A Doctor to Remember

by Joanna Neil

  Her cheeks flushed with heat, but he added on an even note, ‘I can give you a lift into the village if you like. But we need to leave in ten minutes.’

  ‘Oh…’ She quickly recovered her composure. ‘Okay, thanks. I’ll be ready in two ticks.’

  She hurried away to wash her hands, and met up with Ben and Matt at the front of the house a short time later. They were waiting by the rapid-response vehicle, and as she slid into the passenger seat she asked softly, ‘Are you on call again today?’

  He nodded. ‘Just this morning.’

  She was puzzled. ‘How does it all fit in with you working at the hospital?’

  ‘Well enough, most of the time. There are some mornings or afternoons when I’m in the office, or attending meetings, rather than being hands on, so to speak, like today, so I fit in outside jobs when I can. Otherwise the call centre has to find other people who are available.’

  He smiled. ‘At least it means that this morning I can take Ben to nursery, rather than handing him over to Laura, his childminder. His routine’s already disturbed, so I want to make things easier for him as best I can. He’s been a bit unsettled, with one thing and another.’

  ‘I noticed that,’ she said softly. She glanced behind her to see Ben in his child seat, playing with an action figure. ‘He’s very quiet this morning. I suppose that’s understandable, in the circumstances.’

  Matt nodded. He parked up outside the day nursery and Saffi went with him to see where Ben would be spending the next few hours. The school was a bright, happy place with colourful pictures on the walls and stimulating puzzles and craft activities set out on the tables for the children.

  The staff were friendly and welcoming, and one of the women took Matt to one side to speak to him while Saffi helped the boy with his coat.

  Matt came back to Ben a moment or two later. ‘All being well, your daddy will be coming to fetch you at lunchtime,’ he said, bending down to give him a hug. Ben’s face lit up at the news. ‘If he can’t make it for some reason, Laura will come as usual. Anyway, have a good time…we’ll see you later.’

  Saffi and Matt waved as they left the school and went from there to the village store, where Saffi stocked up on essentials like bread, eggs and cheese. Later, as they walked back to the car, she talked to him about Ben’s father.

  ‘Does he work away from home a lot of the time?’ she asked as they stowed her groceries in the boot alongside all the medical equipment. ‘Only, the other day when we were at the beach, Ben told me he feels upset sometimes about not seeing his father so much.’

  ‘Mmm…that’s a difficult one. He is away a lot of the time…he works for a computer company and goes out to set up systems or resolve problems for business clients in the banking industry or health services. Sometimes it means he has to travel to Scotland, or Wales, or wherever the customer happens to be based. If their systems go down for any reason, he has to sort it out and recover any lost data.’

  ‘Is that why Ben gets anxious—because his father’s working life is unpredictable?’

  ‘Possibly. Though he and Gemma have been going through a bad patch lately. That might be something to do with it. They decided to separate, and I think Ben has picked up on the tension. They haven’t told him about the split, but most likely he’s sensed some of the vibes.’

  ‘I’m sorry. It must be really difficult for everyone.’

  ‘It is, but at least James is home right now. I haven’t actually spoken to him, but apparently he called the day nursery to let them know, and he also left a message for Gemma to say he would pick up Ben today—up to now I’ve tried calling him to let him know that Gemma is ill, but I haven’t been able to reach him. I think he must have changed his number.’

  ‘Oh, I see.’ She sent him a quick glance. ‘It’s a bad time for you just now, having to look after Ben and with your sister in hospital. How is she? Is there any news?’

  He grimaced. ‘Not too much as yet. They’re still trying to find what’s causing her problems—they’ve done blood tests, and an endoscopy to check out her stomach and duodenum, and they’ve taken a biopsy. They’re keeping her in hospital because she’s very anaemic from loss of blood, and she’s lost a lot of weight recently. Obviously, they want to build up her strength.’

  ‘From what you’ve told me, I’d imagine she must have stomach or duodenal ulcers.’

  ‘Yes, that’s right, but the tests have shown they aren’t due to any bacterial infection.’

  His grey eyes were troubled and she said softly, ‘It’s worrying for you…if there’s anything I can do to help, you only have to ask. I could watch over Ben for you any time you want to go and visit her.’

  ‘Thanks, Saffi.’ He squeezed her arm gently. ‘I appreciate the offer…but Ben wants to see his mother whenever possible, so I’ll probably take him with me.’

  She nodded. ‘Well, the offer still stands…if there’s anything I can do…if you want to talk…A trouble shared is a trouble halved, as they say.’ She waited while he closed the boot of the car. ‘Do you have any other family?’

  ‘Only my parents, but they don’t live locally, and, like me, they’re both out at work during the week, so they’re not really able to help. And Gemma was desperate to have Ben stay close by.’

  ‘It’s good that you were able to look out for him.’

  He nodded. ‘The other alternative was foster-care, and I didn’t want that for him.’ His mobile phone trilled, and he quickly took the call, becoming quiet and alert, so she guessed it was the ambulance control centre at the other end of the line.

  He cut the call and glanced at Saffi. ‘Looks like you get to come along for the ride once again,’ he said, a brow lifting questioningly.

  She pulled in a quick breath, doubts running through her. Was she up to this? What if it was another child, like Charlie, whose life stood on the brink? Part of her wanted to pull out, to shut herself off from anything medical, but another, more forceful, instinct urged her to face up to her demons.

  She nodded. ‘Where are we going?’ she asked, easing herself into the passenger seat a moment later.

  ‘A riding stables—or, at least, an area close by them. A girl has been thrown from her horse.’

  Saffi winced. ‘That could be nasty.’

  ‘Yeah.’ He hit the blue light and switched on the siren and Saffi clung on to her seat as they raced along the highway, heading away from town towards the depths of the countryside.

  A few minutes later, he slowed down as they turned off a leafy lane on to a dirt track that ended at a wide wooden gate, bordered on either side by a rustic fence and an overgrown hedgerow.

  Saffi saw a small group of people gathered around a young woman who was lying on the ground. Someone was holding the reins of a horse, and a little further away two more riders stood silently by their mounts. Everyone looked shocked.

  Matt stopped the car and removed his jacket, tossing it onto the back seat. He grabbed his medical kit and hurried over to the girl, leaving Saffi to follow in his wake. There was no sign of the ambulance as yet.

  ‘What happened here?’ he asked. ‘Did anyone see how she fell?’

  ‘The horse reared,’ one of the bystanders said, her voice shaking. ‘Katie lost her hold on him and fell. Then Major caught her in the back with his hoof as he came down again.’

  ‘Okay, thanks.’

  Matt kneeled down beside the injured girl. ‘How are you doing, Katie?’ he asked. ‘Do you have any pain anywhere?’

  ‘In my neck,’ she said in a strained voice. ‘It hurts if I try to move.’

  Saffi could see that she was completely shaken, traumatised by finding herself in this situation. For Saffi, it was heart-rending, knowing how serious this kind of injury could be. If there was a fracture in any of the neck bones, causing spinal-cord damage, this young woman might never walk again.

  ‘All right,’ Matt said in a soothing voice. ‘It’s best if you try to keep as still as possible, so I’m going
to put a neck brace on you to prevent any further injury. Once that’s in place I’ll do a quick examination to make sure everything’s all right. Okay?’

  ‘Yes.’ The girl was tight-lipped, ashen-faced with pain. She was about seventeen or eighteen, a slender girl with long, chestnut hair that splayed out over the grass.

  Saffi helped him to put the collar in place, carefully holding Katie’s head while Matt slid it under her neck. Then he fastened the straps and began his examination, checking for any other injuries.

  ‘Shall I start giving her oxygen through a mask?’ Saffi asked. Any damage or swelling in the area could eventually deprive the tissues of oxygen and add to the problem.

  ‘Yes, please.’ He went on checking the girl’s vital signs. ‘Heart rate and blood pressure are both low,’ he murmured a short time later, glancing at Saffi. ‘We need to keep an eye on that. I’ll get some intravenous fluids into her to try and raise her blood pressure.’

  She nodded. ‘She’s losing heat, too. Her skin’s flushed and dry. We should get her covered up as soon as possible.’

  ‘Yes, it’s most likely neurogenic shock. But first we need to get her on to a spinal board. I’ll go and fetch it from the car.’ He gave a brief smile. ‘Last time I saw it, it was underneath a large sack of chicken feed.’

  She pulled a face. ‘Oops.’

  He was soon back with the board, and quickly enlisted a couple of onlookers to help him and Saffi logroll their patient onto the board. ‘We need to do this very carefully, no jolting. Is everyone ready?’

  On a count of three they gently laid Katie on the board and then Matt covered her with a blanket before securing the straps.

  As if on cue, the ambulance finally arrived, and Saffi sighed with relief.

  Matt made sure the transfer into the vehicle went smoothly, and once Katie was safely inside, a paramedic stayed beside her to watch over her. The driver closed the doors and then walked round to the cab. Matt spoke to him briefly and a few seconds later Katie was on her way to the hospital.

  ‘I’ll follow her and see how she gets on,’ Matt said. ‘Do you want to come with me or should I call for a taxi to take you home?’

  ‘I’ll go with you,’ Saffi said quickly. ‘I want to know what the damage is.’

  ‘Come on, then. I’ll ask the paramedics if they can drop you off at home when they’ve finished at the hospital.’

  He was as worried as she was, she could tell, from the way his mouth was set in a grim line. When they were almost at their destination, though, he relaxed enough to ask, ‘How are you coping with all this…coming with me on callouts?’

  ‘All right, I think. It’s like stepping into the unknown…I’m a bit scared of what I’ll find.’

  ‘But you decided to come along anyway. That must have been hard for you…I could see you were in two minds about joining me.’ He sent her a sideways glance. ‘So what made you do it in the end?’

  ‘I felt I had to see things through.’ Her lips made a flat line. ‘After all, this was my career before I fell down the stairs and lost my memory. I need to know if I can go back to it at some point.’

  ‘Do you think that will happen?’

  She sighed. ‘I don’t know. It’s one thing to stand to one side and watch, but it’s a whole different situation making decisions and holding someone’s life in your hands.’

  He nodded agreement. ‘Yes, I can see how that would be difficult.’

  He turned his attention back to the road, pulling up at the hospital a few minutes later. They hurried into the trauma unit.

  ‘Hi, there,’ Jake greeted him at the central desk, and smiled at Saffi. ‘Are you here to find out about the girl from the riding accident?’

  ‘We are,’ Matt said. ‘What’s been happening so far? Have you been in touch with her parents?’

  ‘They’re on their way…should be here in about half an hour. She’s been down to X-Ray and right now the neurologist is examining her reflexes. Her blood pressure’s still low, so we’re giving her dopamine to improve cardiac output.’

  ‘And the heart rate? Has that improved?’

  ‘It’s getting better. She’s had atropine, two milligrams so far.’

  ‘Good. That’s something, at least. Now, these X-ray films—’

  ‘Coming up.’ Jake brought up the pictures on the screen and Matt sucked his breath through his teeth.

  ‘That’s a C7 fracture. She’ll need to go for surgery to get that stabilised. See if Andrew Simmons is available to come and look at her.’

  ‘I will. I think I saw him earlier in his office.’

  ‘Okay. She’ll need her pain medication topped up and steroids to bring down the inflammation.’

  ‘I’ll write it up. Gina Raines is her specialist nurse. I’ll let her know.’

  Matt’s head went back. ‘Gina?’

  Saffi frowned. It was clear he was startled by this information for some reason.

  ‘Yes, she generally works at the community hospital, but she transferred over here a couple of days ago on a temporary contract. She’s pretty good at the job, from what I’ve seen.’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Matt said. ‘She’s certainly well qualified. She was always keen to get on.’ His expression was guarded and Saffi wondered what had brought about this sudden change in him. Had he worked with Gina before this? From the sound of things, he knew her fairly well.

  ‘It’s all right, Jake,’ he said briskly, getting himself back on track. ‘I’ll go and speak to her myself. Perhaps you could concentrate on chasing up Andrew Simmons.’

  ‘I’ll do that.’

  Matt turned to Saffi, laying a hand lightly on her elbow. ‘Are you okay to go home with the paramedics? They have to go through the village on the way to the ambulance station.’

  ‘Yes, that’s fine, as long as they don’t mind helping me transfer my groceries from your car.’

  ‘I’m sure they’ll be okay with that.’

  He seemed concerned about her and Saffi smiled at him. ‘Don’t worry about me. I know you want to see to your patient and I understand that you’re busy.’

  He relaxed a little. ‘They’ll be in the restaurant, getting coffee, I imagine, but I asked them to page me when they’re ready to go.’

  She walked with him to the treatment bay where Katie was being looked after by a team of doctors and nurses. The girl was still wearing the rigid collar that protected her cervical spine, and she looked frightened, overwhelmed by everything that was happening. A nurse was doing her best to reassure her. Was this Gina?

  The nurse’s glance lifted as Matt entered the room and there was an immediate tension in the air as they looked at one another.

  ‘Well, this is a surprise,’ she said. There was a soft lilt to her voice. She was an attractive woman with green eyes and a beautifully shaped mouth, and dark brown hair that was pinned up at the back in a silky braid. ‘It’s been quite a while, Matt.’

  ‘It has. I—uh—wasn’t expecting to see you here.’

  ‘No. I’m standing in for the girl who went off on maternity leave.’

  ‘Ah.’ He cleared his throat, and Saffi guessed he was more than a little disturbed by this meeting. ‘So, how’s our patient doing?’

  ‘She’s very scared.’

  ‘That’s only natural.’ He walked over to the bedside and squeezed Katie’s hand gently. ‘Your parents are on their way, Katie. They should be here soon.’

  He spoke in a calm, soothing voice, comforting her as best he could and answering her questions in a positive manner. After a while, the girl seemed a little less tense.

  Gina looked at him in quiet satisfaction as they walked away from the bedside. ‘You were always good with the patients,’ she murmured. ‘You seem to have the magic touch.’

  ‘Let’s hope her faith in me isn’t misplaced,’ he said, his mouth making a taut line.

  Gina glanced at Saffi, and her eyes widened a fraction. ‘Saffi. I thought you were based in Hampshire? Are you worki
ng here now?’

  ‘Um. No. I’m just visiting.’ She was flummoxed for a while after Gina spoke to her. It seemed that the nurse knew her, as well as Matt, and that made her feel more confused than ever. How many more people would she come across that she didn’t recognise?

  ‘Saffi’s been in an accident,’ Matt said, giving the nurse a strangely intent look. His pager bleeped and he quickly checked it, before adding, ‘She has amnesia and she’s here to recover.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’

  ‘It’s all right.’ Saffi was suddenly anxious to get away, her mind reeling with unanswered questions. Just how well did Matt and Gina know one another? Quite closely, she suspected, from the way Gina looked at him. Would they be getting back together again?

  Her mind shied away from the thought. She realised she didn’t want to think of Matt being with another woman, and that thought disturbed her and threw her off balance.

  ‘I’d better leave you both to your work,’ she murmured. ‘I should be going now, anyway.’ She turned to Matt. ‘Was that the paramedics paging you a moment ago?’

  He nodded. ‘They’re waiting by the desk. I’ll take you over to them.’

  ‘No, don’t bother. You stay here and look after your patient.’

  He frowned. ‘If you’re sure?’

  ‘I am.’

  ‘Okay, then. Bye, Saffi.’

  ‘Bye.’ She nodded to Gina and hurried away. More than ever she felt as though she needed to escape. How was it that Matt had crept into her heart and managed to steal it away?

  The paramedics were a friendly pair, making up for the stress of the job they were doing with light-hearted humour. Word of the exchange between Matt and Gina must have travelled fast, because they were chatting about it on the journey home.

  ‘Is she another conquest in the making, do you think?’ the driver said with a smile.

  His partner nodded. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised. I don’t know how he does it. I could do with a bit of his charisma rubbing off on me.’

  They both chuckled, and Saffi kept quiet. Heaven forbid they should see her as yet another woman who had managed to fall for the good-looking emergency doctor. Just how many girls had fallen by the wayside where Matt was concerned?