Chapter 8: Blackmailed Into Sex

Lewis put the last bit in the bucket and dipping the end of a small towel into the bowl of water he washed Valerie’s bum and then the inside of her legs.

Then he pulled the towel from under Valerie. He took the kitchen gloves off then replaced the towel with a clean one. Ela poured some more whiskey on his hands which he rubbed well in. Then once his hands were dry, he was ready. The head was showing even more, and Valerie had been struggling not to push as she practised all the breathing exercises the midwife had taught her.

‘Ok,’ Lewis said, ‘Try not to push if you can, but don’t worry if you have to. Valerie was so relieved at not having to fight it, nature took over and she pushed. Lewis had a hand between her legs almost touching the baby’s head so as the head touched his hand, he let it come out slowly.

Once the head was out, he told her to push. The rest of the baby followed very quickly. Lewis lay it down on the towel and checked its mouth was clear. The baby spluttered and started breathing. Lewis lay it down on Valerie’s stomach and told them they had a healthy baby girl. ‘Can you go and pour the water out of the pan without letting the contents touch anything,’ he told Ella, ‘And bring it back here.’

Mike and Valerie where both beaming with delight at the new arrival. When Ella returned with the pan, Lewis cleaned his hands with some more whiskey then took one piece of string out of the pan. He tied it round the baby’s umbilical cord about six inches away from the baby.

Then he did the same with the other piece of string two inches further away. Next, he picked up the scissors and cut the cord in between his two pieces of string. He lay the baby down and gave it a quick wash over using a cloth dipped into the bowl of warm water. After drying her by dabbing her with a towel he picked her up and put her into Valerie’s arms.

He covered Valerie’s bottom half up with another towel. All they could do now was await the ambulance or the arrival of the afterbirth which would deliver itself later.

Lewis took the bucket of poo up to the bathroom and disposed of it in two flushes. He rinsed the bucket out and washed his hands. Then returned to the ‘delivery room.’

He took the baby off Valerie and wrapped her up in a towel to keep her warm. Then handed her to Mike to hold. Ella took a picture on her phone. Lewis took the towel away and opened Valerie’s vagina with his fingers. There was no sign of the placenta yet, so he covered her up and helped her sit up.

Mike handed the baby over to Ella. Then he and Lewis took an arm each and eased Valerie back so she could lean against the wall in relative comfort. Ella gave Valerie the baby and then took a picture of her too. After she had held her for a while, Valerie said, ‘You should have a photo with her too Lewis, seeing as how you delivered her.’

‘I’ll take one with both of you,’ Mike said. Lewis took the baby off Valerie and Ella stood at his side as Mike took the picture. ‘Have you picked a name yet?’ Lewis asked them. ‘Yes,’ Mike said, ‘It’s Catherine.’ Lewis kissed the baby’s head, ‘Hi Catherine.’ he said, before handing her back to Valerie.

They rang the ambulance and told them the baby had been delivered and all was well. ‘They should be with you very soon.’ the controller told them. They sat and chatted as the baby enjoyed its first feed from Valerie’s breast.

‘Lewis,’ Valerie said soon afterwards, ‘I can feel something moving inside me.’ As Mike looked astounded thinking, twins? Lewis took the towel off and had a look, ‘It’s ok,’ he said, ‘It’s just the placenta coming away. Mike, can you empty the bowl of water and bring the bowl back please.’

By the time he returned the placenta had slid out. Lewis examined it and saw that it appeared intact. He lifted it up and put it in the bowl, then coiled up the attached umbilical cord around it. He put it aside ready to go to the hospital with Valerie.

Twenty minutes later the ambulance arrived, loaded Valerie on their stretcher and took her, Catherine and the afterbirth off to hospital. Mike followed on in the car.

Lewis and Ella set off back to hers for the rest of the evening. When they went in Julie, Reg and Gemma were in the lounge. As they went round giving everyone a hug and a kiss, Ella announced, ‘Sorry we’re so late, Lewis had to deliver a baby.’

After a stunned silence they explained what had happened and showed them the picture of the two of them with Catherine just minutes old. ‘Have you done it before?’ Reg asked him. ‘No,’ Lewis said, ‘But I’d read up on it. Besides, Valerie did most of the work.’ he added modestly.

‘You certainly see life.’ Reg said grinning at him. They had a coffee and Ella made her and Lewis a snack. Then of course a game of Cluedo finished off what was left of the evening. Reg came very close to winning once more.

SATURDAY

Saturday morning Lewis arrived at the shop early and waited outside. Mike had taken a week’s leave after the birth of his daughter on Wednesday evening. A stand in manager had taken over so Lewis didn’t want him to know that Mike had trusted him with a key.

At ten to nine a young chap approached, he only looked in his late teens. ‘Hi, you must be Lewis,’ he said shaking his hand, ‘I’m Alvin, the relief manager.’ They went in and Alvin asked, ‘What are Saturdays like.’ ‘In a word, hectic.’ Lewis told him. ‘I spoke to Mike briefly on Thursday,’ he said. ‘He told me anything I wasn’t sure about you would sort me out.’

‘How we usually work it is that you serve, and I check returned tapes.’ Lewis said, ‘But if we get busy, I join in serving and leave the tapes until later. We rarely have time for a coffee during the morning. At lunch time we get something from the chippy a few doors down.’

‘That sounds fine to me,’ Alvin said, ‘Carry on as usual.’ ‘I’ll make us a coffee before we open,’ Lewis said, ‘But you’ll have to drink it as you serve. They went through to the back room and Lewis put the kettle on.

In the brief time they had before they opened, Lewis learned that Alvin was twenty-two, a nephew of one of the firm’s owners and had been pushed into standing in as he wasn’t working after he had finished university.

Then it was time to open up. There was no chance to talk further during the morning. At quarter to one, Lewis left Alvin to it and went to the chippy.

He returned with their order just as Alvin was showing the last customer out. ‘Wow,’ he said, ‘What a morning.’ As they went through to the back room he added. ‘That was hard going.’ Lewis made their coffees and put the food out on plates. Alvin had decided to try sharing the two meals.

As they ate, he asked Lewis how he liked working there and what his future plans were. Alvin told Lewis that he had somehow managed to get a degree in literature because he had always loved reading. ‘But I have no idea what use it will be to me.’ he said.

‘Well at least it proves you have enough brains to get a degree,’ Lewis said, ‘That must count for something.’ ‘I suppose so.’ Alvin said. He stopped speaking and was lost in thought for a few moments. He looked sad.

Lewis had noticed during the morning that there had been odd occasions when he looked quite down, but he seemed to bounce back when a customer approached.

‘It’s really getting to you, isn’t it?’ Lewis said suddenly. Alvin looked at him in surprise. ‘What do you mean?’ he asked. ‘That problem you’re suffering with,’ Lewis told him, ‘It’s getting you down.’ Alvin didn’t look directly at him as he said, ‘I haven’t got any problem.’

‘Really,’ Lewis said. ‘Ok. But let me tell you about problems in general. First of all, they never go away on their own. If you don’t do anything about them, they’ll be with you forever and probably get worse.’

‘Secondly, you can’t do anything about them until you take the first step. That is to admit that you have a problem and decide to do something about it.’

‘I suppose that’s so.’ Alvin said sounding quite serious now. ‘But I don’t suppose it’s always that easy.’ ‘I didn’t say it was easy,’ Lewis said, ‘But it would make your life easier than it is now.’

‘But what if the person with the problem couldn’t bring himself to tell anyone about it?’ Alvin said. ‘Well.’ Lewis told him, ‘When that happens it’s usually because the person has either done something he thinks is terrible or it involves sex.’

Alvin went a little red at that, but Lewis didn’t let on that he had noticed. ‘So, all he has to do then is find someone to talk to who knows little or nothing about him and perhaps is not likely to meet again afterwards. He would need to feel at ease with him as well as to be certain that whatever he said would be kept confidential.’