Page 78 of Doc Rock
“Clara, he’s starting to make respiratory effort,”Mai called.
The baby’s arms began to move, and he squirmed under Mai’s careful but firm care. Once he looked like he was breathing consistently, she stopped giving him positive pressure and let him breathe on the oxygen.
He opened his mouth, and Mai willed him to make some noise.
A quiet cry escaped from his pursed lips.
Yes!She celebrated internally.
“Come on little man, let’s have a big, loud cry and clear those lungs,”she encouraged the baby.
The baby opened his mouth again, and this time a clearly audible cry emerged.
“Is that our baby?”Clara said frantically.
“That’s your baby, Clara. I’m still giving him oxygen, but he’s now looking very pissed off with me.”Mai grinned as the baby gradually got stronger under her careful grip.
He opened his eyes and stared at her for a long moment, then scrunched them closed and wailed with his full lungs. Maiobservedhim for another minute. He looked good, with no sign of respiratory distress; his saturations were well within normal parameters, and his heart rate was great.
Mai took the oxygen off, watching him carefully for another minute before she turned to the operating table that held Clara. Sadie was peering over the drape at her, and she sagged with relief at the grin on Mai’s face.
“Hey, Taylor,”Mai called.“Do you want to come meet your baby and cut the cord?”
Taylor’s head appeared above the drape, and he stared at Mai wide-eyed. She chuckled when shesawSadie give him a little shove in her direction. The actor hesitantly made his way over to her, the anaesthetic nurse trailing him to make sure he didn’t touch anything he shouldn’t.
When he stood next to Mai, it made herfeellike a kid, as he was six feet five to her five feet two.
The midwife gazed at Taylor. In the excitement of the premature baby being delivered, she obviously hadn’t realised who the father was, and was now overwhelmed in the presence of the Hollywood star.
Mai gazed at the nurse for a long moment, hoping she would pull it together and hand the scissors to Taylor. When she didn’t, Mai leaned over and grabbed them.
“Take some photos,”Clara yelled from the bed.
The anaesthetic nurse who had accompanied Taylor called back,“I’ve got your phone, Clara. I’ll take some.”
“Of the baby, not Taylor,”Sadie added with a chuckle, wagging her finger at the nurse, who blushed.
Taylor had that effect everywhere he went. Ford would now as well, Mai reminded herself.
She finally let her mind go back to his comment as she left the car. Had sheheardhim correctly? Did he say he would always wait for her?
Mai placed the scissors in Taylor’s hand and guided him to the umbilical cord.“It’s kind of like cutting calamari.”
His piercing blue eyes shot to hers.“Oh no, I hope not. I actually want to be able to eat calamari again.”
“Stop being squeamish,”Clara said from the bed.
Mai turned her head away to hide her smirk. Now that things had settled down with their baby, Clara was back to her usual self.
Taylor rolled his eyes.
“Did he just roll his eyes?”Clara asked.
Taylor looked guilty and glanced over to the bed. Mumbling to Mai,“I swear, sometimes she’s psychic.”
“No, he didn’t roll his eyes.”Mai winked at him as she lied.“Let’sgetthat cord cut, Taylor. Then we cangetyour son wrapped up and over to your wife.”
Taylor leaned forward and carefully cut the cord. His knuckles were white, and Maicouldtell he was using all his acting ability to pretend this didn’t make him want to vomit.
