Free Midwife in a Million by Fiona McArthur

stared straight through him and for a moment a horrifying feeling hit him that he’d lost her to some place he couldn’t go.
    ‘Kate? Honey? You okay?’ She didn’t move and he tilted her chin and looked into her face. Eyes tightly shut, she leaned into him and her arms crept round his chest, drawing comfort as if she couldn’t help herself. They sat like that, him rocking her, for what seemed to Rory like forever.
    After a few minutes she sighed and sucked in a shuddering breath before she rested her forehead against his chest. When she leaned back her eyes opened and she blinked at him. She glanced away and then back. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that. Thank you.’
    He smiled and brushed her cheek with his finger before he sat back on his heels. Ignored her deliberate distance as if it wasn’t there. ‘You’re welcome. It’s been a pretty big day.’ He brushed the hair away from her eyes so he could see her face. ‘You okay now?’
    She drew another erratic breath. ‘When the baby was born…’ Kate shook her head at the memory. ‘I had a brain freeze. I thought the baby was going to die. I’ve never done anything like that before in my life.’
    He stroked her hair. ‘I didn’t see that. It must have been quick because we didn’t notice. I thought you were just waiting for the baby to breathe by herself. It was only seconds until you dried her.’
    She frowned. ‘I shouldn’t be here. It’s all been too much.’
    ‘You’ve had a lot of responsibility with Lucy.’
    ‘Not just Lucy.’ She shook her head again. ‘My father, you coming back…’ she paused ‘…and the past.’ She shook her head. ‘I don’t want to talk about it. I can’t.’ He watched her emotions shut off from him like a roller door closing until there was nothing. No connection at all.
    The last thing he wanted to do was upset her again. ‘Fine.’ He stood up and moved back to his chair as if he’d done something mundane like picking a napkin off the floor. He moved the topic on to what he hoped was safer ground. ‘So Lucy will go on from here without us?’
    He watched Kate sit back in her chair and compose herself more. She took a sip of tea, a couple of breaths and even offered a false smile before she nodded. ‘The flight nurses are excellent and her aunt’s at the other end. Her aunt will stay with heruntil Mary can come. I need to get back to town and eventually back to Jabiru Station and my father.’
    Rory didn’t want to think about Kate’s father, what the man had done to his parents, and his own issues with him. Or what he’d done to Kate to have her wound up like this. The return part of the trip would be hard going enough without broaching the subject of Lyle Onslow. Not yet. Maybe never.
    He scouted for a safer topic. ‘Lucy’s daughter is a cute baby. Missy’s a cute name. What do you reckon she weighs?’
    Kate looked away towards the room where Lucy lay cosseted by Mrs McRoberts and she smiled for real this time. ‘Nearly four and a half pounds on the kitchen scales. She looks almost term, good creases on her feet and hands. So her tiny size is because she’s been having it harsh in there with Lucy’s blood pressure. Hypertension plays havoc with transfer of food and oxygen from the placenta. Our baby’s got a bit of catch-up feeding to do.’
    The expression made him smile. ‘Our baby. I like the sound of that.’ Rory repeated the words without thinking but he was unprepared for the absolute devastation in Kate’s face.
    He could only blink in disbelief as Kate pushed her chair out and turned away. ‘I’ve got to go.’
    ‘Kate? What’s wrong?’
    ‘Nothing. Leave it.’ He could hear the anguish in her voice and Rory felt the waves of despair radiating from her as she put her hand up to ward off any questions. She hurried away to Lucy and he stood and stared after her as his brain tried scenarios to explain what had just happened.
    He looked back at the table with the