Paula pointed to her back, aware that a man and a woman watched her from the chairs along the corridor wall. Their eyes were a bleary red, in contrast to the black grime that covered their faces and overalls. Her heart thumped. Fires were unpredictable and people got caught. Where was Dan?

“Is it constant or coming and going?”

Paula dragged her attention back to Jill and lowered her voice. “I’ve had some pain on and off for about a week but I’ve only had the strong spasms since this morning. I can’t be in labour, it’s too early.” She flicked her eyes at the two firefighters who looked like they could barely hold themselves up. “I can wait.”

“How often?”

Paula tried to concentrate as the pain built again. “What do you mean?”

“She’s been cramping up like this about every three minutes on the drive here,” Austin said.

All three women looked at him.

“I’ve read that you’re supposed to keep time,” he said.

Rowena leaned over Jill. “I’ve never had a baby, so you’ll know more about it than me, but if Paula is not in labour I’ll eat my hat.”

Jill hesitated a moment longer then moved back to her desk. “You can’t have a baby here but I’ll call Claire. Do you know her, Paula? She works at the doctor’s surgery and fills in for us sometimes.”

Paula nodded.

“She’s a midwife,” Jill said.

Rowena continued to glare while Jill made the call.

“Claire’s on her way,” Jill said. “Perhaps you can take Paula through to the examination room. It’s just…”

“No.” Paula let go of Austin’s arm. The pain had eased again and there was no way she was having this baby now. “I’ll take myself. Thanks for bringing me, but I’ll be fine.” Paula moved to the room Jill had indicated, as quickly as her mutinous body would allow. There was no way she wanted those two with her.

She perched carefully on the edge of the bed and tried to convince herself that the spasms she was having were something to do with her fall. She was annoyed that it had been Rowena who had brought her to the hospital. Paula had been alone for nearly a week. Dan was never there when she needed him. If he’d lifted out the dog food, she wouldn’t have fallen.

She gripped the bed and drew in a long slow breath as the spasm across her back deepened, but this time it lengthened its hold and spread around to her pelvis.

“That’s the way, breathe through it.”

Paula looked up as Claire came in to the room and washed her hands.

She asked Paula a pile of questions, recorded her blood pressure, then sat with her as another pain tightened around her body.

“How long has this been going on?” Claire asked.