Almost Perfect (49 page)

‘You should have told him, Georgie.'

‘Yeah, well there was a whole lot he never told me, so . . .'

Nick turned from the sink to look at her directly. ‘Whatever he's done in the past, it doesn't make it okay for you to be inconsiderate.'

Georgie blinked. Nick was scolding her. He never scolded.

‘I didn't do it on purpose, I forgot, okay? I'm lucky to remember my own name at the moment.'

‘Yeah, well you should have heard the poor bloke last night, blathering away like a halfwit, he was worried sick about you.'

‘Look at me, Nick!' Georgie interrupted. ‘Picking up the phone, dialling Liam's number. You can stop lecturing me now.'

Nick nodded, satisfied. Georgie put the phone to her ear.

‘Hello, Liam MacMullen.'

‘Liam, it's Georgie.'

‘Hi.' His voice softened. ‘How are you?'

‘I'm fine, Liam. I'm sorry I didn't call you–'

‘It's okay.'

‘No, it isn't. Warden Nick is breathing down my neck right now making sure I apologise.'

‘Tell him it's okay, too.'

‘Liam, I really am sorry I worried you. I didn't mean to. I'm a little on the vague side these days.'

‘They call it bovinity,' Nick called out.

‘What did he say?'

‘My brother's just comparing me to a cow,' she sighed. ‘I might have to go and sit on him in a minute.'

Liam laughed faintly.

‘Anyway, you don't have to worry about me now. I'm here with Nick and Louise. Two drivers, no waiting.'

‘You can still call me . . . if you need to.'

She wasn't about to tell him how often she thought of phoning him. When she felt lonely, or anxious, or melancholy . . . She thought about him a lot since their trip to Melbourne. When she'd first found out he was married, her whole world had collapsed. He was not who he said he was, so how could she believe anything else he said? Now she knew him better than she ever had. The loving son, the caring brother, the husband who had perhaps had his share of heartbreak. But to trust him again . . . that was a huge step. And Georgie wasn't ready to take it. She didn't know if she'd ever be ready.

‘I hope you do call,' he was saying, ‘at least when the baby's born.'

‘Liam! Of course I'll call you when the baby's born!'

‘You will?'

‘You're the father.'

She heard a sigh. ‘Thanks.'

‘Don't thank me for that. How could you think I wouldn't call you?'

He could hear the frustration in her voice. He was on the verge of annoying her again.

‘Okay, Georgie. Well, you take care of yourself.'

She hung up the phone as Louise walked into the living room, dressed for work.

‘What's with the face?' Louise asked her.

‘Oh, I have to go to the loo again. I must have been five times this morning.'

‘Well, you've got seven odd pounds of baby sitting right on your bladder, par for the course, chook.'

‘Oh, you can be smug now,' Georgie returned. ‘Anyway, it's not my bladder. I've been getting gastric cramps. Not that they seem to amount to anything.'

Louise stopped abruptly on her way to the kitchen. ‘How often are you getting these cramps? Are they constant, or do they come and go?'

‘They come and go.'

‘Since what time?'

‘I got up about seven, seven-thirty.'

‘How far apart are they coming?'

Georgie frowned. ‘I don't know.'

‘And nothing much happens when you go to the toilet?'

She shook her head.

‘Well, is it gastric pain, or is it more like period pain?'

‘Well, of course it's not period pain, Louise, as if I'd be getting period pain. Look at me!'

Louise rolled her eyes. ‘But does it
feel
like period pain?'

Georgie shrugged. ‘I guess.'

‘And it comes and goes, every ten or fifteen minutes maybe?'

‘Maybe.'

Louise sighed. ‘Sounds like you're in labour.'

‘What?' Nick looked up, shocked.

Louise crossed to the bench and picked up the phone. ‘It's probably too early to tell for sure. It might peter out. How did you sleep last night, Georgie?'

‘Okay, till about five this morning. I had to keep getting up . . . with these pains . . .' She stared lamely at Louise.

‘So what we're actually looking at is contractions ten or fifteen minutes apart since five this morning?'

‘I didn't know they were contractions,' Georgie said in a frightened voice.

‘What do we do now?' Nick asked anxiously.

‘Well, everyone gets a hold of themselves to begin with,' Louise said pointedly to Nick. ‘I'll call the hospital but I'm sure they'll suggest to wait it out a little longer, if she's feeling comfortable. You are comfortable, Georgie?'

She nodded. ‘At least I was until a few minutes ago.'

‘Drive the girls to school and pre-school, Nick, and then get back here. I'll call work so Adam can find someone to cover for me.'

‘And then what?'

‘Then we wait.'

‘But I'm not ready,' said Georgie, tears filling her eyes. Nick came over and put his arm around her.

‘What do you mean you're not ready?' said Louise. ‘You've had nine months to get ready. Your body's ready, and your baby's ready, so you better get ready.'

Georgie sniffed, and Nick rubbed her shoulder. ‘Go easy, Louise.'

‘You're going to be fine, Georgie,' she reassured her. ‘Do you want me to call Liam?'

She wiped her eyes. ‘No, it's okay. Not yet.'

‘Zan wanted us to make sure that we called her,' said Nick.

‘Let's wait till things hot up a little.'

By three that afternoon things had hotted up considerably. They had finally left for the hospital around midday and Zan met them there. Georgie had still resisted calling Liam. She felt as though she was slowly unravelling, and she wasn't sure she wanted Liam around when she wasn't in control of what she might say or do.

‘What did the doctor say?' Zan asked, coming back into the room after he left.

‘Oh, he said I'm going to have the baby today,' Georgie said, her voice manic. ‘Of course I'm friggin' having this baby today!' she exclaimed. ‘What does he think, I'm here for a sleepover?'

‘Did he say how far dilated you are?'

‘He reckons only five centimetres, but he obviously doesn't know what he's talking about. How can I have been in labour this long and only be halfway?'

Zan approached the bed cautiously. She'd never seen Georgie like this. Then again, Georgie had never been in labour before. ‘They say sometimes the first few centimetres are the hardest,' she offered.

Georgie just scowled. ‘Where's Louise?'

‘She went to pick up the girls.'

‘Is she coming back?'

‘Yes, straight back, don't worry.'

‘Where's Nick?'

‘He's out in the waiting room.'

‘Why didn't he go to pick up the girls?'

‘Because he didn't want to leave you.'

Georgie looked at her, confused.

Zan sighed loudly. ‘He can't bring himself to actually come in here and be with you, but he can't bear to leave you either. He's such a pussy that man.' She shook her head. ‘Now can I get you anything? Do you want a drink of water, some ice, a back rub?'

Georgie was thinking. It was time. ‘I want you to call Liam.'

‘What?'

‘You heard me, Zan.'

‘You want the dickhead here?'

‘Yes, I do.'

‘Why?'

‘I don't know why, I just do,' she boomed. ‘The same way people want their beanbags and rainforest CDs and fucking aromatherapy oil, even if all they do is hurl them at the wall in the end!'

‘Okay, I'll call him.'

‘Wait a sec,' she gasped, her face contorting. ‘Here comes another fucker.'

‘Suzanne Underwood for Liam MacMullen.'

‘This is Liam MacMullen speaking. How can I help you, Ms Underwood?'

She groaned. ‘It's Zan, Liam, Georgie's sister.'

‘Oh, sorry.'

‘I'm calling from the hospital, she's in labour.'

‘What?'

‘Don't sound so surprised. Did you forget you knocked her up about nine months ago?'

‘But I was only talking to her this morning.'

‘So?' Zan retorted. ‘God, it's stupid when people say that. “Oh, I can't believe he's dead, I only saw him last week.” What the fuck difference does that make?'

‘Zan,' Liam broke in urgently. ‘How is she?'

‘How do you think? You try passing a watermelon some time, see how you feel.'

‘Would it be all right, do you think she'd mind if I–'

‘For some reason passing understanding, she wants to see you, so you'd better get your arse over here, pronto. Don't keep her waiting.'

Liam burst into the delivery room when Georgie was at the tail end of a contraction. She was in a crouching position, perched up on the bed, with Zan and Louise flanking her, apparently supporting her. She didn't look very comfortable, but what the hell would he know? When it passed they released her and she flopped back on the bed. She looked like she'd run a marathon. Liam was dismayed. This was going to be harder than he had ever imagined.

‘Hi,' he said tentatively, coming further into the room. Louise and Zan both turned to look at him at the same time. Zan barely nodded, but Louise smiled, with what appeared to be relief. Then Georgie lifted her head and glared at him.

‘Are you okay?' he asked.

‘Why don't you two take a break?' she said.

‘Are you sure?' Zan was frowning.

‘Quite sure,' she nodded. ‘Go, Liam'll stay.'

Zan turned and walked past him. ‘Don't upset her,' she warned.

‘We won't be far, okay?' Louise said, giving his arm a quick squeeze.

When they had left the room, Georgie beckoned for him to come closer. He came to stand beside the bed. She looked tired, poor thing. And her eyes were . . . well, a little wild, really.

‘How are you feeling?' he said gently.

And suddenly she swung her arm out, striking him across the chest. He gasped. It didn't hurt so much, she barely had any strength behind it, it was a shock more than anything.

‘You bastard, how do you think I'm feeling?' she wailed.

‘I know–'

‘You don't know anything!' she cried. ‘You have no idea how this feels. You horny, uncontrollable bastard!' And she hit him again. ‘Why couldn't you have shown some restraint? You did this to me and now I'm the one who's got to go through it. Well, news-flash, you're not leaving this room until this baby comes out. I don't care if your bladder's about to burst or you're hungry or thirsty, or you're fucking dying. I can't leave, so you're not going to either. Got it?'

He met her eyes directly. ‘I'm not going anywhere,' he said calmly.

‘Unless I tell you to,' she added.

‘Okay. Now, what do you need, what can I do?'

Georgie looked up at him, panting, her eyes tearing up. He placed his hand gently on her forehead, and she grasped it with both her hands, holding it there.

She began to sob. ‘I'm so scared,' she said in a tiny, frightened voice.

He leaned across her, she was still gripping his hand, so he tucked his other arm around her. ‘You don't have to be scared. I won't leave you.' She sobbed again, holding onto him. He could feel her fear, and he tried to absorb it into himself. He didn't know how the hell he thought he was doing that, but if willing it was enough . . .

‘Oh, shit, here comes another one.'

He pulled back. ‘What do I have to do, Georgie?' She was flustered, disoriented. He held her face and made eye contact with her. ‘Georgie, look at me and focus. How do we get through this?'

She managed to speak. ‘What you just said.'

He frowned. ‘What? Look at me and focus?'

She nodded, and then she winced, holding her breath.

‘Okay, Georgie,' he said firmly, ‘are you supposed to be breathing as well?'

She nodded again, releasing her breath. He took hold of both her hands. ‘Just look at me, honey, look at my eyes, and breathe, slowly, with me . . . that's it.'

Georgie couldn't take her eyes off him, she didn't know what would happen if she did. She could feel the pain, but it was as though it was out of her body,
in another room even, and if she looked at Liam's eyes and only saw him, she couldn't see the pain, and if she couldn't see it, she almost couldn't feel it. And then suddenly it was gone altogether. It was over.

‘Are you all right?'

She nodded, sighing heavily.

He stroked her forehead. ‘You're hot.' He glanced around the room. ‘I'll get you some ice–'

She grabbed his hand, her eyes terrified. ‘Don't leave me.'

He brought his face close to hers. ‘What did I tell you? I'm not going to leave you, that's a promise.'

‘Maybe you should go back in,' said Nick, frowning anxiously at the swing doors into the delivery ward.

‘I will,' Louise assured him. ‘Soon. But there's nothing for us to do at the moment. I told you, we've been made redundant since Liam got here.'

‘He's really good with her then?'

Louise nodded. ‘I think Zan's even a little moved by it all. She went and got Liam a glass of water at one stage.'

‘Was there arsenic in it?' Nick lifted an eyebrow.

Jules had arrived a short time ago and she and Zan had taken the girls down to the cafeteria, as much to occupy them as feed them. Everyone was getting restless.

‘How much longer do you think?' asked Nick.

‘Not too much.'