Charlie’s breathing was shallow, his heart-rate rapid, and his little face was pinched and white. Alison wanted to comfort him and offer reassurance, but she knew that Josh was doing everything possible to pull the child back from the brink.
‘I’ll probably add intravenous magnesium sulphate to the infusion when we have some of the results back,’ Josh told Alison. ‘It’s been shown to be a safe treatment for acute asthma attacks, but we’ll see how he improves in the meantime.’ He turned to the boy’s mother. ‘Mrs Flanagan, it looks as though Charlie’s oxygen level is beginning to rise slightly. That’s a good sign. I doubt we’ll need to intubate him after all, but we’ll keep a close eye on him.’
Alison felt a modicum of relief. Josh had been calm and efficient throughout, and now he began to talk in a soothing tone to the child’s mother, explaining the situation and letting her know what they were doing to combat the illness.
‘We’ll admit him to the children’s ward,’ he told her. ‘If you would like to stay with him, the nurse will arrange for you to have a room close by.’
‘Thank you.’ Charlie’s mother nodded. ‘I’ll stay, of course. I just need to ring my husband and let him know what’s happening. He’s out on a call somewhere, and his boss was trying to get in touch with him.’
Alison was touched by Josh’s gentle manner with the boy and his mother. He managed somehow to instil confidence in the people around him, and she was glad he had come to work with them. He was someone they could trust to lead the team, she was sure.
The nurse, Jenny, came into the treatment room then, and Josh quickly outlined the situation and gave instructions as to how they would manage the boy’s condition.
‘I’ll do that,’ Jenny said. She gave Charlie a reassuring smile and then added, ‘I thought you’d like to know, Josh, Taylor’s hanging about outside the treatment room. He wants a word with you…something about advice on an orthopaedic matter…when you’re not too busy.’ Then she turned to Alison, saying, ‘And you’re in demand as well, Alison. Someone’s been asking to see you. He’s waiting for you by the reception desk.’
Alison frowned. Who might that be? She glanced towards Josh, and he nodded. ‘You go. We’ve finished in here for the moment.’
He moved away from the bedside, and after a last check of the monitors they both took their leave of Charlie and his mother and left the room.
Sure enough, Taylor was waiting outside. ‘What’s wrong, Taylor? I heard you had a problem.’ Josh studied him briefly.
‘Uh, yes. I’m dealing with a particularly nasty shoulder injury,’ Taylor said. ‘I need to know what’s the best way to treat it to preserve the patient’s ability to use the joint in performance sports in the future.’ He looked intently at Josh. ‘That’s your specialist field, isn’t it—orthopaedic problems? I’d appreciate some advice when you have a free moment. I had to act quickly, but I’m not altogether sure I handled things the best way possible. You might be able to help me to put things right.’
Taylor was a lean young man, with soft brown hair that refused to be tamed. He was generally earnest, and eager to get on in his chosen career, and Alison could see that even now he was keen to do his very best for his patient. He wasn’t going to miss any opportunity, and if Josh was the expert he was the man to ask.
Josh nodded. ‘I saw you dealing with a complicated fracture early on. I think you probably did well to save the man’s arm, let alone preserve any superior function, but certainly I’ll come along and take another look. I was going to do that anyway. I know from the cases you’ve dealt with before this that you have the makings of a fine orthopaedic surgeon.’
Alison was astonished. Had he looked through all the case notes from the last week or so? This man was clearly making sure that he knew everything there was to know about the people he was working with and the state of play regarding their skills. He was awesome.
‘I’ll leave you both,’ she said, scooting around the two men who stood in her path. ‘I have to go and see someone.’ She was still curious about her visitor in Reception.
She hurried over. There was only one man standing by the desk, and he had his back to her. Alison came to a sudden standstill. Whatever she might have been expecting, it certainly wasn’t this.
‘Fraser?’
Her brother turned around, his blue eyes widening in a sheepish smile. ‘Hi, Allie.’
She went over to him and gave him a hug. ‘What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be at university until a week before Christmas? Has something happened?’
He gave a nervous laugh. ‘You could say that.’
She stared at him. ‘I think I just did. Perhaps you should tell me what’s going on, Fraser?’
‘Yeah, well, I’m sort of having to get my head around it.’
‘Fraser?’ Her voice showed a hint of impatience. Mildly accepting that she was being given the runaround was not her thing. ‘Out with it.’
‘The thing is, Allie…I’ve been sent down.’
Her eyes widened in shock. ‘You’re joking? This is a joke, right?’
‘Wrong. It’s no joke, I’m afraid.’ He pulled in a deep breath. ‘What I came here for was to ask if I could beg a huge favour. I mean, I know you share a flat with Katie and all that, but do you think you could put me up for a while? The settee would do—or anything, really. It’s just to get me out of a tight spot for a while.’
She gave him a perplexed look. ‘Wouldn’t it be better to go home to Mum and Dad?’
A pained expression crossed his face. ‘They’d go spare,’ he said weakly. ‘Can’t you imagine it? Dad’s blood pressure would shoot sky-high, and Mum would be asking all the whys and wherefores, and then she’d sink to rock bottom and think the world had collapsed. You know how keen they are for me to get this degree. I am, too…my whole future career depends on it. I can’t face them, Allie. Not just yet, anyway. Not until I’ve had time to think about what I’m going to say. Can you picture how this will go down at Christmas? It’ll put a damper on everything. I’m in disgrace. I feel like the black sheep of the family.’
‘Oh, Fraser…Come here. Give me a hug.’
She reached out for him and he put up an elbow to ward her off, squirming away. ‘Give over, Allie. This is a public place.’
She made a wry face. ‘You’re right. I’ll keep my hands to myself. It was a case of hug you or wring your neck, anyway. Best leave well alone.’
Just then Jenny’s voice sounded in her ear. ‘Alison, could I speak to you for a minute, please?’ Jenny hurried over to her, a look of harassment on her face. ‘It’s about young Rees.’
Alison swung around to face her. ‘Yes, of course, Jenny. I’ll be with you in just a second.’ She turned back to her brother. ‘Look, Fraser, why don’t you go along to the hospital cafeteria and get yourself some lunch? I’ll come and find you as soon as I’m free.’
Another wounded look crossed his face. ‘I’m a student, Allie. Or at least I was. I don’t have money for cafeteria lunches.’
‘Sorry.’ She winced. ‘I forgot. Go along to the doctors’ restroom and grab yourself some coffee and generally hang out for a bit. Try to amuse yourself. I’ve no idea how long I’ll be.’
‘Okay.’ He started to do as she suggested, moving off in the direction she pointed out, and Alison turned back to Jenny once more. ‘Sorry about that. What’s the problem?’
‘He’s decided to discharge himself. I caught him getting ready to leave, and I thought you would want to speak to him first. He needs his medication organising for a start, and an appointment to have his stitches removed.’
Alison pulled in a sharp breath. ‘I’ll go and talk to him. Thanks, Jenny.’
By the time she reached the observation ward Rees was fully dressed, except for his shoes.
‘I can’t find my trainers,’ he said, sending her a brief scowl as she walked into his bay. ‘I think that nurse must have put them somewhere.’
‘I’m sure
we’ll find them. Why don’t you sit down for a moment?’
‘You can’t keep me here.’
She nodded. ‘That’s right, and I wouldn’t dream of doing that.’ She studied him. ‘You look much better in yourself. That’s good.’
‘So where are my shoes?’
‘I’ll ask the nurse to look for them as soon as she comes back from treating her patient.’
Finally he sat down on the edge of the bed, and she couldn’t help thinking he looked like a coiled spring, ready to shoot off at any moment.
‘I’m worried that you won’t have anywhere to go when you leave here, Rees. You haven’t been in touch with your parents, have you?’
He didn’t answer, and she went on softly, ‘I’m not going to pry into what kind of troubles might have caused you to leave home—unless, of course, you want to talk to me about that—but I do want you to know that there are people who can help you.’
Still he remained silent, and she added in a careful tone, ‘I have a friend who runs an agency that helps young people…runaways, mostly…who need help with finding somewhere to stay. The agency runs hostels that have accommodation where you would be able to stay alongside other boys of your age. Sometimes they can put in a word for you with training organisations or employers. I know Jack, my friend, has worked hard to enrol youngsters on work training courses.’
She gave him a searching look, wondering if any of what she was saying was having an effect on him, but his face was closed, as though he was shutting her out.
‘I’ve met some of the boys who live in the hostels,’ she told him. ‘Some of them have been at a hostel for a couple of years and they’ve managed to turn their lives around. Others have stayed there for a month or so, and then left to go and stay with friends or be reunited with their families. They all found that it helped them to get back on their feet. Sometimes it just helps to be able to talk over your worries with someone.’
‘Have you known this person—Jack—for a long time?’ Rees was looking down at the bedcovers, plucking at the sheet with his fingers, but he gave her a brief, surreptitious glance. ‘Why would he put himself out to help people?’
‘He was in trouble himself at one time, several years ago.’ Alison gave a faint smile. ‘He knows what it’s like to have problems at home, and when he came through it all he made up his mind that he would help others to sort their lives out.’
‘How do you know he would want to help me?’
‘Because I asked him.’
Rees’s eyes widened. ‘You’ve already set this up? Why would you do that?’ He sounded angry and defensive all at the same time.
‘No, I haven’t,’ she said hurriedly. ‘I promise you I wouldn’t do anything without your permission. I just told him that I know someone who seems to have a problem and asked him if he might be able to help in any way.’
Rees subsided. ‘So I don’t have to see him? He isn’t waiting outside, or anything like that?’
‘No, he isn’t. He’s at work, getting on with his job, but I asked him if he would come and talk to you if you agreed. He said he would. In fact, if you prefer, I could give him a call and you could talk to him on my phone. I’ll leave you alone while you do that, if you like? Whatever you say to him will be in confidence. Just remember, you don’t have to agree to anything.’
He didn’t speak for a while, but stared into space, mulling things over. Then he ventured in a quiet voice, ‘Will you get into trouble for doing this?’
‘Trouble?’ Her brows shot up. ‘No. Why do you ask? What makes you think that way?’
His shoulders hunched once more. ‘Your boss said you were a real softie. He said you went out of your way to put things right that weren’t really your problem…like seeing to it that those bikers were looked after, and making sure that I had somewhere to stay last night. He said your job was to help people to get well, and you were taking a risk by stepping over the mark.’
‘Did he really? Well, that’s an eye-opener, isn’t it?’ She frowned. ‘I don’t know why he said all that to you, but I promise you everything is fine. My boss was perfectly happy for you to stay here last night. I hope he didn’t make you think otherwise? That isn’t the reason you’re so anxious to leave, is it?’
‘No.’ Rees shook his head. ‘He said I should listen to what you said, because you were going out on a limb for me.’
‘Oh, I see.’ She frowned. ‘Believe me, you don’t have to worry on my account, Rees. I just want to do whatever I can for you, and make sure that you’re safe when you leave here.’ She studied him thoughtfully for a while. ‘Would you like me to give Jack a ring?’
Slowly, he nodded. ‘Okay.’
A few minutes later Alison left the room, closing the door behind her and leaving Rees to talk to Jack. She had no idea what might come of their conversation, but for now she had done all that she could.
She had a bone to pick with Josh, though. So she was out on a limb, was she? Overstepping the mark, he had said. He seemed to think he had her all worked out. Perhaps in the rarefied atmosphere of his ivory tower in the Upper Regent Street clinic he commanded all he surveyed, and everything was done to order in an expedient and profitable fashion.
She gave a brief, taut smile. That wasn’t how things worked around here, and he surely had a major lesson coming his way. He’d find things were a lot more rough and ready in the lower echelons of Northern Mount Hospital’s A&E department, wouldn’t he? Here, people mattered for who they were, not what they could afford.
Chapter Four
‘THINGS haven’t been quite the same with Josh away from A&E for these last couple of days, have they?’ Katie said, sinking back into her chair and taking a sip from a glass of white wine.
The sitting room was cosy, with golden flames flickering in the hearth and soft amber light pooling from delicately curved wall lamps and an illuminated display cabinet on the far side of the room.
‘I was just getting used to having him around and then suddenly he wasn’t there any more. I’m feeling quite letdown about it.’
‘I wouldn’t get all dreamy-eyed over him if I were you.’ Sam leaned forward from the settee and picked out a handful of nuts from a dish on the coffee table. ‘I heard he doesn’t go in for serious long-term relationships.’
Alison was standing by the bureau, busy flicking through their selection of films on DVD just then, but Sam’s words made her pause for thought. Was that true? Josh could be businesslike and efficient, but at the same time he exuded a casually friendly manner that appeared to encompass everyone. Except, of course, when he decided to take issue with her over various matters.
Like when she’d lent her phone to Rees. ‘Are you mad?’ he’d said. ‘Didn’t it occur to you that he might take off with it?’ He had looked at her as though she’d taken leave of her senses.
‘You are such a cynic,’ she had told him, but his opinion had been reinforced when he’d learnt that her brother was going to stay with her for a few days. His brows had shot skywards.
‘Won’t that cause all manner of problems?’ he’d remarked. ‘After all, you did say you were living in a poky little flat. Surely he can find the courage to go home and explain things to your parents?’
‘He’s my brother, and he’ll be staying with me no matter what problems that might cause,’ she’d said.
Alison refocused as Katie responded to Sam’s comment. Katie arched her brows. ‘Does that matter? After all, I’m not asking for commitment—just a few weeks of sampling life in the fast lane. Have you seen that place where he works in private practice? It looks like a building straight out of Harley Street, all symmetrical Regency frontage and wrought-iron balustrades. The upper storeys have lovely Georgian-type doors that open out on to balconies and more wrought iron.’ She sighed. ‘I heard he has a penthouse apartment above the consulting rooms.’
Alison gave her a long, commiserating look. ‘Poor Katie. You’re well and truly hooked, aren’t you?’ She smiled. �
��Anyway, perhaps it’s not as perfect as you imagine. Maybe the inside of the building doesn’t match up to the rest.’ Her gaze clouded momentarily. And perhaps Josh was not all that he seemed.
‘Oh, but it does.’ Katie’s eyes sparked with energy. ‘My aunt Annie went to see one of the doctors there. She said the place was sumptuous inside.’
‘Really?’ Alison came out of her brief reverie. She couldn’t help but think Katie was in danger of getting carried away. ‘Well, remember what Sam said. It sounds as though you’ll be asking for trouble if you let yourself fall for our new boss.’
Taylor nodded agreement. ‘I went out with a girl who dated him some time ago. She said he didn’t go in for anything more than casual arrangements.’
‘It makes no difference. I don’t care.’ Katie tossed her head in defiance. ‘As if any of you male creatures are looking for permanence and stability. Ask Alison. She knows all about fickle, dastardly men.’ She glanced towards Fraser, who was hunched up on a corner of the sofa, listening to music through his headphones. ‘I’m not including you,’ she said. ‘You’re too young to be thinking that way.’
Fraser looked at her blankly, his mind far away with the latest chart sounds. He’d settled in well enough over the last day or so, but he’d retreated into a world of his own.
‘Perhaps I expected too much,’ Alison murmured. ‘I was brought up to value firm bonds and everlasting love, but maybe my family was the exception. I’ve come to think that maybe what I’m looking for doesn’t exist.’
‘Oh, I don’t know about that,’ Taylor said on a musing note. ‘I’ve always thought that maybe one day the right person will come along. I’m going to keep an open mind on that one.’
‘That’s because basically you’re a steady kind of guy,’ Katie conceded, giving him a sisterly kind of smile. ‘You’re a one-off…But even that doesn’t stop you from going after every reasonably attractive girl who crosses your path.’ She drank the rest of her wine and smoothly unfurled herself from the deep armchair, sliding her empty glass on to the table. ‘Anyway, I’m not going to change my mind—no matter what you say.’ She went over to join Alison by the bureau and began to rummage through the selection of DVDs. ‘He’s gorgeous, and none of you are going to put me off. If he so much as looks my way with just a hint of interest, his future’s sealed.’
Hot-Shot Doc, Christmas Bride / Christmas At Rivercut Manor Page 5
