Amazing Grace

I know you said you wanted to be on your back,

but how about we try all fours?

I hate you!

Remember we talked about how you'd hate me?

Yeah? Okay, well, we're here now.

Hating me. You can keep hating me.

Just breathe, breathe, breathe.

Breathe out, breathe out.

That's it. Push, push, push!

That's it, that's the head! That's the head!

Have you got one more push? I think you do! Come on!

Jim, you're not allowed to be in here,

and you're not allowed to be eating those.

That was the last one!

Jim, what are you doing here?

- That was my biscuit. - Mature.

Don't you have lives to save?

Yep.

I've been awake for more hours than I want to count.

Then go home.

Well, I would, but I've got this other problem.

- Is it your horrible ex-wife? - Yep.

I hate her. What's the problem?

Well, we bought this house together but she still lives there,

and we want to sell it.

Oh, that's right. You said you put up a 'for sale' sign.

But she doesn't get that when you sell a house,

people come through for inspections,

and if the house doesn't look good, you don't get a good price.

It's a simple equation.

Oh, well, maybe numbers aren't her thing.

Okay, let's do an exercise.

If she was standing in front of you right now,

what would you say to her?

I would say, "Grace, can you please help us sell the house

so we can get on with our lives?"

Jim, that is a reasonable request.

And I wish I could help you, but you ate my biscuit.

Look, I'm not asking you to change the wallpaper.

Just make the place look less like a bombsite.

Hey, if you want to pay for a stylist...

I want you to do what you said you'd do.

- Hey, Laney. - Jimbo.

It's Laney from St. Brigid's Birthing Centre.

- Just answer my texts. - Yes, I'll hold.

- If you phrase them right. - Who's that?

Waiting for translator services.

Can we get an emergency biscuit delivery?

That's not my top priority.

Hello.

Hey. I'm the new midwife.

You mean student midwife?

- Yes. Max. - Grace.

- Hi. - Hello.

Are you a paramedic?

- Ah, should I be? - Are you?

Ah, no.

It's just often, not to pigeon-hole,

when we get a student midwife who is not female,

they're what we call tourists.

They need their midwifery unit...

learn how to catch a baby

so they can go off and do something else.

This work is demanding.

People either love it and stay,

or they get their hours done and 'see ya'.

And mostly with the men, it's...

See ya.

- Mmm. - Can't promise not to.

Well, we understand each other.

I'll be training you with the expectation

that you'll be moving on.

- Right. - I can be strict.

I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm just trying to teach you.

- Uh-huh. Okay. - And don't be annoying.

And right now, bring me cream biscuits.

Sure. What does that mean?

What do you think it means?

Like literally cream biscuits?

It's a test.

It's a test and you want to see how well I can follow instructions.

And right now, you want creamy biscuits.

- Correct. - Correct.

Creamy biscuits coming up.

Hi. Creamy biscuits.

Hello. I'm Grace.

- Hi. - Are you Sophia?

- Yeah. - Okay, great.

I'm one of the midwives here,

and am I right you would like to have your birth

here instead of Goulburn?

- Yep. - Okay, great. Take a seat.

So you're moving up to the city, or...?

Ah, no. I don't know. I'm not... too sure yet.

- Got your records with you? - Yeah.

Ultrasounds, blood tests. Yep.

Have you worked here for a long time?

Ah, the birthing centre hasn't been here that long.

We're still pretty new.

- Do you have any kids? - I don't, no.

And this is your first pregnancy?

I'm 17, so...

You've never had a baby?

And you are 37 weeks.

- Have you been to birthing classes? - Yeah.

First babies are always late, though.

Yeah, they often are, but not always.

37 weeks is considered term, so...

What is labour... like?

It's a really massive experience.

But you're gonna be fine.

Who's going to be with you for the birth?

I don't know.

- Baby's father? - No.

- No. - Mum or Dad?

- My mum's dead. - Oh. I'm sorry to hear that.

Well...

...that was my adoptive mother.

My birth mother's still alive.

Oh.

Sorry.

I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry, I should have called.

- I should have... - No, no, stay.

Stay.

Just give me... give me a second, okay?

I'm going to be right back. Okay?

Laney! Hey, I need you.

I need you.

Okay, but I've only got a second.

There's, um, in there there's a young, um, girl. Woman.

Um... I think if... if we go outside.

You and me?

No, the young...

- What's wrong? - Biscuits!

Um, when did you have a daughter?

I was 17. I gave her up.

And she's here now?

- Did you know she was coming? - No.

God! Why didn't you tell me you had a daughter?

Hey, look, can you just have a reaction later?

I'm sorry. Thank you, but I...

- Grace, are you...? - Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine.

I'd just like to have a cup of tea with her.

You know, find out if...

What about your presentation to the board?

Shit. Oh, shit!

- Um, we'll postpone it. - No.

You just have to tell them I have gastro.

Okay, Grace, they're here now.

It's the board. It's our funding.

Shit!

Oh, Sophia!

I thought I'd lost you.

No, I just had to pee. Sorry.

Oh, right.

Look, I know I shouldn't have done this.

I should have gone through the agency, the proper steps,

not just shown up like this at your work.

It's not...

I have to give a presentation.

It's to the higher-ups.

- I have to give it now. - It's so fine. Don't...

- I'll go. - No, no, stay.

You should stay so we can talk and, you know...

If that's what you want.

Yeah.

- You'll... you'll stay? - Yeah.

Great.

So, uh, as you all know,

we, uh, when we established St. Brigid's Birthing Centre,

we started this pilot study, and, um...

Ooh! Sorry.

And the results, the investment that you made, is paying off.

So we paired midwives with women

one-on-one for the duration of their pregnancies.

So for all of the checks,

the ultrasounds, the blood tests...

Cost us a fortune, of course.

Yeah. Yes, well, it did cost more at first.

But, ah, it works.

Um, so our...

Whoops, sorry.

Uh, busy day.

The... Our test results show, um...

You know what? In the charts, everything is there.

All of the information.

So if you just turn to that page,

and on the next page there is the, um,

all of the time lines for the proposed expansion.

It's all there, so, yeah, if you've got any questions just,

yep, let me know.

Thank you.

Public speaking isn't... isn't really her thing.

Okay, I'll go over...

- Grace. - I know.

- What was that? - I'm sorry.

- I stuck my neck out for you. - I know.

I'm sorry. I've gotta go.

- So did you grow up in Sydney? - I did, yes. Yeah.