Read Online Unwrapping Her Italian Doc by Carol Marinelli - Free Book Online Page A

she shook her head at his suggestion. ‘Louise, you have been here since six.’
    ‘And so have you,’ Louise pointed out. ‘I didn’t think you were on call tonight, Anton, so what’s your excuse for being here?’
    ‘I’ll be a lot happier by morning. I just want to be close if something occurs.’
    ‘Well, I’m the same. If something happens tonight then I want to be here with Emily.’
    ‘I get that but—Louise, I never thought I’d say this to you, but you look awful.’
    It was a rather backhanded compliment but it did make her smile. ‘I’ll go and lie down soon,’ Louise said, and looked over as Hugh came out.
    ‘Is she awake?’
    ‘Yes, they’re just doing her obs. Thanks for today,’ Hugh said to them both. ‘I’m going to text and ring five thousand people now. Emily told her mum and, honestly, it’s spread like wildfire …’
    ‘I get it,’ Louise said, because she knew about Emily’s very complex family and the last thing she needed now was the hordes arriving. ‘I’ve put her down as no visitors.’
    ‘Thanks for that,’ Hugh said. ‘I’m going to ring for pizza—do you want some?’
    ‘No, thanks.’ Louise shook her head and yawned. ‘I’m going to go and sleep.’
    ‘Anton?’
    ‘Sounds good.’
    Louise handed over to Evie, the night nurse who would be taking care of Emily. ‘Promise, promise, promise that you’ll come and get me if anything happens.’
    ‘Promise.’
    ‘I’m going to take a pager,’ Louise said, ‘just in case you’re too busy, so if you page him … she nodded to Anton ‘… page me too.’
    Louise went to the hotbox and took out one of the warm blankets that they covered newly delivered mums in. Brenda would freak if she knew the damage that Louise singlehandedly did to the laundry budget but she was too cold and tired to care about that right now.
    ‘I’ll be in the store cupboard if anything happens.’
    ‘Store cupboard?’ Anton said.
    ‘Where all the night nurses sleep.’ Louise nodded to the end of the corridor. ‘‘Night, guys. ‘Night, Hugh. I’ll just go and say night to Emily if she’s awake.’
    She popped in and there was Emily half-awake as Evie fiddled with her IV.
    ‘You’ve done so well today.’ Louise smiled, standing wrapped in her blanket. ‘I’m just going to get some shut-eye but I’m just down the hall, though I have a feeling I shan’t be needed.’
    ‘Thanks so much for staying,’ Emily said.
    ‘Please.’ Louise gave her a kiss goodnight on her forehead. ‘Hopefully we’ll move you to a room tomorrow. I’m going to have a jiggle with the beds in the morning and give you one of the nice ones.’ She spoke then in a loud whisper. ‘One of the private ones!’
    ‘You’re such a bad girl.’ Evie smiled.
    ‘I know.’ Louise grinned. ‘Sleep!’ Louise said to Emily and then stroked her stomach. ‘And you, little one, stay in there.’
    ‘Do you know what I’m having?’ Emily asked, and Louise just smiled as Emily spoke on. ‘Hugh knows and when I said that I didn’t want to find out, he said that he wouldn’t tell me even if I begged him.’
    ‘Do you want to know?’ Louise asked.
    ‘No, yes, no,’ Emily admitted. ‘But I want to know if you know.’
    ‘I do,’ Louise said, and then burst into Abba. ‘“I do, I do, I do, I do, I do,”‘ Louise sang, just as Anton and Hugh walked in. ‘But I’m not telling. If you want to know you can speak to Anton.’
    ‘She’s mad,’ Emily said, when Louise had gone but she said it in the nicest way.
    ‘Completely mad,’ Anton agreed. ‘How are you feeling now?’
    ‘A bit better.’
    ‘Any questions?’ Anton checked, but Emily shook her head.
    ‘I think you’ve answered them all. Presumably you know what I’m having?’
    ‘Of course I do,’ Anton said. ‘You know you are allowed to change your mind and find out if you want to.’
    ‘I want it to be a surprise.’
    ‘Then a surprise it will be.’
    ‘Are you going home