Back in Her Husband's Arms

by Susanne Hampton

  Tom had more than enough to occupy his time but he’d jumped at the opportunity to work with Sara again.

  ‘Great,’ she replied, a little surprised he hadn’t just sent another resident surgeon to help. ‘Let’s get going.’

  George was prepped and already in Theatre. The anaesthetist and two nurses were also waiting under the bright lights.

  ‘Hi, George,’ Sara greeted his anxious face. ‘I won’t ask you how you’re feeling. I can pretty much guess the answer. But everything will be fine—’

  ‘You don’t happen to have a hip flask in your pocket now, do you? I could really do with something to take the nerves away.’

  Tom laughed. ‘Dr North has something even stronger planned for you. So, if you’re ready, let’s get started.’

  George nodded and William administered the anaesthetic. The patient, groggier by the moment, began slowly counting backwards from ten. By seven he was asleep.

  Tom let Sara lead the operation. He backed her up and anticipated each of her moves. She was so happy to have him working with her.

  Once she had freed George’s lower jaw, she removed an equal portion from the right and left sides. Tom assisted by securing the newly sized jaw with titanium plates. They worked steadily and advanced the mid-section of his upper jaw. Next was the reshaping of the chin, and then they moved up to his nose. The bump was removed and after three hours the operation was complete. By all indications it was a success.

  Sara had felt like she was in possession of four hands. Their chatter was minimal as each knew the other’s next move, both equally skilled in the operating theatre.

  Sara wished Tom would stay for the entire day. Fran was a more than capable surgeon but Tom just happened to be extraordinary. Yet professional courtesy wouldn’t have her decline Fran’s assistance.

  ‘Thanks for your help,’ she said to Tom as they watched George wheeled away into Intensive Care. ‘It went extremely well.’

  Tom considered her in silence. She felt uncomfortable as his eyes lingered on her face. She wondered what he was thinking. Was he considering her surgical skills or looking at her as a woman?

  ‘We make an outstanding team, Sara,’ he finally said. ‘Texas is lucky to be getting you.’ With that he bent down and tenderly kissed her cheek. He smiled sadly at her as he tugged the surgical gloves from his hands and walked away, leaving Sara standing alone in the empty theatre.

  CHAPTER TEN

  ICU’S BUSTLING AMBIENCE of sterile efficiency was unusually sombre when Sara visited after finishing her surgical list for that day. It was around seven o’clock. All but one of her patients had been admitted to a high-dependency ward after Recovery. But it was policy for the more complicated cases to spend a night in ICU.

  Each of the critical care patients had an attending nurse but the faces of their carers showed little emotion as they efficiently went about their work.

  The silence was broken only by mechanical sounds: the unrelenting and regular high-pitched beeps of monitors; the constant buzzers; and the deep swooshing sound of the ventilators.

  Pale blue curtains separated the patients whose acute medical conditions made their lives dependent upon sophisticated monitoring equipment and round-the-clock nursing. Each curtain was drawn open at the foot of the bed and the senior nurse at the desk had a clear view of each cubicle.

  ‘Good evening, Vanda.’ Sara’s voice was little more than a whisper. ‘I’m here to see George Andrews.’

  ‘Evening, Sara,’ the pretty nurse replied softly, before she drew a deep sigh and checked her list. ‘George is in bed nine. He’s doing very well. Debbie is looking after him tonight.’

  ‘Has his mother been in?’

  ‘She just left. Pretty horrified, by the look on her face. But Debbie and Dr Fielding put her at ease a bit and told her it looked a lot worse than it was.’

  ‘Dr Fielding was here?’

  ‘Yes,’ the young nurse replied. ‘He’s still with him now.’

  Sara wasn’t surprised. Tom always treated his patients like family while they were in his care. The best care for each and every one of them. That obviously had not changed. Sara made her way over to George. He was sleeping. As expected, his jaw and cheeks were a harsh blend of bruises and quite swollen. His darkened eyes looked sunken in the puffiness of his face. He had been connected to a cardiac monitor and lines from intravenous bottles providing fluid, antibiotics and pain relief fed into his veins.

  ‘Hello, Debbie, hello, Tom,’ Sara said. ‘I hear our patient is doing very well.’

  ‘Hi, Sara,’ Debbie replied. ‘Yes, he’s fine, but, then, we never expected any problems. His chart says his op was a reasonable length but straightforward. There’s no reason to think we’ll have anything untoward happen.’

  ‘Mum was in and pretty worried I hear,’ Sara said quietly, as she picked up the chart and began looking over it.

  ‘She was okay tonight. Let’s face it, it’s pretty scary to see a patient for the first time after oral surgery, or any surgery for that matter,’ Tom replied, as he watched Sara checking the notes. ‘Sometimes we just forget that we’re all hard nuts after so many years. Nothing much fazes us.’

  After they had checked on George and the other patients, who were settled into the wards, Sara accepted Tom’s offer of a lift home. She had left the Lexus at home and walked to the hospital that morning to get some exercise but had no intention of walking home at night. He put the heater on high and Sara snuggled into the seat. She rested her face against the crinkled leather and took deep breaths. Secretly she luxuriated in the scent of his aftershave. It was all through the car. It was like old times.

  Tom turned his head and smiled. He knew he had so little time with her he had decided to enjoy every minute. It was hard to be this close when he knew these were the last weeks they would ever spend together. This was it. They would part and he would never see her beautiful face again.

  Sara was enjoying Tom’s company. There was no tension. No animosity. It was like a truce before they parted ways for ever. The city looked extraordinarily pretty through the fogged glass. Sara knew that her relaxed mood and contentment gave her an appreciation of the normally overlooked sights. The cityscape of high-rise buildings sparkled like brightly coloured fairy-lights against the black sky.

  A tram trundled along beside them, the 1920s-style red carriage lit up, and Sara watched the people inside. Businessmen in coloured suits, young women in office attire, a few teenagers and an old lady with a strange feathered hat all sat facing forward as it made its way down Collins Street, rocking a little from side to side.

  In the silence of the car Sara wondered for a moment about where they were all going, and if anyone was waiting for them.

  It was very cold outside and she was so grateful to be with Tom.

  It was like old times. Almost. He walked her to her door and she asked him in for coffee.

  ‘I’ll take a raincheck. It’s late and I’ve got a killer of a day tomorrow.’ Tom sensed her vulnerability and didn’t want to risk a repeat of that night they’d shared not too long ago. He wasn’t only protecting Sara from being hurt. He knew he was vulnerable himself.

  Sara felt both relief and disappointment when he turned her down. She knew it was best, because she knew she was losing her heart to Tom all over again. It was in both of their best interests that he take control before she lost hers and headed down the right path with the wrong man again.

  ‘Mine’s hectic too,’ she answered with a short sigh, as she watched him cross the softly lit porch and step onto the loose gravel. ‘But being so busy the week is just flying by. I can’t believe the weekend’s so close.’

  He paused and the crunching noise beneath his feet stopped. ‘Are you happy for me to drive you to our country christening this weekend?’

  ‘Th
at’d be lovely,’ she said. ‘I’m so excited to see Dana and Stu, not to mention Bonny and the boys.’

  She watched as Tom crossed to his own porch and unlocked the front door. He smiled at her and they stepped inside their respective houses and closed their doors in unison.

  * * *

  On Saturday morning her overnight bag was packed and waiting by the front door ready for the early start, the silver frames tucked safely inside. Unfortunately it wasn’t an early start. It was after eleven-thirty before they finally left for the country.

  A and E was flat out from the Friday night and Tom had been called in at about six in the morning to help out with an emergency jaw reconstruction.

  Tom told Sara about the operation as they drove north along the Hume highway towards Seymour. The sky above them was a clear blue, although soft grey clouds were gathering over the hills in the distance. Sara wound down the window and enjoyed the cool breeze on her face. She had wrapped a light scarf around her hair but the loose wisps were tickling her face.

  ‘What are you smiling about?’ Tom asked her. His gaze stayed on her for only a moment before he turned it back to the road.

  Sara brushed away the hair, trying to tuck it behind her ears. It was no use. The wind was too strong as Tom increased the speed of the car to climb to the Victorian state limit.

  ‘Nothing, really. I’ve just got hair all over the place.’

  ‘Then wind up the window.’

  She shook her head, sending more of her hair flying about. She couldn’t contain her smile. ‘No, I’m enjoying it. It feels so good to get away from everything. No pagers, no day lists, no...no schedules to keep!’

  Her happiness was contagious and Tom’s mouth broke into a broad smile as he put his foot down and took off down the highway.

  * * *

  An hour later they pulled into a roadhouse. It wasn’t situated in a town. It was just a petrol station and restaurant on the side of the highway, in the middle of nowhere. There was flat dry scrub for as far as Sara could see. Low bushes and an occasional eucalypt dotted the pale green and brown landscape.

  ‘How about an all-day breakfast?’ he asked as he pulled up beside a petrol pump.

  ‘Is it safe to eat here?’ She made a wry face as she watched a burly truck driver jump down from his rig. The shiny red cabin door was decorated with a painting of a scantily clad woman. Suddenly the loud noise of another huge semi-trailer pulling in made her jump in her seat. The brakes squealed and then whooshed with the release of air as the huge beast came to a halt behind them.

  ‘It wasn’t that I wasn’t expecting the Ritz,’ Sara shouted over the noise. ‘But this looks a little, well, rough around the edges.’

  Tom grinned. ‘You can guarantee, Sara, if the buses and trucks stop here, then the food will be the best. They can’t afford to get gut problems on long interstate hauls. They’ll only eat where they know the places are clean and the food is fresh.’

  Hesitantly, Sara made her way inside.

  Tom was right. The bacon was crisp, the scrambled eggs were deliciously fluffy and the coffee was freshly brewed.

  ‘Dana and Stu’s place is only about an hour down the road,’ Tom said as he paid the bill and gave his compliments to the chef. He held the door open for Sara. ‘I still don’t know how he manages to drive in every week for four days and then come home for a long weekend. I like city living and country visiting...once or twice a year.’

  Sara nodded in agreement. She was looking forward to spending the next two days on the farm but she couldn’t stand the thought of driving that far every week, like Stu did.

  ‘I suppose you can’t take the country out of a country boy, can you?’ she said as she climbed into the car and pull the door closed. ‘Or the city out of us city folk.’

  He didn’t start the car until the last semi-trailer had pulled out onto the road. There was no point leaving first. The vintage car would only get in the way and force the semis to overtake.

  They drove while chatting happily about the practice and the hospital. Soon the town sign appeared. Seymour. It was at the junction of the Hume highway and Goulburn Valley and Sara knew it would be a picturesque part of the country.

  Tom turned off the highway into Seymour. The farm was outside of the main town so they headed down Station Street and stopped at the Railway Club Hotel.

  ‘I didn’t have time to get any wine for tomorrow,’ Tom said, as he climbed out of the car. ‘I’ll just grab a bottle or two. Would you like anything?’

  Sara shook her head. She was still full from their lunch. She looked around as she waited for Tom. It was a typical country town where everyone took their time and knew their neighbours. Sara watched as a group made their way to the river with their fishing gear. It wasn’t long before Tom emerged with his purchases and reversed the car and continued down the street.

  ‘How long since you were here?’ Sara asked him, as she looked at the heritage buildings dotted along the main road. As they made their way through the town she admired the gorgeous gardens.

  ‘I was only here just over six weeks ago,’ Tom answered as he left the town and headed along the Goulburn Valley Highway to the farm. ‘I came down with Stu when Bonny was released from hospital.’

  ‘That must have been a dreadful time.’ Sara paused for a moment and looked across the huge vineyards that surrounded the township. She was searching for the right words. ‘I think seeing Bonny so badly injured and yet being unable to do anything more would have made me feel so helpless. It’s so hard when only time can heal someone you care about.’

  Tom said nothing but the emotion that poured into his face told Sara everything she needed to know. He still felt the pain of Bonny’s injuries, that was obvious. And he still carried those of his brother.

  Her heart aching with sadness at what might have been, she turned her gaze away from Tom and back to the scenery. They turned left onto a dirt road and the car bumped along the uneven surface for a half a mile before they found the entrance to the farm.

  As they travelled up the last part of the potholed road to the house, Tom filled Sara in about the property. Stu and Dana had bought the house when they’d returned from Queensland. It was more of a hobby farm and a rural escape than a money-making venture.

  They had bought a small number of sheep to graze over the few hectares of bush land that had been cleared and a couple of alpacas roamed around to protect the sheep from foxes. In another paddock were some grape vines but these were grown only on a small scale. Selling the grapes to local wine producers made just enough to fund the farm. There was no huge profit in this venture. Dana tended to the general running of the property and had needed to employ only one farmhand, Adrian, who also helped out with any odd jobs that Stu was too busy to deal with.

  * * *

  Sara stepped out in the driveway to hear a kookaburra’s call from top of the lofty eucalypts.

  ‘Did you have a good trip?’ Stu asked the pair as he approached them enthusiastically. He had heard them coming up the long driveway and was already outside, waiting for them.

  ‘Tops,’ Tom replied, as he closed the car door.

  ‘What about you, Sara? Did you enjoy the bumpy ride in the old Austin Healey?’

  ‘It was great, and it’s even better to see you again,’ she said, before she wrapped her arms around Stu and hugged his huge bear-like body.

  ‘Dana’s in the kitchen,’ he told her, patting her back affectionately and walking her to the house. He opened the front door and stepped back, smiling. ‘Those godsons of yours have made one hell of a mess in their highchairs. Food all over the place. Looks like a war zone. I was lucky to get out alive the way they were throwing stewed pears and cereal about.’

  Dana was as thrilled to see Sara as she was to be there. The pair embraced affectionately.

&
nbsp; Sara couldn’t believe it had been three years—it felt like yesterday. Dana hadn’t changed a bit. Her brown eyes sparkled and her long red hair was still a mass of curls tied back from her pretty face with an antique clasp. She was about Sara’s height, which meant she was dwarfed by her husband. Her petite frame was dressed in jeans and a canary yellow overshirt.

  The kitchen was big with a true country feel to it. Rows of saucepans and utensils hung down from the ceiling within reach of the workbench and beautiful floral curtains draped the windows. The cupboards and drawers were oak and so was the big kitchen table and chairs. The floor was tiled in aged terracotta and a potbelly stove in the far corner warmed the large room.

  Henry was the bigger twin. His brother Phillip was slightly smaller framed, though both had had a shock of red hair. Sara was thrilled to finally see them, and she could hardly wait to see Bonny.

  ‘Where is she?’ Sara finally asked, after giving both Henry and Phillip kisses on the tops of their heads. It was the only part of them not covered in food. ‘Where’s Bonny?’

  Dana smiled so widely at the question that Sara was afraid her hostess for the weekend would burst before she told her.

  ‘Dana, what is it? Tell me. Where is she?’

  ‘Horseriding.’

  Sara felt the colour drain from her previously flushed face. ‘She’s what? You can’t be serious?’

  Dana climbed down from the footstool after wiping the last of the pears and rice cereal from the wall. ‘I’m deadly serious. Bonny’s out riding her pony, Sheba, with Adrian. And she can talk again. She started speaking only two days ago.’

  Sara couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Bonny had still been critically ill only a month ago and now she was horseriding and her voice was back.

  Dana hurriedly rinsed the checked cloth under running water and hung it over the dish drainer before she sat down at the table with Sara. But her work wasn’t done and she reached over and began cleaning Phillip’s face. Sara took another facecloth and busied herself with cleaning up Henry.