Emergency In Maternity

‘That’s good, Dad.’ The words nearly stuck in her throat. She’d worry about Ben coming home when, and if, he actually did. For the moment there were things to do before the next two days’ shifts at the hospital and she was looking forward to some activity for the restlessness that had been eating at her since she’d driven away from the hospital. She left her father watching the rain.

‘How were your shifts, darling?’ Cate’s mother set two coffees on the kitchen table and sat down to listen. Leanore was a tall woman, though not as statuesque as her daughter, and her hair was more silver than blonde.

Cate’s thoughts flew to the regional CEO, and strangely she was reluctant to discuss Noah Masters with her mother. She stared down at the cup cradled in her hands. ‘Busy.’

Not one to avoid discussing awkward subjects, Leanore went straight to the family issues. ‘Your father and I are looking forward to Ben’s return. It will be wonderful to see him. Are you upset your father asked him to come home?’

Cate couldn’t help the tinge of censure in her voice. ‘If he stays long enough.’

‘Now, Cate. It’s been a hard couple of years but Ben is a man now and he wants to come home. He’ll be better for the time away. He was too young to take over the huge job that you’ve done and too old to take orders from his big sister.’

She patted Cate’s hand.

‘Your father rose above his disabilities and is still the man of my dreams. We have our life and you have yours. We know you’ve carried the lion’s share of the workload for a long time now. You deserve a break. Sit back and let Ben and your father do the worrying without you. Live a little.’

Leanore pushed a plate of home-made biscuits towards her daughter. ‘So tell me some good news from the hospital.’

Cate tried to brighten up. ‘My friends Michelle and Leif had a lovely baby boy early this morning. He was nearly a Caesarean but beat the doctor to the theatre.’ A soft smile crossed her face. ‘He’s gorgeous.’

She blinked and refocused on her mother. ‘And poor Mr Beamish broke his hip on his cattle-grid and I’m dreading the new regional CEO will step into his job until they get someone else.’ She glared at the tablecloth. ‘I hope it’s soon,’ slipped out.

‘Poor Mr Beamish. I went to school with his wife.’ Leanore tilted her head. ‘A new regional CEO? What’s he like?’

Cate stirred her coffee vigorously and the coffee spun dangerously around in her cup. ‘Taller than Dad, looks like he works out, but he’s a human logarithm and very much the city boy.’ She glared at her coffee. ‘He’s domineering and annoyingly sure of himself.’

Cate’s mother took the spoon from her daughter and set it in the saucer with a clink. ‘Interesting.’ She smiled to herself. ‘He seems to have made a big impression on you. But the last part is a harsh indictment. I imagine the man would have responsibilities that call for most of those qualities. Does he have a name?’

‘Noah Masters.’ Cate shrugged and took a few sips of her drink before she set it down. ‘I don’t want to talk about that man. Thanks for the coffee, Mum. I have to fix the gate in the top paddock and move the cattle.’

‘Do you want me to come?’ Leanore started to untie her apron, still with a small smile on her face.

‘No. Thanks.’ Cate thought she may as well do this last job before Ben came home. ‘I need to get out and I’ll call if I need help.’ She slipped the family mobile phone onto her belt. It was her father’s decree that anyone in the paddocks carry it in case they needed help. Three years ago he’d lain all day with a broken back when the branch of a tree had fallen and crushed his vertebrae. With the farm work falling to Cate and Leanore now that Ben had gone, he could keep in contact with them from the house. Cate would have carried anything to get out of the house and burn off some energy.

Wednesday 7 March

When Cate arrived at work that afternoon, she’d packed a case with enough clothes for a week. Her father had predicted she wouldn’t get home for a while.

‘Noah Masters had better watch out!’ Cate dropped the report of the regional hospitals’ meeting, which she’d taken home to study, down on the desk. It hit with a clap similar to the thunder outside.

She impaled her drover’s oilskin on the old-fashioned hatstand as if she were hanging Noah Masters out to dry on it.

‘And happy Wednesday to you, too, Cate.’ Diminutive Amber Wright stood up to flick the door shut behind her friend for some privacy. The nursing supervisor of the previous shift at Riverbank Hospital shook her head. ‘You’re like a whirlwind some days, Cate. You make me dizzy.’

Cate dried her hands on the damp scarf she pulled from around her neck and hung that up, too. ‘Maybe the weather makes me mad.’

‘Yeah, right.’ Amber had her head in her hands.

Cate tucked her handbag away. ‘That good, is it?’ said Cate as Amber lifted her head. Her friend nodded.

‘Ten staff called in flood-bound and we’re still five down without replacements, but it could have been worse. Most are flooded in while some are banking on staying home so they don’t get flooded out of their own homes.’ Amber sighed.

‘Plus, I have to be at preschool in twenty minutes and barely have time to fill you in on what’s happening on the wards.’

Cate looked up quickly. ‘That’s a bit early. Cindy’s not sick or anything, is she?’

‘No. I have a meeting with the teacher.’ Amber looked at her watch and Cate interpreted her frown. Amber really couldn’t afford to upset the teacher at the preschool Cindy attended most days while her single mother worked.

Cate picked up her pen. ‘Heaven forbid that you keep the teacher waiting. Come on. Fire away and we’ll get you out of here on time.’

Amber shuffled the papers and pushed her glasses back up her nose. ‘I’ve had orders to encourage the doctors to discharge as many as they can to lighten the load, but most of the people who could go don’t have the support at home, and home care is a bit iffy should the highway be cut off.’

Cate leaned forward but her voice was soft. ‘So whose orders were they?’ As if she didn’t have an inkling.

‘Noah Masters.’

‘I’m just about sick of his directives. I found out he’s a doctor of medicine, and has only been involved in the corporate side for two years. Apparently he’s shooting up the administrative totem pole at a great rate of knots.’ She screwed up her nose. ‘How could a doctor leave medicine and become a number-cruncher?’

‘Excuse me?’ Amber pulled a face. ‘You only work half your time as a midwife and the other half in administration.’

Cate sniffed. ‘Totally different. I need the quick shifts. An afternoon shift followed by a morning shift lets me work on the farm. If there weren’t enough midwives I’d go back to full-time midwifery like a shot.’

Cate watched as Amber punched the last of the entries for staff changes into the computer. ‘The office part of this job is a pain but as for shift co-ordination…’ Cate shrugged ‘…I believe I can make a difference if I ensure that everything runs smoothly.’

‘It’s true. The place runs like a watch when you’re on shift.’ Amber shot her an urchin grin. ‘But you also like being boss. Hell, I was on your tennis team and we had to win or else. One day you’re going to meet a man that won’t let you boss him around. Maybe it’s Noah Masters.’

Cate’s laugh sounded more like a snort. ‘Somehow I don’t see that as prophetic.’ She folded her arms and glared at her friend. ‘And as for tennis, what’s wrong with being champions three years running?’

Amber laughed out loud. ‘I rest my case,’ she said. Cate acknowledged the hit with a wry smile.

Amber went on. ‘Our regional CEO is officially filling in for Mr Beamish.’ She looked at Cate. ‘He said to call him Noah, which made me laugh a bit as we’ve probably got a flood on, but he doesn’t seem too bad.’

‘The man’s a walking calculator!’ Cate stood up and paced the room.

Amber looked up with interest. ‘Then he’s a well-packaged calculator.’ She shrugged. ‘I’d almost welcome his slippers under my bed if I wasn’t off men.’ She raised a quizzical eyebrow at Cate. ‘Struck a few sparks yesterday, did you?’

That was the last thing Cate wanted Amber to think. ‘No.’ The word came out louder than she’d intended and Cate fought not to blush. ‘It’s not a matter of liking or disliking. The guy is a threat to Riverbank—and if he had his way our hospital would be downgraded to cottage hospital status.’

Amber blew a raspberry. ‘You don’t know that.’

Cate didn’t meet Amber’s eyes. ‘Well, I don’t want to find out the hard way. Can we leave Noah Masters, please?’ Cate sat down. ‘What else is happening here today?’

Cate couldn’t mind Amber’s teasing. She couldn’t remember a time when Amber hadn’t been in her life. They’d shared rag dolls and horse blankets since kindergarten. Experience told Cate that something else was bothering her friend.

Amber smiled but Cate still felt she was stalling, which wasn’t like her. ‘Let’s get you home. Is something wrong, Amber?’

All amusement left Amber’s face and she sighed. ‘I’ll start with the bad news.’ She put her hand out to cover Cate’s. ‘Iris Dwyer is our critical patient and her friends are with her in the palliative care room, but her son hasn’t arrived yet.’

Iris…Cate fought back the sudden dread and managed a professional nod to Amber. But her mind whirled. Iris, not Iris! There was only one reason a patient would be admitted to the hospital’s soothing palliative care suite with its very comfortable bed, and Cate didn’t want to think about it.