Chapter 5
Thimblebury’s surgery had once been a house, and for anyone unaware of the fact the medical team that served the village worked from there, on first glance it might seem a local family still lived within its walls.
There was a small garden fronting it, with neat borders and hedges, and a heavy door at the entrance.
The only giveaway of its true purpose were the instructions and posters in the windows.
Zoe arrived at work juggling a jar of coffee and half a dozen packs of biscuits she’d picked up on the way in.
‘How’s Ottilie? Have you seen her since the birth? How’s the baby? What did he weigh? When is she—’
‘Hang on!’ Zoe cut Lavender’s barrage of questions off, laughing lightly. ‘I’ve barely walked through the door! Hasn’t Heath messaged you all? I thought he would have done.’
‘Not that I know of, but I did see Flo this morning, and she told me you’d delivered the baby.’
‘I did. Ottilie’s in hospital. There were a few problems, but she’s fine now, recovering well. Baby is fine too. As for the weight, I can’t tell you off the top of my head, but I’m sure Ottilie will give you all those details when she next speaks to you.’
‘What are they calling him?’
‘Anthony, I think. That was where we were at last time I spoke to them.’
Lavender wrinkled her nose. ‘Anthony? What kind of name is that for a baby?’
‘Ott’s been watching Bridgerton, and I think he caught her fancy… I mean, the name did.’
This time Lavender grinned. ‘Oh, I see. Well, whatever floats your boat. I’m sure we’ll all get used to it.’
‘I’m sure it doesn’t matter as long as Ottilie and Heath like it.’
‘Does Heath know where Ottilie got it?’
‘That,’ Zoe said, heading for her room, ‘I couldn’t tell you. Something to ask her next time you see her, I’m sure.’
Before she’d set foot in the corridor, she was greeted by one of Thimblebury’s GPs, Emilia. ‘Oh, morning! How was your weekend?’
‘Good because Simon was on call so I actually managed to get a lie-in. I hear you had a busy one, though.’
‘I did.’
‘And Ottilie’s OK? Baby too?’
‘Yes, doing fine.’
‘I thought I might go over to see her this evening. I’m going to take her a gift.’
‘She’ll appreciate that, but I thought Lavender was doing a collection so we could send something from all of us?’
‘She has and I’ve contributed, but I wanted to get something else, more personal. She’s been very kind and welcoming to me since I arrived – of course, you and Simon have too…’
Zoe tried not to frown at the omission of Lavender from the list of surgery staff who’d been kind to Emilia.
They’d been engaged in some obvious disagreements over the Christmas season, but Zoe hadn’t considered things to be that bad.
From what Emilia was saying – or what she wasn’t saying – things were worse than anyone had thought.
‘Hmmm…’ Zoe resisted the impulse to question the subtext. ‘How’s Georgia? I meant to call round over the weekend, but… well, you know, things got a bit busy.’
‘She’s fine. Brett’s still behaving himself, and William is such a contented baby we hardly remember we’ve got him at times.
She’s my sister, and I love having her and Brett living with me, but I must admit I was worried about adding a newborn to the equation – the house was crowded enough as it is – but he’s an absolute joy. ’
‘Well, that’s good to hear.’
‘I’ll let you get on. We’ve got our locum nurse starting today, by the way. Goodness knows I’ve had enough of a different temp every day – it’ll be good to finally have some stability. She’s due in the next hour or so. I’ll get Lavender to introduce her to everyone when she arrives.’
‘I’ve got quite a lot on, but if Lavender can give me a quick heads-up first, that should be all right. If not, I’m sure we’ll meet at lunch.’
Emilia gave a brief nod and then went on her way.
As she continued to her own treatment room, Zoe could hear Emilia speaking to Lavender in reception.
She could make out the frosty tone on both sides but not what they were saying.
It was getting to the point where Zoe wanted to smash their heads together.
Everyone else at the surgery managed good working relationships that even strayed into actual friendship.
Zoe found it exhausting and frustrating, and she was beginning to see that there was just no point in dwelling on it.
Things were as they were, and nobody but Emilia and Lavender could change them.
The first appointment of the day was a brand-new pregnancy.
Zoe had never met the mum-to-be, Fern, but as soon as Lavender had seen the name on the list of referrals, she’d had an opinion.
That was hardly surprising to Zoe because Lavender always had an opinion when she knew the patient in question.
‘Oh, she’ll be interesting,’ she’d said, peering at the form from over Zoe’s shoulder before dumping a mug of coffee onto the desk next to her.
Zoe hadn’t wanted to ask but couldn’t help herself. ‘How so?’
‘One of them earth goddess types. Lives on a commune a few miles from here. You know, the knit-your-own-house-out-of-nettles brigade. No telly, candlelit orgies, barefoot all day and flower crowns.’
‘That actually doesn’t sound so bad,’ Zoe had said with a faint smile. ‘Apart from the “no telly” bit. Not sure I could cope with that. I suppose that’s why there are so many orgies.’
‘I’m surprised she’s coming to see you at all. Didn’t even know she was registered here, to be honest. They’re all into making their own medicine out of ditch water and licking frogs or whatever.’
As soon as Lavender had marked Fern’s arrival on the surgery computer system, Zoe was ready to go and meet her.
She went through to reception, curious about the woman who had given Lavender the impression she went to orgies and walked around in bare feet, and was confronted with someone who was, though obviously a little bohemian, disappointingly normal.
Fern’s long, dark hair was tied in a neat ponytail and her face bare of make-up.
She had her ears pierced four times on each side, a mix of tiny gold studs and hoops, and around her neck she wore an oversized, engraved gold locket.
She was petite – not much bigger than Zoe’s own tiny stature – and dressed in an oversized woollen duffle coat and heavy boots.
Zoe stuck out a hand to greet her, and Fern looked faintly surprised as she took it and shook. ‘How are you? I’m Zoe, the midwife here. It’s lovely to meet you.’
‘Hello.’
‘If you’d like to follow me, we can chat in my room.’
Fern did as she was asked, and once they were inside, Zoe shut the door and invited her to take a seat.
‘So…’ Zoe began, getting out her pad to make some initial notes.
‘I realise this doesn’t look very high tech,’ she added, nodding at the book, ‘but I like to get some personal details before I do the medical stuff, and it’s more about getting to know you as a person than caring for you as your midwife.
Lavender tells me you live in a commune.
That must be interesting. I bet you’re never lonely. ’
‘It’s good,’ Fern said carefully. ‘I know a lot of people don’t get it, but I like that everyone takes care of one another.’
‘That sounds lovely, actually. I suppose it’s a bit like living in a village in a lot of ways.
Like living here in Thimblebury. I mean, we don’t all cook and grow together, but we do try to look out for one another.
Do you know how many weeks pregnant you might be?
How many periods have you missed? You’ve done a test, I take it? ’
‘I left some pee out in a jar overnight, and Arwen – that’s our commune mum – looked at it and said it meant I was pregnant. I’ve missed only one period, though.’
‘Hmm…’ Zoe made some notes and decided not to reveal her thoughts about old-fashioned pregnancy tests. ‘When was it due?’
‘My period? About three weeks ago.’
‘So we’ll work with those dates for now. I might ask you to do a test for me anyway, just to be sure – it wouldn’t take a minute. And I might also send you for a dating ultrasound if it seems as if we’ve got it wrong further down the line. As for—’
‘Do I have to come and see you?’
Zoe looked up from her pad. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
Fern fiddled with an earring. ‘I mean…’ Her sentence faltered, and then she spoke again with more force.
‘I mean, do I have to come to the surgery to see you? Can Arwen look after me? She says she’s delivered babies before and there’s no need to come to you.
She says the community can do it, but I was a bit worried I’d be breaking the law or something. I have to register the birth, right?’
‘Well, yes, of course, but—’
‘So does that mean I also have to tell you that I’m pregnant and have all those scans and stuff, even if I don’t want to?’
‘Well, you’ve already told me you’re pregnant, so the horse has bolted on that one.’ Zoe tried to keep her tone light and reassuring, but alarm bells were going off in her head. ‘Can I ask what it is about my input that’s worrying you?’
‘It’s not that, it’s just how we do things in the commune. Everyone who has a baby gets looked after by the other women.’
‘And you’re happy with that?’ Zoe couldn’t help but feel that the very fact Fern was here meant she wasn’t entirely comfortable with that scenario. But it also sounded as if she didn’t want to go against the consensus of her fellow commune members.
Fern nodded.
‘OK.’ Zoe was thoughtful for a moment as she worked out how to reply.
‘Technically, you’re allowed to have what we call a “free birth”, which means there’s no law to say you have to be under the care of a midwife.
However, as this is your first baby, and because of the way you live, I wouldn’t advise it. ’
‘Arwen says I’m young and strong and it should be all right.’
‘Arwen seems to know a lot about it. What’s her background?’
‘I don’t know. I think she worked in a shop before she came to live with us.’
‘Right. Have you discussed it with anyone other than Arwen?’
‘Not really.’
‘Not even with the baby’s dad?’
‘I’m not sure who that is. It could be Zephyr or Ash because I slept with both of them the same week. Both of them would be all right with whatever Arwen said, though. Everyone trusts her.’
Zoe tried not to let Lavender’s joke about candlelit orgies into her mind as she gave a non-committal nod.
It was none of her business anyway. ‘Frankly…’ she began again, still wondering how to tackle this.
In all her years of midwifery, she’d never once had an expectant mum come to her and tell her they didn’t want her help.
Usually they’d want all the help they could get, and even when they were less keen, they’d see the sense in being under her care.
‘I’m not happy about the situation at all.
I’m sure Arwen is capable, and I’m sure you’re young and strong, but as a midwife with a lot of years under her belt, I can’t condone the plan.
I’m not here to force you to do anything you’re unhappy with, though.
It’s your body, your baby, your life. What I would ask is that we continue with our preliminary checks today.
You’re here anyway, so I don’t see why there would be any harm in it.
I’ll get the ball rolling on the necessary arrangements for you – ultrasound, blood tests and such – and if you want to go ahead with those, then everything will be in place.
If you don’t, then please come and talk to me again.
I won’t try to change your mind, but I would like to see that you’re well and good to go.
And if you decide on the free birth route, don’t think you can’t ever come back to me if things start to go awry.
Seemingly easy pregnancies can take a turn for the worse, and I’d hate to think you didn’t feel you could come for my advice.
The same goes for Arwen. If she needs advice from me at any point, should she become your midwife, then she’s more than welcome to contact me. ’
‘I’ll tell Arwen, but I don’t think she’ll need anything.’
Zoe couldn’t have given two hoots what Arwen needed, but she did care about Fern, and the idea that Fern wouldn’t have professional involvement in her pregnancy worried her.
She couldn’t say that, however, and she certainly couldn’t show it.
She had to give a measured response to the request and hope that Fern would choose the best path for her and her baby.
‘I’m sure you’re right, but the offer is there just the same, and I’d be grateful if you’d tell her so. I’ll give you my personal number, and you can keep it in case you need me. So, can I do my checks today? Are you happy with my plan?’
Fern nodded and took off her coat. Zoe could see she was very slim, and it didn’t help with her misgivings.
She had a feeling when it came to medical aids, essential vitamin supplements and the like, she was going to have another battle on her hands convincing Fern to embrace any of them.
For now, she concentrated on the most pressing one, and that was to convince Fern to accept any help from her at all.
Arwen was clearly a persuasive individual, and perhaps she was capable of caring for Fern through her pregnancy, but Zoe wasn’t happy about it, not one bit.
As Zoe saw Fern out, still trying to subtly influence her decision even as she waved her off, Lavender caught her attention. Standing at the desk was a pretty, dark-eyed woman of about thirty or so.
‘You’re just in time to meet our new nurse!’ Lavender beckoned Zoe over. ‘Shabana, this is Zoe, our midwife.’
Zoe smiled. ‘Pleased to meet you!’
‘You too. Lavender was just telling me very nice things about you.’
‘Was she?’ Zoe shot the receptionist a sideways look. ‘Well, there’s a turn-up for the books.’
Shabana laughed politely at Zoe’s quip while Lavender grinned.
‘Don’t worry,’ she said, ‘I’ll get to the bad stuff when Shabana’s settled in. Don’t want to scare her off – the patients will do a good-enough job of that.’
A frail but assertive voice came from the waiting area. ‘How rude! I ought to report you, Lavender!’
Lavender’s grin spread, and she lowered her voice. ‘Mrs Icke. Our oldest patient. Claims to be deaf as a post but hears well enough when it suits her. You’re lucky she’s in to see Doctor Stokes today, so you won’t have the pleasure just yet.’
‘I’m looking forward to meeting them all,’ Shabana said.
Lavender’s reply was full of sarcasm. ‘I’m sure it will be a riot. Well, Zoe, I’m going to show Shabana around, so you can push off now.’
Shabana looked as if she wasn’t sure how she was meant to react to Lavender’s statement, but Zoe simply smiled. ‘Right, that’s told me. I’ve got mums to see anyway. I’ll catch up with you at lunch, Shabana.’
‘I look forward to it.’
Shabana followed Lavender behind the reception desk while Zoe turned to the waiting room to call her next appointment through.