Page 46 of A Very Bookish Murder
‘They’re coming, they’re coming,’ he exclaimed as he led them up to the large first-floor bedroom, where a writhing Magda was sweating and swearing like a trooper.
‘Oh God!’ she yelled when she saw Ally. ‘Tell him to get some towels and hot water!’ Her body racked again, and she shouted lustily.
Hamish appeared to be rooted to the spot with sheer terror. Ally took his arm, turned him towards the door and ordered him to find some clean towels and boil lots of water.
‘Towels?’ he asked, looking around vaguely.
Ally realised then that Hamish had probably little or no idea where anything was kept.
‘Where are Mrs Fraser and Mrs Jamieson?’ she asked, referring to the housekeeper and the cook, just as Magda emitted a further shriek.
‘In bed, I expect,’ he said. ‘But I didn’t think to call them because they’ve not had children and?—’
‘At least they’d know where the bloody towels are kept!’ Ally exclaimed. ‘And they’d get some water boiling!’
‘I’ll wake them,’ Ross said. ‘I think I know where their quarters are – at the back, on the ground floor?’
Hamish nodded mutely. He turned to Ally. ‘There’s two of them, you see. Babies.’
‘Yes, I’m aware of that, Hamish. Let’s just concentrate on one for the moment.’ Ally pulled a chair up and sat down next to Magda, who was bracing herself for the next contraction.
‘Will they come together?’ Hamish asked anxiously, and Ally wondered how one man, well into his seventies, could be so completely ignorant.
‘No, Hamish, they won’t come out arm in arm, if that’s what you mean. They’ll come out one at a time,’ Ally retorted, praying that someone would come with some towels soon because these births were looking imminent. Why hadn’t she insisted that Hamish wake up the two women, because she really wanted Ross to be with her now? After all, Magda was havingtwins, for God’s sake!
Ross came back into the room. ‘How are things progressing?’ he asked.
‘I’m not too sure because I’ve never been down this end before!’ Ally said. ‘Come and have a look.’
Ross sat down and took Magda’s hand. ‘Don’t you worry,’ he said, ‘you’re doing fine. And I can’t tell you how many little ones I’ve brought into this world. They might not have been baby boys, but all newborns arrive in very much the same way!’
At that moment, Mrs Fraser stumbled in, in her dressing gown and slippers, with an armful of pristine white towels. ‘We got lots of water comin’ on to boil,’ she said, glaring at Hamish. ‘Have ye never once noticed the airing cupboard?’ she askedhim, but any reply was drowned out by another ear-shattering screech.
Ross turned to Mrs Fraser. ‘Could you possibly go back down to the kitchen and put a pair of sharp scissors into a jug of boiling water? And find some bag clips.’
‘Bag clips?’ she asked, looking at him as if he was mad.
‘Bag clips,’ he repeated. ‘We’ll need them for the cords.’
Hamish was now fussing over his wife, wiping her brow and murmuring words of comfort which were completely inaudible due to Magda’s yelling and swearing. Ally was impressed with her considerable vocabulary of profanities.
Hamish was on the phone again. ‘Still no reply from the doctor,’ he said.
Ross nodded. ‘Magda. It’s time for you to push.’
‘Push! Push, Magda!’ Ally shouted. ‘Come on! Give it everything you’ve got.’
‘I’m too tired!’ wailed Magda. ‘I’m bloody done!’
‘No, you’re not! Come on! Push hard – now!’ Ally grasped Magda’s hand tightly.
‘I can’t do this any more!’ Magda shouted, tears running down her cheeks, then screamed as another contraction racked her body.
‘Yes, yes, you damn well can!’ Ross shouted back. ‘Come on, Magda –push! I think I can see the baby’s head. Nearly there, Magda! Another push!’
‘I can’t!’
‘Yes, you can!’ Ally helped her to lean forward a little, watched by Mrs Fraser, standing agog, never having experienced anything of this nature before. Hamish was standing alongside her staring at his son slowly coming into the world, and Ally could hear Ross speaking soothing words of encouragement to Magda.
