Chapter One Hundred and Twelve

Dr Davis also treated him with considerable deference as he monitored Emma's labour, assuring them both that everything was proceeding normally.

The contractions were coming fast. She barely had time to catch her breath in between the waves of pain. Daniel sat beside her, watching anxiously, giving her his hand to grip, repeating what the doctor said—head engaged, won’t be long, bearing down soon—as though she couldn’t hear for herself, or he needed to assure himself that this agony had a short time limit.

Emma didn’t try to speak. Wanting to remember everything about having this baby. Her entire concentration was focussed on willing her baby to make a safe journey from her womb, imagining every pain as a positive step forward. The urge to push came suddenly and was almost uncontrollable.

“Not too hard, Emma,” the doctor instructed. "Slow it down if you can, a nice, gentle passage, no tearing. Yes, that’s good…coming now…head in my