there a neighbour we could call for you?’
Jenny shook her head. ‘We only moved here a couple of months ago. I don’t know anyone yet. I’ve been so busy getting ready for the new baby.’
‘In that case, Tim can come in the helicopter with us. How about it, Tim? ‘ Mac turned to the little boy who had remained by the door, taking everything in with wide eyes.
‘Wicked,’ he said. Now adults were taking control, the colour had returned to his face.
Mac finished setting up the drip.
‘Okay, Jenny. The helicopter’s just outside waiting to take you to hospital. We’re going to get you on board as quickly as we can.’
Jenny clutched her stomach as another contraction took hold. ‘Just get me to the hospital,’ she said through gritted teeth. Then she forced a smile and turned to her son. ‘Tim will help, won’t you, love? ‘
Tim’s terror had disappeared. Whether it was because they were there helping his mother or whether it was the excitement of the helicopter ride, Abby didn’t know or care. All that mattered was that the boy was calm. It would help Jenny and give them one less thing to worry about.
Abby draped a blanket round her patient before strapping her into the stretcher. As they carried her outside, Abby tried not to wince when a contraction gripped the mother and she squeezed Abby’s fingers with ferocious strength.
Please let her hang in there, Abby prayed silently. At least until they got her to hospital. She slid a glance at Mac. Nothing in his demeanour indicated that at any time they could be dealing with a life-and-death scenario. Was he really as calm as he appeared?
Inside the helicopter they attached Jenny to the onboard monitoring equipment and pumped fluids into her. Abby checked the fetal heartbeat again. So far so good.
As soon as they had Jenny settled and the helicopter was heading towards St Piran’s, Mac raised his thumb to Tim. Greg had given the boy a helmet and earmuffs to deaden the noise.
Tim returned the salute, unable to hide his excitement.
Abby slid a glance at Mac as he leaned over Jenny. He puzzled her. Everything about him contradicted the image of him she had held in her head for the last twelve years. Whenever she’d thought about him, she’d imagined an ageing Lothario chatting up young women on the beach under the pretext of teaching them how to windsurf, not this caring and utterly professional doctor.
Even if it was obvious from his behaviour when they’d met as well as Lucy’s comments that he still was a blatant flirt she liked the way he had taken the time to reassure Tim.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the helicopter touched down on the hospital landing pad. Abby breathed a deep sigh of relief. They had made it!
‘Stick close to me,’ Mac said to Tim after removing the young lad’s helmet.
The helicopter’s rotors hadn’t even stopped when the hospital staff were there to take charge of Jenny. The transfer was quick. Mac and Abby updated the hospital staff as they ran next to the trolley with Tim following closely behind.
‘Thanks, guys. We’ll take it from here,’ the doctor Mac had addressed as Dr Gibson said.
They watched as Jenny disappeared from view.
‘C’mon, Tim. Why don’t we get you a drink or something?’ Abby offered, knowing that now the excitement of the helicopter journey was over the boy would start fretting again. ‘And in the meantime we can try and get your dad on the phone and either me or Dr MacNeil here will speak to him. How does that sound?’
‘Sounds okay. When can I see Mum?’
‘Not for a little while,’ Abby said. ‘But while Dr MacNeil is speaking to your father, I’ll find somewhere where you can wait.’
Tim’s face crumpled. ‘I don’t want to stay on my own. I want my dad.’
Abby felt terrible for the little boy. If something happened to her, she’d hate for Emma to be left alone. But what could they do? They had to get back to the air ambulance base. There could be another call at any time.
But Mac seemed to have his own ideas. ‘Tell you what,’ he said. ‘When I speak to your dad, I’ll suggest you come back with Abby and me to the air ambulance headquarters. How about it? You could have a look around see all the stuff we use. We have some cool things we can do with our computers. I’ll let the staff here know where we are and as soon as they have any news about your mum they can let us know. What do you say?’
Tim’s face brightened. ‘Could I? No one will mind? I promise I won’t get in the way.’
Once more, Abby was pleasantly surprised. Mac could easily have left the child here. After all they had done their job and Tim wasn’t their responsibility. She really had underestimated him. Nothing about him made sense. Her head was beginning to ache. Right now she would have given anything for some time on her own to think, but she had promised Tim a drink while they waited for Mac to speak to his father and do the handover.
Spotting a vending machine against the wall inside the A & E department, Abby scrabbled in her pocket for some change and fed it into the slot. To no avail—the wretched machine stubbornly refused to part with its goods. Banging with the flat of her hand against the side had no effect either.
‘Here, let me help.’ A woman who looked as if she had stepped out of a magazine came across. She fiddled with the machine and a can rolled out.
‘It just takes a certain knack.’ She held out a manicured hand. ‘You must be new. I’m Rebecca O’Hara, my husband Josh is one of the A & E consultants.’
‘Abby Stevens. First day with the Air Ambulance Service.’
‘Pleased to meet you, Abby. Where are you from? I can tell by your accent that you’re not from here.’
‘I’ve been living in London for the last few years.’
‘London?’ Rebecca looked wistful. ‘Don’t you miss it?’
‘I love it here,’ Abby said honestly. She glanced across the room to where an anxious Tim was waiting for her. Although she had the distinct impression Rebecca wanted to chat, Abby didn’t like to leave the boy any longer than she had to.
Just then Mac appeared. ‘Oh, hello, Rebecca.’ He smiled. ‘If you’re waiting to see Josh, I’m afraid he’s up to his neck with patients at the moment.’
Rebecca looked dejected. ‘I’ll have a cup of coffee with the nurses while I’m waiting.’
She turned back to Abby. ‘Lovely to meet you. Perhaps we could have a coffee some time?’ And then with a flutter of slim fingers she headed towards the staffroom.
Back at base, no one seemed particularly surprised to see Tim. Mac gave him the promised tour after which he settled Tim in front of the computers and started explaining how the system worked.
A little while later, Dr Gibson phoned to say that they had sectioned Jenny and although she had lost a great deal of blood, she and her new baby son were going
