39. Molly
Chapter 39
Molly
M olly clambers out of the taxi and the driver helps her remove her bags and cakes and places them on the pavement. She finds her purse and pays him in cash, then watches him drive away. She has made it with ten minutes to spare, enough time to try calling Jack again before going inside where the big red ‘No mobile phones’ signs will shame her into turning hers off. She’s never been sure if the ban is because phones interfere with hospital equipment in some way or if they just want a bit of hush in there.
It goes to answerphone again. She’s torn between worrying that something terrible has happened to Jack (an accident, ambulances, blood all over the road) and being bloody mad at him for letting her down. In her heart she has a pretty good idea which is likely to be closer to the truth. Jack never did want this baby. Sometimes she’s felt that he’s almost scared of it and all that comes with it. Maybe this is his way of letting her know it’s over, that he doesn’t care enough about their baby, if at all. She’s going to have to do this whole parenting thing on her own.
She lays her hand over her bump. Today it will stop being some faceless veggie-related mass of cells and become a real boy or girl at last. Like Pinocchio! She has no idea why that thought pops into her head, but it makes her smile. Her mum will be able to start knitting clothes in the right colour now, and they can start looking through the baby-name books, because they will actually know what it is. Or she will. It doesn’t look like Jack will be here to find out. She gulps back a threatening tear, switches her phone off and heads inside.
‘Mrs Doherty?’ She has been staring at the same page of a magazine, not taking in a word, when she is called in, right on time.
‘All alone today?’ the woman says, as she washes her hands and points Molly towards the bed. The name badge on her uniform says that she is called Angela Harris.
‘My husband’s been held up.’
‘Oh, that’s a shame. I could call the next lady in before you, if that would help. See you after. It might give him a bit more time to catch up?’
‘Thank you. That’s very kind, but there was nobody else in the waiting room.’
‘Oh, well. Best crack on then, eh?’
Molly lifts her top and winces as the cold gel squirts across her bare skin.
‘Are we ready to take a look at this little one?’ Angela says, and they both turn their heads towards the screen.