The Baby Issue

by Jennifer Taylor

  Anna burst out laughing. ‘You’re incorrigible!’

  ‘Maybe I am, but it’s good to see you laughing like that, Anna. I get the impression that there haven’t been all that many occasions when you could enjoy yourself recently.’

  She sighed softly. ‘You’re right, of course. It’s been one problem after another for weeks now. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and something else to go wrong.’

  ‘Nothing is going to go wrong,’ he said firmly. ‘All you need to do now is concentrate on the baby.’

  ‘I suppose so.’ She laid her hand protectively across her stomach and was surprised by the expression of tenderness in his eyes when she glanced up. She cleared her throat, not wanting him to see how touched she was. ‘As long as the baby is healthy, that’s my main concern.’

  ‘Do you mind what it is?’ he asked quietly, picking up his glass.

  ‘No. As long as it’s fit and healthy, I really don’t care,’ she replied truthfully.

  ‘When are you due for a scan? It’s usually done around sixteen weeks, isn’t it? Maybe they will be able to tell you then if it’s a boy or a girl.’

  ‘I’ve an appointment for next Wednesday, although I’m not sure if I want to know what sex the baby is.’ She grimaced as a thought struck her. ‘I wonder what Eileen will say when I tell her why I need the time off?’

  ‘I don’t imagine that she will say anything.’ He shook his head reprovingly. ‘You must stop worrying about what people are going to think. You haven’t done anything wrong, Anna.’

  ‘I know, but—’

  ‘But me no buts, as I believe someone once said, only don’t ask me who,’ he declared, finishing his drink. ‘Fancy another?’ he began, then broke off when his mobile phone rang. ‘Excuse me a moment.’

  He made his way to the door so that he could hear what the caller was saying. Anna finished her orange juice then looked up as he came back. She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the grim expression on his face.

  ‘Is there something wrong?’ she asked worriedly.

  ‘I’m afraid that I’ll have to go.’ He stepped back as she immediately rose to her feet. ‘I’m really sorry about this, Anna. I hate to have to run out on you like this.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ she assured him, although she couldn’t help wondering what had happened.

  ‘I’ll walk you back to the surgery,’ he told her as they left the pub. He shook his head when she started to protest. ‘I insist. It’s dark and I prefer to know that you’ve got home safely.’

  His consideration warmed her even though it didn’t explain what was so urgent that he had needed to cut short the evening. Anna sighed as she realised that it was none of her business. The phone call could have been from anyone—a friend, a relative, a girlfriend even.

  She felt a little wave of sickness wash through her at the thought. She couldn’t believe that it had never occurred to her before that Ben might have a girlfriend. After all, he was an extremely attractive man so it would have been strange if he hadn’t had one!

  Fortunately, Ben didn’t say very much as they walked back to the surgery. He seemed rather abstracted, in fact. Anna was glad because she didn’t think that she could have kept up a conversation right then. The thought of him hurrying off to meet another woman after he had left her made her feel all churned up inside. She didn’t like to think about him with another woman, funnily enough. She didn’t like it one little bit.

  She went into the flat after he had gone and switched on the sitting-room lights then went into each room in turn, switching on lights, not wanting to sit there on her own in the darkness. Yet no matter how bright the lights were or how loud the volume on the television was, nothing could take away the feeling of loneliness. She missed Ben’s company. She missed him. But why?

  She had no claim on Ben. He was just someone she worked with, a colleague who had been kind and supportive. Nevertheless, she couldn’t deny that there was an ache in her heart now that he had left, a feeling inside her that something important was suddenly missing from her life.

  She got up abruptly to draw the curtains, not wanting to go any further down that route. Wherever Ben was, she doubted whether he was missing her!

  ‘Dr Knight explained that you would need some time off. Wednesday won’t be a problem, dear. I can juggle your appointments around to make sure that you finish on time.’

  Anna smiled her thanks although she was well aware of the curiosity in the receptionist’s eyes. Eileen was obviously wondering why she needed the time off but she still hadn’t made up her mind what she was going to tell her. An edited version of the truth seemed best but she had never been good at lying.

  That thought immediately reminded her of what Ben had said to her a few days earlier and she bit back a sigh. Everything seemed to remind her of Ben! He was occupying far too much of her thoughts at the moment but she wasn’t sure what to do about it. She couldn’t ignore him when they worked together, nor should she have to. Ben was her friend so why should she feel that she had to ignore him?

  ‘Thanks, Eileen. If there’s any problem then I could work a bit later on Tuesday if it would help. I don’t mind giving up my lunch-break if anyone needs to see me urgently,’ she offered, quickly returning her mind to the most pressing problem.

  ‘I can’t see why you should have to do that,’ Eileen replied firmly. ‘You do more than enough as it is. Wouldn’t you agree, Ben?’

  Anna felt her pulse leap as she saw Ben coming out of the office with his post. She busied herself straightening the display of leaflets on the end of the counter as he came to join them. She hadn’t spoken to him as yet that morning and she wanted to be sure that there was no trace of anything in her voice when she did. Letting Ben know what a miserable night she’d spent after he’d left her was out of the question.

  Eileen quickly explained what they had been discussing and he frowned. ‘Certainly not. There’s no reason why you should feel that you have to make up any time, Anna.’

  ‘It was just a thought,’ she said huskily, avoiding his eyes. ‘Thanks again, Eileen. I appreciate it.’

  She quickly left the waiting room and hurried back to her room, pausing when she heard footsteps behind her. She felt herself colour when she saw that Ben had followed her.

  ‘Are you feeling all right this morning, Anna?’ He studied her closely, a trace of concern in his eyes. ‘You looked a bit upset when you went rushing off just now.’

  ‘Did I? I’ve no idea why, except that it was a bit of drag having to force myself out of bed this morning. I stayed up to watch the late night film last night,’ she explained, hoping to distract him from asking any more awkward questions. How would he feel if she explained that her tiredness was due to the fact that she had lain awake thinking about him? ‘And I’m paying for it this morning!’

  ‘Serves you right!’ he declared. ‘You should take a leaf out of my book. I was in bed with the lights out by ten-thirty.’

  But had he been on his own? she found herself wondering, then had to bite her tongue to stop herself asking a question like that.

  ‘Did I say something?’ he asked, frowning. He touched her hand, his frown deepening when she quickly withdrew it. ‘Anna, what’s the matter?’

  ‘Nothing that a good night’s sleep won’t cure,’ she replied lightly, although the thought of some unknown woman sharing his bed was like a dagger through her heart. She fixed a smile to her mouth, terrified that he would guess what was going through her head at that moment. ‘Extra brownie points for you, though, for having an early night.’

  ‘I deserve them, too, for being so good.’ He smiled but his gaze was oddly intent, as though he suspected that she wasn’t telling him the whole truth. It was a struggle to meet his eyes but Anna was desperate not to arouse his suspicions any further.

  ‘Anyway, I enjoyed last night, Anna. We must do it again some time, if you’d like to.’

  Anna smiled and nodded but she was relie
ved when he went into his room without saying anything else. There wasn’t going to be a repeat of last night. She had made up her mind about that. What point was there in letting herself dream about something that was never going to happen?

  ‘Just good friends’ was such a cliché, but in this instance that was exactly what it had to mean.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  THE time flew by and another week passed. Anna was due at the hospital on the Wednesday afternoon for a scan. She worked her way through her morning list then went up to the flat and changed. Her appointment was for two o’clock so she needed to catch the bus before one if she wanted to be on time. However, she had to admit to feeling a bit nervous about what was going to happen that afternoon.

  Ultrasound scans were used to confirm the size of a foetus and its expected delivery date. They could also show any abnormalities, like spina bifida or anencephaly, for instance. She couldn’t help worrying whether everything would be all right.

  She left the flat a short time later and walked to the bus stop, groaning when it suddenly started to rain again. She was just struggling to put up her umbrella when Ben drew up in his car.

  ‘Want a lift?’ he offered, leaning over to open the door for her.

  Anna shook her head. She had been careful to limit the amount of time she spent around him since that evening they had gone to the pub together, and it didn’t seem wise to accept. ‘No, it’s fine, really. Anyway, I’m going to the hospital and I don’t want to take you out of your way.’

  ‘I’m going that way, as it happens, so hop in.’

  There was no way that she could refuse without making a fuss. She reluctantly folded her umbrella and got into the car. ‘Thanks. Are you going to visit someone in hospital, then?’

  ‘No, I’m going to spend a couple of hours going around the estate agents in the area.’ He checked his rear-view mirror then pulled away from the kerb.

  ‘Oh, I see. Does that mean that you’re looking for somewhere to live?’ she asked in surprise.

  ‘Uh-huh.’ Ben was concentrating on the traffic and he waited until he had overtaken a slow-moving lorry before continuing. ‘I’ve been renting a flat up till now, but the owners are due back at the end of the month so I’ll have to find somewhere else to live.’

  ‘Not easy,’ she observed sympathetically. ‘The price of rented accommodation in Winton is horrendous.’

  ‘Actually, I’m hoping to buy a place this time rather than renting.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s about time I put down some roots and now seems like the right moment to do it seeing as Adam has given me a permanent contract.’

  ‘I didn’t know you weren’t permanently employed at the surgery,’ she exclaimed in surprise.

  ‘I came here originally as a locum,’ he explained. ‘However, I’ve really enjoyed working here so when Adam suggested that I stay on, I jumped at the chance.’

  Anna frowned as she thought about what he had said. She couldn’t help wondering why he hadn’t taken a permanent position before. He must have had other offers because he was an excellent doctor, but obviously he had chosen to do locum work instead. She was on the point of questioning him further when he continued.

  ‘The one drawback about living in Winton is the cost of property here. With the town being so convenient for people working in Manchester, property fetches premium prices. I thought I’d found myself a bargain a couple of weeks ago but I was gazumped.’

  ‘You mean that someone put in a better offer for the house you wanted to buy?’ she asked.

  ‘Ten thousand pounds better, would you believe? Remember that phone call I had when we were out for a drink?’ He smiled wryly when she nodded. ‘It was the vendor of the house I was after, asking me if I was prepared to match the new offer he’d had. Fat chance of me being able to come up with that kind of money!’

  ‘Oh, I see!’ she exclaimed. ‘I thought it…’ She stopped as she realised what she had been about to say, that she’d thought it had been his girlfriend calling him. She damped down the rush of relief she felt when she saw him look at her.

  ‘I thought it must have been something important when you rushed off like that,’ she fibbed, rather than admitting the truth. However, she couldn’t deny that her heart felt all the lighter for knowing who had been phoning him that night.

  ‘And you were right. I went straight round to the house to see if I could persuade him to stick to our deal.’ He shook his head when she looked at him. ‘It didn’t work, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Hence today’s trip into the city?’

  ‘Exactly. I’ve tried all the estate agents in Winton but everything on their books is way beyond my price range. I’ve decided that I shall have to look further afield.’

  ‘But not too far to make travelling into work each day a problem,’ she put in quickly.

  ‘That’s the tricky bit, of course. Still, enough of my woes. I bet you’re really excited about this scan.’

  Anna sighed. ‘I think nervous is a better way to describe how I feel.’

  ‘Why on earth are you nervous?’ he began, then frowned. ‘You’re worried in case the scan shows something is wrong—is that it, Anna?’

  ‘Yes. I don’t think I could bear it if there were any problems at this stage,’ she admitted huskily, unable to keep the tremor out of her voice.

  ‘The chances of there being anything wrong with your baby are very slim, Anna,’ he said gently. ‘You must know that.’

  ‘I do. Well, the logical bit of me does. The other bit of me can’t help worrying.’

  He sighed heavily. ‘I can understand that. This baby is just so special, isn’t it? But I’m sure everything will be fine.’

  She summoned a smile, appreciating the fact that he was trying his best to reassure her. ‘I’m sure it will.’

  ‘Of course it will.’ He changed the subject then, chatting away about the type of house he was looking for. Anna knew that he was trying to take her mind off what was going to happen that afternoon and appreciated his thoughtfulness.

  She realised all of a sudden how much better she felt, having him there with her. It hadn’t occurred to her before how much of an ordeal this visit to the hospital was, but it didn’t seem nearly so stressful with Ben there.

  He stopped the car in front of the entrance to the antenatal clinic then turned to her. ‘What time do you think you’ll be finished here?’

  ‘I don’t know. Hopefully it shouldn’t take more than an hour or so, but it’s hard to say for certain,’ she explained. ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I’ll give you a lift home, of course.’ He shook his head when she started to protest. ‘Don’t be silly, Anna. What’s the point in you taking the bus when I can give you a lift? I’ll come back later for you. In about an hour’s time. OK?’

  ‘OK.’ Anna got out of the car, sighing as she watched him driving away. One day some lucky woman was going to realise just how fortunate she was to have Ben taking care of her. She couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous at the thought. How wonderful life would be if she had someone like him around to share all the bad times as well as the good.

  Her mind took a small sideways step before she could stop it. How wonderful it would be to have Ben around!

  In the event, Anna was still waiting to be go through for her scan when Ben came back. The antenatal clinic had been packed that day and she’d had to wait her turn while various tests were done. He sat down beside her, grinning when he saw the queues of women in various stages of pregnancy walking about.

  ‘Who said that the birth-rate figures are dropping? They obviously haven’t visited their local antenatal clinic recently!’

  Anna laughed at the wry note in his voice although she couldn’t help feeling rather guilty at the thought of him having to wait around. ‘There do seem to be a lot of expectant mums here today. Look, Ben, I understand if you want to get off home. I don’t expect you to wait for me.’

  ‘Don’t be silly. I’m not letting you trail all the way back to Win
ton on the bus.’

  She sighed because she could tell that it would be a waste of time arguing with him. It seemed a bit rich that he should be spending his free afternoon sitting in a hospital, though.

  ‘Actually, what I’ve been meaning to ask you was why you had decided to come here for your antenatal care. Surely you should be attending the clinic where you were treated?’ he said curiously.

  ‘It’s simply a matter of convenience,’ she explained. ‘I realised when I took the job at the surgery that I would have problems getting to the clinic. It’s miles away and, without a car, it would take me hours to get there and back on the bus.’

  ‘I see.’ He frowned heavily. ‘If you ever feel that you want to change your mind, just tell me, Anna. I’d be glad to give you a lift any time you need it.’

  ‘That’s very kind of you but I’m quite happy coming here,’ she told him truthfully. ‘The clinic has passed on my notes so the doctors here know all about my case history.’

  ‘And there were no problems today?’

  ‘Problems?’ she queried, then realised that he was alluding to her first visit to the hospital when she had been met with a less then sympathetic reaction by one of the nurses. It warmed her heart to know that he had remembered what she had told him and she smiled. ‘No, it’s been fine. Everyone’s been lovely.’

  ‘Good. But the offer’s there if you ever need it,’ he replied firmly.

  It was another ten minutes before the nurse called her name. Anna got up, pausing when the nurse glanced at Ben. ‘You can come as well if you like,’ she told him.

  ‘Oh, but…’ Anna began, but the nurse had already hurried away.

  Ben stood up. ‘Would you like me to come with you, Anna?’

  She hesitated but the offer was far too tempting to refuse. Now that the time had actually arrived when she would have the scan, she was a bundle of nerves. ‘Would you mind? I know it’s silly but it would be nice to have someone with me.’

  ‘Of course I don’t mind!’ Ben declared in exasperation. ‘I can’t wait to get a look at this little fellow.’