Prologue #3
“Drugs. Thank fuck,” Juniper said, taking it gratefully.
Rafe returned with some plastic sheeting, towels, blankets, a water bottle.
He twisted the cap off and handed it to Juniper.
She drank deeply, dropping the bottle and crying out before she remembered the whistle and sucked on it desperately.
The contraction seemed to last forever and even to William’s inexperienced eye, things were ramping up.
Rafe and Mikky moved swiftly, in perfect unison.
“Not long now, Juniper. We’re going to set you up as best we can.
Rafe is gonna lift you up a little while William and I slide this sheet under you, okay?
” At Juniper’s nod, Rafe slid an arm under her knees while William put his hands under her arms. Mikky counted down, three, two, one and in no time at all, Juniper was leaning back against him again, the sheeting and some towels under her.
It was just in time as another contraction hit and she drew on the whistle. It was something, at least.
When it finally passed, she was sobbing, “I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this.”
Mikky, kneeling between Juniper’s feet, grinned at her cheekily, “Bit late for that now, love.”
Juniper laughed and sobbed at the same time. “True.” She took a deep breath, in through her nose and out through her mouth. “What sort of name’s Mikky, anyway?”
Mikky laughed. “Short for Mikayla.”
“Gotta love that. Trash talking in the middle of labor,” Rafe said with a chuckle.
“That’s it! You’re a trooper, Juniper. You’ve got this. On the next contraction, if you feel you want to push, go for it.”
William felt the intensity of the next contraction in his gut as Juniper pushed back hard against him, holding his hand in a knuckle crunching grip.
She made an otherworldly keening sound, forgetting about the whistle in her other hand.
When it passed, she said, “I want to push, but I can’t.
” She moved her legs restlessly, looking for purchase.
Mikky shot Rafe a look and he shifted forward, taking her barefoot in his hand. He placed it against his hip, rubbing the top. “I’ve got you, darling. Brace against me.”
“And here.” Mikky settled Juniper’s foot against the tree root just near her. “See how you go on the next push, if you’re not comfy, we’ll figure something out.”
“Okay. It’s coming again, I can feel it. Oh god, I can’t. I can’t.”
“Look at the moon. Just look at the moon.” William cursed himself as soon as the words were out.
“The moon! Why the fuck would I want to look at the fucking moon! The moon’s not going to come down here and get this fucking baby out of meeeee….aahhhhhh!”
“Fair point,” William said.
She bore down hard, straining, pushing her chin down on her chest and groaning, long and loud. “What was that?”
“That was your water breaking, it’s all good.” Rafe handed Mikky some towels and she quickly laid them on the plastic sheeting.
On another contraction, Mikky said, “That’s it, Juniper, amazing. Not long to go, I promise.”
There was a short respite before another contraction hit, more pushing, more screaming, then a pause, then Juniper did it all again.
“This is it, love. I can see the baby’s head. Let’s go.”
On the next contraction, Mikky pushed Juniper’s dress high on her hips to get it out of the way and William could see the baby’s head emerging. He took a deep breath as he felt the blood drain from his face. This was a really big deal. An actual baby…coming out of her.
“You right there, William?” Rafe asked.
“Me? Yeah, of course.” Get your shit together, man, you’re not the one having the baby, he said to himself.
“One more big push, honey, and your baby will be here.”
On the next push, Mikky adeptly caught the baby as it slithered out.
In one smooth move, she held the baby up.
William thought it was simultaneously the ugliest and most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
All purple, covered in gunk, it looked like an alien.
Its face was all crumpled, like a miniature Winston Churchill.
Juniper reached for it and Mikky grinned widely as she passed the baby into her arms. “You’ve got yourself a little boy.
” Rafe tucked a space blanket around them both, and William shifted so his arms were outside the blanket, and he could still hold her.
Juniper cradled the baby against her chest and leaned back on William as the baby let out a loud, lusty wail. Her chest was heaving with the effort and she sobbed, “I did it…I did it.”
William stroked her hair back from her forehead. “You sure did.” She turned her face against his neck, and he cradled her as she cradled her baby.
The paramedics gave her a little time to get her breath before Rafe said, “I think we should get you moving, darling.”
“Right, okay.” Juniper was still breathless.
Mikky took a clamp and scissors from the kit. “We’ll do this first or things are gonna get real awkward, real fast.” She looked at Juniper, reading something in her face. “William, to do the honors?”
At Juniper’s nod, she offered the scissors to William.
He took the scissors with a shaking hand.
It felt like a significant moment, something the baby’s father should do.
He felt honored that Juniper had asked him to do it.
He reached down between Juniper’s legs and as he cut the cord, made a wish for the baby, that he would have a full and happy life.
When he handed the scissors back, Rafe turned to Mikky, “How do you think we should do this?”
“I’ll take the baby, you take everything else, William can help Juniper.
Sound like a plan?” As they all nodded, she rose to her feet and bent to take the squalling baby in her arms, tucking a blanket around him firmly.
Rafe helped Juniper up and wrapped the sterile sheeting around her waist, then the space blanket.
William stood, rolling his shoulders and flexing his hands.
Now that it was over, he hadn’t realized how much of a workout that had been.
He reached for Juniper as Rafe let her go and she stumbled a little.
“Sorry, my legs are a little shaky.”
“No problem.”
“You got her?” Rafe hefted the kit, the bags and the torch.
“Yep.” Rather than make her walk, William swung her up in his arms, smiling when she gasped in surprise. “I’ve got you.” He looked down at her for a long moment, caught. “You trust me?”
“Yes.” She sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting her head fall on his shoulder.
He moved forward, following Rafe as he held the light high, leading them out of the clearing.
Climbing the embankment was the hardest part and he had to stifle a groan, feeling more than a tinge of relief when Rafe pulled the gurney out of the back of the ambulance, and he was able to lay Juniper carefully down.
Mikayla handed the baby over and William stood, looking down at both of them. Juniper met his gaze.
“I’m not sure what to say. I don’t have the words to acknowledge what you just did for me.”
He felt deeply moved. “You don’t have to say anything.”
She reached up and caressed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“I’m not going to say any time, because, you know, let’s not do that again.
” He smiled as she laughed. Without giving it a second thought, he leaned down and pressed a kiss on her forehead, then ran a finger along the baby’s cheek.
“You’re welcome,” he said, looking at her, again caught in that sea green gaze.
Then he stepped back to allow Rafe and Mikky to take over, sliding the gurney into the ambulance, Mikky stepping in behind.
She turned to pull the door shut, giving William a smile and a wave.
He looked at Juniper one more time as she held the baby close and dropped her head back on the pillow, her eyes closed and a sweet smile curving her lips.
“Great job, mate. I don’t know what would have happened to her if you hadn’t stopped.”
The two men shook hands. “Cheers,” William said.
Then Rafe was in behind the wheel, starting the engine, pulling onto the road.
He gave the horn a toot as he pulled away and in seconds, he was around the bend and out of sight.
William stood on the side of the road in the dark for a long moment, feeling oddly bereft.
Christ, what an experience. He reached for his phone, thinking to call his sister to tell her all about it.
His heart skipped a beat when he saw he had twelve missed calls from her and two text messages, imploring him to call her, urgently.
“Cassie, what is it?”
“Jesus, William. Where the fuck have you been? It’s Dad. We think he’s had a stroke.”
“What? How?”
“Please come. I’m so scared. He’s gone in an ambulance, Mum’s with him. I’m on my way to the hospital but I don’t want to be there alone if —” Her voice broke on a sob.
“Okay, I’m on my way, but I’m hours away.
Which hospital?” She rattled off the details as he got in the car, his hands shaking as he pushed the key in the ignition and turned it.
He swore gratefully when it started. He’d left the headlights on that whole time.
“I’m on my way.” He hung up and gunned the engine, pulling out onto the highway, the gravel skittering under his tires.