“Number... In … my phone... Midwife … please.” Emma pants through her words, eyes coming to mine, sheer pain, maybe panic, reflecting back at me. “So .... Fast” She struggles to talk, her body still tightly coiled, and we’re moving nowhere like this.

“Okay, okay. I can get it when we get you to the couch or a bed. Jake’s coming. He’s on his way. He won’t be long.” I try to soothe her, but my voice is shaking crazily, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. ...