Chapter 507 Big Girls Don't Cry:>38

• Her face was twisted in pain as another contraction hit her, but she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, her skin glowing with the promise of impending motherhood. The contractions were still more than 5 minutes apart, so there was time to move her to the Maternity Unit and get her gowned and prepped. I was hovering, getting in the way, trying my best to stay out of the way, but trying to be involved at the same time, until the midwife pulled me to one side and dressed me down properly.
• "Look, Dr. Morgan, it's quite simple; you can be the attending, in which case you can deliver this baby, and I'll go and have a coffee; Oh yes, you're not an obstetricianor a midwife, are you? Okay, that means you have no business being down at this end, so you get up by your wife, talk to her, help her, hold her hand, anything, just stay the hell out of my way, and keep your trap shut. Are we clear on where you want to be now? Good, now leave us to do our job and you make yourself useful and help your wife get comfortable!"
• I slunk back to Lena's side, feeling foolish at being told off like an officious 8-year old, and Lena's grin didn't help matters any, either! Her grin quickly faded, replaced instead by a grimace and a gasp of pain as another contraction rolled through her; I looked at my watch and noted that it was five minutes since the last one, and also of longer duration. Her hand grabbed mine convulsively as the full strength of the contraction made itself felt. It swept through her for something over 30 seconds, then died away and her breathing eased.