failure trying to look after her baby,’ Zoe muttered.
Teo shook his head. ‘I saw a mother doing her best in difficult circumstances. Babies are very good at picking up vibes. What I didn’t see was anyone offering you any kind of assistance and I have to say that was disappointing. This is my department and I’m going to have something to say about that at the next staff meeting. You know what?’
‘No …’ Zoe’s response was cautious. She couldn’t believe he was being so non-judgmental. Giving her credit, even, for the meltdown he’d rescued them from.
‘I think I’ll send out a memo. I can do that, cos I’m head of department here. Someone might even read it and take some notice.’ Teo’s smile was fading and his tone became a lot more serious. ‘I saw something else, too,’ he added.
Oh, no … he was the head of the paediatric department? If he did say something to his friend John, her psychologist would certainly take some notice. Zoe gnawed on her bottom lip, hoping she didn’t look as anxious as she was now feeling. What else had he noticed?
‘I saw someone who lacked confidence in what she was doing,’ Teo said gently. ‘And while there’s nothing unusual in that when it comes to first-time mothers, in your case it astonished me.’
Zoe wished the floor would just open up and swallow her. This was unbearable.
‘You want to know why?’
Not really, Zoe wanted to say. She didn’t want to hear about just how inept she had looked.
Teo took her silence for assent. ‘Because I saw you for the first time only a few days ago and you know what?’
‘No …’ Zoe almost smiled. She could play this conversational game, especially if he was going to say something nice after getting her to admit her ignorance about what he was going to say.
‘I thought you were Superwoman.’
Zoe blinked. ‘What?’
‘Superwoman,’ Teo repeated. ‘There you were, directing that accident scene, hurling yourself into a mangled wreck of a car, showing off some not inconsiderable skills in getting that woman’s airway and breathing sorted, and then you jumped into a helicopter and took off. All in all, it was a breathtaking performance. You should be proud of yourself.’
It was more than a nice thing to say. Zoe could feel an unfamiliar glow happening inside. She was feeling proud of herself. For the first time in so long. She ducked her head, embarrassed by the sincere praise. Or maybe it was the frank admiration she could see in those dark eyes that was so disconcerting.
‘You made it look easy,’ Teo continued. ‘Just another day at work.’
‘It was. Kind of …’
‘Kind of?’
‘It was my first day back since … oh, since I was about six months pregnant and I was beginning to think I’d never be allowed to go back.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because … um … I got postnatal depression after Emma was born.’ There. She’d said it. She risked a quick glance at his face. The admiration would be gone, for sure. Probably replaced with that wary look people got at the mere whiff of mental illness.
But Teo’s face hadn’t changed. ‘Badly?’
Zoe stared down at her hands. ‘Yeah … I got hospitalised and given some pretty heavy-duty drugs. And then I went into a mothering unit for a while. I’m back home now but … it’s still hard.’
‘Of course it is. Being a mother is hard enough without the extra challenge of PND.’
Zoe just nodded, glancing at her watch. If she left now, she could still make her appointment with John in time, but she didn’t want to leave Teo with this negative image of her. It would be far better if he continued thinking of her as Superwoman.
‘When I’m at work,’ she confided shyly, ‘I’m me. The me I used to be. The me I recognise. It’s when I’m at home that it’s different and it’s in places like this when I know the other mothers are watching me and judging me that it’s the hardest of all.’
She looked up at smiled. ‘Thank you for helping,’ she said quietly. ‘I don’t think you know how much it means.’
‘It was a pleasure, Zoe. I’m sure you’ve got a ton of friends supporting you but if you ever need an extra, I’ll be here.’
‘Thanks.’ Zoe wasn’t about to tell him that all her friends were in the ambulance service, mostly younger than her, and being in the company of a baby was only marginally less attractive than being in the company of a depressed woman. Let him think she was popular and well supported—in between her stints as Superwoman.
The fantasy was so far from the truth it was amusing enough to bring a genuine smile to her face as she took Emma and tucked her back into her car seat. Emma, bless her, didn’t wake up. Then she shoved the things threatening to spill from the pockets of the nappy bag back into place and she was ready to go.
‘Can you manage all that?’ Teo asked. ‘I could wander up with you, if you like.’
‘No, thanks.’ The last thing Zoe wanted was for John to realise she had a connection to someone he knew on a personal basis. Professional confidentiality was all very well but it didn’t apply between doctors, did it? ‘I can manage.’
‘Of course you can.’ Teo smiled again as he held the door open for her. ‘What I will do is have a word with the receptionist. They’ll slot you in for Emma’s appointment as soon as you get back from seeing John.’
Teo was busy for the rest of the morning and all afternoon that day.
A three-year-old boy, Timmy, who’d been burnt by climbing into a bath of scaldingly hot water was in the paediatric intensive care unit. Teo was part of the team led by Luke Williams that was having to deal with the complications of hypovolaemic shock caused by fluid loss from the burns. It was the child’s kidney function that was causing concern today and haemodialysis had to be added to the plethora of procedures that was keeping the small boy alive.
Timmy’s mother was beside herself with guilt and fear.
‘I had to feed the baby,’ she sobbed. ‘I had no idea that Timmy was trying to be helpful and run his own bath. I always, always run the cold tap first and then add hot water. I thought he was watching TV in the lounge room. The baby’s got colic and she’s really hard work after a feed.’
Teo could only listen and imagine how hard this had to be for her. There was no point in laying blame when it could only make things worse for everyone.
‘His dad walked out on us when I got pregnant again. One kid was bad enough, he said. He couldn’t handle having two.’
Teo made a sympathetic sound but part of his mind was wandering. Where was Emma’s dad? Zoe hadn’t mentioned a partner and he’d heard what sounded like a fierce determination to cope with her own situation. On her own. Had she been wearing a ring? He made a mental note to have a look next time he saw her.
Except
