Beau ripped off his lab coat and rolled up his sleeves, then scrubbed his hands and arms vigorously at the sink, jumping into the mode necessary to save both his nurse and her baby.
He knew heroes weren’t born. They were made. In situations like this.
“Aurora—good to see you, my friend, but it looks like we’re going to be welcoming a baby in the next few minutes. Are you up to it?”
“Absolutely.” There was nothing, not even the pain in her back, that would interfere with her ability to save a life or two today.
“Great. Let’s get her on the exam table and see what’s going on.”
His jaw was tense, and he didn’t look at Aurora as he scrubbed. When his child had been born his wife had died. That was all she knew. The shock of this unforeseen delivery was obviously stirring that memory. Was he struggling to push it aside? Until now she hadn’t thought of that, and her heart ached for him. Those memories had to be incredibly painful for him, but he was mustering through and doing what was needed in the moment.
“Oh, no. Oh, no.” Cathy bent at the waist and clutched her abdomen, nearly crushing Aurora’s fingers. “Agh!”
“Beau, I don’t think the table is going to work. It’s not designed for this. How about we put some blankets and sterile sheets on the floor and let her squat, like she seems to want to?”
“Okay. Good idea.” Beau grabbed blankets and two sterile packages.
Together she and Beau turned the room into an impromptu delivery suite. This was so over the top of what she’d expected to be doing today, but knowing there were no other options, and that Beau had her back, she had his—she knew they could do it together.
“Do you have a surgical kit around in case we need it?” Chewing her lip for a second, Aurora didn’t want to think about the possibility of having to do an emergency C-section, but planning for the worst and hoping for the best had always worked for her.
“Yes—there.” Beau pointed to another cupboard over the sink. “It’s a general kit. Everything we need should be in it.”
“Breathe, Cathy. Just breathe.” Aurora tried to keep her voice calm and not let the woman know about the anxiety pulsing through her body. “I’m going to reach around you and remove your shoes and leggings.”
“Okay.” Cathy nodded. “It’s easing now.” She took in a few deep breaths, sweat pouring off of her. “Beau, you aren’t going to fire me because I had my baby in your office, are you?”
Beau barked out a laugh and gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder, the light in his eyes not as dark as it had been a few moments ago. “No. Although I do have to say it’s going to go down as one of the most interesting days I’ve ever had.”
“That’s g-o-o-o-o-d!” Another contraction hit, nearly dropping Cathy to her knees.
“Let’s get you down before you fall.” Aurora tucked a hand on Cathy’s waist and eased her to her knees, then sat her back so that Beau could check and see if the baby was crowning.
A door slammed in the front office.
“We have company.”
“Cathy? Cathy! Where are you?” Hurried footsteps got closer to the room.
“We’re in the back, Ron!” Beau yelled toward the door.
“Oh, my God. You are in labor. It wasn’t a joke.” Ron, clearly Cathy’s husband, stood in the doorway, panting from his exertion, his eyes wide as he took in the scene. “I can’t believe it.”
“No jokes today. Wash your hands over there,” Aurora pointed to the sink. “This is going to go fast.”
“She’s definitely crowning,” Beau said after he had a quick look.
“He. It’s a he. I know it.” Cathy began to pant again. “Oh, here he comes! I have to push again—get me up!”
Cathy struggled to a sitting position, then Beau and Ron helped her to her knees. With one hand she held onto her husband, with the other she clutched the edge of the patient table.
“Go with it, Cathy. Wait until you can’t wait any longer and then push.”
“I’m pushing now!” Her statement ended in a scream, a gasp, then another push.
“He’s almost here,” Beau said from his position on the floor nearby. He placed a sterile cloth beneath the baby’s head and supported it. “Pant. I need to check the cord.”
Cathy cast tear-filled eyes at her husband, who looked like he’d been hit by a truck. “Honey? We’re having a baby today!”
“I... I can see that.” He looked down at his wife and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Wasn’t quite what I was expecting, though.”
“Me, either. Oh! Pushing again.”
“Go ahead. One more ought to do it.”
With a great groan, Cathy pushed the vernix-covered baby into Beau’s waiting hands.
“Ron? Can you help me sit her back?” Pain was slicing through Aurora’s back and she couldn’t do it alone.
“Yes.”
Together they eased Cathy into a reclining position, supported by her husband’s chest. Exhausted, Cathy drew in cleansing breaths and closed her eyes.
“We have to do a few things, then you can hold your baby.”
Beau’s voice, choked with emotion, drew her attention. He focused, he did the job, but she could see the pain in his face. Tears pricked Aurora’s eyes at the miracle of birth that had happened so unexpectedly right in front of her, but she shoved them back. Now wasn’t the time to think of the family that she’d wanted and never been able to have. Might never have. Beau was struggling with his own issues and had set them aside. So could she.
“You were right, Cathy. It’s a boy. He’s perfect.”
Beau provided the news, the tension in the room eased, and Aurora was able to take a deep breath, too.
“All parts are there, and exactly where they belong.”
He finished wiping the baby’s face, then Aurora used a suction bulb to clean out his mouth and nose and placed him in his mother’s arms.
“I can’t believe this! We delivered a baby today.” Beau gave a laugh and shook his head, some of the emotion leaving his face and his shoulders relaxing.
“I can’t either,” Cathy said, with tears flowing down her face as she looked at her baby, then leaned into her husband’s neck.
“How did this happen?” Ron asked. “I thought you weren’t due for two more weeks.”
“Well, your son had other plans.”
“I can certainly see that.” He let out a shaky breath and with one trembling finger touched his son’s hand. “I just can’t believe this.” He held out his hand. “I’m shaking. Nothing ever gets to me, but I’m shaking like a leaf.”
“Well, this circumstance is very different than anything else you’ve ever experienced, isn’t it?”
It wasn’t every day that a new dad had to come screeching into the parking lot of his wife’s place of work to see his baby being born.
“You’re right about that.” He blew out a breath and shook his head, letting out a tremulous laugh. “You are definitely right about that.”
The front door opened again, to admit the ambulance crew with their stretcher and equipment.
“Did we miss the party?” A leggy brunette paramedic stuck her head into the room, offering a cheery grin, but her observant dark eyes were looking for anything