The Outback Doctor

by Lucy Clark

  Sure, she was grateful that Dave had come to look after her and she really appreciated it, but to let the man almost kiss her? Was she insane? Dave was dangerous and she’d known it from the first moment she’d seen him. Dangerous, at least, to her own equilibrium.

  She reluctantly turned the taps off and took her time towelling herself dry. He was waiting for her to finish her shower before he left, to make sure she didn’t have any relapses of the cramps or fever.

  Rose once more had been grateful as her muscles were still quite weak, but she was feeling better than she had half an hour ago. Half an hour ago when Dave had almost kissed her!

  ‘Keep it light. Keep it professional,’ she told her reflection, before pulling on underwear and a cotton summer dress. ‘The man is dangerous.’ She combed her hair back, glad to be looking more herself. ‘Dangerous, and don’t you forget that.’

  She still remembered the look in his face when she’d asked him to leave the door to the en suite open but to close the door to the bedroom. His gaze had skimmed her body quickly, a puzzled frown on his face.

  ‘I’m not good in confined spaces,’ she’d added by way of explanation. In fact, it had taken her years to be in a room with a door closed—or in a car without feeling mildly claustrophobic.

  He’d nodded, still looking confused, but had acceded to her wishes. She sat on the bed for a few minutes, realising how weak she felt. Just to shower and dress had knocked the stuffing out of her.

  Taking a deep breath, she stood and walked to the family room where she thought Dave might be waiting. He wasn’t there. She listened for a moment but couldn’t hear anything. Had he gone? Perhaps once he’d heard the water stop, he’d left. She felt a momentary sense of loss at the thought and then a flood of relief. If he’d left, then she wouldn’t have to worry about facing him right now, especially after that intense moment before she’d stopped the kiss.

  Heading into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea, Rose stopped short in the doorway when she saw him standing with his back to her, looking out the window over the sink. Her stomach contracted, and it had nothing to do with the food poisoning. Her mouth went dry and she instinctively put a hand out to lean on the bench as she felt her knees go weak.

  His shoulders were broad beneath the striped cotton shirt he wore. She knew from before that it would be unbuttoned, revealing a white T-shirt that was half tucked into his navy shorts. The front of the T-shirt was snug and defined his torso as though it was moulded to it.

  His legs were lean and long, indicating he worked out often, although he didn’t strike her as the gym type. She wondered if he helped his brother on the farm. His dark brown hair was ruffled and as his fingers combed through it again, Rose itched to follow the movement with her own hands.

  She closed her eyes and shook her head, desperate to control her wayward thoughts. What had got into her? She was behaving very out of character and she knew it was all because of Dave. Dave, whose surname she still didn’t know.

  ‘Are you all right?’

  At the sound of his voice, Rose opened her eyes, only to find that he’d moved and was standing in front of her, his arm coming out to steady her. Rose forced her legs to support her weight and moved out of his reach.

  ‘I’m fine. Thank you.’ She added a smile, realising the words had come out brisk and dismissive.

  ‘You’re a liar,’ he contradicted. ‘I can see perfectly well that you’re not up to standing for too long.’ He ushered her over to a stool and sat her down. ‘Tea? I’m afraid that’s about all there is to offer. There’s not much in your father’s pantry.’

  ‘Oh, that’s right,’ Rose groaned. ‘I was going to get some groceries yesterday after lunch but…’ She shrugged, letting her words trail off.

  He nodded in understanding. ‘Somehow our jobs seem to get in the way of any other plans we might make.’ He switched the kettle on and jangled the car keys in his pocket.

  Rose took that as a hint that he’d rather leave. ‘Don’t worry about making me tea,’ she said rather briskly. ‘I can do it.’

  ‘What about food?’

  ‘I’m really not that hungry but I’ll go out later today and get some food.’

  ‘You’ll do nothing of the kind,’ he counteracted. ‘Doctor’s orders.’

  ‘But I’ve got to anaesthetise for the orthopaedic surgeon. I have to go out so I may as well get some groceries while I’m at it.’

  ‘You’re not anaesthetising.’

  ‘What? Why not? It’s my first official day at work.’

  ‘Not any more.’

  ‘Have you reorganised my schedule for me?’ Rose was a little indignant at his high-handed attitude.

  ‘Rosie, you’ve just had food poisoning.’

  ‘I’ll be fine to anaesthetise. It’s not as though I’ll be standing on my feet, operating. I’ll be sitting down, monitoring my dials.’

  ‘The orthopaedic surgeon is bringing her own anaesthetist.’

  ‘And how do you suppose she knew to do that?’ she asked rhetorically.

  ‘I called Penny last night and asked her to.’

  ‘Do you always organise everyone at the hospital?’

  He grinned, not at all concerned about her censorial attitude. ‘Only when they’ve had food poisoning and are too stubborn to realise they’re still not one hundred per cent recovered.’

  At his words, Rose glared at him. ‘Stubborn? You’re calling me stubborn?’

  ‘Are you implying that I’m stubborn?’

  ‘Absolutely.’

  ‘When?’

  ‘When you came and took over Bob’s treatment at the accident site. Oh, no, wait a minute,’ she corrected. ‘That wasn’t stubbornness, that was arrogance.’

  ‘Arrogance?’

  ‘Yes. Now, stubborn—let me see. Ah, yes, when you came to my father’s wedding and insisted upon me accompanying you. No, no, wait. That wasn’t stubborn either, that was domineering.’

  ‘What?’ He stared at her with incredulity.

  ‘How about when you warned me to keep away from Mick? Yes, now, that was stubbornness—or was it stupidity?’ She sighed heavily. ‘Oh, I give up, Dave. I guess you’re all those things, and all of those attributes make up the typical Aussie bloke.’

  ‘Well, if I’m a typical Aussie bloke, what does that make you?’

  ‘I’m a sophisticated, modern woman, of course,’ she countered quickly.

  ‘Come off it, Rosie. You only think you’re sophisticated and modern. I won’t quibble with the woman part, though.’ He gave her a quick perusal. ‘Definitely woman.’

  ‘Do you mind?’

  ‘Mind what?’

  ‘Not leering at me.’

  ‘Oh, so now I’m a leering bloke as well.’ A deep chuckle accompanied his words and Rose’s skin broke out in goose bumps again. He was doing it again. Affecting her when she didn’t want to be affected.

  ‘Don’t you need to get to the hospital?’

  ‘No. Why?’ He took a step closer to her. ‘Are you trying to get rid of me?’

  ‘But you have patients with, ah…food poisoning.’

  ‘No, I don’t. The GP who admitted them has patients with food poisoning.’

  ‘Surely you’re going to do a ward round. It’s Monday morning. All surgeons do rounds first thing Monday morning.’

  ‘I think you’ll find things work slightly different here in the outback. I’ll go in later today when things aren’t so hectic.’ He took another step. Rose wanted to turn tail and flee, but knew her body was still too weak. As for anaesthetising, well, she knew she could cope but she also acknowledged that it would knock her out. Dave was right—again—and she didn’t like that one bit.

  ‘Rosie? What’s wrong? You’ve gone pale.’

  ‘I’m fine,’ she snapped. ‘And don’t call me Rosie.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because I asked.’

  ‘But I have it on good authority that you like me calling you Rosie.’


  ‘Don’t be so silly.’ Then she glanced up sharply. ‘Whose authority?’ she demanded, thinking her father might have said something.

  ‘Yours.’

  ‘Pardon?’ Her eyes widened in surprise.

  ‘You. You were talking in your sleep last night and you said that you liked it when I called you Rosie.’

  She blushed. There was no way she could control it and she did her best to hide it. Dipping her head, she stared at the ground, trying to figure out how to get herself out of this one. ‘I was delirious,’ she finally retorted.

  Dave closed the distance between them and slowly raised her chin until their eyes could meet. ‘Yes,’ he said softly. ‘You were delirious, but in my experience that’s when people’s inhibitions are down and the truth comes out.’

  Rose felt as though she were burning up inside beneath his close scrutiny. His blue gaze was probing her own, seeking a response that she knew he’d find there. She found him attractive. Immensely attractive. And it was clear that he felt the same way about her. Yet they were so wrong for each other. In fact, surely this morning had confirmed it because all they’d done since she’d walked into the kitchen had been argue.

  It now looked as though he was going to follow through on his earlier impulse to kiss her, and to her surprise she realised she wanted it more than anything. There was one thing that was bothering her and as he started to lower his mouth to hers she stopped him once more.

  ‘What is it?’ The deep, husky tones washed over her. ‘Your teeth look nice and clean now.’

  She smiled shyly. ‘Um…it’s not that. It’s…um…your name.’

  ‘Sorry?’

  ‘Your surname,’ she amended. ‘I don’t have any idea what it is.’

  ‘My surname?’

  ‘Yes. Everyone I’ve met so far calls you Dave! No one seems to use your surname at all. I just thought that as you’re about to kiss me, I…you know…might as well ask,’ she said with determination.

  ‘Absolutely. Why not?’

  ‘I mean, we haven’t really been properly introduced.’

  He smiled and nodded. ‘You know, you’re right.’ He looked down into her blue eyes, eyes that were so pretty, that radiated her intelligence and concern. ‘Allow me to rectify the situation.’

  Leaning closer, he softly cleared his throat. ‘Rosie Partridge,’ he brushed his lips gently across hers. ‘Meet…’ another kiss ‘…Dave Dunbar.’

  ‘It’s a pleasure,’ she whispered against his mouth.

  ‘Yes, it is,’ he reflected, and bent his head, his lips slow and seductive on her own. Rose’s head whirled with excitement and she felt her stomach churn with nervous butterflies but delighted in his touch at the same time. She sighed and closed her eyes as his mouth continued its onslaught.

  His body shuddered with pleasure at her response and he pressed another gentle kiss on her lips before spreading tiny kisses down her face, around her neck to her ear. Oh, she smelled incredible, all sweet and light, and Dave felt his desire for her triple. How could someone who was so wrong for him feel so right?

  And she was all wrong for him, he rationalised as he placed one last kiss on her lips before moving away. He’d been burnt once before and he’d vowed never to let it happen to him again. Beautiful, irresistible, gorgeous blonde women were to be avoided at all costs.

  Dave watched as she slowly opened her blue eyes which were glazed with longing but held a hint of confusion. ‘You need to rest,’ he whispered, and then cleared his throat. Taking two huge steps back, putting some distance between them just in case he succumbed to the desire to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless.

  The urgency of the emotion surprised him. All the more reason to get out of there—fast. He backed towards the door. ‘I’ll get someone to bring over some food for you,’ he commented. ‘If you rest today, you should be fine by tomorrow, but I’ll call back later and see how you’re doing.’

  Rose watched as he continued to back away from her. What had happened? One minute he’d been kissing her and the next he was all but sprinting out. What had she done to turn him off? She bit her lip. ‘You don’t need to come by. I’m sure I’ll be fine.’ Her voice was cool and dismissive. He’d obviously found something inadequate about her and was desperate to leave. Julian had been the same, except he’d been quite open and brutal about her inadequacies, telling her to her face that she’d never make a good wife.

  ‘I’ll still come by and check,’ he said firmly.

  It was just the doctor in him, she told herself when her hopes started to rise again. She squashed them back into place, forcing herself to deal with the facts. He evidently regretted kissing her just now and she wanted him out of the house as fast as he apparently wanted to run.

  ‘Well, as you let yourself in, you can let yourself out. I’ll see you later, then.’ She would have loved to have stood and walked away but wasn’t at all sure her body would respond to her brain’s signals.

  ‘Right, then. See you later.’ He stared at her for a second, his jaw clenching. In the next instant, he was gone. She listened as the back door opened and then closed with a final thud.

  Rose sat there for a while, unable to move even if she’d wanted to. She balled her hands into fists, determined not to cry, but it was devastating to know that although men found her attractive, they also found something lacking in her.

  It was obvious from the way Dave had retreated after those kisses that he felt the same way towards her as Julian had. Julian, who she’d thought she would end up marrying. After all, wasn’t that what people expected when they became engaged?

  Slowly and on wobbly legs, Rose made it back to her bedroom and collapsed on the bed, tears rolling silently down her cheeks before she fell into a restless sleep.

  When Rose went to work the next day, she wore her most professional suit, determined to keep the relationship between Dave and herself strictly business. As it turned out, she didn’t see him at all. Or the next day, or the next.

  She’d been grateful to Mrs Fredrick, her neighbour, who’d brought over some groceries on Monday and had stayed for a brief chat, mainly talking about her father’s wedding and how wonderful it had been. Rose hadn’t remembered meeting Mrs Fredrick but, then, she’d met a lot of people that day.

  Dave’s elective operating list alternated between Thursdays and Fridays, and this week Rose had to wait until Friday to see him. It was the first time since Monday evening, when he’d dropped in for a whole two minutes to check on her, that Rose was able to take another look at the man who had haunted her dreams since her arrival in Broken Hill.

  ‘Feeling better, Rosie?’ Dave asked as he walked onto the ward before the start of his theatre list.

  ‘Much, thank you,’ she replied lightly, and that was the extent of the personal conversation between them. On his list that morning was a five-year-old boy called Joe who had intestinal cysts that required removal. Rose and Dave went to see him together.

  ‘Dr Rosie here is going to give you some medicine that will make you very sleepy, and when you’re having a great dream, I’ll fix your tummy up so you don’t have any more pain.’

  ‘Will I dreaming about swimming in the sea?’ Joe asked, his eyes alive with excitement.

  ‘Absolutely,’ Dave replied, and looked at Rosie. ‘Make sure you give Joe some sleepy medicine that has dreams about swimming in the sea.’

  Rose raised her eyebrows but smiled politely at the boy and nodded. ‘Of course.’

  ‘Then, while you’re splashing about in your dream, I’ll take the sick piece of your tummy away and make sure the good bits are working real beaut. How’s that sound?’

  ‘And then I won’t have a sore tummy any more?’

  ‘Well, it will be sore for about a week or two, but after that you’ll be back to your old self again.’

  ‘Yay.’ Joe clapped.

  ‘Now, Dr Rosie just needs to check you out before giving you some special medicine.’ Dave ruffled the
boy’s hair before stepping away, a smile lighting his face.

  Rose’s own smile was pasted on as she manoeuvred around to do Joe’s observations. ‘Poke your tongue out for me,’ she said, shining the torch down his throat and pressing his tongue with a depressor. ‘Say “ah”.’

  Joe complied and gagged a little. ‘Everything looks fine,’ she said, before wrapping the blood-pressure cuff around his arm. She pumped it up and listened with the stethoscope. Joe was talking to her but she needed to listen and concentrate. ‘Just a minute,’ she said. When she was finished, she looked at him. ‘What was your question?’

  ‘What’s that thing called?’

  ‘A sphygmomanometer.’ She continued with her observations, just wanting to get it over and done with as soon as possible. She gave him a pre-med, telling him how good he was before quickly heading back to the nurses’ station, sighing with relief.

  ‘That’s a big sigh,’ Dave said from behind her. He leaned forward onto the counter and handed Rose Joe’s case notes. ‘Looking for these?’

  ‘Yes. I just want to make some notes in them.’

  ‘Cute kid, eh?’

  ‘Hmm? Oh, Joe. Sure.’

  ‘Problem?’

  ‘No. Kids and I just don’t mix, that’s all. I feel…’ she shrugged ‘…totally uncomfortable around them.’

  ‘You don’t like kids!’ Dave was shocked.

  ‘What?’ Rose asked defensively. ‘You look like a stunned mullet. What’s so wrong with that?’

  ‘Uh…uh…nothing.’ She’d taken him completely by surprise. ‘All you need to do is relax and be honest with them. They’re not that difficult to deal with.’

  ‘I haven’t had a lot of contact with kids,’ she replied matter-of-factly. ‘Not even when I was a kid.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Kind of personal, don’t you think? Besides, you’ve got a theatre list to start or we’ll be running late all day.’ Rose closed the case notes and slapped them up against his chest before she walked off. She was starting to shake and didn’t need the third degree from Dave. Now was not the time to be dredging up old memories. She had patients to focus on.

  Joe’s surgery was completed without complication and Dave didn’t speak to her unless it was absolutely necessary.