Susan panted, and Tara cast a look at Simon.
‘Just hang on for one sec, Susan. I’ll move out of the way. You’re almost there.’ Tara pushed the chair away and knelt beside Susan as she turned sideways and with her reduced height the baby settled into a strange sitting position but with the movement the head slowly appeared, the little face flopped forward as the baby was born and Tara reached out and caught him before he fell forward onto his tummy.
‘Well done,’ Simon murmured with a definite thread of exultation in his voice. Tara felt a rush of emotion stinging her eyes as she dried the little body until the newborn screwed up his face and roared his displeasure.
She could see Simon’s satisfaction in her management and she’d never felt so proud in her life. There was time for one brief glance of shared excitement and then it was back to the job.
‘I’m just going to pop baby through your legs and you can see what you’ve had, Susan.’ There was a flurry of limbs and cord and then Susan had her baby in her arms as she knelt upright. The face she turned to the three of them was exultant with fierce pride and joy. ‘A boy. My vaginal breech birth boy. I knew I could do that.’
‘Magnificently.’ Simon shook his head with a twinkle in his eye that said he’d never grow tired of these moments, and Tara felt like she wouldn’t want to sleep for a week she was on such a high.
Pete was in shock, and a little on the pale side as he flopped back into a chair Simon pushed up to him, while Susan was helped back up onto the bed by Tara. The new mum lay back with a satisfied smile and baby was just plain curious about the world and maybe even a little hungry.
They thanked the other doctor who had quietly arrived as unneeded back-up and he left. A few minutes later, after checking that all was well with Susan and the baby, Simon left too.
Tara leant against the doorpost, keeping watch that all was well now that she’d backed out of the circle of mother, father and child, and just soaked in the magic.
She couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe the experience that Simon had given her. Not just with his innate love of teaching and promoting breech birth to his less-experienced colleagues, but the ambience and peaceful joy of the occasion, because everyone, including her, had felt safe, and imbued with the faith that they’d had everything needed for the occasion. Her glorious moment! Because Simon had been there.
She’d never experienced anything like it. How could one man make that difference? It was a gift she hugged to herself.
Two hours later Susan was tucked up into bed for a well-earned rest but her eyes were wide and alert, baby Blake was tucked up in his little cot sound asleep beside his mother, and Pete snored gently in the big chair beside the window.
Susan and Tara looked at each other and smiled.
‘I wish I could sleep,’ Susan said dryly.
‘It’s the adrenalin from the birth,’ Tara said quietly. ‘Your instinct is to stay alert so you can snatch up your baby and run. You’ll slowly calm down and drift off to sleep soon.’
‘Thanks, Tara,’ Susan said sincerely. ‘From the first minute I saw you I knew everything was going to be fine.’
Tara had too. But Simon had ensured it really had gone well. He’d been amazing and she’d tell him so. ‘I’m so glad. And thank you.’ They grinned at each other as Tara gently shut the door to keep out the noises that might wake them.
SIMON DROPPED IN before the afternoon midwife arrived to see how Susan was faring.
‘She’s great. Talking about going home tomorrow. You going in to see her? Baby is awake and Pete’s gone home.’
Tara was at the desk, completing Susan’s patient notes. She went to stand and he put his hand up. ‘Stay there. I’m just saying hello and I’ll pop out to see you when I’ve finished.’
Tara nodded and carried on, wanting to have it all completed before the end of her shift. There was a mountain of paperwork when a baby was born, let alone when the woman arrived not expecting to have her baby with them, and she was transferring all the information they’d had faxed after the event from Brisbane.
But she still had to thank Simon and she didn’t want him to leave without having the chance.
When Simon reappeared he had Blake with him. ‘Susan’s gone to the loo and Blake was complaining.’ He carried the baby like a little football tucked onto his hip and his large hand cradling the baby’s head with relaxed confidence. There was something incredibly attractive about a man comfortable with small babies and Tara hugged the picture to herself. Not that she was doing anything with it—just enjoying it.
Simon bounced the little baby bundle gently, feeling his weight. ‘He’s heavy.’
‘Seven pounds on the dot.’
‘Impressive for a breech.’ He smiled at her. ‘So were you.’
Tara could feel the heat in her cheeks. She hadn’t been the amazing one. He’d instilled confidence in all of them, even the nervous Pete, so what was it about this guy that made her blush like a schoolgirl? Seeing that even when she’d been a schoolgirl she’d never blushed? ‘I didn’t do anything except put my hands out at the end, but I really appreciated the chance to be hands on, hands off. Thank you. And Susan was amazing.’
‘It’s okay, Tara. You were good because you didn’t do anything. You did so well.’
‘I can see why it’s hands off now.’ She changed the subject. Had never had been able to deal with compliments. Probably because she hadn’t received that many in her life. She inclined her head towards Blake. ‘You always been this good with babies?’
He grinned and she tried not to let the power of the smile affect her. Losing battle. ‘I was a couple of years older than the eldest sister and Mum had three more pretty fast. So I guess I did get good with babies. I enjoyed helping with the girls and Mum was pretty busy by the time she had Maeve. I wasn’t into dolls but it was always going to be obstetrics or paediatrics.’
He looked at Tara. Tried to see into her past. ‘Were you a girly girl?’
Hadn’t had the chance. ‘What’s a girly girl?’
‘Dress-ups. A favourite doll?’
There had been a couple of shared toys she’d been allowed to play with but not her own. ‘After my parents died I never owned a doll. So I guess not.’
His brows drew together but thankfully he changed the subject. ‘What time do you finish?’
‘Three-thirty.’
‘Fancy another swim?’
Simon studied the strong features of the woman across from him. He became more intrigued the more he saw her. His four sisters had all been spoilt by everyone, including himself, and secure in their knowledge of their own attraction. Even Maeve in her current circumstances dressed and acted like the confident woman she was.
But
