The New Midwife

Chapter 7

I cleaned up my face and removed all the red blemishes I could before heading downstairs. I grabbed my bag and headed into the medical room.
"Hello sister" Phyllis smiled at me.
"Hello nurse Crane" I said focusing on the contents of my bag.
"You will be on our expecting mothers today sister" she said to me as I avoided eye contact with everyone else in the room.
"Yes nurse Crane" I said grabbing my bag off the desk and taking the list from her hand and headed outside to put my bag on my bike. I headed towards my first patient of the day alone. I jumped off my bike and read the name again, Mrs Ryder, last check-up was yesterday she is 9 months along.
I climbed the stairs to the filthy landing. Once I arrived at the door I saw her son sitting up in his pram crying. I picked him up and began talking to him, stopping the crying for now. I knocked on the door lightly.
"Midwife calling" I called into the flat smiling at the little boy in my arms.
"Hello sister" she smiled at me opening the front door.
"Hello Mrs Ryder let's check on that baby of yours" I smiled at her placing her son back into his pram. He began crying again which stressed her out more than she already was.
"Please can you change his nappy sister I need to finish Joe's washing before he gets back from work" she said disappearing into the flat.
"Come on you" I smiled at the boy and took him inside the flat and changed his nappy. I blew a raspberry on his belly making him giggle.
"Your good with him sister" she smiled at me.
"Thank you now Mrs Ryder go and lie down on the bed I will put this little one back in his pram and we will look at baby" I smiled at her.
"Your to good to us sister" she smiled at me heading to the bedroom.
"Baby's heartbeat is perfect" I smiled at her
"Everything is perfect with baby" I smiled at her again.
"That's grand sister" she smiled at me as I pulled her dress down over her belly. Then her son began crying again. She huffed and tried to get up from the bed only for me to push her down again.
"I will get him, you rest for a moment" I smiled at her retrieving her son and bringing him back into the room attempting to calm him by rocking him in my arms.
"He won't calm down unless you sing sister" she told me.
"What shall we sing?" I asked the crying boy in my arms "catch a falling star and put it in your pocket never let it fade away, catch a falling star and put it in your pocket save it for a rainy day" I sang watching the little boy in my arms stop crying "for love may come and tap you on the shoulder one starless night, just incase you feel you want to hold her you'll have a pocket full of starlight" I sang making him fall asleep in my arms.
"Thank you so much sister" she smiled at me as I placed him into his cot "your really good at singing" she smiled.
"Thank you, now let's get you up out of this bed" I smiled helping her up.