Father was staring at his son as if he’d been told an atom bomb had been dropped in the city though of course if it had, he’d unlikely to have been sat there. But you get the picture.
Vincent had been telling him what had happened when he’d gone above to visit Catherine, and Father couldn’t believe he was hearing right.

“She did what? Let me get this straight. She threatened to call the police on you?”

“To make me leave, yes.”

“Vincent, that’s…that’s…for want of a better word…insane!”

“I know it is.” Vincent rubbed the bridge of his nose and up between his eyes wearily. He was so very tired, he’d been unable to sleep all night.

“You’re best out of it. The girl has gone stark raving mad!”

“And I put her there. I can’t help thinking I’m to blame for all of this.”

“That’s as maybe, but to threaten you with the police…So what’s she doing now?”

“I haven’t a clue, although since its Thursday…”

Father’s complexion paled before his son, “Oh Lord…so it is. You don’t think she’ll really go ahead with it do you?”

“I don’t know. I wish I did. Can anyone contact Peter and find out?”

“I’ve heard from him already. Late last evening, he sent word that if Catherine should turn up today he would tell her he couldn’t perform the termination. He said he would regret it for the rest of his life and what’s more you would never forgive him. So if she is still intent on having one, it won’t be at Peter’s.”

Vincent checked the clock on Father’s desk, “Nine thirty five. The appointment was scheduled for ten wasn’t it? Can we send someone to find out what’s happening?”

Father nodded, “I’ll get onto it straight away. You know you could always go up to Peter’s through the secret passageway.”

Vincent nodded, he knew that, but he didn’t want to go. He’d seen enough of Catherine’s mood the evening before.

“You should go.” Father was adamant. It’s your child too, you should have a say in this. If you hurry you could make it in time.”

“But you said Peter wasn’t going to do it.”

“Yes, but between now and ten Catherine is due there, so you may catch her before she goes away again.”

Vincent looked at the clock the minutes were ticking by. If he ran like the wind he’d only just make it by ten. He made the decision to go at least he wouldn’t have to regret never having tried. “If you can get word to Peter, let him know I’m on my way…have him stall her, anything, even if he has to anaesthetise her like he suggested.” He called over his shoulder as he ran from the chamber.

Father wasted no time sending the message, for what good it would do. He didn’t know what to think, it was all such a mess and Catherine had really disappointed him. To think she was intent on called the police to remove Vincent! Father didn’t think he’d ever get over that.

Dorothy Shaw was putting together the final apparatus needed for the day. This was a job that she tried not to think too much about. She needed a job and as soon as she could find something better she would leave. She hated having to be nice to women who came to have abortions, and she hated seeing all those little bloodied bodies carted away and discarded. The babies were fully formed some even moved for a few minutes after the termination some were sucked from their mothers silently screaming.

“Your eyes saw even the embryo of me.” Dorothy mumbled as she recited a verse from the Bible. Wise words spoken by King David, “And in your book all its parts were down in writing.”

Every embryo was precious in the eyes of God, and it hurt Dorothy to imagine how he must feel when one is pulled from its mother and killed. “The world is full of contraception, there is no need for this!” Dorothy slapped her hand on the day’s list of patients, “Why oh why do they not see that what they do is murder? A life for a life, huh Father? May it be that those that do this thing suffer for the rest of their days so that their life becomes unbearable.” Dorothy looked down the list of names, gasping when she came to the fourth one. “Catherine Chandler? Not Vincent’s Catherine, surely?”

Dorothy had been a helper of the tunnels for as long as she could remember. Her father had taken her there when she was small, and Vincent was a very dear friend.

“Couldn’t be.” Dorothy checked the address and date of birth and her face fell, “It is Catherine. Oh this is terrible! I wonder if Vincent knows? Oh this is terrible, the children adore her, how could she do this awful thing, when children love her so much?” Dorothy felt sick to the heart and checked the wall clock. “An hour, that’s all. I haven’t time to inform those below, whatever has to be done, I have to do it. I will never forgive myself if Miss Chandler goes ahead with this, and what’s more Vincent will never forgive her either. Whatever is she thinking of?”

Dorothy hovered around the waiting area on the pretence of doing a bit here a bit there, looking busy while all the time conscious of listening for Catherine’s voice, or sight of her. She knew her vaguely, and hoped Catherine hadn’t changed too much since they’d last met.

“Dorothy!”

Dorothy swung around, her heart sank as she saw doctor Lewis walking toward her, “There you are, are you busy? I wondered if you might just man the reception for an hour.” Dorothy tried not to appear too delighted, she didn’t even ask why, she just said she would and fairly ran to reception. Dr Lewis chuckled and went on his way.

“Must be divine intervention.” Dorothy mused. She’d never been asked to man the reception before. From there she could see every woman that walked in.
Most were early, and sat fidgeting, biting their nails, trying to read, or clock watched the whole while they were there. A few callous cows, as Dorothy labelled them, painted their nails, read a novel or sat with a laptop involved in whatever business this appointment was keeping them from.

When she arrived Catherine didn’t follow the norm. First she was late, second she was flustered and third she looked like she couldn’t believe she was actually there.

“Hi Cathy.” Dorothy greeted her as warmly as she could muster. It cheered her to see Catherine looked acutely embarrassed. “You’re appointment is scheduled for eleven, but there are a few things you must do before you go through. Can you fill in these directives please, oh and don’t forget to sign them.”

Catherine didn’t know what to do. The last thing she wanted was to find that she was confronted by someone that she knew and just as importantly someone that knew the tunnels. She realised confidentiality played a big part but so it did in the tunnels also. Dorothy could so easily inform all below of what she had done and they would never forgive her. Then she tightened her resolve, ‘oh what the heck, what does that matter? I’m leaving for goodness sake, unlikely to see any of them again.’

Yet Dorothy didn’t appear to condemn her, she was just being her usual businesslike self, offering her the appropriate forms, sign here, and here, and here…

“Of course, the one good thing about this is that Vincent will be able to feel you again…” With that comment Dorothy startled her.

“I’m sorry. What did you say?” Catherine had been aware that Dorothy had been speaking all the while she had been filling out the medical directives, but until that last statement she hadn’t heard a word of it.

“Vincent…” Dorothy leaned forward and whispered, “You know he’s empathic? He hasn’t been able to feel your feelings while you’ve been pregnant. The baby blocked your feelings off from him. After today all that will change, and you’ll have your guardian angel back again.”

Catherine’s face went white, her fingers clutched at the counter till her knuckles turned white, and Dorothy felt triumphant. “You didn’t know?”

Catherine shook her head.

Dorothy laid it on thick. “Oh yes, Vincent has been quite distressed these last few months because of it. Not being able to see you or feel how you are, he’s been like a man set adrift on an ocean.”

Suddenly everything came back to Catherine. The nights she’d laid alone wishing for Vincent to come to her, the days and weeks she’d longed for him and he had never come the times when she’d expected him to be somewhere and he never had. She had concluded that he really didn’t care about her anymore. Not once did she think that he hadn’t been able to connect with her. She’d assumed too much.

“I don’t have to do this do I?” Catherine pulled the directives toward her, intent on destroying them. “I mean its not too late to refuse to have it done?”

Dorothy was delighted and tried not to show it, “Of course not. Here let me.” She tore up the directives and dropped the bits into a waste paper bin. “I wish more women were like you. Children are precious in the eyes of God.” Dorothy raised her voice a little so others could hear her. “He sees the embryo you know, and he judges those that take the life of the unborn. Do you know that that if two men were fighting and a pregnant woman lost her child because of it, God made a law that the men should die. A life for a life, that’s what God’s says…people are such hypocrites. You can bet your bottom dollar that they’ll celebrate Christmas, so they must have some belief in God, although to be honest Christmas has nothing to do with God, but you know what I mean…”

Catherine smiled, “Yes Dorothy I think I do. And if there’s any consolation what you have told me today has saved the life of at least one child. You should feel proud of yourself.”

“No, you got that wrong, you should feel proud of yourself. You could have regretted this for the rest of your life, every time you saw a baby in someone’s arms, every time you saw a child on its way to school, every time you saw someone else’s child unwrapping a present. And when you grow old and you look back on life you’d be constantly wondering, what that lost child might have been, what they’d be doing what grandkids they might have given you. The joys you would have lost would have far out weighed the mess you thought you’d gotten yourself into in the beginning, but you wouldn’t know any of them. All you would know is regret and sickness deep in your heart for all of your life.”

To her satisfaction a few of the women that had been sat awaiting their appointment stopped whatever it was they’d been doing and got up, picked up their bag and left. Catherine smiled reached over and squeezed Dorothy’s hand, “Keep this up and God will bless you, Dorothy.”

Dorothy smiled and nodded, tears welled in her eyes. “So what will you do now?” she asked Catherine.

“Me? Well I’ve a flight booked for Friday to London, alas I shan’t be taking it now.” Catherine patted her tummy, “This little one might not like heights. So I will probably drive up to Westport and spend some time with a friend of mine, while I think over my options.”

“If you want my advice…”

Catherine smiled and nodded.

“Go see Vincent. You two belong together…no…make that, you three belong together.”

Catherine squeezed Dorothy’s hand again, “I’ll think about it.” Then she smiled and said goodbye just as she heard her name being announced to go through to the day room.

The last she heard as she went out the door, was Dorothy speaking on the intercom, “I’m sorry Dr Lewis, your eleven o’clock appointment has changed her mind and left…so has the noon appointment, the two o’clock and three o’clock…oh and wait a minute…someone else just left…”

Dorothy smiled maybe the job wasn’t so bad after all…nursing could be quite fulfilling… so many lives to save…

To be continued in chapter seven.