Consequences

Part 49

"Do you know Doug's number?" Isabelle asked.

Charlie shook her head. "But I know the switchboard." She rattled off the number. Isabelle dialed.

"Good afternoon, could I speak with Mr Douglas Hawke?" Even as she asked the question her heart hammered. Speaking to him, would that hurt as much as not speaking to him? But there was no time to have selfish thoughts. Her pride would have to take a back seat. In any case, they weren't going to talk about the situation between them, she was simply going to pass on a message for Ryan.

"Just transferring you." Came the automatic response. Isabelle tried not to show just how anxious she was as she waited for the call to be put through, but it was nerve-wracking. Surreptitiously she ran her tongue over her suddenly dry lips and waited with baited breath for the call to go through.

"Good afternoon, Douglas Hawke's office."

Another layer of the onion to peel back, Isabelle thought as she heard another female voice, his PA, she figured. A mixture of relief and regret mingled in her head as she realized she had to go through another person before she spoke to him. Once again she shored up her defences.

"Good afternoon, may I speak with Mr Douglas Hawke please?" Isabelle asked, once again bracing to be put through to talk to the man who was breaking her heart. She used his full name and spoke it formally in an attempt to hold onto her composure. Keep her distance, that's what she told herself. Keep some distance.

"Who may I say is calling?" Asked the professional female voice at the other end

"Isabelle Soujour-D'Sa."

There was a pause. A long silence that seemed to go on for more than the second that it was. But what followed was completely unexpected. "I'm sorry Ms Soujour-D'Sa. Mr Hawke has left instructions that he is unavailable. Good bye" The woman hung up.

For a second Isabelle just froze. Charlie who had just panted her way through another contraction looked over at Isabelle and scowled.

"What happened?"

"They hung up."

"Who?"

Isabelle shrugged. "I assume his PA."

"Call him back!" Charlie ordered. Isabelle forgave her the curt order.

Slightly incensed and more than a trace embarrassed, she redialed. Isabelle went through the same initial conversation to get through to Doug's office. Of course his secretary recognised her voice instantly this time.

"I'm sorry Ms Soujour-D'Sa, but Mr Hawke was very clear. He will not be taking your calls."

Isabelle blinked and took umbrage at that statement. But she could not allow her annoyance to distract her. "This is urgent. I just.."

"I'm sorry." The woman hung up.

Just then another contraction worked through. Charlie whined. Isabelle was tempted to join her. Charlie panted and then asked, "Where's the bloody ambulance? I'll be having the baby on this carpet if they don't get a bloody move on."

Not really sure what to do, Isabelle attempted to keep Charlie calm. "They will be here. Just take some deep breaths, that's it." Isabelle rubbed Charlie's back. "That's it. You are doing great." Though in truth she did not have a clue whether Charlie was doing well or not. She hoped for all their sakes that Charlie and the baby were going to be ok.

"How would you know?" Charlie demanded irritably.

"My sister is a doctor."

"Can you get her here?"

Isabelle nearly smiled. "You are doing fine. You'll be in the hospital in no time."

Thankfully they both heard the ambulance siren.

"I'll have to go and let them in. Just keep breathing calmly. Ok?"

Isabelle dashed to the door, opened it and was explaining the situation to the paramedics as they came through the door. They asked questions, she gave answers. A quick check and a few minutes later they were wheeling Charlie out to the ambulance.

"Isabelle!"

"Yes."

"Please come with me. Stay with me. Please."

Isabelle nodded, dashed back to the house to grab her bag and close the door behind her before she raced toward the ambulance. She climbed into the ambulance.

The paramedic spoke quietly with Charlie, keeping her calm, while monitoring the stage of her labour. They were cutting it fine. Sensing as much, Isabelle reached for her bag and her mobile and rang Ryan again. No answer. She phoned the switchboard again and went through the same procedure as before. This time when she was put through to Doug's secretary, she did not introduce herself. "Charlie is in labour." She said quickly when the call was answered. There was a silence at the other end. Isabelle used it to her advantage to add the crucial bits of information. It did not matter whether she was put through to Doug. She just needed the message to reach Ryan. "Tell Ryan that Charlie is going to St Anne's Hospital. We are in the ambulance now."

The secretary queried. "If this is some sick ploy..." Isabelle hung up.