Christmas with Her Ex(27)

It wasn’t an answer she wanted to hear but there was nothing to do about that now. ‘Have you seen a doctor at all while you’ve been pregnant?’

‘The doctor would tell my parents.’

Who must be very well known? Or perhaps it was a small town?

Mentally Kelsie grimaced. There are doctors out there who don’t know your parents, she thought, but tried again.

Obviously money wasn’t a problem if she could hire a single compartment on the Orient Express. It had taken Kelsie three years to save up for this trip so the issue wasn’t financial.

‘Have you been well?’

‘Until today when the pain started.’

‘And do you remember when your last period was?’

‘Non.’ Anna’s eyes widened again and she began to hyperventilate.

Kelsie put her hand back on the young woman’s shoulder and talked her through that contraction as well. It seemed to last longer and be more powerful than the previous one, which was never a good sign on a train, Kelsie thought resignedly.

She was so young. As young as she had been when she’d left Connor. She could remember what that felt like. Terrifying. ‘Does the father of your baby know you’re pregnant?’

‘Non. But I go to tell him.’ Her eyes grew rounder. ‘In Paris. He is meeting me.’

He might meet more than you if the contractions get much stronger, Kelsie thought, and decided it was time for reinforcements.

She shifted on the seat so the girl could see her face more clearly. ‘Anna, I am a midwife. A nurse for babies. You understand?’

The girl nodded. ‘I think perhaps you may have your baby in the next few hours. We have to get you to a hospital until after your baby is born.’

Vigorous shaking of the head ensued. ‘No. I will be in Paris in five hours. I will wait.’

Kelsie smiled. I wish, she thought. ‘Your baby may not wait.’

More head-shaking. ‘Leave me. I will not get off the train!’

Kelsie could almost understand her reluctance. It was dark. Midnight or later. Goodness knew where they were and if anyone spoke a language this girl understood if she did get transferred to the nearest hospital. And how hard would it be to be transferred out again after the baby was born?

But the reality was it was a very tiny cabin. And this was a train! ‘Look, I believe babies of healthy young women are generally born healthy. But if something did go wrong you have no back-up plan. No way to save your baby if he or she needed emergency help. No way to save yourself if you needed help.’

She pushed away the thought of Connor a few carriages away. Just because they had an obstetrician on board, it didn’t mean they had anything else.

Anna shook her head violently and then began to breathe rapidly again as the next contraction built and Kelsie saw the wildness enter her eyes. It seemed Kelsie might just need back-up very soon.

‘It’s okay,’ she whispered as she leaned forward and pressed the call button for Wolfgang. Perhaps he could talk some sense into their friend.

This contraction didn’t seem to want to end and Kelsie suspected Anna could be almost ready for second stage. It seemed they’d need Connor after all. She doubted they’d make a hospital unless there was one beside the railway track and around the next bend. She could manage the actual birth but wanted someone else here in case the baby did something out of the ordinary.

There was a knock at the door and Kelsie stood up to open it. Wolfgang’s hat was skew and his top button undone.

‘I need you to find Dr Black. Is the train anywhere near a hospital? Anna is having a baby.’

Wolfgang looked more horrified than worried for Anna. ‘Mon Dieu. My seats. The carpet.’

‘We’ll try to be as clean as we can,’ Kelsie said dryly. ‘Or you could get the doctor and maybe Anna off the train.’

Wolfgang nodded frantically. ‘Of course. At once.’ He wrung his hands, spun back to her as if to ask another question, and then spun away again to hurry off in the direction of the front of the train.

Kelsie shook her head. She never could understand why people went strange when babies were coming. Surely he knew it was too late now to wish it away. Best to just deal with what came and worry about it later, she thought prosaically.

Anna was breathing heavily again and this time, at the end of the long contraction, Kelsie heard the little catch and hold of breath that signalled the change to second stage.

Uh-oh! Kelsie glanced around the compartment, swept the towel from the hidden wash stand table and rested it on the ridged oil heater against the window to warm. At least she could have something to dry the baby, if nothing else.

The most important thing was to keep the baby warm, after the carpets, she thought wryly to herself.