The Bush Doctor's Challenge

‘Matthew?’ Shelly gasped, tearing her eyes away from her newborn as Abby quickly tucked the duvet around the pair. ‘He must be terrified.’

‘He’ll be fine,’ Abby said assuredly, but Shelly begged to differ.

‘He won’t understand.’ Her eyes met Abby’s. ‘You don’t understand. Matthew’s got Down’s syndrome. Ross and I had planned how we were going to introduce him. I was supposed to be in bed, the baby in a crib, Ross was going to—’

‘Do you want me to help you into the bedroom, get you settled a bit before he sees you?’

Shelly shook her head. ‘He’s awake now, you’d better just tell Kell to bring him in.’

Abby nodded and, doing a quick check to make sure there was nothing that might scare Matthew, she went to open the laundry door.

‘Abby.’ Turning, Abby smiled at Shelly, her hand on the doorhandle. ‘Would you hold her for me? It might make things a bit…’ Her voice trailed off and Abby stood there, looking at the mother cradling the daughter she had just delivered, and suddenly the lump that had been missing in her throat till now was so big it threatened to choke her.

‘I’d be glad to.’

A mother’s love…

Taking the swaddled bundle, Abby stared into the most innocent of all faces. Every fibre in Shelly’s being would be telling her she should be holding her baby, and yet a deep maternal instinct also told her that a little guy needed her now. Needed his mum to hold her arms out to him, to tell him what had taken place while he’d quietly slept.

Carefully holding the baby close, Abby pulled open the laundry door.

Two blue eyes met hers, two blue bewildered little eyes in a sleep-crumpled face.

‘This is Abby, Matty,’ Kell crooned gently. ‘She’s Tennengarrah’s new doctor.’ Wisely Kell didn’t acknowledge the baby Abby was holding, leaving that introduction to Shelly.

‘Matthew.’ Shelly’s arms were outstretched, her tired face managing a bright smile, her voice, her attention, all focussed on her son. ‘Did you get a fright, sweetheart?’

He didn’t say anything, just nodded seriously as Kell carefully passed him to his mother. ‘There’s nothing to be scared of Matthew. Abby and Kell have been looking after Mummy, and look who’s finally here.’

Taking her cue, Abby stepped forward, holding the infant where her big brother could get a proper look, and the lump in her throat swelled like bread in water as Matthew peered into the swaddle of towel.

‘Baby.’ His little face broke into a smile that met each ear and the whole room seemed to relax a notch, the tension seeping out as two inquisitive eyes searched his new sister’s face. ‘My baby!’ Matthew squealed excitedly.

‘That’s right big guy, it’s your baby sister.’ Kell laughed, one eye on Matthew, the other on a wilting Shelly. Scooping Matthew out of a tired Shelly’s arms, he held the little boy closer, allowing him to touch the tiny face. ‘That’s right, don’t touch her eyes, and just give her little cheek a stroke. I’ll bet she can’t wait for you to give her a big cuddle, but do you know what, little guy? First we have to get Mummy into bed, and I’m gonna need a hand. Do you think you can help me?’

Put like that, how could Matthew refuse?

Somehow, in a matter of minutes Kell had them organised. A now over-excited Matthew turned back the sheets on the bed and plumped pillows as Kell guided a very wobbly Shelly to the main bedroom. Abby followed, carrying the newborn as carefully as if she were the crown jewels, staring down into that tiny wide-eyed face, unable to believe the feelings this ten-minute-old baby was unleashing.

Oh, Abby had held babies before, well, sort of. She’d examined more tiny chests than most people had had cooked dinners, probed more little abdomens than she cared to remember, even bounced the odd baby or two on her knee during her time on the children’s ward.

But to hold one so new, so close and for so long was doing the strangest things to her.

To know that unaided by a huge team, she had brought this wanted, precious life into the world suddenly made that medical degree seem a touch more personal.

‘You were great.’ Kell was sitting on the bed and Abby did a double take when she stepped in the bedroom. ‘Shelly’s just in the loo,’ he explained, patting the bed beside him.

‘I only did great thanks to you,’ Abby admitted, not even bothering to look up. The face of the baby held far too much appeal.

But then again…her eyes flicked up and they were met by Kell’s black, coal chips.

‘I was just giving myself a big pat on the back about how well I’d done, but I’m the first to admit that I nearly had a full-scale panic attack when I saw the baby was breech. Heaven only knows what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.’

‘It would have been exactly the same,’ Kell said with the same assurance he had used with Shelly. ‘A couple of minutes of internal panic and it would have all clicked. You know that as well as I do.’

‘I hope so. Were you even a little bit worried?’

‘No, I never worry.’ Abby gave him a disbelieving look but Kell just stood up and rapped on the en suite door. ‘Are you all right, Shelly?’

‘A couple more minutes,’ came the distant reply, and Kell frowned.

‘Don’t you go fainting on me now, Shelly. Two more minutes or I’ll come in and fetch you myself.’ Smiling, he came back from the door. ‘Hey, Matty, why don’t you go and get a toy for the baby to put in her cot?’ As Matthew scampered off, Kell sat back down. ‘I hope she’s all right in there.’

‘This is the man who less than a minute ago told me he never worried.’

Kell laughed, but just as he opened his mouth to speak the bedroom door was flung open and they both turned as a tall blond man burst in.

‘Where’s Shelly?’

It was a strange way to meet your new colleague, strange but definitely not awkward or difficult. As Abby stood up Ross Bodey’s jaw literally dropped, an incredulous look on his face as his eyes locked on the baby Abby held.

‘Who’s this?’ he choked, as Abby stood there, speechless.

‘Are you talking about the gorgeous raven, or the ravishing redhead?’ Kell quipped, but his voice was thick with emotion as the bathroom door opened and a pale-looking Shelly tentatively stepped out.

‘I’m talking about the blonde,’ Ross said slowly, one arm pulling his wife towards him as he shakingly took the baby from Abby.

‘I’m sorry,’ Shelly sobbed, the emotion of the evening finally catching up. ‘I tried to hold on.’

‘There’s absolutely nothing to be sorry for.’ His eyes never left his daughter as he gently led his wife to the bed. ‘This is the best homecoming I’ve ever had.’

‘Wun.’ Matthew was at the door now. Charging in, he placed a battered book in the crib, his face splitting in two as he saw Ross sitting on the bed.

‘Hey, buddy, don’t I get a kiss?’

‘Daddy!’

‘I think we might have outstayed our welcome,’ Kell whispered to Abby. ‘How about you let me buy you that drink now?’

‘How about you show me where I can have a shower?’

They said their goodbyes, an engrossed Ross attempting to apologise for landing Abby in it, but his mind was clearly on the latest addition to his family.

‘Abby will be fine.’ Kell grinned. ‘I’ll bring her luggage over and show her around. Don’t worry about a thing, just enjoy tonight.’

‘No problem there,’ Ross said, then turned to Abby. ‘Look, thank you, I really mean that.’

‘It was a pleasure,’ Abby said warmly. Stepping out into the now dark sky, a billion stars twinkling down, the warm hand of Kell guiding her along the dusty red soil, it hit her, a heady mixture of relief at what had transpired and utter fear at how different the scenario could have been.