Emergency Response (27 page)

Mackenzie licked her dry lips and tasted bile again. She shouldn’t have taken those tablets on an empty stomach.

“What did Nathan say?”

“Mackenzie, you gotta believe me. He’s devastated. He loves you, but now he thinks he’s lost you for good.”

She was silent for a moment, taking everything in.

“Has he ever lied to you in the past or done anything which would make you believe you couldn’t trust him?”

Mackenzie heard the urgency in Doc’s voice. She knew the answer.
No
.

“I need to go, Doc,” she said at last. “I need to call him.” She tried to fill her lungs but her breathing sounded ragged and labored even to her own ears.

“Good idea. I know it’s none of my business, but I couldn’t sit back and watch my idiot kid sister destroy the best thing that’s ever happened to Nathan Kennedy. Promise me you’ll call him.”

“I promise. And thanks, Doc.”

Mackenzie disconnected the call and stared out the window. She paused, took a breath and forced herself past the wave of dizziness that hit her. Had she lost him again?

After talking to Doc, Mackenzie showered and then took the dogs for a long walk in the hope the fresh air might clear her head and her heart before she called Nathan. It didn’t work. If what Doc said was true, she’d completely ruined things. Again. Dammit! Why hadn’t she trusted him?

Eventually darkness and hunger made her return home. Kate’s car was out the front but the house was dark and quiet and not a single light shone from the windows. That was odd. It was a bit late in the day for Kate to take a nap, but with less than three weeks until her due date, Kate was sleeping a lot. The back door caught in the wind, slamming shut behind Mackenzie.

“Joel? Is that you?” Kate called out.

“No, it’s me,” Mackenzie replied, dumping her keys and the dogs’ leads on the kitchen table. “Where are you?”

“Bathroom.”

Mackenzie shrugged away a shiver of unease. What was that noise?

“Can you come here, Kenz?”

Mackenzie knocked before pushing open the bathroom door. For a few seconds she couldn’t catch her breath. She swallowed a gasp as she saw Kate on her hands and knees on the floor. Two frightened eyes darted up to meet hers.

“My water just broke and I need to push.”

“No you do
not
!” Mackenzie exclaimed. She inhaled deeply, her mind racing. She’d never delivered a baby in her life. That’s what midwives were for!

“I’ll call an ambulance.”

“There’s no time,” Kate said through gritted teeth.

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll still call. Where’s Joel?”

“No idea. I’ve tried calling him for the past hour, but he hasn’t answered. And your phone must be on silent.”

Mackenzie pulled her phone from her pocket and saw the dozens of missed calls from Kate and a few from Nathan too.

“Joel’s somewhere with Liam,” Kate added.

“Thank God!” Liam was a paramedic. He would know what to do. Surely he’d delivered dozens of babies. “What’s Joel’s number?”

Kate groaned again before reeling off the number. Mackenzie punched it into her phone. He answered on the first ring.

“Joel! It’s Mackenzie. Kate’s having the baby. I need you and Liam here now!” Not bothering with any more information, Mackenzie disconnected the call and punched in three zeroes. On the floor, Kate continued to make guttural sounds.

“Police, fire or ambulance?” came the steady voice of the operator.

“Ambulance!”

“Connecting you now.”

Hurry up!

“Ambulance. What town are you in?”

“Birrangulla.”

“And the nature of the emergency?”

“My friend’s about to give birth! Her waters have broken and she says she needs to push.”

Mackenzie gave the operator the address.

“Sending an ambulance to that address now. Can you stay on the line please?”

The back door slammed and Mackenzie stuck her head into the hallway.
Thank God!
Joel and Liam barreled toward her.

“It’s okay,” she told the operator. “My friend has just arrived. He’s a paramedic.” She disconnected the call and turned to Liam.

“Have you called an ambulance?” Liam asked as he dropped to his knees on the tiles.

“Yes. They’re on their way.”

“Righto. Joel? Come here and look after your wife. She’s going to be fine. Mackenzie, go find some towels and sheets. Sorry Kate, they’re probably lovely wedding presents but they’re going to be ruined after this.”

Kate groaned as another contraction hit. Joel gently wiped her hair from her face and spoke soothingly in her ear.

“Do I need to boil the kettle or anything?” Mackenzie asked. She had to do something.

“Just grab the towels.”

Mackenzie ran down the hallway to the linen cupboard. She yanked open the doors and was greeted with empty shelves. Damn! Kate had already packed everything for the move. Dashing back into the hallway Mackenzie shoved aside boxes until she found one labeled in Kate’s neat handwriting. Linen. Thank goodness Kate was so organized.

Tearing at the packaging tape, Mackenzie was rewarded with a whole box of clean fluffy towels. She grabbed armfuls and returned to the bathroom, flinging them in Liam’s direction. She heard Kate’s labored breathing and her knees almost buckled. What was wrong with her? She was used to working under pressure in ICU and ED. But this was different. Kate was one of her closest friends and she was having a baby!

“Kate, we need to get you into the bedroom. It’s a bit cramped in here. I need to be able to examine you properly,” Liam said calmly.

Kate glared. “I’m not bloody moving anywhere! And you’re dreaming if you think I’m letting you examine me!”

“You can’t deliver here, sweetie,” Joel said, as he gently rubbed his wife’s back. His panic-stricken face filled Mackenzie with fresh fear. “Come on, love, let Liam and Mackenzie help you.”

“Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is having my brother-in-law see me like this?” Kate growled.

“Oh love, now’s not the time to be worried about that. Be thankful that Liam and Mackenzie are here. At least they know what they’re doing.”

“I’ve never delivered a baby,” Mackenzie whispered in Liam’s ear.

“Neither have I. And I don’t intend my first one to be my sister-in-law’s baby.” He must have seen the look on her face. “We’ll be fine. We just have to stop Kate from pushing until the ambos arrive.”

At least Liam sounded confident.

“There’s a first aid kit in my car. Mackenzie can you go and grab it?”

Joel had managed to get Kate on her feet. Supported by the two men, Kate waddled from the bathroom to the bedroom. She shot a look in Mackenzie’s direction and smiled wryly. “I didn’t exactly plan on a home birth. At least you and Liam are here. Between the three of us medical professionals surely we can work it out.”

Mackenzie forced a smile. “You’re not going to have this baby here if we can help it. The ambulance is on its way. You’ll deliver at the hospital where they’re all set up. Do you want me to call Nathan? Or your mum?”

Kate didn’t reply as another contraction forced the air from her lungs. She grimaced and beads of sweat broke out across her forehead. “I need to push.”

“Hang on, love,” Joel begged.

In the distance Mackenzie heard the welcome sound of the ambulance siren. The cavalry was almost here. At least they wouldn’t need the first aid kit.

Kate cried out again.

“Contractions are less than two minutes apart,” Liam stated. He still hadn’t managed to get Kate up on the bed to examine her. She’d made it as far as the bedroom, but was back on her knees, her head resting on her arms at the end of the bed. Mackenzie lay towels on the carpet and then stood back as two female paramedics burst into the room.

*

Fifteen minutes later, as though in slow motion, a head appeared. The paramedic guided one shoulder out and then lifted the baby slightly so she could deliver the second shoulder. In a gush of fluid and blood, the rest of the little body slipped out into the medic’s waiting hands. It was just after eight o’clock. Mackenzie and Liam stood to the side, forgotten by everyone else in the room.

The baby’s puckered little face made everyone laugh. She wasn’t impressed with the speedy delivery either. Sucking in a lungful of air, she let out a healthy cry and Mackenzie released the breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding, tears streaming down her cheeks. One of the paramedics vigorously rubbed the little girl’s body with a towel and her large eyes blinked rapidly in confusion. Mackenzie laughed.

Joel wiped Kate’s face and pushed her damp hair across her forehead, tears running down his own face. He kissed Kate’s flushed cheek. “Honey, we’ve got a little girl. A perfect, healthy baby girl.”

“Is she okay?” Kate asked, her face still red from exertion.

“Very okay.”

Liam turned to Mackenzie and grinned. They remained silent as Joel and Kate shared a private moment. Kate unwrapped the towel and looked down in wonder at the little baby, her face scrunched, her pink body covered in vernix.

“We’ve got a girl,” Kate whispered.

“What are you going to call her?” Liam asked softly.

“Annabel.”

“I like it,” Mackenzie said.

A lump formed in her throat as she looked at the scene. Kate looked serene as she snuggled her baby to her chest. Mackenzie sighed. One day it would be her turn to bring new life into the world.

Would it be with Nathan?

*

They almost had to drag Kate off to hospital. She was adamant she was well enough to stay home, but in the end she acquiesced, on the provision she didn’t have to travel into hospital via ambulance. Annabel was carefully loaded in the car seat, which Liam and Mackenzie hastily took out from its box and installed.

“Can you let me tell Nathan first?” Kate asked Mackenzie, as she climbed gingerly into the car.

“Of course. It’s not my news to share.” She omitted telling Kate she wasn’t talking to him anyway.

“We’ll call him after Mum and Dad.” Kate rolled her eyes. “Oh man, he’s going to be so ticked off I came early and he’s not here.”

“He’ll get over it.”

Joel climbed into the car and turned the key.

“Thanks for being here, Kenzie and doing such a great job of keeping Joel calm. You and Liam were amazing.”

Minutes later Joel drove his precious cargo slowly down the driveway, headed for town. Mackenzie watched the red glow of taillights until they disappeared into the distance.

“Wow.”

Mackenzie spun around. She’d forgotten Liam was still there.

“What a day,” he said.

“You can say that again,” Mackenzie said, exhaling heavily. She closed the front door more firmly than she intended and pushed past him in the narrow hallway.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Liam touched her arm gently, but she jerked away. “I’m fine,” she snapped.

“You don’t sound fine. You did a great job today. Are you thinking you did something wrong?”

“It’s got nothing to do with the baby.”

“What’s wrong then? Trouble in paradise?”

“Maybe.” She did not want to have this conversation with Liam.

Liam’s brow furrowed.

Ignoring him, she walked through the house, surveying the mess. She gathered up the stained towels. Should she bother washing them or just throw them out?

“Mackenzie? Are you all right?”

He followed her into the laundry. She stuffed the dirty towels in the machine, filled it with powder and turned it on. She wished Liam would get the hint and go home. She needed space. And she needed to be alone with her bad mood.

Headlights flashed outside. A car came to a stop and a door slammed shut. Had Joel forgotten something?

“Has something happened between you and Nathan?”

“Yes.”

She walked toward the front door. Liam trailed behind her and she stifled her frustration. “We’ve had a bit of a misunderstanding,” she said. Her hand was on the door handle as the brass knocker banged against the wood. She yanked the door open. “And I’m pretty sure he must hate me.”

“Trust me, I definitely don’t hate you.”

Nathan stood in the doorway, lines of weariness creasing his face. Mackenzie was rooted to the spot in shock. Liam magically disappeared.

“Can I come in?”

She nodded, speechless. How had he gotten there so quickly?

“I chartered a flight,” he said, as though reading her mind. He was so good at doing that.

“That must have cost a fortune.”

“I didn’t care about the cost. I needed to get home to you.”

“To Kate?”

Nathan frowned. “No. To you.”

Mackenzie took a tentative step forward and then rushed toward him. He caught her against him and buried his face in her hair.

“I’m so sorry, Nathan.”

She sobbed until there were no more tears, amazed at the comfort flowing through her as he held her tight. Eventually she stopped and Nathan smoothed his fingers down her wet face, wiping away her tears.

“Where is everyone?”

Mackenzie pulled back and stared at him. “Haven’t you spoken to Kate?”

He shook his head, confusion pulling his brows together.

“She’s had the baby!” The words escaped before she remembered her promise to Kate. She gasped before clamping her hand over her mouth.

Nathan’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “What? When?”

“Tonight. Just now. You probably passed the ambulance on the way to hospital.”

“Ambulance?” Nathan’s eyes searched hers. His face had turned white.

She squeezed his arm. “Everything’s fine. Kate had the baby at home about an hour ago.”

“The baby? Kate? Are they okay?”

“All fine. She had a little girl. Annabel. She’s perfect.”

“Is that why Liam was here?”

“Yes. We were all here.”

Nathan’s mouth curved down. “Except me.”

*

While Nathan reheated some leftovers he found in the back of the fridge, Mackenzie filled him in on the afternoon’s events. When she’d finished with the small talk, she realized it was time to talk about what had happened between them.

It was stuffy inside the little house. She held out her hand and they moved as one to the back step. A full moon bled through the clouds, bathing the backyard in a ghostly glow. The dogs ran over for a quick pat before going back to chasing bugs in the dark.

“I’m so sorry for not trusting you.”

Nathan stroked her hair. “Ah Kenzie.” He sighed heavily. “I think we’ve gotten to know each other very well this past year and in all that time have I ever lied to you or done anything which would make you think I didn’t love you?”

Doc had asked the same question.

She shook her head and cleared her throat. “No.”

“If we’re going to make this marriage work, honey, you have to trust me when I tell you I love you. All of you.”

In all the years she’d spent wishing for love and marriage, she never in her wildest dreams imagined she’d find someone as special as Nathan Kennedy.

He wasn’t finished. “You’ve wasted all these years thinking you’re not good enough and it has to stop now. You
are
good enough. You are perfect. Perfect for me.”

She found herself nodding as tears pricked her eyes.

“I’m sorry.”