Free Vicious Circle by Wilbur Smith

Cross, are you all right?’ He opened his eyes and Sister Palmer was standing over him. Her expression was concerned. ‘You were shouting in your sleep.’ It took a few moments for Hector to gather his wits. Then he knew where he was. He looked into Hazel’s face. She had not changed the position of her head, but her eyes were open. The lustre of cerulean blue glowed in them again. She was seeing him.
    ‘Hazel!’ he whispered urgently. ‘Squeeze my hand!’ There was no reaction. Her fingers were limp and cold. He passed his left hand across her face. Her eyes did not move. They stared out at him.
    ‘It’s Hector,’ he whispered. ‘I love you. I thought I had lost you.’ He stared into her eyes and thought that he saw her pupils contract minimally; or perhaps it was merely vain hope that engendered the thought. Then he heard the beat of the heart monitor. It was rapid and regular.
    ‘She can see me,’ he said. ‘She can hear me.’ His voice was rising.
    ‘Calm yourself, Mr Cross,’ Sister Palmer said. ‘We must not race ahead of ourselves. The cerebral damage…’ He did not want to hear her say it.
    ‘I tell you she can see me and hear me.’ He reached out and touched Hazel’s pale cold cheek. He felt his courage and determination rushing back.
    ‘Sister Palmer,’ he said crisply. ‘Please go down to Maternity and tell the duty nurse to bring my daughter here.’
    ‘We can’t do that, sir. Your wife is very ill and—’
    ‘Sister, do you have children of your own?’ He cut her short.
    She hesitated, then her voice and tone changed. ‘I have a son of six.’
    ‘So you can imagine what it would have meant to die without ever laying eyes on him?’
    ‘There are rules,’ she said weakly. ‘Babies born by Caesarean section must remain in the unit for—’
    ‘I don’t give a good stuff for the rules. My wife may die. Go down to Maternity and bring her daughter to her. Do it now!’
    Sister Palmer hesitated a moment longer then she whispered, ‘At this time of night there will be very few people around.’ She straightened her back and turned to the door. She closed it quietly behind her as she went out into the passage.
    Hector brought his lips close to Hazel’s ear and whispered to her, ‘You were right, Hazel my darling! Our baby is a girl. Her name is Catherine Cayla, just the way you planned it.’ He stared into her eyes, searching for signs of life. It was like looking into two fathomless blue pools. ‘They are going to bring Catherine to you. You will see how beautiful she is. Her hair is going to be golden just like her big sister’s. She weighs six pounds.’ He stroked her cheek softly as he whispered encouragement and endearments.
    The heart monitor beeped to a steady beat. The sawtooth pattern across the screen was regular and even.
    It seemed to Hector like an age of waiting, and then the door behind him opened and Sister Palmer entered. She was smiling. Close behind her came Bonnie, the maternity nurse. Hector was surprised to see her still on duty. In her arms she carried the blue-blanketed bundle. Hector leapt to his feet and went to her. Without a word, the nurse offered the bundle to him.
    Hector reached out uncertainly, and then took a step back and muttered, ‘Which end must I take? I don’t want to drop her.’
    ‘Make an arm for her,’ Bonnie ordered, and when he obeyed she laid Catherine in the resulting cradle. Hector looked as apprehensive as if he was holding a ticking bomb.
    ‘I have never done this before.’
    ‘She won’t break,’ Bonnie reassured him. ‘Babies are pretty tough little customers. Hold her as though you love her.’
    Slowly Hector began to relax. He smiled. ‘She smells good.’ His smile turned into a wide grin. ‘She’s so warm and soft.’
    ‘Yep!’ Bonnie said. ‘That’s the way babies are.’
    Hector turned back to the bed, still holding the infant. He leaned over Hazel until he could bring Catherine’s face down level with