One Night with Her Italian Doc

by Karin Baine

  ‘It’s a whole different world out here, isn’t it?’ Luciano echoed her thoughts about surroundings she’d only seen on TV before now.

  ‘It doesn’t seem like a real place, more like a playground for rich kids and tycoons.’ You only had to take a glance up the road to see the souped-up sports cars or hear their modified engines to understand the kind of money that was thrown about here. It was interesting to see how the other half lived and pretend to be part of it for an afternoon.

  ‘We can play here for a little while at least.’

  ‘I wonder what it would be like to live here?’

  ‘Permanently? Financially impossible, I would have thought.’

  ‘I could always live on the beach. I think I could be happy there.’

  ‘I don’t doubt it, my little drifter.’ He hugged her close, apparently comfortable enough outside the confines of the ship to show his affection towards her. She wasn’t complaining and snuggled further into his arms. The nickname he’d given her was apt, she thought. It was more in keeping with the woman she wanted to rediscover—continually moving around without any fixed home or job. She was sure he meant it in the most endearing terms and not with any negative connotations. He got her.

  Sophie stopped, stood up on tiptoe and kissed him full on the lips.

  ‘Mmm... What was that for?’ He lifted her sunglasses up so he could see into her eyes and kissed her back.

  ‘For being you.’ She liked the fact that he didn’t shy away from her, even though they were in a public place. As if he no longer cared about the rules when he was with her. Even now there were faces she recognised walking by, the occasional greeting thrown their way. No one seemed to mind in the slightest about what they were doing and she liked to think that they looked so happy together no one would begrudge them this time together.

  ‘We should go exploring. Perhaps we’ll stumble onto a movie set somewhere.’

  Sophie didn’t think she could stand much more excitement today but all the shops and fabulous-looking buildings appeared to be uphill. She could spend all day walking along the shore with Luciano but it did seem a waste to be here and not see something of the sights.

  ‘There’s a park across the road. We could cut through there.’ She spotted the little oasis of palm trees in the centre of the town and it seemed a good halfway point between the solace of the beach and the rest of the bustling resort.

  They dodged through the traffic and entered the park through the black wrought-iron gate. It was like walking into another world. The palm trees lining the pathway provided some much-needed shade and the plots of greenery afforded a different kind of freshness than they’d found the shore.

  ‘It’s so peaceful in here.’ Even Luciano seemed impressed by it. The gardens made a change from the sea view he was used to.

  ‘We can sit a while if you’d like. There’s a bench over in the corner.’ They weren’t in any rush to go anywhere and it would be nice to rest her feet for a while before they attempted to hike up the steep streets.

  ‘I’d rather do that than join in with the group.’ Luciano pointed at the visitors nearby, contorting themselves into shapes on the grass as part of what she assumed was a yoga class. She’d never taken part in one herself because she got all the exercise she needed being on her feet all day in the nursing home. Although she had always thought it did look calming for the soul. Something she would need when the day came that Luciano wasn’t available to do the job.

  They flopped down onto the bench and it felt natural for Sophie to cuddle up with him. Despite the noise from a few children in the playground nearby, it was peaceful. They could’ve been anywhere at that moment and she knew she’d feel the same contentment even if they were on a bench in Kent, as long as she was with Luciano.

  ‘Think we could stay here for ever?’ he asked, his eyes closed as he lifted his face to the sun.

  ‘It’s very tempting.’

  Unfortunately, their peace didn’t last long as they heard the roar of a supercar, a thud and screams of distress.

  They both immediately began running in the direction of the heart-wrenching shrieks. Thoughts of themselves and their oasis of peace were forgotten in the face of someone else’s tragedy.

  The screech of tyres disappeared into the distance while the crowd congregated around someone lying in the middle of the road, and that told them everything about what had happened.

  ‘Let me through, please. I’m a doctor.’ Luciano took charge of the scene, making his way towards the casualty.

  ‘They didn’t stop. Just mowed him down.’

  ‘I got the registration.’

  ‘Is he going to be all right?’

  The crowd, obviously in shock from what they’d witnessed, were all English tourists Sophie recognised from the ship. A few of the locals came rushing over, mobiles in hand as they phoned for help.

  ‘What’s his name?’ Luciano was already on the ground, checking the elderly man’s pulse.

  ‘Charles.’

  ‘Charles, can you hear me? I’m a doctor. You’ve been hit by a car. I’m just going to check you over. If you can, let me know where it hurts.’ The only response was a series of groans.

  ‘He hit his head hard on the ground when he landed. It sort of bounced.’ One of his companions was able to give them enough information to understand there could be a serious head injury involved.

  Sophie let Luciano carry on with his assessment whilst she dealt with the man’s leg, which had clearly suffered some trauma. His trousers were ripped and although there wasn’t any blood visible, the lower right leg was bruised and swollen. The ankle was bent at an odd angle too.

  ‘Does anyone have any blankets or towels? Give me your shoelaces or belts. Anything I can use here.’ She was sure the beachgoers would have something she could commandeer to support his leg.

  Luciano flicked a glance at her. ‘Is everything all right, Sophie?’

  She gathered the donated beach towels, using them to pad the affected area, and tied them securely in place with the belts at her disposal, keeping Charles’s leg as straight as possible. ‘Suspected fracture of the fibula. I’ve got it.’

  The bone hadn’t pierced the skin so there was less risk of infection setting in but it would require X-rays to confirm the location and severity of the break.

  He nodded and got back to treating the head injury. In the short time they’d known each other they’d worked together sufficiently to trust each other to make the right decisions and it warmed her heart to think of it.

  * * *

  Luciano was glad Sophie was here to help treat the casualty. They made a good team. He didn’t have to worry about anything other than treating whatever head injury had been sustained when she was so capable of managing everything else. A high-velocity crash could cause multiple injuries, internal and external. Bones could mend given time but a brain injury could have a life-changing impact.

  ‘Charles, I need to give you an examination to see where you’ve been hurt.’ He was still breathing but he was falling in and out of consciousness. The velocity of the impact would have jarred his brain against his skull but without scans or X-rays there was no way of knowing how much damage had been done.

  ‘There’s blood coming from his nose and ears. It’s possible he’s suffered a skull base fracture. He’s got a few lacerations on his scalp but no sign of skull depression.’ He kept Sophie up to date with his assessment as she had with the lower limbs. With no apparent palpable dent in the skull he hoped that meant there were no pieces of skull embedded in the brain, which would require surgery to be removed. All they could do was immobilise him until help arrived and prevent any secondary injuries occurring that could arise from moving him carelessly.

  ‘Take a few of these towels to stabilise his neck.’ She tossed him a couple of towels, which he folded in half and then rolled
up into colourful burrito shapes and placed either side of Charles’s head.

  ‘I need to go.’ Charles began to come around but was disoriented and kept trying to sit up.

  ‘You need to stay where you are until the ambulance comes.’ Luciano pushed firmly on his shoulders, careful not to jolt his neck but determined not to let him sit up.

  ‘I don’t need an ambulance. What’s going on?’ It wasn’t unusual for a patient to become confused in these circumstances but it was Luciano’s job to keep him still until treatment could be administered.

  ‘You’ve been in an accident, Charles. I think you might have a broken leg and you’ve hit your head. We need you to stay still.’ Sophie tried her best to reassure him whilst also keeping his leg straight to prevent any further injury.

  He kicked out with his other leg, knocking Sophie onto the ground. Although aggression was sometimes part of the job when patients were agitated by their condition, Luciano immediately came to Sophie’s defence.

  ‘Hey! You can’t lash out like that. I know you’re confused and in pain but we’re trying to help you. Sophie, are you okay?’ If he wasn’t so intent on keeping this man stabilised until help arrived, he would’ve swept Sophie up in his arms and carried her away to safety. The thought of anyone hurting her brought out the protective streak in him he’d thought he’d never have to deal with again. He knew it meant he was in too deep already. Now that he cared so much about her, and her safety, it left him open to getting hurt again too.

  ‘He knocked me off balance, that’s all.’ She gave him that ‘Don’t fuss’ glare that made him smile.

  ‘If you want to go, I can handle this.’ He couldn’t bear her to take any more abuse for simply providing assistance.

  ‘I’m okay. You’re just a bit confused about what’s happening, Charles, aren’t you?’ Sophie didn’t appear to bear the patient any ill will over the incident, which only elevated her in Luciano’s esteem.

  Thankfully the sound of sirens could be heard not far in the distance. Once the paramedics arrived they could take over and give Charles the best treatment available. Then he and Sophie would be free to enjoy what they had left of their day together.

  * * *

  ‘Is there anything you’d like to do here before we go back? You didn’t really get a chance to see the place.’ Once Luciano had passed on the information about Charles’s possible brain injury and leg fracture to the paramedics, there was the small matter of contacting the ship to let them know what had happened.

  Sophie was left to watch from the sidelines, coming down from the rush of helping to treat their patient at the scene. She had neither the language skills nor contacts to help with the follow-up and was content to let Luciano deal with it. He was good at being in charge—level-headed in a crisis. Yet there was that other spontaneous side of him, which she was sure not many people got to see, the impulsive romantic who would take over a whole kitchen to impress her with his cooking skills. She could do with more of that in her life, given the chance. For now, she had to make do with whatever time they had left together.

  ‘I don’t want to go too far. I’m exhausted. How about a walk along the beach? It looks beautiful.’ They’d come here to relax and after the drama she could use a little calm as long as she had Luciano to share it with her.

  ‘I think we can manage that.’ Luciano helped her down the large step from the promenade onto the shore. The first thing she did was remove her sandals so she could feel the sand beneath her feet. It was so soft she began to sink into it.

  ‘We’ll have to start moving before I disappear into this quicksand.’ She began walking while Luciano went barefoot too. When he caught up with her at the water’s edge she was pleased to see he’d rolled up his sleeves and loosened the top buttons of his shirt, looking more relaxed and off duty now.

  ‘I think you’re a real water baby, Sophie. Always drawn to the sea,’ he said as she splashed through the soft waves slipping silently onto the beach.

  ‘I find it soothing. The steady rhythm of the waves is like a lullaby to me. It helps me destress.’ It was something she’d learned about herself on this trip. Perhaps she should move closer to the coast or buy herself a houseboat when she got back to bring more contentment to her life.

  ‘Destressing is something we both need and I have just the place to do it. Come.’ He laced his fingers through hers and lifted her hand to his mouth to kiss it. She didn’t care where he was taking her because right now she would follow him to the ends of the earth if he asked her to. This was the perfect holiday romance—if she disregarded the work element and those life-or-death dramas.

  To the right they had the beautiful seascape of the Mediterranean glittering in the sun. To the left they passed a strip of luxurious hotels, where she could picture movie stars swarming during film awards season. One even had the red carpet laid out for its exclusive guests. It was fabulous and a long way from her semi-detached in Kent. When Luciano rerouted them off the beach and towards one of the lavish entrances she suddenly felt out of her depth.

  ‘We can’t go in there.’ She brushed the sand off her feet and shook out her sandals before putting them back on.

  ‘Why not?’ He didn’t seem at all fazed by the notion of being part of the scene.

  ‘It’s a place for movie stars and rich people. They’ll take one look at me and send for Security in case I taint the place with my working-class DNA.’ Imposter syndrome set in as they got closer to the grand marble staircase leading to the hotel entrance. She was happy where they were and didn’t need anyone looking down their nose at her and spoiling the daydream.

  ‘Nonsense. You’re beautiful and just as good as anyone else in there. The place can only be improved by having you there.’ Luciano had such a confident charm it was easy to believe they could simply stroll in and that’s exactly what they did.

  She did, however, remain hovering in the doorway while he strode up to Reception so she could make a quick getaway if necessary. He chatted to the concierge at the desk—probably fluently in French to impress the slick fifty-something gatekeeper. He looked the sort who’d be impressed by the chief physician of a ship. Well, who wasn’t?

  The concierge summoned another junior member of staff, who was soon scurrying off to carry out whatever instructions had been issued. Luciano turned around and beckoned her over.

  ‘Sophie, what are you doing all the way over there?’ She took that as a cue they weren’t about to be chased out of the building by security dogs chomping at their heels, trained to sniff out the riff-raff.

  ‘Hey.’ She slid her arm around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder as though it was the only way she could convince him they were a couple. It only served to have Luciano looking at her as though she’d gone mad but he did drop a kiss on the top of her head.

  ‘Merci pour votre aide,’ he said to his new friend, and helped himself to the champagne bucket and two glasses presented to him on a silver tray.

  ‘That’s for us?’ she asked as they followed the junior member of staff through the hotel.

  ‘Oui. Pour toi, mon amour.’

  ‘If you’re showing off your linguistic skills to impress me, it’s working.’ Every language he spoke only increased the exotic, erotic nature of the man in her eyes. She couldn’t believe her luck that she’d met someone so cultured who was interested in an English Plain Jane like her. She had nothing to offer except her nursing experience and sparkling personality. Thankfully he seemed to have a penchant for mouthy English girls.

  ‘You haven’t seen anything yet, bella donna,’ he whispered seductively into her ear, turning her spine to gelato.

  Any thoughts he’d conjured up in her mind of holing up in a luxurious hotel suite for an afternoon of passion vanished as they exited the lobby and continued past the hotel swimming pool.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Now they’d left the
bar and restaurant behind, she had no idea of their final destination.

  Luciano thanked their attendant and slipped a discreet tip into the palm of his hand.

  ‘That’s us at the end of the pontoon.’ He pointed down the walkway stretching out into the middle of the sea. It reminded her of one of the old-fashioned seaside piers except instead of amusement rides and carnival stalls this one housed several Bedouin-like tents.

  They kept walking until they reached the end of the jetty, where the biggest structure sat on its own.

  ‘Seriously? They’re letting us use this?’

  ‘Yes. I’ve paid for it. Sophie, you’re as entitled as anyone else to be here. I know your confidence has taken a knock recently but you’re a good person who works hard. You deserve a treat now and then.’

  She didn’t even know what the treat was supposed to be. From this angle it appeared to be a four-poster bed with three sides encased in a calico material, the front drapes left open and tied to the sides with purple silk rope. The bed, or sun lounger, she wasn’t sure which it was, was festooned with satin cushions in opulent deep purples and mulberry colours.

  ‘It’s a daybed,’ Luciano told her, as if that explained everything. ‘I told them we wanted our privacy so no one will bother us.’

  ‘This is amazing. Look at the view.’ Standing on the edge of the pontoon, she could see the whole promenade in the distance and the cruise ship farther out to sea.

  Luciano adopted his casual look again, removing his shoes and rolling his trouser legs up to his knees before sitting on the edge of the decking. He patted the space next to him for Sophie and she joined him once she was barefoot again too. Dipping her toes into the water was bliss—not as cold as she’d imagined but cool enough to counter the heat of the afternoon sun.

  He poured two glasses of champagne and that first hit of bubbles on Sophie’s tongue almost did as good a job as Luciano at making her feel fabulous. She leaned back on her elbows, splashing her feet in the water and drinking in the laid-back atmosphere.