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CHAPTER ONE
‘AHHH!’ TEARS STREAMED DOWN the pregnant wolared out at paramedic Stephanie Roberts ‘It can’t be a contraction!’
No, please not that
Steph pushed her elbows into her sides to control a shudder The baby was ten weeks too early, according to the garbled coue had uttered as she and Kath, her crew partner, had loaded their patient into the ambulance
Steph’s heart grew heavy as the wohtened unbearably ‘Melanie, I want you to breathe deeply and try to stay calm’
‘Stay calain Tell me how to do that’ Her voice rose on every word until she was practically screa ‘It’s not fair’
I will do everything I possibly can to prevent that outcome
Using her free hand to wipe her patient’s forehead, Steph read the heart ly normal there
‘Babies? You’re having twins?’ That would explain the early contraction Twins often didn’t go the distance in utero, but this early was not good
‘Yes!’ Melanie huffed ‘We had IVF’ Another huff ‘For the third time’
That grip on Steph’s hand would break so any second now
It was nothing coo IVF in the first place ca the resultant baby or babies would be beyond description She herself hadn’t got that far, but it had been bad enough—and the consequences even worse This wo her third round of unbelievable heartbreak if these babies weren’t saved
Stephanie couldn’t co unable to have children
‘If it’s okay, I’ on’
Maybe there was so around that would mean the pain was just a stomach ache Not that Steph was intospare when she’d needed one, but Melanie ht be luckier
‘My back’s been aching all , my waters broke, and now I’ve had a contraction I knohat that means’
The wo so deep into her lip Steph looked for blood None Yet
‘Except I want to deny it so that it isn’t true’
She doesn’t want et that But I’m a paramedic, not a counsellor
Tugging her hand free, Steph ently lifted her patient’s skirt and lowered her panties Dilation had begun She bit back a curse They weren’t carrying one incubator, let alone two
Nohat? These twins had to be saved They just had to be Somehow
Tucking the clothing back in place, Steph stepped to the front of the a on the road, and spoke quietly and urgently ‘We haven’t got tio to Auckland Wo an entrance and I doubt they’re going to take their time about it Head to Auckland Central Hospital as fast as you’re allowed’
Actually, faster than they were allowed—irresponsible or not But of course Kath wouldn’t do that And nor would Steph if she were behind the wheel Or perhaps she ht, k
nohat their patient was facing The speed liood reason, but sometimes rules were made to be broken
‘I’ll let Central ED know the situation’ Kath reached for the radio handpiece while si the accelerator a little harder ‘Sorry I handed you this one’
Not half as sorry as I am
‘It’s fine’ Steph’s heart lurched as she returned to their patient Life could be so horribly cruel ‘Has your husband been told what’s happening?’
‘So to meet us at the hospital’
‘Then we need to let hi you Where’s your phone?’
‘You just said we’re going to Auckland Central, but o to National Wo’
Those terrified eyes widened, glittering with unshed tears, and Melanie’s chest rose and fell, rose and fell
‘There isn’t ti? Why are we putting ourselves through this when it never goes right for us? What have I ever done to deserve this? I only want a baby People have them all the time—easy’
Steph reached for her hand, let Melanie hold tight; too bad if herthe ao faster there wasn’t much else she could do She certainly couldn’t soften the truth; because she pretty h
‘Please don’t do this to yourself’
As if the woman could stop
If the outcoood, those questions would haunt Melanie for months, even years to come But Steph would oing wrong Not this time—not today
‘Concentrate on breathing nor your babies I know it’s hard, but we have to try’
‘You think breathing is going to save my babies?’
The eye-roll didn’t quite come off but hurt still stabbed Steph under the ribs
Because she couldn’t save the babies if they persisted in coency departists and neonatal specialists and a room full of specialised equipht now
And because Yeah, well Because sootten No matter how hard she tried, how much she turned her life upside down and all around, Steph understood souish too well
‘Mark’s going to be devastated’ Melanie gulped
Concentrate
‘Your husband?’ she asked softly around the lu in her throat Sadness for Melanie or herself? Both?
‘Yes’
‘Want me to call him?’
Someone had to let hi at the moment Not that Steph wanted to be the one to break his heart, but it see around after the first time this had happened And the second Chances were he’d do the sahtn’t understand but there was some luck on her side
‘Would you?’ Melanie tapped her screen and handed the phone over, her teeth nibbling at her lip
Right, get this done Tap the phone icon, listen to the ringing, ignore the thu this ride as comfortable as possible
Kind of iiven the circumstances, but she’d do all she could to—