The Bachelor Doctor

by Judy Campbell

  And just where did that leave her if she was to work with him in the practice? she thought wryly. Far too close for comfort in a professional relationship!

  CHAPTER THREE

  THE small girl looked aggressively up at Cara, her fists doubled up before her like a miniature boxer.

  ‘Don’t come near me or I’ll hit you!’ she shouted. ‘I won’t let you look in my ear!’

  Cara suppressed an urge to smile at the little firebrand, and turned calmly to the child’s mother.

  ‘Could you try holding Shona’s head again for me while I just peep and see how far the pencil rubber’s gone into her ear canal?’

  She spoke in a matter-of-fact voice. It was no use getting irritated with the child, although they’d already stretched the appointment well over five minutes while Shona wept and struggled.

  Mrs Brown clutched the child to her as if Cara was going to stab her daughter. ‘The poor wee pet,’ she said mournfully in a hoarse, slow voice. ‘She’s terrified. You aren’t going to hurt her, are you?’

  Cara sighed inwardly. Her first morning in the Ballranoch practice had been a full one, dealing with elderly people who had a range of serious complaints to teenagers with bad acne. She didn’t feel like battling with too many awkward patients today, however young they were. And Mrs Brown’s nervousness was communicating itself to her child.

  Cara flicked a curious glance at the woman—large, thin-haired with a thick, pallid complexion. There seemed to be no family resemblance at all to her lively little daughter! Something about the mother’s appearance rang a bell at the back of her mind, but it was too elusive to pursue and she turned to the matter in hand. Since she’d had Dan, Cara was even more aware of the terrors that assailed parents when their children were ill, so she was sympathetic to the anxious fears of Mrs Brown—although it was, after all, a very simple procedure.

  Perhaps the morning had seemed long because it was her first in a new practice—or perhaps because so much had happened in the two days since the New Year and she felt exhausted. Looking after Dan, going over to see her father in hospital and finally agreeing to help Jake Donahue at the earnest request of her father—they had taken it out of her.

  ‘For my sake, darling,’ he’d pleaded. ‘There’s no one else prepared to work out here at such short notice, and I’d feel so much better if I knew Jake had help. He’s a good doctor but even he can’t look after everyone.’

  She’d allowed herself to be talked into this, she thought wryly. She wanted to do whatever her father said while he was ill, and she’d had enough experience in her inner city London practice to deal confidently with most patients thrown her way. What made her nervous was working in close contact with a complex man whom she’d begun to realise was just a little too attractive for comfort!

  For a second her thoughts flashed back to New Year’s Eve and the heady feeling of being held against Jake’s body, his lips on hers. Her head told her there had been nothing in it—he’d kissed her because it had been hogmanay and she’d responded far too willingly Already she knew her heart was beating to a different tune, and she was afraid that the overwhelming attraction she felt for Jake could lead to nothing but danger…

  Abruptly she brought herself back to the curly-headed, pugnacious child in front of her.

  ‘Come on, now, Shona. You’re a brave girl, I’m sure, and this certainly won’t hurt. Just keep very still.’

  Shona started bellowing in reply and Mrs Brown sighed heavily. ‘If I hadn’t been so tired I’d have been at the school earlier, then she wouldn’t have passed the time pushing the pencil rubber in her ear.’

  Both mother and daughter tensed as Cara looked into the small ear with her otoscope. ‘Ah,’ she said with satisfaction, ‘it’s not gone in very far—I should be able to extract it fairly easily.’

  ‘But surely she’ll need an anaesthetic,’ objected Mrs Brown fearfully, her dull eyes turning apprehensively to Cara.

  ‘It isn’t necessary to put Shona through that. It won’t take a second and that’s better than going into hospital for a day, isn’t it?’

  Mrs Brown looked doubtfully at her daughter who responded by burying her head in her mother’s shoulder and sobbing.

  ‘If you’re sure…’ she said, looking with deep suspicion at Cara. ‘I don’t want you to think I’m being rude, but Dr Mackenzie and Dr Donahue have known Shona since she was born—you don’t know her at all. Oh, dear, it’s very worrying.’

  ‘It’s a very simple procedure. It doesn’t matter really that I haven’t known Shona since birth, you know,’ replied Cara, trying to dampen the impatient tone in her voice.

  Mrs Brown started to rock Shona to and fro like a baby. Looking quickly at her watch, Cara realised that this could take a long time to resolve—she didn’t want to probe around in the child’s ear with an agitated parent trying to keep her still. She pushed the switch on the intercom and spoke to Karen, the large and sensible receptionist.

  ‘I wonder if Dr Donahue or the practice nurse could come through for a second if they’re free?’

  A few seconds later Jake strode into the room, quickly taking in the scenario of crying child and white-faced mother. Cara flicked a glance towards him and felt her pulse bound uncomfortably on seeing his tall figure dominate the room and amused blue eyes holding hers for a moment. It brought to mind only too vividly their closeness on New Year’s Eve.

  ‘Can I help?’ he asked pleasantly.

  Mrs Brown’s pallid face cleared instantly. ‘Oh, thank goodness you’re here, Dr Donahue. We’re having a terrible time with poor Shona and, of course, Dr Cara’s completely new to us and doesn’t know her as a patient…’

  And therefore I don’t trust her an inch, translated Cara wryly, her heart still fluttering as she watched Jake walk over to Shona.

  ‘I have every confidence in Dr Cara,’ said Jake firmly. ‘After all, she is Dr Mackenzie’s daughter. Now, what seems to be the problem?’

  Cara shot him a grateful glance. ‘Shona’s managed to get a pencil rubber stuck in her ear,’ she said briskly. ‘I can get it out very easily, but I wondered if you could hold Shona’s head—especially as you know her so well,’ she added cunningly.

  It took less than ten seconds for Cara to remove the offending object with a pair of tiny toothed forceps. ‘There!’ she said triumphantly, holding up the rubber, ‘That wasn’t too bad, was it?’

  ‘You were so brave, darling. I’m going to treat you to a large ice cream,’ puffed Mrs Brown as she plodded slowly out of the room. ‘Thank you for coming to help Dr Cara out,’ she said to Jake, then she disappeared down the corridor.

  ‘Talk about being patronised!’ murmured Jake. ‘I’m afraid little Shona is rather indulged, being the baby of the family after three boys—and treated like crystal!’

  Cara raised her eyes. ‘Heaven save me from panicking parents! I’m sorry to have had to drag you in, but I didn’t want to pierce darling Shona’s eardrum while she wriggled. Her mother told me in no uncertain terms that as a new girl I wasn’t up to the job.’

  ‘Better the devil you know,’ remarked Jake. ‘I’m afraid our patients are notoriously conservative in their views. Of course, you’ll know many of them, having lived here all your life.’

  ‘I never worked in the practice, though,’ explained Cara. ‘I…I was about to, but when I finished my hospital training in Edinburgh things were difficult, as I told you.’

  Jake smiled. ‘Never mind. You’re back now, and I’d just like to say how pleased I am that you’re going to help us out.’

  ‘On a temporary basis,’ she said quickly. She wasn’t going to commit herself to a long stint with this man—it might just turn out to be a huge mistake!

  His bright blue eyes held hers for a fraction longer than necessary, as if he knew just what she was thinking, and he gave one of his sudden unexpected grins. ‘I’m sure we’ll get on fine,’ he murmured. ‘We have lots to discuss, however. Perhaps we could have a sandwich
together in my room at lunchtime. I’d like to fill you in with details of the practice and try and answer any questions you have.’

  Cara nodded and started to key Shona’s notes into the computer. Suddenly she stopped and looked up at Jake’s disappearing back. The elusive thought she’d had about Mrs Brown clicked into place.

  ‘Jake,’ she said, stopping him as he walked out of the room. ‘Mrs Brown—Shona’s mother—she obviously comes to you sometimes, so you know her fairly well?’

  ‘Yes. I don’t think I’ve seen her for some time, though. I noticed she’s put on a bit of weight.’

  ‘Well, this might sound completely crazy, but I had a patient in London who might have been her twin sister—same look, same hoarse voice. The patient I had suffered from primary hypothyroidism—I just wondered about Mrs Brown. She said she felt tired and she certainly looked unwell.’

  Jake nodded thoughtfully. ‘She certainly fills a lot of the criteria—around fifty years old, overweight, female. It’s been some time since I’ve seen her, but she’s definitely changed in appearance. You’re quite right. We should bring her in for some blood tests—serum TSH and T4 test. Lucky her daughter got something stuck in her ear otherwise it might have gone undetected for some time.’ He raised his eyebrows approvingly. ‘Good job her new GP was sufficiently on the ball to recognise the symptoms. I’ll look up her previous notes and get in touch with her.’

  Cara felt a slight glow of satisfaction as she brought up the next patient’s notes on her computer. If what she suspected was right and they were able to give her medication, Mrs Brown would feel a different woman very soon. Sometimes, she reflected, being a GP was quite rewarding.

  ‘This was a good idea, Jake. I haven’t been down here for many years,’ said Cara, looking across the waters of the loch sparkling diamond and blue in the winter sun. Lunchtime had come at last and Jake had steered her firmly out of his room and down the woodland path behind the surgery that led to the loch. It was a cold day, but they both wore thick jackets and the air was astringent and refreshing.

  ‘I thought it would be good to get some fresh air and have our sandwiches out of doors instead of being stuck in the surgery for the whole day. Karen’s provided a flask of coffee—we may as well make use of the most beautiful surroundings in the world!’

  Cara gazed across to the wide sweep of snow-topped mountains and the small island some way offshore in the middle of the loch. ‘That was my island,’ she said softly. ‘When I was young my father used to row me out there and I had a little den made out of trees—my secret place!’

  Jake smiled down at her. ‘You’ll be able to take Dan there soon. He’ll like throwing stones in the water, too, I’ll bet.’

  ‘I wonder if Robbie Tulloch, the old gamekeeper, still lives there?’ Cara screwed her eyes up to look through the trees on the island. ‘He had a dear little cottage on the far side and he used to give me biscuits and milk when I went over.’

  ‘Oh, yes, Robbie’s still there, but we don’t see him much. He’s a patient of the practice, of course.’

  He picked up a stone and tossed it into the water, watching the ripples spread out in circles. ‘This is such a wonderful place for a child,’ he remarked, a note of wistfulness in his voice. ‘Lots of freedom to run about.’

  ‘Were you brought up in the country?’ asked Cara, sitting down on an old wooden seat under the trees.

  He sat down beside her and offered her a sandwich. ‘No, I was a city child—plenty of smog and dirt and not much fun. That’s why I appreciate the wilds of the Highlands so much.’

  ‘And that’s why you didn’t spread your wings for a while and stayed here?’

  Jake’s face was guarded. ‘Something like that. I decided it was best to stay in the area for various reasons. Working for your father seemed to be the right answer.’

  His tone didn’t invite further questioning and Cara started to undo the top of the thermos.

  ‘Coffee?’ she asked briskly, as if she wasn’t interested in his background.

  Jake nodded and leant forward in his seat, clasping the hot cup in his hands. ‘Perhaps I ought to tell you something about the way we work here then you’ll get an inkling of what you’ve let yourself in for.’

  ‘Is it a big practice?’ asked Cara. ‘In London we were a two-handed partnership with about six thousand patients between us.’

  Jake shook his head. ‘Not quite that big, but huge in area, as you can imagine. As you know, St Cuthbert’s is the local hospital and it has a good A and E and surgical service, but all neurological cases have to go further afield. Can be tricky if a climber has fallen on the hills and hit his head. By the way,’ he said turning to her, ‘do you have walking boots and good all-weather gear?’

  ‘Not really. Why—will I need them?’

  ‘Most certainly,’ Jake said, a rare smile touching his lips. ‘We’re the back-up emergency team if things go wrong—and you’ll be amazed how often that happens!’

  Cara was silent for a second. She’d certainly done the odd emergency case in London when doctors had been needed in road traffic accidents, but she hadn’t envisaged herself tramping over the hills and climbing mountains to rescue people!

  ‘Does it put you off?’ Jake raised his eyebrows humorously at her. ‘I think you’d find it invigorating—and you wouldn’t be on your own!’

  Cara gave a slight gulp. That might be part of the problem—being on her own on a windswept mountain with Jake Donahue might be a bit too exciting! ‘I…I don’t know anything about climbing,’ she protested.

  ‘You’ll be fine,’ he said. But she wasn’t convinced.

  ‘We do have an arrangement with a practice about twelve miles away to do some late on-call visits, and we have a minor injuries unit at the surgery once a week for patients who can’t get to the hospital easily. There’s an occasional bus that wends its way to Ballranoch from outlying districts.’

  Cara nodded. It would be a very different working life to the one she’d led in London where her patients had lived in close proximity to the medical centre and an agency had done late night calls—that was for sure!

  Jake stood up and stretched. ‘Ah, well, back to the grindstone. By the way, I looked up Mrs Brown’s notes and the last time she came to see me was about a menstrual disorder, which of course could be an indicator of hypothyroidism, although she had no other symptoms. We tried her with cyclical progesterone and she seemed to improve.’ He smiled at her. ‘Very good detective work if I may say so!’

  The wind blew icily down the loch and Cara pulled up the collar of her coat. ‘All in a day’s work,’ she said modestly.

  ‘How was your father when you last visited?’ Jake asked as he gathered up the lunch things.

  ‘He’s stable and they’re thinking of doing the bypass in another week if he maintains good progress. I may take Dan in with me soon—it might give Dad a boost to see him.’

  ‘I’m sure it will.’ He flicked a quick glance at Cara. ‘Had your father never seen him before?’

  Cara flung the dregs of her coffee into the undergrowth and sighed. ‘My father never even knew he existed until New Year’s Eve—that’s why he never mentioned him to you.’

  ‘Then you came back at the right time,’ said Jake quietly. He held out his hand to Cara and pulled her up from her seat. ‘I see you decided to use your maiden name—Mackenzie. What’s your married name?’

  ‘Toby and I never married—we never got round to it.’

  She watched an osprey circle high in the sky over the loch and sighed. She’d wanted to marry, had hoped against hope that Toby would one day commit himself to her, especially when Dan had arrived. She smiled wryly to herself. The baby’s arrival had made Toby even more remote, if anything. And now, she thought bleakly, it was as if she had never known the man, never spent over four years with him…

  She was brought back to earth by the sharpness in Jake’s voice. ‘That’s a great pity, isn’t it? No father for Dan. Or
is he still around?’

  Cara bit her lip. She wanted to tell Jake to mind his own business, to forget the hurt that Toby had caused her—but what good would keeping it dark do?

  ‘Toby has no interest in his son. In fact, he has so little interest he’s gone to live abroad.’ She looked at Jake defensively. ‘You don’t approve, then—you think I should have married someone like that?’

  Jake shrugged. ‘I just think for the child’s sake it’s more secure. I know marriage seems to be going out of fashion but, speaking for myself, there’s no way I’d have a family without being fully committed to the mother of my children. Are you sure you couldn’t have made it up with him—at least kept in touch with him for Dan’s sake?’

  Make up with Toby? Cara almost laughed. ‘After what that man did to me and Dan,’ she said grimly, ‘I never want to set eyes on him again.’

  Jake shook his head rather sadly as they started to walk up the path, and Cara looked curiously at him. ‘You’ve very conventional views—some people feel just as committed to each other when they aren’t married as those who are. You’ve been living too long in the wilds!’

  He raise a sardonic eyebrow. ‘Maybe I’m out of touch, but it seems a shame to have a baby without the father being around.’

  A flash of irritation went through Cara—he certainly could be pompous at times! ‘Be real, Jake,’ she snapped crossly. ‘You know accidents do happen. Sometimes human beings get it wrong—we’re not machines!’

  There was a hint of scorn in his look. ‘Come on, Cara, surely as a doctor you could have foreseen a little “accident”!’

  The cheek of the man! Cara felt her blood pressure starting to rise alarmingly. She stopped walking and stared at him, her eyes sparkling with rage, spitting out her words. ‘How dare you say that? I don’t regard Dan as an accident—he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me!’

  She turned abruptly away from Jake, her pulse racing with anger. How could she work with this boorish man who seemed to enjoy insulting her at every turn? He might be one of the most drop-dead-gorgeous men she’d ever seen but it didn’t prevent him from shooting his mouth off!