Chapter 2
2
‘What have you got over there?’ Maya came into reception where Nadia and Hudson were still frozen in place at the front door.
When Maya stepped closer, the piece of cake she had in a serviette didn’t make it any closer to her mouth. ‘Is that…’
Hudson scooped the baby up into his arms. Nadia couldn’t take her eyes off the little one, who looked remarkably content despite being left outside in a box.
‘A baby,’ breathed Nadia as she held out her arms to take the infant from Hudson.
Maya gently pulled the edge of the soft blanket so she could see the baby’s face properly. ‘Don’t tell me this precious thing was in the box.’
‘Left here, yes. She was abandoned.’ At least she presumed it was a girl given the pink blanket and the same-coloured Babygro her little body was dressed in.
‘How could anyone do that?’ Maya said softly.
By this time, paramedic Bess had come through to see what was going on. ‘My goodness, did someone leave this little one here?’
‘In the cardboard box.’ It pained Nadia to repeat it, it was so cruel an action.
Bess went over to look inside the box and pulled out a piece of paper. She unfolded it and showed it to the others. ‘Her name is Lena.’ The four letters were written clearly, carefully.
Nadia looked down at the little girl again. ‘Hello, Lena.’ Somehow it made it better that the baby had a name. ‘How about I check you over quickly, make sure you’re okay?’
Hudson headed over to the reception desk. ‘I’ll call for a road ambulance.’
Nadia’s job with The Skylarks was predominantly an admin role but one which entailed a lot of medical knowledge and experience, both of which she’d gained working as a nurse prior to coming to Whistlestop River. She was more than qualified to assess Lena and ensure the infant was stable to transport and so she headed to the office where she laid the baby on the top of the table so she could check her over before the ambulance arrived. She wanted to be sure they weren’t dealing with a baby with immediate health concerns and this became more than simply transporting an abandoned infant.
When Lena began to grizzle, Nadia lifted her into her arms again. ‘You’re doing just fine, aren’t you, little one?’ She held her warm body against her. The bright lights probably hadn’t helped to settle Lena; the undressing had probably made her aware that something wasn’t quite right. It might be spring but the weather in late May still allowed a chill to snake its way through the airbase in the late afternoon.
Hudson met her on her way back to reception. ‘The wait for a road ambulance is too long. I’ve called the hospital and notified them of the situation, let them know we’ll be on our way soon. Bess and Noah are still here and are happy to do overtime but the rapid response vehicle is out. So Vik will take Hilda.’
Vik headed for the internal door to the hangar. ‘Flight conditions are good; Maya and I went through them at handover.’ He looked at Lena. ‘We don’t want to take any chances with an infant this young. I’ll start Hilda up, see you out there.’
Bess held out her arms. ‘Let me take the baby to the aircraft.’
But Nadia didn’t want to let Lena go. ‘I’m coming with you.’
‘There’s no need.’ Bess was used to getting out of the airbase pronto, and as they talked, she was already heading in the same direction as Vik had gone.
‘There’s room for me; weight-wise, we’re set.’ Nadia knew how it worked. The aircraft had strict rules every time it took to the skies and one of those rules was to do with calculating fuel and how much weight they were carrying on board. The patient this time wasn’t an adult, not even a teen, but a baby that by her estimate couldn’t weigh more than a few kilograms.
‘I’ll see you both out there.’ Noah, the other critical care paramedic with the red team, put his helmet and jacket on ready for the mission, because he’d need to be on board should the crew get called to another job after they transported the baby. It didn’t matter to him or Bess that they’d finished their shift; they went above and beyond the call of duty whenever it was required. He’d already retrieved the bloods and the drugs that weren’t always kept on the aircraft, and he set off towards the helicopter.
Bess shrugged on her heavy-duty jacket, picked up her helmet and held out her arms again. ‘Give her to me while you put the spare helmet and jacket on.’
Lena seemed happy enough to be passed between them.
Hudson appeared in the hangar next. ‘How is she doing? It’s a good job we answered that door when we did.’
‘Ain’t that the truth,’ said Bess.
Nadia gave her summation to Hudson, who would most likely write the report as she put her arm into the other sleeve of the jacket. ‘Her nappy wasn’t full but not dry either so she seems hydrated. There are no obvious marks on her torso or elsewhere; she’s content. It seems as though she’s been well looked after.’ Her words felt clinical but looking at Lena, this felt like anything but.
The sound of the aircraft’s blades whipping against the air on the helipad grew louder as if to remind them of their mission.
Hudson reached for the spare helmet. They all knew the score with flying in the air ambulance even if you weren’t part of the crew that regularly took to the skies. It was safety first. He put it on Nadia’s head, fastened the strap beneath her chin. She looked into his eyes, closer in proximity than they’d ever been before.
And then the moment was over as she took Lena from Bess and they headed out towards the aircraft.
Hudson walked alongside Bess and Nadia, shouting over the din of the helicopter. ‘I’ll take a look outside, all around the airbase and surrounding fields. Whoever left her might not have got far after they rang the bell.’
‘Okay.’ The downwash from Hilda took Nadia’s words away and she held Lena, who had started to grizzle, closer to her chest as they climbed into the aircraft.
Noah slid the side door to the helicopter shut. He and Nadia were sitting in the back with the baby and would communicate with Bess and Maya in the front via the headsets on their helmets.
With Lena secure in her special seat and wearing a tiny pair of ear defenders to protect her sensitive ears, Noah gave the go-ahead that they were ready.
‘Clear on the left,’ came Bess’s voice over the headset.
‘All clear for take-off,’ Vik confirmed.
Lena began to scream the second Hilda lifted into the air. Nadia longed to take her in her arms but she was in the safest place possible so instead, she reached over and placed a hand against Lena’s chest, just softly, giving her the assurance that she wasn’t alone any more; someone was here for her.
The journey wasn’t a long one. Vik announced an expected arrival time of three minutes almost as soon as they were up in the skies and flying over the beautiful town of Whistlestop River, the town Nadia had made her home in for the last eight years. But she was too preoccupied watching Lena, shushing her even though the baby wouldn’t be able to hear the soothing sounds, to look out of the window and appreciate the river below, winding, curving, glistening in the sunshine.
She wondered whether Hudson had found anyone or anything outside the airbase: perhaps a hint as to who had left the box there. But there hadn’t been an update over the radio; she expected whoever was responsible had fled.
At first, Nadia had wondered who could ever do such a thing, but as Hilda soared through the skies en route to the hospital, her thoughts turned to concern for the person – a mother, most likely, in a highly emotional state, perhaps with physical or mental health issues. The baby couldn’t be more than a week or two old but thankfully, she appeared remarkably unscathed.
As soon as they touched down on the hospital’s helipad, Nadia told Bess and Noah that she’d take it from here. ‘You will be available for another job should you get a call or you can all head back to base. You’ve already done a full shift.’
A nurse met them and ushered them inside the lift that took them down to the appropriate floor. They followed the winding labyrinth of the hospital until they came to paediatrics, all the while Lena nestled contentedly in Nadia’s arms.
Nadia had known this baby less than an hour and already she felt attached, like she never wanted to let her go.
She knew Lena wasn’t hers; she had no claim on her. But as she handed her to the nurse once they reached the paediatric department, the tug at her heart, that feeling she’d never forgotten, was right back, stabbing at her emotions and twisting them around and around every time she looked at the infant.
It was the same pain she’d felt when she lost her own baby, not once, but twice.