Proposing to the Children's Doctor

by Joanna Neil

  ‘Help me get the cabinet off him,’ she said in an urgent tone, rushing over to where the man lay and directing her words at her friends. ‘Angie, can you grab one end? Connie, will you go around the other side?’

  Angie’s new flatmate hurried to position herself at a point where she could assist. ‘It’s too heavy,’ Connie said. ‘We’re not going to be able to do this on our own.’

  ‘You girls get ready to pull him out from underneath.’ Craig’s voice cut into their conversation, his tone clipped and decisive, and Rebecca stared up at him in shock. He must have followed her into the room. ‘I’ll ease it up from him. Just watch out for falling glass.’

  ‘Perhaps we should find something that we can wedge in between him and the glass doors when you lift it?’ Angie’s expression was stricken. ‘He’s already badly cut, from the look of things. Wait just a second while I go and grab something from the kitchen.’

  She hurried away and came back just a moment or two later, armed with a couple of large trays. ‘I’ll try to slide these over him as you move him out of the way.’

  Rebecca nodded, and glanced at Connie. ‘We need to keep his head and neck as steady as possible while we drag him out from underneath.’ She looked around for more volunteers, and a trio of men came forward. One of them went to help with the cabinet.

  ‘Are you ready?’ Craig asked. ‘Is everyone in position?’

  ‘We’re ready.’ Rebecca signalled to the others, and in a team effort they pulled the young man clear of the cabinet while Craig and his helper stood it back on its feet.

  ‘He’s losing an awful lot of blood,’ Angie said. ‘There are cuts to his arm and wrist. He’ll need to go to hospital.’

  Rebecca nodded. ‘There’s a puncture wound to a main blood vessel. Ring for an ambulance while I try to stop the bleeding, will you?’

  ‘I’ve already called emergency services,’ Craig said. ‘Do you have anything you can use as a pressure pad?’

  ‘Yes, in the first-aid bag.’ She was already applying pressure to the injured area with her fingers, but now she looked up at Connie. ‘The bag’s in the hallway in the cupboard under the stairs. Would you go and fetch it for me?’

  Connie nodded and shot off towards the hallway, while Rebecca and Angie did what they could to reassure the young man.

  ‘Can you hear me, James?’ Rebecca queried gently, recognizing the young medical student. ‘Do you know what happened to you?’

  James mumbled a reply and Rebecca guessed that a combination of alcohol and blood loss was causing him difficulty in responding. She said in a soothing voice, ‘I want you to lie still while I try to control the bleeding. I’m going to raise your arm for a while to slow things down a bit, and then I’m going to bind a pressure pad in place on your arm. We need to get you to hospital so that your cuts can be stitched.’

  By the time the paramedics arrived, she had things more or less under control. She made James as comfortable as possible and watched over his transfer to the ambulance, and it was only when the vehicle had moved off along the road that she made her way back inside the building.

  She expected to find chaos still reigning, but most of the revellers were winding down and making ready to leave. Angie and Connie were making inroads on the clearing-up, and Craig was seeing to it that the remaining guests found safe transport home.

  ‘I’ll give you a hand in a minute or two,’ she said to the girls. ‘I just need to freshen up first.’

  Rebecca went into the bathroom and rinsed her hands under the tap, then pulled a brush through the long swathe of her hair, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She gave a soft sigh. There were faint shadows beneath her eyes and her skin had a pale, translucent gleam. Would this day ever end? Her aunt was ill, her sister was still overseas, and her own carefully made travel plans had fallen apart when her little patient at the hospital had been too poorly to be transferred by ambulance to his original hospital. So far, it had turned out to be a kind of postscript to all that was going wrong in her life. None of her dreams had come to fruition in this place.

  Her boyfriend, who had persuaded her to come here in the first instance, had cheated on her, and the work that she had believed would be so fulfilling, using her skills as a doctor to tend to desperately ill young patients on the paediatric ward, had brought her torment and sadness along with its rewards.

  All in all, she would be glad to be away from here, to leave the hectic rush of the city behind her.

  She started to exit the bathroom, pulling open the door, but before she made her way back to the living room she took a moment to lean back against the tiled wall, closing her eyes and pulling in a deep, calming breath. Was there any way this day could disintegrate any further?

  ‘Are you all right?’

  Craig’s deep voice cut into her thoughts, eddying around her, coaxing a response, and she quickly opened her eyes. ‘I’m fine,’ she said.

  His gaze was watchful. ‘I thought you handled everything that happened back there really well.’ There was a faint inflection in his voice as he added, ‘You seemed to know what you were doing, and because of you your friend James will probably come through this all right.’

  She looked at him. ‘You sound as though you’re surprised by that. It’s not so incredible, is it?’ She smiled lightly. ‘I know it must have appeared to you as if things have been wildly out of control around here, but we all have to accept that there are times when everything that can go wrong does go wrong. It’s just been one of those days where you get out of bed and wish you could have stayed under the covers.’

  He nodded. His smoke grey glance travelled over her, sliding over the creamy slope of her bare shoulders and moving down to linger on the soft swell of her hips. ‘I can see occasions when that might be an inviting prospect,’ he said in a husky, amused drawl.

  Rebecca pulled in a quick breath. She felt a rush of warm colour run along her cheekbones. Was he actually propositioning her? The way he was looking at her could hardly be misinterpreted, could it? And yet just a short time ago he had been treating her almost as though she was someone he would only have dealings with if he couldn’t avoid it.

  ‘Dream on,’ she murmured, her mouth making a taut line. ‘I may have been enjoying the party but I haven’t had that much to drink.’

  He laughed, a low rumbling sound that started in the back of his throat. ‘Perhaps that’s just as well,’ he said. ‘Your friend tells me you have to be at work early in the morning. Perhaps we’d both do best to keep a clear head.’

  ‘You’re probably right.’ Rebecca pushed herself away from the wall. ‘I’d better go and give Angie a hand with the clearing-up.’ She sent him a quick glance. ‘I should thank you for helping us out. We would have struggled without you.’

  ‘I was glad to be able to do something.’ He returned her gaze with a look that she couldn’t quite interpret. Perhaps it was a mix between a threat and a promise because he added in a soft tone, ‘Maybe I’ll drop by in the morning and see if you’re doing all right. You seem to have had a pretty traumatic day, one way and another.’

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ she told him as she started towards the living room. ‘I’ll see you out. I expect you have things of your own that you need to be doing.’

  He wasn’t likely to find her at home by the time he surfaced, judging from his efforts this morning. She would be up and away first thing, ready to make the move to her Scottish island home. As far as she was concerned it couldn’t come a minute too soon.

  CHAPTER TWO

  ‘I’LL miss you so much, Rebecca.’ Angie put aside her coffee-cup and came across the kitchen to give her a hug. ‘You have to promise me that you’ll phone and let me know how you’re getting on. You will, won’t you? And maybe we could meet up again from time to time?’

  ‘On high days and holidays? Of course…I’m not going to be all that far away—at least, not as the crow flies.’ Rebecca smiled. After a few snatched hours of sleep, she was on much
better form today. ‘And I’ll phone you as soon as I’m settled back in Scotland.’

  ‘That’s good. You’ll have to let me know how you’re getting on.’ Angie’s expression was wistful. ‘I’ll be thinking of you when you’re on your island, looking out over the sea or walking along the beach. You’re so lucky, being offered the chance to work there.’

  ‘It sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Of course, the job isn’t cut and dried yet, so I might have to look around for something temporary to tide me over. It all depends on whether the doctor at the centre changes her mind and decides that she might want to go back to work after her maternity leave—or whether I’ll find it’s not really what I’m looking for. At the moment, though, the prospect of working with mothers and babies in an island community seems ideal.’

  ‘Just as long as it doesn’t make you feel broody.’ Angie grinned. ‘All those babies would be bound to set me off…It’s just a question of finding the right man…’

  Rebecca wrinkled her nose. ‘You’ll manage that all right, but I don’t think that’s going to happen for me any time soon. I’ve already had my fingers burned and I’m not looking to get involved with anyone.’

  ‘Ah, but Ben was a mistake. He seemed perfect for you to begin with, until he revealed his true colours, the ratfink. But there’ll be someone out there, waiting for you, I’m sure of it.’

  ‘Not if I see him first.’ The words came out with a little more vehemence than Rebecca had intended, but she wasn’t going to back down. ‘I’m a long way from trusting any man ever again.’

  Even her parents had managed to mess up their relationship, with consequences that had been devastating for Rebecca and her sister, Alison. Neither of them was going to recover easily from the distress of living through the break-up of their parents’ marriage and the trauma of coming to terms with the chaos and uncertainty of a broken home.

  She didn’t have any faith that there was someone out there with whom she could find lasting happiness. No, she would definitely be better off keeping clear of the opposite sex while she licked her wounds.

  ‘You’re out of your mind.’ Angie laughed. ‘Everybody needs someone.’ She rinsed her cup under the tap. ‘I have to go. I have to review patients with the consultant before he does his ward round, and he’s always there bright and early before the patients have even had their early morning cuppa.’

  ‘That’s because he likes to take breakfast with Sister Hennessy first thing. She keeps a stack of pancakes in the fridge and he’s very partial to a toasted pancake with a drizzle of honey on it.’

  ‘Really?’ Angie’s eyes widened. ‘So that’s why I see him coming out of her office most mornings. And there was me thinking they were sitting together having a case conference. Well, you live and learn, don’t you?’

  ‘You certainly do.’ Rebecca gave her a hug and saw her out of the flat a few minutes later, waving as Angie turned at the door. ‘I’ll call you,’ she said.

  Once Angie had gone, Rebecca zipped up her suitcases and then walked desultorily around the flat, checking each of the rooms for any belongings that she might have missed. Just a few minutes from now she would be on her way, too.

  The doorbell rang, and she went out into the lobby to answer it, wheeling her cases along with her. It would be the carrier, arriving to take her luggage to the depot, ready to be sent along to her new home.

  ‘Are you off on a journey of some sort?’ Craig Braemar was walking across the hallway as she headed for the door, and now he stopped and frowned, his gaze tracking her movements.

  She stood very still. So he was still around, up and about early in the day, exactly as he had said he would be. Somehow she had expected him to be lying around, easing himself into the day. ‘Just the cases, for the moment,’ she said. ‘I’ll be following on later.’

  He raised a dark brow. ‘That sounds intriguing.’

  ‘Maybe.’ She saw that he had his overnight bag with him, and it prompted her to ask, ‘And while we’re on the subject, what about you? Are you leaving already? I’ve heard of people doing a moonlight flit, but the rent isn’t that steep, is it?’

  He appeared to be thinking about that. ‘I wouldn’t know,’ he murmured. ‘I haven’t paid any.’

  Rebecca gave him a long look. Why was it she could never tell whether he was joking or being serious?

  So far, he wasn’t turning out to be at all what he’d seemed, and it bothered her that she couldn’t work him out. She decided to give up the attempt and concentrate her attention instead on the man who had come to collect her luggage.

  She signed his paperwork, and checked that the destination was written clearly on his sheet. ‘It’s to go to Islay…you know that, right? I’d hate to get there and find everything has been mislaid.’

  ‘Islay, madam. Yes, that’s definitely what it says.’

  ‘Hmm.’ She looked at him and wondered whether she ought to hand him a tip. Perhaps to be on the safe side…

  The man acknowledged her offering and retreated to his van.

  Turning back into the hallway, she saw that Craig was watching her thoughtfully. ‘Does this mean that you’re off to see your aunt—the lady who was feeling unwell?’

  ‘That’s right. I rang her this morning and she said that she was fine and that everyone is making a fuss over nothing, but that’s my Aunt Heather all over. She’s always been an independent soul. I’ve been reluctant to interfere, but it will be just as well for me to go and keep an eye on her for a while.’

  ‘I think that’s a good idea. Down here, you’re a long way from being able to do anything to help. That’s the trouble with old folk, isn’t it? They say they’re all right because they’re afraid of being a burden, but sometimes you have to read between the lines, don’t you?’

  A small spark of irritation flared in her eyes. Was he implying that she hadn’t been able to do that? What was it to do with him, anyway?

  ‘My aunt isn’t all that old. At least, she doesn’t seem to be. She’s always been active and energetic.’ Why was he so intent on wrongfooting her? She loved her aunt dearly, but he didn’t seem to be taking that on board.

  She had to admit that he’d hit a sore spot, though. Right from the start she’d had misgivings about leaving her home to go and work in Northumberland with her boyfriend. It had only been Ben’s enthusiasm and gentle insistence that had convinced her it had been the thing to do.

  ‘It’ll be wonderful,’ he had said. ‘You’ll be able to work in paediatrics, and I’ll take on the research fellowship. We could buy a house close to the hospital, and it’ll be great for both of us.’

  The doubts had stayed with her, firstly because she had been worried about leaving Aunt Heather behind, despite the fact that her sister was going to be staying around to watch over her for some of the time, and secondly because she had been uncertain about moving in with Ben.

  She’d thought he had been the one for her, but after all was said and done, he hadn’t offered her total commitment, had he? Just an arrangement that had been convenient. And so she had resisted the temptation to move in with him, and that had proved to be a wise decision, hadn’t it, given the way things had turned out?

  ‘I’ve kept in touch with my aunt while I’ve been away,’ she said now. ‘And I’ve been home to see her a few times. It’s not as though she’s been abandoned.’

  Craig studied her, a flicker of scepticism in his expression. ‘You don’t have to convince me,’ he said. ‘She’s not my aunt, so it hardly matters to me. I just happened to remark that it looks as though you must have decided to go back to her.’

  ‘Yes, well, that’s true, I have.’ She frowned. ‘There are actually lots of things that I need to do, and I ought to leave right now,’ she told him. ‘I’m due at the hospital in twenty minutes.’

  He nodded. ‘Me, too. We could walk there together, if you like.’

  She frowned, taken aback by what he had just said. He’d only stayed here for two nights, and now he
was off to the hospital with his overnight bag. Was it possible that she had added two and two together and come up with the wrong answer? Was he ill? Had she completely misjudged him?

  She looked again at the bag he was holding. ‘Are you going to be staying at the hospital?’ she asked. He looked as though he was in perfect health, in the prime of his life, in fact, a thirtysomething example of vigorous masculinity, but that didn’t necessarily have to mean that he didn’t need treatment of some kind, did it? A warm flood of guilt raced through her from head to toe.

  ‘No,’ he answered slowly. ‘I wouldn’t have thought I would be there for too long. Just the time it takes to sort things out.’

  ‘I’m sorry—of course it’s none of my business.’ It was dreadful to think that she might have been imagining him as some kind of drifter when all the time he was ill and preparing for a stay in hospital.

  He looked at her in a slightly perplexed fashion for a moment or two and then opened his mouth as though he was about to say something, but she swivelled around and headed for the door of her flat, saying hurriedly, ‘I’ll just go and check that everything’s in order before I lock the place up. Then I’ll be ready to walk with you.’

  She was back by his side within a moment or two, and they left the building together.

  The block of flats was a ten-minute walk away from the hospital where she had worked for the last couple of years, and now, as she shut the main door behind her for the last time, she looked back with a feeling of sadness mingled with expectation. The island home of her youth beckoned her, but at the same time she was leaving behind friends and colleagues, and that was a painful experience.

  ‘How is it that you have to go in to work if you’re all set to leave here?’ he asked as they set out along the street. ‘Presumably you’re travelling later today? I dare say there aren’t many people who would be able to cope without their luggage for very long.’