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The atmosphere in the university accommodation block was by turn tense and expectant Those survivors who had chosen to eathered in the assembly hall where they sat in silence and waited pensively for so - to happen It was impossible for any of theht it was particularly difficult Deep in the bowels of the building Sonya Farley was reaching the final stages of a long and painful labour Her pain could be heard and felt in every corner of every otherwise silent rooht, that was, in co Several survivors had willingly given up torches and other lights to allow Phil Croft - the only person with any relevant medical experience - to deliver Sonya&039;s baby He was nervous and apprehensive He hadn&039;t done this for a while and this was only the third delivery that he&039;d been actively involved in

Paulette, the large and re at his side, had been involved in three times as many And more than half of those births had been her own children Croft was pleased to have her around Having been in Sonya&039;s unenviable position on no less than five occasions, she was essential to the first tih Croft knew all the technical terms and he could ns, Paulette was able to do so far more important She could reassure her She could talk to Sonya She could tell her when to push and when to relax, when to breathe in and when to breathe out She could understand, anticipate and explain the pain and tell her hoell she was doing and how much more she had left to do Croft admired her ability to sonore the devastation beyond the university walls to allow her to concentrate on the young girl lying in nervous agony on the sweat-soaked bed next to her &039;Co Sonya&039;s forehead and at the sahtly

&039;You&039;ve not got long left to go now We&039;ll have this baby born within the hour&039; Sonya&039;s face screwed up in pain as another contraction peaked Croft crouched at the end of the bed, feelingthat he could have used so silent and useless in the nearby hospital He administered what medicines he could, but they had little effect Sonya was fully dilated He could see the first whisps of greasy dark hair on the top of the baby&039;s head &039;Nearly there,&039; he said quietly Sonya relaxed ony and ely calm

This was just how thethe pre-natal classes she&039;d attended Even though it hurt more than any pain she&039;d ever felt before, it soht Nothing in what remained of her life one Her friends and family were dead She had lost her ho left except the precious little person inside her as about to be born And it felt so right For the first ti as it was supposed to Another sharp contraction They were becoony and squeezed Paulette&039;s hand so tightly that the other woman winced in pain &039;Co lower so that her face was close to Sonya&039;s &039;Baby&039;s ready to come now&039;

Fifty-five minutes later and the ain built to an al dramatically relieved as her baby was delivered in a sudden release of pressure and a rush of activity and euided the child safely down onto the bed between its ently wiped blood and other bodily fluids from its face He clamped and cut the cord and then quickly whisked the baby away to the makeshift crib they&039;d prepared His face was a picture of intense concentration as he checked the baby&039;s vital signs and waited anxiously for it to respond The silence was deafening &039;You did it, lover,&039; whispered Paulette, kissing the top of Sonya&039;s sweatsoaked head Sonya watched with unexpected nervousness as Croft worked on her child When she&039;d first fallen pregnant she re her that this was the worst part - the wait for the baby to realise it had been born and to start to breathe and react for itself She&039;d tried to prepare herself but it was i second of silence felt like hours Then it happened A sudden, shrill and piercing cry of surprise and realisation frolanced across at Sonya and sirl,&039; he said

&039;Well done&039; For a few blissful e, saucer eyes filled with tears of joy and relief, Sonya watched as the doctor wrapped her little baby in a soft blanket and carried her across the roo the pain and discomfort she felt, she sat up and took the little bundle fro out the rest of the world, she stared down into a beautiful, wrinkled, blotchy blue-pink face She stroked the baby&039;s cheek with a single gentle finger and revelled in the warirl had innocently brought to her otherwise lifeless world &039;What are you going to call her?&039; asked Paulette, peering over the mother&039;s shoulder &039;Don&039;t know,&039; Sonya replied quietly &039;We had a few ideas for na for definite&039; &039;Take your tiive them a name once you knehat they looked like Until then you&039;

Paulette suddenly stopped talking The baby had stopped crying The roolances Both women looked to Croft for an explanation When he reirl&039;s hand a gentle squeeze Nothing And then the baby opened itscry The cry turned into a helpless splutter Then another cough Then another and another until the high-pitched coughing had becoony Sonya held her daughter close to her breast, desperate to help but knowing that there was nothing she could do Croft tried to help and take the baby froo They kneas happening The deadly contagion still hung heavy in the air Justborn the baby was dead