And then there was Mike. She knew she was loved, knew he loved her. But she just couldn't show it. And she also knew that Mike was as terrified as she was. She wanted to reach out to him, to give him comfort and take it from him. But she couldn't. And at the moment he seemed to have more work on than usual, was preoccupied with something. Well, time would tell.
The operation was scheduled for two o'clock on Friday afternoon. Jenny was asked to go into hospital on Thursday evening for pre-op observations and preparations. Mike came in with her. She was given a side ward to herself again. Quite early—and very properly—the sister came in and shooed Mike out.
'I'll see you tomorrow morning?' Jenny asked anxiously. 'You will call in?'
Mike smiled. 'Oh, yes. You'll certainly see me tomorrow morning.'
Jenny was given a sedative and went to sleep quickly.
She had no breakfast, of course, and nothing to drink as she was going to have a general anaesthetic. But a smiling nurse came in and helped her wash, gave her something to rinse out her mouth. Then she seemed to spend rather a lot of time tidying the room, smoothing the sheets and so on. And something seemed to be amusing her. Jenny just tried to concentrate on her book.
Jenny frowned. There seemed to be something of a ruckus outside her room. There were more footsteps than there should have been, the murmur of voices. What was going on? Finally the nurse glanced at her watch.
'I must be going,' she said. 'I hope it's all wonderful for you.'
Wonderful? An odd word to use about an operation. The nurse gave a conspiratorial grin, opened the door and slipped out.
The door remained open. Casually, Jenny looked up—and her mouth opened with astonishment. There was Mike—but in full morning dress? He looked magnificent. Dark trousers, a light grey frock coat, a rich red cravat over a gleaming white shirt.
'What the...?' asked Jenny.
He stepped into the room, bent to kiss her. 'This will be the shortest engagement in history,' he said. 'I already know you want to marry me so I'm not going to waste time asking you.'
He took her unresisting hand and on her third finger slipped the jade and diamond ring she had so much liked in the jewellery shop.
'Now we're engaged, we can get married. This will have to be in a bit of a hurry, I gather you've got some business this afternoon.'
'Mike, we can't get married here and now! It's just not possible.'
She recognised the expression on his face at once. Mike Donovan was going to have what he wanted—and no one had better get in the way!
'Oh, yes, it is possible. Now, we can have another ceremony later in a church, and get some official piece of paper and have a big party afterwards. But we're getting married right now! The hospital chaplain, the Reverend Madeleine Hall, is a lovely woman. I went to see her, explained the problem, and she says she can perform the full service for us—she just can't do the official paperwork at such short notice.'
'So we won't quite really be married?'
'Yes, we will. Not in the eyes of the law perhaps, but certainly in the eyes of everyone who matters. That's you, me and all our friends and family.'
He kissed her again. 'See you in ten minutes.' And he was gone.
Into the room trooped Sue and Lucy Stephens and Maria Wyatt, two of her favourite ex-students. All were giggling. They looked elegant, wore hats, expensive outfits, corsages. Behind them came Linda, the girl at the salon who did Jenny's hair. And over Sue's arms was draped a length of white silk.
'This is the wedding dress you picked,' Sue said. 'Remember, when we looked at that parade in that store? They had it in your size. So out of bed and we'll help you on with it. And Linda here has come to fix your hair and make-up. Can't have a bare-faced bride, can we?'
'What's happening?' asked the bewildered Jenny.
'You're getting married. Happiest day of a girl's life. Well, it was for me and it will be for you.'
'But he hasn't asked me! I haven't said yes! He just charged in and put the ring on my finger!' Jenny looked down at her hand and said absently, 'But it's nice, isn't it?'
'You can't change your mind now,' said Sue, conveniently ignoring the fact that Jenny hadn't made it up in the first place. 'All the arrangements have been made. And if anyone can make you happy it's my little brother. You love him, don't you?'
'Well, yes,' said Jenny. 'But I thought—'
'Off with that nightie,' said Sue. 'And, Maria, can you fetch in the flowers?'
It was a wedding dress for walking down an aisle, but it didn't look too bad in a wheelchair. And Mike had said that she could have another ceremony later. She was quickly eased out of bed, the dress put on her. Then Linda wrapped a sheet around her shoulders and fixed her hair and make-up. Then the cap and veil. Lucy fetched a large mirror.
'You look absolutely gorgeous,' Sue said, a quiver in her voice.
'I know,' said Jenny. Well, she did look gorgeous.
Outside she could hear the shuffling of more feet, the murmur of more voices. She seemed to be carried along by a force she couldn't recognise, as if she had no will of her own. Then she realised she rather liked it. Then she realised something else. The blackness of the previous few days had left her. She was her own self again.
'I'm matron of honour,' Sue said, 'and Maria and Lucy are your two bridesmaids. We're filtering things a bit, feminine solidarity and all that. I'm also going to give you away. Well, why not? Sam's outside, he's not quite sure about his page boy outfit but he's getting used to it.' She handed Jenny a bouquet. 'These are your flowers. Now we can start. Reverend, we're ready!'
Jenny had met Madeleine Hall before and very much liked her. She was always ready to come to comfort patients, occasionally had baptised a child when the parents had wanted it done at once. Now she walked into the room, a beaming smile on her face. She was wearing her vestments.
'You've no idea how much I enjoy weddings,' she told Jenny. 'Especially when I'm in charge. I was so pleased when Mike came to see me, told me that you'd made up your mind.'
'He did it for me,' said Jenny.
'Now, I'm afraid I've got to make you understand. This is not a legal wedding; it's a ceremony of blessing. But we'll use the complete wedding service, and as far as I’m concerned you'll be married in God's eyes—and in your own. Are you ready?'
Jenny closed her eyes for a moment. Then she opened them and said, 'I'm ready.'
Sue went to the door, signalled. And Mike walked in again.
Jenny thought her heart would burst with love.
He'd done all this for her! Now she knew why he'd seemed so preoccupied over the past two days, why she'd seen so little of him. And it was so like him! Cut red tape. Go for what you want. And she knew now that it was what she wanted too.
He walked to her, looked down at her. She lifted her veil and he bent to kiss her cheek.
'I took a risk,' he said, 'but I wanted to make you happy.'
'I'm happy,' she told him. 'Happier than I've been in months.'
'In that case, meet my best man and your pageboy.'
Behind Mike was Harry, looking incredibly smart in his uniform and carrying a now happy Sam in white shirt, velvet shorts and a black bow tie.
'If you'd like to stand in front of me,' said Madeleine.
Then the room filled with more people than Jenny could have imagined it holding. There were Mr Spenser and Professor Dunkel, both in scrubs. There were nurses from the wards, her students. There were people from the university.
'Dearly beloved,' Madeleine began, 'we are gathered here together...'
Jenny had been to weddings before, knew the service as well as anyone. But as she listened to those familiar words, they became new again and magic.
'To love and honour... With this ring I thee wed...'
It was a short service but she loved it. He had picked the wedding ring, plain and simple, she liked that too. And he had bought her a ring to give to him. That was clever of him, she thought. How had he known that she'd want
him to wear her ring?
'I pronounce you man and wife,' Madeleine said. 'You may kiss the bride.'
Mike kissed her. She was married.
Then the nurse in charge bustled in, a grin on her face. 'Right, this is a hospital, not a chapel. All of you out, Dr Donovan, you can spend a five-minute honeymoon with your wife. Then you're out too.'
Cheerfully, the crowd started to move out. Sue bent over Jenny. 'Your corsage,' she whispered. 'Pull the rubber band off and it'll split in two.'
'So?'
'You've got two unmarried bridesmaids. I arranged it specially.'
Jenny smiled. She pulled off the band, separated the two parts of the corsage. 'Lucy, Maria,' she called.
Her bridesmaids turned, each caught the expertly thrown flowers. 'You'll be next,' Jenny threatened.
And then she was alone with Mike.
'You always get your own way,' she whispered to him.
'Not my way. Our way. I wanted you to have this operation knowing that I'd be waiting for you, however it goes. And I'm the happiest man on earth right now.'
He kissed her again. 'I'll be waiting for you, Mrs Donovan,' he said.
Two nurses came in when he left, carefully helped her off with the dress and then washed and prepped her. This was something she had done herself, she knew the procedure. But time now seemed to pass like a dream. An operation—no trouble. Mike would be waiting for her afterwards.
The anaesthetist came in to see her, did his own checks and seemed quite happy. Then there was the ride to the theatre on a trolley. She saw Mike in the corridor, managed to wave to him.
The theatre anteroom. The IV was connected. And then instant blackness.
Jenny came swimming back to consciousness. There were people around her but she'd rather go back to sleep. Perhaps she ought to tell someone. She was going to have an anaesthetic and it hadn't worked.
'I'm still awake,' she mumbled. 'I can't go into Theatre yet.'
Softly, a voice said, 'You've been to Theatre. It's all done.'
Slowly, she woke up.
He was by her bed. Mike. She was married to him now. He took her hand, slipped two rings onto her finger. She'd had to take them off for the operation but she wanted them back on now.
His voice was apparently careless.
'Love you, sweetheart,' he said. 'I've been out to the travel agents, got a couple of ideas for our honeymoon. In a month or two. I thought we might go to Argentina.'
'Why Argentina?'
'It'll be carnival time. People dance every night. In the streets, in their homes, in hotels.'
'Dancing?'
'Try to wriggle your toes.' She did. And she could!
'I've just talked to Professor Dunkel and Mr Spenser. It went well. In four months' time you'll be working, walking, running, dancing. Fancy that, Mrs Donovan?'
'I fancy anything with you,' she said.
She was drowsy; she knew she was going to sleep again. But she felt his gentle kiss. And as her eyes closed, she smiled. Her future would be so happy—with Mike.
Other Titles by Gill Sanderson
For more information about Gill Sanderson
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Published by Accent Press Ltd – 2015
ISBN: 9781783753659
Copyright © Gill Sanderson 2015
The right of Gill Sanderson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The story contained within this book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be copied, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers: Accent Press, Ty Cynon House, Navigation Park, Aberycnon,, CF45 4SN
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