Finally, they had wrapped him up and put him to her breast again but this time he had not sucked as well. The nurse insisted that every little bit of milk he got at this early stage was a help but Paula had felt useless as they had taken him from her and put him back in the crib.

Another nurse had brought her to this room, checked her over and suggested she have a shower and get some rest, with the assurance that Paula would be called if anything changed. Someone had left a message on her cupboard to say Dan was on his way but she didn’t care. The only thing that mattered now was keeping her baby alive and she would do it on her own. Dan was never there when she needed him.

Paula curled herself into a ball. Her body ached all over. She looked towards the bathroom in the corner of her room. In a while she’d have a shower. It was a relief just to lie still.

The labour had been intense. If only she had known what was happening she would have done things differently. Once Claire had helped her onto all fours the actual birth hadn’t taken that long, but Paula felt cheated. She had planned a much calmer arrival for her baby with Dan at her side. Somewhere in her backpack was the birth plan that she didn’t get the chance to show anyone.

Tears rolled down her cheeks and silent sobs shuddered through her battered body. She heard the door open softly behind her. Paula closed her eyes and forced herself to be still. No one spoke and she heard the door shut again. They would have said if it was urgent. She needed to pull herself together before she went back to the baby and all those machines.

* * *

“I think we should let her sleep while she can,” the nurse said. “She’s exhausted and the days ahead will be tiring.”

Dan’s arms hung limply at his sides. He’d peered over the top of the nurse’s head at the curled-up form of his wife on the bed. His urge had been to rush in and hold her tight but the nurse was right; Paula had been through so much, she needed some rest.

“Come and meet your son.”

“Can I?”

“Of course. You can sit with him and talk to him. He will be used to the sound of your voice. He’s been hearing it from the womb.”

“Paula read that in one of her books but I didn’t think it was true.”

“Babies are amazing little beings.”

Dan followed the nurse into a large room, past all kinds of equipment, to a small plastic box.

“Here he is.”

The sign said ‘Baby Woodcroft’ and in the clear capsule lay a tiny baby, attached to monitors.

“Hello, mate,” Dan whispered. “What have they got you hooked up to?”

* * *