitted. ‘I know lots of mums go home, that it doesn’t mean anything at all…’

      ‘Just that you wouldn’t?’

      ‘I’ve only got one child.’ Shelly flicked her eyes down to her handover notes. ‘Mrs Marshall’s got three and one of them is a young baby. She might be breast-feeding so it’s totally understandable that she had to go home.’

      ‘So why aren’t you convinced?’

      Shelly shrugged. ‘Her husband rang her from the ambulance bay. Surely he’d want to pop up and see Angus and say goodnight?’

      ‘Maybe he’s got the other two asleep in the back of the car,’ Melissa pointed out. ‘Imagine if Security found two children unattended in the car park. The social workers would have a field day!’

      Melissa was right, of course. There was a perfectly reasonable explanation and Shelly gave her head a small shake, determined to concentrate on the facts. But she’d misjudged Melissa, the conversation wasn’t over yet.

      ‘Just keep your eyes and ears open. I’m not entirely happy myself.’ For a moment their gazes lingered on the sleeping toddler, both women deep in their own thoughts for a moment. ‘Come and have a cuppa before they wake up,’ Melissa said finally with forced cheerfulness. ‘I’ll go and put the kettle on.’

      ‘Sounds marvellous.’

      ‘Wait till you taste the cake I’ve made. Ross is already champing at the bit.’

      ‘Melissa?’ Shelly called as Melissa made her way out of the ward. ‘Just what did you say to Ross exactly?’

      ‘That I’d baked a cake!’ Melissa gave Shelly a quizzical look as if she’d gone completely mad!

      ‘I’m not talking about the cake, Melissa.’ Shelly took a deep breath. She didn’t want to ruffle any feathers but the fact Melissa had taken it on herself to tell Ross so much about Shelly’s personal life needed addressing—the very last thing she needed was Melissa playing Cupid. Ross Bodey had enough women after him without thinking he had Shelly on his list of swooning fans. ‘Ross knows Matthew’s name, he seems to know all about the divorce, I just wondered how.’

      ‘I might have said something…’ Melissa shrugged.

      ‘You mean you gave him a life update on me the second he entered the ward. Why?’

      ‘I didn’t,’ Melissa said quickly. ‘I hadn’t laid eyes on Ross until I saw him when I was with you, honestly,’ she insisted as Shelly gave her a disbelieving look. ‘Believe it or not, as riveting as your life might seem to you, it’s not my favourite topic of conversation. Ross and I have kept in touch while he’s been away, I probably said a few things then in passing.’

      ‘Oh.’ Thankfully the room was in semi-darkness and Melissa couldn’t see the blush flaming on her cheeks, but with the heat it was radiating Shelly was sure she must be able to feel it winging its way across the quiet room.

      ‘He’s rung a few times at night when he’s needed something looked up or wanted a bit of advice on a patient. He’s a good doctor is Ross, not too up himself to ask a nurse for advice, and when he rang we’d have a chat. He’d ask what the gossip was, who was seeing who, who was pregnant, who was leaving, that type of thing. We didn’t just talk about you, Shelly.’

      Suitably chastised, Shelly wished the ground would swallow her up whole.

      ‘I’m sorry,’ she mumbled. ‘I was just taken back that he knew so much about everything.’

      ‘That’s Ross for you.’ Melissa shrugged. ‘You know he loves all the gossip.’

      ‘Sure.’ Fiddling with the oxygen tubes, Shelly kept her voice even. ‘Go on, then, СКАЧАТЬ