The Marry-Me Wish Read Online Free PDF

right?’
    â€˜I think…my waters just broke.’
    â€˜Forget the taxi.’ She could hear Julia’s sharp intake of breath. Could almost hear her sister’s mind click into professional mode, so she wasn’t surprised at the authority in her voice when she spoke again. Crisply this time.
    â€˜I’m going to call an ambulance for you. Hang in there, Annie. Help’s on its way.’

CHAPTER THREE
    T HIS was a first.
    In all his years as an emergency physician, David had faced just about everything. He had dealt with terrible trauma and heart-breaking tragedy. He had seen mistakes happen or grappled with the futility of attempting the impossible. He had even managed violent situations when his own life might have been at stake.
    But he couldn’t face this!
    This pregnant woman on the stretcher with the extra paramedic in the crew. One that was holding her hand to advertise their connection as she was wheeled through the doors of the emergency department. David bent his head over the notes he’d been reading, pretending to concentrate but aware of little more than the way his heart rate had accelerated.
    â€˜This is Anne Bennett,’ he heard the crew leader tell the triage nurse. ‘Thirty-six-year-old primigravida. She’s thirty-six weeks pregnant with twins. Waters broke approximately fifteen minutes ago and contractions are now three to four minutes apart.’
    Twins?
    Good grief. An instant family. David couldn’t help looking up. The head of the triage nurse was turning now. Looking for him. David found his own head turning. Looking for someone else. Anyone else would do.
    Staff numbers were at a minimum, of course. After midnight on a weeknight, things didn’t generally get that busy. Three consultants were more than enough, with their registrars and the nursing staff. But one team was on a meal break and the other consultant was in the trauma room, dealing with a lacerated artery on a young man who’d put his fist through a window.
    Which left him. Or a registrar.
    â€˜Any problems with the pregnancy so far?’ the nurse was asking.
    â€˜No.’ It was the man who answered the question. ‘Everything’s been perfect.’
    David almost snorted. Perfect? Was that what Anne had told him? Perfect relationship. Perfect pregnancy. About to produce a perfect little family.
    Yes. A junior doctor could handle this. All that was needed was a quick check on the stage of labour, filling in all the admission paperwork and a transfer to the maternity department.
    Where was his registrar?
    â€˜Dr Earnshaw?’
    David turned back, still trying to think of some way to escape this situation. He had to. He was too involved. It would be unethical to examine this woman and…and he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to have to touch her. Or see parts of her body that had haunted his life for what seemed like for ever.
    But he had to turn back. He had to look at Anne and then he had to take a step closer because he’d never seen her look quite like this.
    Pale. Frightened.
    She tried to smile at him in a show of bravado but her knuckles were white where she held her companion’s hand and her eyes were huge. Fastened on his, and there was a plea there.
    She needed help.
    She was asking for his help.
    â€˜Resus 1,’ he ordered, his voice firm enough to disguise an inward groan. ‘And page Obstetrics. Get them to bring an incubator down here as well, just in case. Actually, make that two.’
    Thirty-six weeks wasn’t that much of a worry in terms of prematurity for a single baby but these were twins who were likely to have lower birth weights anyway. Plus, he knew nothing about this pregnancy. He hadn’t even known it existed, dammit. Was it unreasonable to feel so hurt by that? He’d been starting over, for God’s sake. Struggling to let go of the past and start a new life. Surely it would have been courteous at