THE TAXI MAN GROANED when he saw Marjorie. ‘I have a towel in the back, sit on that,’ he said. He wasn’t excited at the prospect of bringing a labouring woman to hospital. ‘The Rotunda at this time of day . . .’ he said, trailing off. Traffic was busy. Marjorie sat in the front seat, Juliet sat in the back. The taxi driver insisted that Juliet stay belted up, so she couldn’t lean forward as much as she’d like but she could still talk to Marjorie and say supportive things.

‘Still five minutes apart, Marj, doing great.’ Juliet was an avid fan of medical dramas and documentaries about giving birth. She was so confident, she’d have taken an exam. Marjorie on the other hand avoided medical dramas and documentaries about giving birth like the plague.

‘Thanks,’ Marjorie said, banging the side of the taxi with her fist.

‘Please don’t do that,’ the driver said.

‘Sorry.’

‘Fine, but this isn’t just my car, it’s my workplace, and I’ve three kids of my own to feed.’

‘Sorry,’ Marjorie said again. Juliet felt aggrieved. She leaned forward and took a photo of the driver’s ID.

‘What are you doing?’ he asked.

‘I’m reporting you.’

‘For what?’

‘For being a prick.’

Marjorie laughed.

At the Rotunda, the man almost dragged Marjorie out of the car, and, after taking his fare, he drove off at the speed of light, leaving Marjorie leaning on Juliet at the hospital entrance. Juliet told her to stay where she was and she ran inside and got a wheelchair, then she pushed Marjorie inside to reception where a receptionist took her details and called a nurse. Marjorie’s contractions were now three to five minutes apart and lasting forty-five to sixty seconds. It felt urgent but the receptionist and the nurse were entirely blasé. Juliet’s mother’s emergencies were never treated so calmly. It was hard to mentally adjust.

‘I’m Denise, let’s get you onto the labour ward,’ the nurse said to Marjorie.

‘The baby’s coming,’ Juliet said. Denise looked at the chart. ‘How long have you been experiencing contractions, Marjorie?’

‘Her waters broke at 3.05, she immediately began contracting, it started at five minutes apart, moved to between three and five minutes apart, and each contraction lasts between forty-five and sixty seconds.’ She looked at her watch. ‘That’s been happening for just over forty minutes.’

‘Well now, ever think of being a midwife?’ Denise asked.

‘No, I’m going to be a doctor,’ Juliet said.

Marjorie squeezed Juliet’s hand. ‘She’s going to cure cancer.’

‘Good for you, Juliet,’ Denise said.