Always the Midwife. Alison Roberts
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MIDWIVES ON-CALL
Welcome to Melbourne Victoria Hospital—and to the exceptional midwives who make up the Melbourne Maternity Unit!
These midwives in a million work miracles on a daily basis, delivering tiny bundles of joy into the arms of their brand-new mums!
Amidst the drama and emotion of babies arriving at all hours of the day and night, when the shifts are over, somehow there’s still time for some sizzling out-of-hours romance …
Whilst these caring professionals might come face-to-face with a whole lot of love in their line of work, now it’s their turn to find a happy-ever-after of their own!
Midwives On-Call
Midwives, mothers and babies—lives changing for ever …!
Eight special stories to collect and treasure:
Just One Night? by Carol Marinelli
Meant-To-Be Family by Marion Lennox
Always the Midwife by Alison Roberts
Midwife’s Baby Bump by Susanne Hampton
Midwife … to Mum! by Sue MacKay
His Best Friend’s Baby by Susan Carlisle
Unlocking Her Surgeon’s Heart by Fiona Lowe
Her Playboy’s Secret by Tina Beckett
These titles are also available in eBook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk
ALISON ROBERTS lives in Christchurch, New Zealand, and has written over sixty Mills & Boon® Medical Romances™. As a qualified paramedic she has personal experience of the drama and emotion to be found in the world of medical professionals, and loves to weave stories with this rich background—especially when they can have a happy ending.
When Alison is not writing you’ll find her indulging her passion for dancing or spending time with her friends (including Molly the dog) and her daughter Becky, who has grown up to become a brilliant artist. She also loves to travel, hates housework and considers it a triumph when the flowers outnumber the weeds in her garden.
Always
the Midwife
Alison Roberts
One of the perks of being a writer is the joy of including things that are special to me in my stories. Or exploring things that have always intrigued or inspired me.
I got to do this a lot in Aiden and Sophia’s story for the Midwives On-Call continuity, and that made it a real joy to write.
I adore Melbourne. I’ve spent a lot of time there in the last decade or so, because it’s home to some of my very best friends and my daughter has been living there for the last three years. So I got to include places like the Southbank, in the central city, and Queenscliff—which isn’t part of the city but is gorgeous, and so worth a day trip if you’re ever lucky enough to be spending time in Melbourne. I even gave one of my friends (and her dog) a cameo appearance in the Queenscliff chapter! :)
I also got to learn a lot more about Murderball, or wheelchair rugby, and I find that totally inspiring. Throw in some babies, a gorgeous motorbike paramedic for a hero and a ‘three dates’ rule that’s begging to be broken and it’s no wonder I had so much fun writing this book.
I hope you have just as much fun reading it.
With love
Alison xxx
For Annie, Carol and Linda—who will always make Melbourne a very special place to visit for me.
Love you all xxx
Table of Contents
Dear Reader
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE BLIP OF the foetal heart monitor had definitely slowed down. Her decision might be a no-brainer but Sophia knew it wasn’t going to be popular.
‘I’m sorry,’ she told her patient, ‘but I’m not happy with the way things are going. We need to get you to hospital.’
‘No-o-o …’ First-time mother Claire Robinson had her heart set on a home birth. ‘You said I’m almost fully dilated. It can’t be much longer.’
‘You’re exhausted, sweetheart. Every contraction is harder for you and things are slowing down.’ She still had the hand-held Doppler against the distended abdomen of the pregnant woman. ‘Can you hear that the baby’s heartbeat has slowed down, too? It’s a sign that baby is getting distressed.’
‘What does that mean?’ Claire’s husband, Greg, was looking pale and anxious. ‘Is the baby in danger? Is Claire in danger?’
‘No.’ Sophia hastened to reassure them both. ‘But that’s what I want to make sure isn’t going to happen. The labour hasn’t progressed quite the way we wanted and …’ How could she tell these parents-to-be, without scaring them, that it was her instinct that something wasn’t right that was making the transfer seem urgent? ‘Let me make a call and see how far away an ambulance might be.’
The call was answered instantly.
‘My name is Sophia Toulson,’ Sophia said. ‘I’m a midwife with the Melbourne Maternity Unit at the Victoria. I’m at a planned home birth …’ She moved away from the young couple, lowering her voice as she gave the address details and then voiced her concerns.
‘An ambulance is probably fifteen minutes away,’ the dispatcher told her.