Hot-Shot Doc, Christmas Bride / Christmas At Rivercut Manor

by Joanna Neil / Gill Sanderson

‘Tom…you’re unbelievable,’ Alison gasped, not knowing whether to laugh or be shocked. ‘Josh and I simply work together. You sound just like my father, checking out everyone I’m with.’

  ‘Well, if your father doesn’t live around here he can’t be expected to know what’s going on, can he? And your brother has problems of his own right now. So you have to rely on your friends to look out for you.’

  Alison shook her head, and then glanced at Josh to see if he was disturbed by Tom’s comments. It appeared that he wasn’t. He was calmly eating cake as though nothing untoward was going on. He paused only to wipe crumbs from his mouth with a serviette.

  ‘Of course I’ll treat her well,’ he said, and Alison gave him an incredulous stare. Why wasn’t he denying any involvement with her? ‘Besides,’ he tacked on, ‘how could I do otherwise when she has you and the two young men from next door watching over her? I wouldn’t put it past her brother to keep an eye on me, either. He gave me the once-over when we met back at the hospital. Believe me, I wouldn’t dare put a foot wrong.’

  Alison glared at him, but he simply laughed, and to make matters worse Tom was beginning to look smug, as though all was well in hand.

  ‘Take no notice of Tom,’ Martha said, coming over to the table with a tray, laden with a teapot and cups and saucers. ‘He always tramples in with his hobnail boots. Nothing I say ever makes any difference. In he goes—clomp, clomp, clomp.’

  Jason and Rachel came in from the sitting room. ‘Is it time for Chaser’s medicine?’ Rachel asked. ‘He’s still poorly. His tail’s not wagging at all, no matter how we stroke him or talk to him.’

  Martha glanced at the clock on the wall. ‘I’ll give him another spoonful and see how he gets on. Sit down and have some cake.’

  Rachel went to hug her father first, and Jason followed, graciously submitting to his father ruffling his hair. Then they joined the group at the table and began to talk all at once about the fate that had befallen their new pet.

  ‘He was eating stuff from the compost heap this morning,’ Jason said. ‘Yuk. That can’t have done him any good, can it?’

  ‘I think he was ill because he ate the shrub from out of the sink garden,’ Rachel told her father. ‘We found it in bits on the patio.’

  Tom raised his eyes heavenward. ‘I nurtured that plant,’ he said. ‘I fed it, watered it, and finally it sprouted a few green leaves. Now what’s left of it after Chomper managed to get his teeth round it?’

  ‘His name’s Chaser, Dad.’ Jason wasn’t about to let his father win the battle of the names. ‘Chaser. As soon as he’s better he’ll be running around after us, like before.’

  ‘Chaser, Chomper—Destruction on Legs is what I call him.’ There was a half-smile on Tom’s lips as he said it, but Jason prepared himself to launch a protest on behalf of the dog. Rachel sidled up to her mother, and Martha draped a comforting arm about her daughter.

  Alison wondered what Josh was making of all this. He must live a vastly different life from the haphazard interplay that went on in this loving family. Did he prefer living a life of luxury in his fabulous penthouse apartment?

  The look in his eyes caught her off guard, though. He was quietly watching the scene unfold in front of him, and there was a bleakness about his expression, a haunted look that she couldn’t fathom.

  It made her stop and think for a while. There was surely way more to her new boss than she could ever have imagined, and, strangely, she realised that she was curious to know more about him. Was he really alone and invincible in his elite world?

  ‘I think I’ll go and take another look at Chaser.’ Josh pushed back his chair and stood up. ‘It’s all right,’ he said, putting up a hand when Martha and Tom would have followed suit. ‘You stay here and drink your tea. I’ll keep an eye on him for a few minutes.’

  Alison went with him. She sensed that the family needed to be alone for a while, to talk about Tom’s efforts to find work at the factory and generally to unite after a difficult day. The children needed solace after the puppy’s unfortunate illness, and their parents were the best ones to give it to them.

  In the sitting room, Chaser was still a sorry sight. He lay on his blanket, stressed and uncomfortable, his face swollen and wretched. ‘Poor lad,’ Josh murmured, kneeling down and running a hand lightly over the dog’s flanks. ‘It’ll take time for the effects of whatever you’ve eaten to wear off, but at least you’re not any worse than you were before.’

  ‘That’s something to be thankful for, isn’t it?’ Alison knelt down beside Josh.

  He glanced at her and nodded. ‘He’s lucky that he has so many people who care about him.’

  ‘That’s true. They’re a solid family unit, aren’t they? No matter what troubles they seem to have. There’s something to be said for family ties, isn’t there?’

  ‘I suppose.’ He turned his attention back to the dog, laying a hand over the area of his heart to check the rhythm.

  ‘Do you have any family locally?’ She studied him as he tended to the dog.

  ‘Some. My parents don’t live too far away, and I have a sister, Michelle, at the university in the next county. She’s studying pharmacy there. She’s a little older than her fellow students, because she worked for a while in research before deciding on a change of career.’

  ‘That’s a coincidence,’ Alison said in astonishment. ‘I imagine she must know Fraser. He’s at the same university, studying the very same thing.’ She broke off, frowning. ‘Or at least he was…until they sent him home.’

  He smiled briefly. ‘It’s a small world.’

  ‘Yes, it is.’ Her glance was curious. ‘You mentioned stepsisters and stepbrothers? It sounds as though you have quite a number of relatives. It must make for happy family get-togethers around this time of year.’

  He sat back on his heels and shook his head. ‘I’m not so sure about that. I tend to avoid those sorts of occasions wherever possible.’

  ‘You’re not serious, are you?’ She frowned. ‘Why would you want to do that? Is there a problem in your family?’ Then she backed off, suddenly aware that she might have crossed a line. ‘Maybe I’m treading where I shouldn’t? I don’t mean to be intrusive. I just can’t imagine how it must be not to have the support of your family behind you.’

  ‘That’s because you live in a fantasy world where all is happiness and deep feeling. Don’t get me wrong…I’m sure it is that way for a great many people, and my own parents are wonderful, caring individuals. They stand behind me and my sister in everything we do. It isn’t that way for everyone, though. Take young Rees from the hospital, for example. Why do you think he ended up going to stay in a hostel? It wasn’t because he was surrounded by the milk of human kindness, was it?’

  She lifted her chin. ‘You obviously have a warped view of life, and I feel sorry that you should see things that way. I love being with my family…even sharing my cramped living accommodation with my brother.’ Her mouth flattened. ‘I’m just sorry that Fraser has landed himself in trouble.’

  ‘It’s a pity he can’t bring himself to tell your parents what’s wrong, don’t you think? What does that say about these happy families you’re so keen on?’

  ‘Fraser’s going to talk to my parents soon.’ She sent him an indignant glare. ‘I’m sure they’ll understand. He just wants to try to sort things out first, rather than upset them. He’s hoping that he can persuade the university authorities that it’s not a crime to set up a study group on the internet and exchange notes and information.’

  He gave her a doubtful look. ‘Maybe they thought he was cheating?’

  ‘My brother doesn’t cheat. He has no need to do that. He thought he was setting up something on the lines of a tutorial or homework group. Of course now they’re threatening him with expulsion, and that means he might not be able to complete his degree.’

  She let her gaze run over him, taking in the hard line of his jaw and the stiff set of his shoulders. They were clearly opposites in
both point of view and temperament.

  ‘Rees’s situation is entirely different. He was unfortunate,’ she said. ‘He’s a troubled young man, and I’d dearly like to get to the bottom of what’s hurting him. That’s why I’m planning on keeping in touch with him.’

  ‘Hah.’ The word was a mild explosion of triumph. ‘Well, there we have it, don’t we? You’re taking on far too much, getting involved with all and sundry, and in the end it will prove too much for you—mark my words. You need to keep a part of you separate from the job, or in the end it will overwhelm you. You can’t take on the troubles of the world. No one can.’

  Her mouth was set in a firm line. ‘That’s where you’re wrong. I’ll do my best, at least, to offer help where I’m able.’ She studied him once more, watching the way his hand rested lightly on the dog’s trembling body, as though to offer a modicum of comfort. ‘Besides,’ she murmured, her gaze softening, ‘how can you imply that I’m being over-emotional and that I care too much when you stay behind to watch over a family pet that isn’t even your own?’

  He gave a wry grin. ‘Ah, there you have me. I didn’t say I was without feelings, did I? And they do say a dog is a man’s best friend.’

  She gave him a mock pitying look. ‘As Katie put it the other day…you’re a sad soul, Josh.’

  ‘You’re probably right.’ He was smiling as he got to his feet. ‘Talking of Katie, that reminds me that I ought to take those papers over to Taylor. Or maybe he’ll be in the middle of something by now, and I’ll risk disturbing him?’

  ‘I’m sure it will be all right for you to go next door. Besides, Katie won’t forgive me if I let you go without dropping in,’ Alison said bluntly. ‘She thinks you’re chocolate and wine and exotic spices all rolled into one. But I’m warning you—tread carefully with her. She’s my best friend, and if you break her heart I shan’t forgive you.’

  His expression was a pure treat. There was surprise there, humour, and a glint of something that Alison couldn’t begin to read.

  ‘I wouldn’t dream of upsetting her in any way,’ he said softly. ‘After all, I really want, more than anything, to stay in your good books.’

  She was still stinging from his remarks about happy families. ‘You could have fooled me,’ she said.

  Chapter Five

  ‘THIS poor man ran out of luck when he left home this morning, didn’t he?’ Katie said, frowning as she studied the ultrasound image on the screen. ‘I’d imagine he stepped out into the road the same as he did every day, but today there was a car and now his pelvis is smashed to pieces.’

  ‘It only takes a moment’s lack of concentration.’ Josh’s expression was grim. His finger traced a line over the image. ‘There’s the iliac fracture…and we can see a tear in the liver, along with free fluid in the abdomen, so we know he’s haemorrhaging. I don’t believe the liver injury is sufficient to account for the persistent tachycardia, though. We need to look for something else that might be causing it.’

  He turned towards Alison. ‘Let’s get him up to Angiography right away, and see if we can do something to change his fortunes.’

  She nodded. ‘I’ll give them a call and tell them to prepare for the patient.’

  ‘Good. Then both of you should scrub in. We need to do this fast.’

  The next hour or so was an anxious time for all of them. Josh’s patient was losing a lot of blood, and when they started the angiography, looking closely at the state of his blood vessels, the picture was not good.

  ‘His blood pressure’s falling,’ Alison said anxiously, checking the monitor.

  Josh continued the painstaking process of progressing the catheter through the arteries, while Alison and Katie monitored the patient’s condition.

  ‘I believe I’ve found the source,’ Josh said after a while. ‘His pudendal artery is leaking, and the iliac artery is cut right across. I’ll do a coil embolisation of the transected artery. Hopefully that will stop the bleeding.’ He looked at Katie. ‘You can help with that. Alison, will you prepare a gelfoam patch for the pudendal artery?’

  They worked together to stabilise their patient. Time was running out for him, and Alison couldn’t bear to think of this young man being cut down in his prime. He was barely in his mid-twenties.

  Josh applied the patch to the torn blood vessel, carefully securing it in place and testing its viability, while Alison held her breath.

  She checked the screen as he worked, and marvelled at his composure. His fingers moved with deft precision, guiding the instruments and sealing off all the leaks he found.

  Soon the circulatory flow began to normalise. ‘Blood pressure’s rising,’ Alison said. ‘Heart-rate’s still one-twenty.’

  ‘That should stabilise soon. We’ll finish up here now,’ Josh said. ‘We’ve done all we can for the moment.’

  Some time later, when he had ensured all was in order, he finally moved away from the operating table. ‘Katie, take him along to the recovery room, will you? And notify the intensive care unit that they need to prepare for him.’

  ‘Will do.’ Katie checked the patient’s vital signs. ‘So far, so good.’ She sent Josh a look that was pure hero-worship. ‘You did a great job. So smooth…so calm.’

  ‘Thanks.’ He gave her a brief smile and a mock bow, but he was already heading for the door, probably thinking about the next task ahead.

  ‘You can see why they wanted him here, even if it is for just a small part of the week,’ Alison said, watching him leave. She was full of admiration for the way Josh worked. Taylor had commented that he was an orthopaedic specialist, but as a vascular surgeon he was second to none.

  Back down in A&E, the atmosphere was considerably lighter now that the most urgent cases had been dealt with and were under control. No one would dare say the words, ‘At last it’s quietened down in here,’ for fear of opening the floodgates to a torrent of emergencies, but someone had switched on the radio, and people were humming Christmas carols along with the programme being broadcast throughout the hospital.

  The only event to disturb the general good humour came about when the Christmas work schedules were pinned to the noticeboard.

  ‘Looks as though you’re going to be working on Christmas morning, Alison,’ Sam said, as he handed out warm doughnuts he’d brought in from the local bakery. ‘I suppose you have the head of department to thank for that.’

  Alison pulled a face. ‘At least I should be finished by lunchtime, so there’s a good chance I’ll be able to sit down with the family for Christmas dinner. It won’t be so bad. They usually have Christmas music playing on the radio, and people generally try to keep things upbeat.’

  Sam nodded. ‘And you won’t be on your own here. Josh is going to be working, too. I heard he’d volunteered for that one.’

  Alison was surprised to hear that. The bosses were usually a rare sight in the hospital at that particular time of year. Looking at Josh, she raised her brows.

  ‘That’s right, I did,’ Josh commented, coming to stand alongside them and helping himself to a doughnut. His shirtsleeves were rolled back to reveal lightly bronzed forearms. ‘Sooner that than have some family man on duty, missing out on the great day. Most would prefer to stay home and see their children open their presents.’

  ‘And he’s even agreed to do a slot on the radio,’ Sam added, ‘sending out goodwill messages to all the children who don’t get to go home. See—he does have a heart, after all.’ Sam grinned. ‘I knew it was in there somewhere.’

  Alison brushed sugar crystals from her mouth and stared at Josh in astonishment. ‘Is it true?’

  ‘That I have a heart?’ Josh felt around his chest in various places, as though to reassure himself of the fact, and then gave a nod of relief. ‘I’m devastated that you should think otherwise.’ He contrived to look wounded, but failed miserably when he took another bite from his doughnut.

  ‘That you’re doing the radio show.’ Alison’s voice held an edge of impatience. ‘I thought
you were dead set against it.’

  ‘I wasn’t really. I just had other things on my mind at the time. But when I gave it some thought I decided, why not? Hopefully it’ll cheer people up, and I don’t particularly have anything better to do.’

  She slanted him a perplexed look as they moved towards the writing-up area in the annexe. Both she and Josh needed to commandeer a computer and add comments to the digital files.

  Sam moved on, taking his box of doughnuts towards the reception area, where he paused to chat up the pretty desk clerk.

  ‘I think that’s so sad,’ she murmured, accessing the patient’s notes on the computer and giving Josh a fleeting, sideways glance. ‘I mean, it’s lovely that you’ve offered to help out, but to actually prefer to do that rather than be at home on such a special day seems like an awful shame.’ She let her gaze run over him, taking in his clear, all-seeing grey eyes and lingering on the proud jut of his jawline. What must have happened to him to make him feel that way?

  He shrugged. ‘We can’t all live in domestic bliss, can we? Life would be dull and boring if that were the case, wouldn’t it?’

  ‘Now you’re being facetious.’ She pinned him with a laser look. ‘I’ve noticed you do that when you want to hide away your inner thoughts.’

  His mouth softened a fraction. ‘Maybe you’re right.’ He sighed, rubbing his hands lightly in a scissor motion to shake off the residue of sugar left there by the doughnut.

  He started to key in his own notes on the second computer. ‘Christmas was fine until I was about seven years old. It was around that time that I stopped believing in Santa Claus, and all the good things about the holiday season seemed to disintegrate.’

  His gaze took on a faraway look, as though he was back in the past, living through that time all over again. ‘My parents had been at one another’s throats the whole year, and by Christmas Eve things came to a head. They had an almighty row—one to end all rows—and the next day you could have cut the tension in the air with a knife. Of course they tried to make the best of the day for my sister and me, but it didn’t work. We played along, but we knew things were bad and that worse was to come.’