by Lucy Clark
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him about it when a woman two tables over started calling her daughter’s name loudly. Megan instantly turned and saw the father hitting the girl, who couldn’t have been more than ten or eleven years old, on the back between the shoulder blades. Was the child choking?
‘Narissa? Narissa? Stop it,’ the mother cautioned, her tone determined but her face deathly pale as the child continued to gasp for air.
‘She’s choking,’ the father said. ‘She’s not putting this on, Alice. She’s choking. She can’t breathe.’
The level of hysteria was starting to rise and both Megan and Loughlin were out of their chairs, heading towards the table, before anyone asked.
‘Let me see.’ Loughlin immediately took over from the father.
‘It’s Dr Edwards, isn’t it? You’ve got to help my baby.’ Alice, the mother, had grasped hold of Megan and was leaning heavily on her.
‘I will.’ Megan managed to extricate herself from Alice, which wasn’t at all easy. Loughlin was assessing the situation.
‘She’s not choking,’ he said, his tone firm yet calm. ‘She’s having an allergic reaction. Angio-oedema around the mouth, pulse is dropping, bronchioles narrowing.’
‘What did she eat?’ Megan asked as she spun on her heel and headed for the kitchen.
‘Uh…pasta.’
‘What sort?’ Megan asked, needing more information.
‘Uh…’ Alice tried to think but it was clear that her mind was elsewhere, and quite rightly so, but Megan needed logical answers if there was any hope of helping Narissa.
‘Fettuccine marinara,’ Antoinette, the waitress who’d taken their orders, told Megan.
Megan merely nodded as she pushed open the double serving doors to the kitchen. ‘Emergency medical kit?’
Antoinette pointed in the direction of a cupboard, her hand shaking a little at the surprise and upheaval currently going on in her parents’ restaurant. Megan didn’t waste any time and quickly retrieved the kit, opening it up as she walked, searching for what she knew was in there. ‘Has Narissa ever eaten seafood before?’
‘Uh…’ Alice was about to answer when she spotted Loughlin putting Narissa onto the floor in a recumbent position so he could tilt her head back to keep her airway as unobstructed as possible.
‘Has she ever had seafood before?’ Megan repeated the question as she located the EpiPen which would deliver a subcutaneous dose of adrenaline to help relieve the immediate threat of anaphylactic shock.
‘No.’ It was Narissa’s father who answered.
‘Has someone called an ambulance?’ Megan asked the room in general as she administered the adrenaline, noting the time out loud to Loughlin.
‘The ambulance has been called,’ their hostess informed them.
‘Good. I need a blanket, please. We need to keep her comfortable.’
‘No wheezing present. Airways are opening. Breath sounds increasing.’ Loughlin had his fingers pressed to Narissa’s neck, counting the beats. ‘Pulse is settling.’ He looked down into the girl’s frightened eyes and brushed the hair from her forehead. ‘You’re going to be just fine. Relax, Narissa. Dr Edwards and I are looking after you and we’ll not be letting anything bad happen to you.’
‘She’s…she’s allergic to seafood?’ Alice was sitting down at the table, wringing her hands.
‘It appears so. We’ll need to do some tests but for now I’d like to get her settled in the hospital for the night.’
‘She has to go to hospital? But, Dr Edwards, she doesn’t like hospitals.’
‘We’ll take good care of her,’ Megan promised, her tone brooking no argument.
Narissa’s father came over to place his arms about his wife’s shoulders, both of them looking in total shock at their daughter who was, thankfully, no longer gasping for air.
‘She’s never had seafood before,’ Alice was saying, shaking her head. ‘I’ve often suggested she should try it but she never wanted to and even as a baby she wouldn’t eat any of it and then tonight she wanted to try it because one of her friends at school loved it and…and…’ Alice’s words choked on a sob.
‘It’s all right,’ Loughlin soothed the upset mother. ‘We were here. We can have Narissa tested and now at least you’ll know what to avoid in future.’
‘Dr McCloud’s right,’ Megan reassured Alice, giving her hand a quick squeeze. ‘You’ll be learning a lot about allergies and allergic reactions and what to do in case of an emergency.’
‘You mean…’ Alice’s eyes widened in horror. ‘She could have another one?’
‘I mean that knowledge is power, especially in this instance. Narissa’s old enough and smart enough to understand the dangers and also how to avoid them in the future.’ Megan could hear the sound of the ambulance sirens coming closer. ‘We’ll get Narissa settled in the hospital, as I said. We’ll monitor her throughout the night but the worst is most definitely over.’
‘And then you’ll start testing?’
‘I think we’ll give her a few days to recover but, yes, we’ll get the skin and allergy testing organised so we can find out if she’s allergic to anything else. For now, though,’ Megan continued quickly, watching Alice’s eyes become even wider, ‘we want everyone to get a good night’s sleep. We can arrange for one of you to stay with Narissa at the hospital this evening.’
‘I’ll do it.’ The father immediately volunteered, patting his wife’s shoulder. Megan saw relief cross Alice’s face and realised it was Alice who really didn’t like hospitals. Hopefully, that meant Narissa would be fine for the night, rather than having an anxiety attack at being kept overnight in hospital. She looked at Loughlin and one brief glance was enough for her to realise that he, too, had seen the relief on Alice’s face.
When the ambulance arrived, Loughlin took charge of getting Narissa organised and into the back of the ambulance, talking to her, telling her what was happening and generally putting her mind at rest.
‘He’s so good with her,’ Alice said as Megan repacked the restaurant’s medical kit and handed it back to Antoinette, with thanks.
‘Yes. He seems to be very personable as far as the patients are concerned.’
‘That’s just what we need for our community. I’m sure he’ll fit right in,’ Alice continued. ‘And he’s such a good-looking man. Is he single?’
‘Er…I believe so.’ In fact, it was then Megan realised that he hadn’t said anything about being married. She’d simply presumed he was single, especially given that he hadn’t brought his wife along to dinner tonight…and the fact that he seemed to flirt with every woman he met. Then again, perhaps his wife was more than secure in his love for her and therefore didn’t care much about his constant flirting. She headed outside with Alice beside her. ‘Did you want to go in the ambulance with Narissa?’ Megan needed to get her thoughts back onto a more even keel.
‘Oh, no. I’ll get Geoff to drive behind the ambulance to the hospital. You can go in the ambulance, Dr Edwards. She’ll be better with you along.’
‘OK.’ Megan stepped into the ambulance. ‘How is she doing?’ Her question was directed at Loughlin but she looked at Narissa as she spoke, pleased to see the swelling around the mouth had started to decrease and the look of panic had now gone.
‘She’s doing very well. She’s staying calm. Breathing is stable. BP is returning to a more normal level, pulse is back to being strong and regular.’
‘Excellent.’ Megan smiled at Narissa. ‘That’s great news. We’re almost ready to get you to the hospital so it won’t be too much longer.’ Megan looked at Loughlin and jerked her head towards the open ambulance doors. ‘Can I talk to you for a moment?’
‘Sure.’ Loughlin stepped out of the ambulance, leaving Narissa in the care of one of the paramedics. ‘Problem?’
‘Narissa’s parents want to follow the ambulance in their car, so either you can go with her and I’ll drive your car or vice versa.’
‘Right. W
ell, you go with Narissa and I’ll drive.’ He glanced back at the preteen in the ambulance. ‘She’s going to be all right.’ He nodded as though trying to convince himself and Megan was a little surprised at the self doubt.
‘Of course she is. We got to her nice and quick and administered the adrenaline. We’ll get her tested and all sorted out.’
Loughlin shook his head again. ‘She’s so young and what a shock to have had.’
‘Yes.’ Megan kept watching him closely. ‘Loughlin?’ He didn’t look away from Narissa. ‘Lochie? What is it?’
‘Narissa.’ Loughlin swallowed and turned his head to meet Megan’s gaze. ‘She’s about the same age as Heather.’
‘Heather?’
‘My Heather. My little girl.’
‘Your little—’
‘My daughter.’
Megan’s jaw dropped. He was married! He already had a family of his own! ‘You…’ Why hadn’t he said anything sooner? ‘You have a daughter?’
CHAPTER FOUR
MEGAN monitored Narissa closely once they got her into the high-dependency room. All her signs were at more normal levels and the girl was sleeping peacefully. Geoff had taken Alice home but was planning to come back and sleep on a fold-away bed beside his daughter. Thankfully, there weren’t any other patients in the HD room so as far as the nursing staff were concerned, they were more than happy to have Geoff there to support Narissa.
‘It’s the difference between a big bustling hospital and a wee one,’ Loughlin said to one of the nurses as Megan entered the staff tearoom. Had he just been reading her thoughts?
When she’d asked him if he’d had a daughter, even though he’d just told her he did, Loughlin had simply nodded and walked off in the direction of the restaurant. Megan had watched him for a moment before climbing into the back of the ambulance and letting the paramedics know they were ready to leave.
‘Do you find that, Megan?’ he asked as he sat down to a frothy cup of coffee. She was happy he hadn’t called her Megsy in front of the nurse. Although they were informal with each other here at the hospital, the name Megsy—up until she’d met Loughlin—had been a family name. Still, she’d liked the way it sounded, rolling off his tongue, but she wasn’t going to let him know that.
Honestly, the man had a voice that could inspire all sorts of wayward thoughts and dreams. The problem was, when it was absorbed by the rest of the package that made up Loughlin McCloud, he became a lethal combination. In short, the man was gorgeous. Hypnotic eyes, smiling lips and even the way he wore his hair in a scruffy, spiky cut made her heart race. He also had a relaxed nonchalance about him which she found soothing to her type-A personality.
Megan managed to pull her thoughts back from the brink of getting lost in thought about the man before her. ‘What’s that? Not sure what you’re talking about.’ She headed to the mini espresso machine she’d bought the staff as a present when she’d first arrived here in Kiama. It had been the best thing she could think to do rather than drinking the instant stuff they’d had here before. She made herself a drink, needing to be doing something to distract her thoughts from the track they’d previously been on.
‘Getting used to the differences between small and large hospitals. Thirty-eight beds. Thirty-eight beds! I used to see thirty-eight patients on my ward round every morning—or at least it felt that many.’ He grinned at her over his big red coffee-mug which had the words I’MA LOVER AT HEART written on it. Megan turned her back to him. She didn’t want to be affected by his delicious smile or his twinkling eyes.
She was still getting over the discovery that he had a child. She kept telling herself it was none of her business, and it wasn’t. Loughlin McCloud was here to work alongside her as a colleague. That was it. Sure, they lived near each other but she could handle that, too. The hospital had employed him, just as they’d employed her. Her contract would finish in a few months and she’d head somewhere else, and Loughlin would stay here in Kiama. There was nothing more to it than that. If anything, the fact that he was a father would help her maintain her distance. Gorgeous he may be, but he was most definitely out of bounds.
The problem was, though, that in her mind it seemed as though she’d known him a lot longer than she had. She wasn’t sure why but where Loughlin was concerned, it was as though they had met before, even though she knew that wasn’t possible. She’d never been to Scotland and as far as she knew this was his first time in Australia but, then again, she didn’t know that for sure.
They appeared to be on the same wavelength, which was good in a professional capacity but not in a personal one. If she could overcome her ex-fiancé’s betrayal, she could quite easily overcome the fleeting, mild attraction she felt towards her new colleague. She could easily reconstruct the few bricks he’d managed to remove from the protective emotional wall that surrounded her.
Colleagues. Business. Nothing more. And to prove that point, she calmly stirred her coffee and answered his question.
‘A smaller hospital does take a bit of adjusting to. I’ve been here for almost a year and some days I still forget I don’t have all the resources and staffing I was used to in Sydney. On the other hand, parents like Geoff get to spend the night alongside their children and that provides much peace of mind for everyone, especially the younger patients.’
‘Exactly,’ Loughlin agreed wholeheartedly.
A patient’s buzzer sounded and the nurse stood up. ‘I’d better go check that. No doubt it’s Mrs Newbold, probably wanting someone to sit with her for a nice evening chat.’
Within a moment Megan found herself alone in the tearoom with Loughlin. ‘Narissa settled?’
‘She’s doing remarkably well.’
‘Good. Prompt service with a smile, that’s what we provided tonight, Dr Edwards.’
Megan nodded but took a sip of her drink instead of saying anything else. He didn’t say anything either, obviously enjoying his own coffee. She felt the atmosphere in the room start to become a little bit strained, although when she looked at Loughlin to see if he was looking anywhere but at her, she found he had a frothy milk moustache on his top lip and she couldn’t help but smile.
‘What?’
‘You, uh…’ She pointed to her upper lip.
‘What?’
He obviously didn’t understand her. ‘You have, uh…’ Megan cleared her throat, her smile growing wider. It was like telling someone you’d only just met that they had spinach in their teeth or that their shirt buttons were out of alignment—which, she recalled, his had been that morning. ‘You have a little milk moustache.’
‘Oh?’ Loughlin’s eyes were twinkling at her as his tongue slowly snaked out and licked the froth from his lip. ‘Thanks. Wouldn’t want to look like a right twit in front of my new colleagues, now, eh?’
Megan’s only answer was to smile stupidly at him and try harder to ignore the way her heart rate had increased when he’d licked the froth away. He really was sexy.
He could be married, she quickly reminded herself. He had a daughter and she had no right to be thinking of him in this way. She forced herself to look away. ‘You about ready to leave? If not, I can always call for a taxi to take me home.’
‘In a hurry?’ He didn’t move but his eyes were watching her intently.
‘No. No,’ she quickly denied. ‘It’s just been a very full day and there are still some things I need to get done.’
‘Right, then. We’d best see about getting you home then, young Megsy.’
‘Please, don’t call me that,’ she said, repeating the request she’d made the last time he’d called her by the nickname.
‘You don’t like it?’
‘It’s not that.’
‘Then what?’ He watched her for a moment then nodded. ‘Or is it that you don’t like me saying it?’
Quite the contrary, she wanted to say, but knew she wouldn’t. She wasn’t the sort of woman who said those sorts of things to a man, especially to a man she hardly knew. �
��It’s a family name.’
‘Family as in parents?’ He was fishing and he wondered if she’d pick up on it. He knew she wasn’t married because Nicole had mentioned it earlier on that day. That was another thing about small hospitals, everyone knew everyone else’s business. However, if the nickname was from a past relationship, he could understand why she might not want him to use it.
‘Yes, and Jasper.’ She thought of Jasper. ‘Actually, mostly Jasper.’ Her tone was one of amused familiarity.
‘You never told me before. Is Jasper older?’
‘Yes.’
‘Ah…I see you know what it’s like to be the youngest.’
‘Yes, but thankfully I didn’t have to put up with four older brothers, as you had to put up with four older sisters.’ Her smiled widened at the thought. She could imagine a little Loughlin being bossed about by sisters, being dragged into dress and shoe shops. ‘It must have taught you a lot of patience.’
‘Och, aye, and when I was about six, we lived in a house with one bathroom.’ He rolled his eyes and Megan’s smile increased.
‘Well, if that didn’t teach you patience, then I don’t know what will.’
‘Aye.’ He chuckled and the sound washed over her, making her want to hear more. Which was wrong, but right at this moment she pushed the thought to the side. ‘So, your brother Jasper, what does he do?’
‘He’s an orthopaedic surgeon in Parramatta. So is his wife.’
‘And you said he has twin girls?’
‘Yes. They’re absolutely delicious. Lilly and Lola.’
‘Identical?’
‘Yes, but completely different in personality.’
‘You don’t get them confused?’
‘Rarely. They may look the same but they’re both very individual.’
