Chapter 7 #2
‘Of course!’ Zoe settled into her chair and switched on her computer. ‘What did you think I bought the biscuits for?’
Lavender was chuckling again as she put the phone down.
Lavender found almost everything funny. That was one of the first things Zoe had noticed about their receptionist, and it had been confirmed by Ottilie – nothing fazed her, and she could find the humour in almost every situation.
It was a nice quality, one that Zoe liked.
She spent some time going through her emails to make sure nothing urgent had come in over the weekend, and then spent some more time prioritising what had come in. Once that was done and she’d formed a plan for the day, she called in her first appointment.
Maisie was tiny – smaller than Zoe herself, which was some feat. She looked far younger than her twenty years too.
Zoe glanced at the notes after they’d had a brief, introductory conversation. ‘You’re due your first scan next week…I don’t see an appointment on the system yet. Have you made one?’
‘I was hoping you’d do it.’
‘An appointment? I mean, I can, but it’s probably easier for you to go online and choose a slot.’
‘I meant the scan. Can’t you do it here?’
‘I don’t have the equipment here at the surgery. You’ll have to go to the ultrasound department.’
‘Oh.’
‘Is that a problem?’
‘No, it’s just…It’s OK – I can go on the bus.’
‘Do you have someone to go with you?’
‘Kyle, my boyfriend…maybe he’ll go.’
‘Is he baby’s dad?’
‘No. Does that matter?’
‘I’m sure it doesn’t, as long as he’s happy to go. Can I ask about the baby’s father? No judgement, of course, and if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s completely fine, but it might help me to care for you if I know more about your situation.’
‘He’s not mad at me or anything. About the baby, I mean.’
‘I should think not . It takes two to tango.’
‘Huh?’
‘You know, two to make a baby.’
‘We’re not together. We were sort of…I was sort of drunk.’
‘And how do you feel about it all?’
‘Oh, I want the baby if that’s what you mean. Kyle says he’ll help. We haven’t been together long, but he’s all right about it. He says Harvey’s a dick.’
‘Harvey… that’s the father?’
‘Yeah. I mean, I’m not going to ask Kyle to be the dad or anything.’
‘But it’s good he’s being supportive. Who else do you have in your corner?’
‘Huh?’
‘Do you have a good support network? Family, friends?’
‘I’ve got Mum and Dad and my sister. They’re all right about it too.
I mean, Mum says she doesn’t want the baby to call her grandma because she’s not an old woman, but she’s happy about it…
I think. Well, I mean, she’s not mad. Not too mad.
And Dad doesn’t say much at all, but I don’t think he’s too mad either. ’
Zoe kept her expression neutral, but there were doubts forming in her mind.
It wasn’t what Maisie was telling her but what she seemed to be keeping back that worried her.
She was doing her best to paint a positive picture of a scenario that – to Zoe – had worrying aspects.
But Zoe had to remember her role. First and foremost, she was there to take care of Maisie and the baby in a clinical capacity.
As she got to know them better, if she was still convinced there would be other needs, she’d have to talk to Maisie about referring her to the appropriate service, but it was early days yet, too early to say.
‘Do you mind if I have a look?’ she asked, gesturing to the treatment couch. ‘I’ll take some initial measurements so we can keep track of baby’s growth over the coming months.’
‘Um, yeah, I guess so.’
‘Don’t look so worried,’ Zoe said with a reassuring smile. ‘It’s all pretty straightforward. Have you thought about names yet?’ she added as Maisie got comfortable. It was a well-used question, but so often it served to steer an anxious consultation into calmer waters.
‘Oh, yes!’ Maisie said with a new enthusiasm that Zoe was pleased to see.
Appointments over the next couple of days were far more straightforward and a lot less worrying, unless you counted the complaints from some that they’d had to travel in from a neighbouring village to see her.
She’d promised to see what she could do to make it easier for them by travelling out to do home visits, but warned that it would very much depend on her workload over the coming weeks and months.
She hadn’t quite got her clinic up to full speed, even though referrals were beginning to arrive with more regularity as word got round she was now in post and ready to go.
That day she had only one patient booked for the early afternoon, who didn’t show up.
She noted with interest that it was Billie Fitzgerald, her new neighbour at Hilltop Farm.
She tried to phone, but there was no answer, and so she decided now would be a good time to pop over to the parent and baby group at the village hall to introduce herself and get to know everyone.
Really, her remit finished when the babies were far younger, but she’d probably still have contact with many of them anyway.
Not to mention the possibility that some of the mothers would be pregnant again at some point.
She arrived back at the surgery just in time for tea and biscuits, phoned again to see if she could get hold of Billie, but with no success, and then spent an hour or so getting her notes up to date before heading home.
As she left the surgery, she decided to make a detour on her way back to Kestrel Cottage. Not only did she want to drop by to make sure all was well at Hilltop, she couldn’t deny that she was mad with curiosity.