Page 51 of Gone in the Night (Detective Morgan Brookes #16)

FIFTY-ONE

Amy’s hands were slick with perspiration. She had been manoeuvred by the midwife with Cain’s help and was now on all fours. Cain was kneeling next to her wiping her brow with a damp facecloth.

‘When the next contraction comes, I want you to bear down and push with everything you have, Amy, you’re almost there.’

The midwife smiled at Cain who was trying to hold off the panic attack that was threatening to take over.

This was much worse than even he’d imagined, and he wished it was over for Amy’s sake.

He didn’t know how much pain one woman could take.

Amy was tough, he knew she was a lot tougher than him, he’d have curled up in a ball and cried for them to cut it out of him.

She looked at him, fear and desperation in her eyes, and he smiled at her.

‘Almost there, you’re doing amazing, I’m so proud of you.’

She was leaning on her elbows, his hand clenched tightly in hers. She began to groan as another brutal contraction began to pulse through her tired and aching body. She gripped Cain’s hand tight, gritted her teeth and pushed with everything she had.

‘Well done, Amy, the baby’s head’s out, breathe and with the next one push as hard as you can.’

Cain was tempted to look and see the head but not sure if he should. Unable to stop himself, he looked down to see the small head that had a mound of jet-black hair, covered in white grease and bloody slime.

‘Oh my God, it’s got hair. I thought it would be bald or ginger.’

Amy smiled at him. ‘A lot of hair?’

He nodded.

She closed her eyes as another contraction came, and she bore down, gritting her teeth and pushed the baby all of the way out.

The midwife deftly caught it into her arms and passed it to her nursing assistant to clean up. Amy’s whole body sank onto the bed. She was turned over and the baby passed to her. Her face bright red, her hair plastered to her skin, she cried with relief when she held her baby.

‘Congratulations, Mum, you have a gorgeous, healthy baby girl.’

‘A girl?’

Cain couldn’t stop staring.

He nodded. ‘A girl, a miniature Amy, oh God help us.’

Amy grinned, and Cain realised how exhausted she must be because she would normally have slapped him for that kind of remark.

‘Amy, you did amazing. I mean look at you, that’s an actual baby, it’s breathing and everything.’

‘Thank you, I couldn’t have done it without you.’

The midwife helped to get the baby onto her breast to feed, and Cain didn’t look away; he realised it was the most beautiful, natural thing on earth and he was so proud to have been here to witness all of it.

‘Should I let everyone know?’

She nodded. ‘I’m going to call her Ava Rose after my nan.’

‘That’s a beautiful name. I’ll just step outside and ring Morgan. She’ll tell everyone; they were on pins for you.’

Cain couldn’t stop grinning. He felt as if he was floating on air, what a ride that was.

Walking around until he had a good signal, he rang Morgan, but it went straight to voicemail, which he hadn’t expected because she knew he’d be ringing her with an update. Next, he tried Ben who answered immediately.

‘It’s a girl, Ava Rose, not sure how heavy she is but Amy did great. Mother and daughter are doing brilliant. She’s just breastfeeding her now.’

‘Thank God for that, I’ve been so worried about her. Tell her huge congratulations. I can’t wait to meet her and well done.’

‘Why were you worried?’

‘Well, I wasn’t until Morgan sent that message that Amy was in a bad way and she was on her way to the hospital.’

‘Morgan’s not here and Amy was never in a bad way. I mean she was in a lot of pain like, but she was never in any danger. The midwife had it all under control.’

The line went dead, and Cain looked at his phone. What a weird thing to say, why had Morgan said that?

‘Do you want to cut the cord?’ The midwife had poked her head out of the room and was smiling at him.

He pushed his phone into his pocket and headed back towards the room, not sure what was going on.

As he got inside, he looked at Amy and Ava and shook his head.

‘I’m good for the cord cutting, I think that might tip me over the edge but thanks for asking.’

He sat next to Amy, unable to shift the uncomfortable feeling that had settled in the pit of his stomach.