Free Where the Heart Lies by Ellie Dean

immediately that her worst fears had been realised. But as she headed for the bed which had an oxygen tank by its side, and numerous drip-feeds hanging above it, she was stopped by a warm, gentle hand on her arm.
    She turned sharply and discovered it was the elderly and much loved surgeon, Mr Philips, who’dcome out of retirement for the duration. ‘What happened?’ she breathed.
    Mr Philips steered her out of the ward and gently pressed her into one of the chairs that were lined along the corridor wall. He sat down and took her hands. ‘Julie,’ he began softly, ‘your sister’s labour had already gone too far for me to do a caesarean section.’
    ‘But she knew to tell Mrs Bessell the minute anything started. Why did she leave it so long?’
    He shook his head, the silvery grey hair glinting in the bright lights. ‘She didn’t leave it long by all accounts. Mrs Bessell told the ambulance crew the pains started only minutes before she ran down the road to call them. They got to the house very quickly and, as you know, the journey isn’t long. But her labour was extremely rapid, and she was already in the second stage and fully dilated by the time we got her into theatre.’
    She regarded the elderly man she’d come to know so well during her time in Shoreditch, her tears unshed, the fear gripping her heart. ‘Is she going to be all right?’ she whispered.
    His grip tightened on her hands. ‘I’m sorry, Julie. Your sister has suffered an amniotic fluid embolism, and although we’re giving her oxygen and a fresh supply of blood, her heart has been further weakened by the shock.’
    Julie felt the icy dread creep into her spine. ‘But that’s so rare,’ she breathed, ‘and so deadly. Does she have any chance of coming through this?’
    ‘I’m so sorry, my dear,’ he said solemnly. ‘There was an occlusion of the pulmonary vessels, and although she survived the pulmonary collapse, her already damaged heart simply cannot cope.’
    Julie stared at him as his words and their meaning slowly penetrated. She couldn’t believe it, didn’t want to believe it when she’d promised her sister that everything would go smoothly. ‘But she’s still alive. Surely there’s some hope she’ll pull through?’
    His expression left no doubt, his next few words confirming it. ‘We’ve made her as comfortable as we can, but there’s nothing else we can do for her. The end is close, Julie. I’m sorry.’
    Julie burst into tears. ‘I’ve let her down,’ she sobbed. ‘I promised her it would be all right only this morning. I should have got her admitted earlier, should never have gone out tonight when I could have been with her.’
    ‘You mustn’t blame yourself, Julie,’ he said softly.
    ‘But I do,’ she rasped, ‘of course I do. She’s my sister and I should have been with her.’ She scrabbled for a handkerchief and blew her nose, desperately trying to find some sort of calm and coherence of thought. ‘Did I miss something? Is it my fault – was it a mistake I made that led to this?’
    ‘No, my dear,’ he said firmly. ‘The sequence of so many tragic events is highly unusual and it could not have been spotted in advance. No one is to blame, Julie – least of all you.’
    Julie’s tears rolled hot down her face and she blotted them away. ‘The baby?’ she whispered. ‘What about the baby?’
    ‘He’s a little premature but healthy enough, and although he should really be on the special baby ward, I’ve put him with his mother so she can see him and get to know him before she . . .’ His words trailed away and he sank his chin to his chest and gave a deep sigh. ‘Something like this touches us all, Julie. You have my deepest sympathy.’
    Julie blew her nose again and determinedly scrubbed away her tears and the last of her mascara. The time for crying was later. She had to be strong and calm and able to think straight, and act professionally. ‘Has anyone thought to ring Stepney? Me