An Affair of the Heart

by David George Richards

  For the first and only time in her life, she was sure of something that she could not explain rationally. The thought of Robert McCord coming to see her later that day made her heart beat faster. She couldn’t explain it, but it was true. She was excited and filled with anticipation at the prospect of seeing him.

  She was sure it could not be her own feelings. Her heart, Sarah’s heart, had reacted instantly at the sight of his photograph. For herself, she hadn’t thought that he was that much more handsome and attractive than Sarah’s husband, Alex. But his picture had brought no such reaction. If it was just her own feelings deceiving her, surely she would have reacted at the sight of Alex’s picture, not a stranger, who’s name was unfamiliar to her. But somehow, even before she knew who he was, before she had read that he had worked for Alex Williams, before she had guessed that he and Sarah must have had an affair, her heart had definitely reacted. And it still reacted.

  All through the day, waiting for her mother to return with the two men, she felt like a silly schoolgirl on her first date. The hours dragged on and on. She saw Gavin Smedley again, still sheepish about being caught. She asked him what punishment Nurse Kaye had subjected him to, but he refused to tell her, admitting only that it was diabolical. He was also no longer allowed to bring his newspaper with him on his rounds with the trolley.

  Later had come Rachel’s physiotherapy. First she had been manipulated by a nurse she hadn’t met before. It sounded bad, but it just meant moving her arms and shoulders about, making sure the muscles in her chest were still mobile, and healing well after the surgery. She had made her usual joke about having a zip fitted, but the nurse was not impressed. After that came the treadmill.

  Rachel felt like she had ran for miles on that treadmill today, with Dr Cornwall egging her on all the time. He kept making her go faster and faster, until she was a wet, sweaty mess. She was gasping for breath when she told him, “I’m going to tell...my mother on you...You’re trying to kill me!”

  “Rubbish!” Dr Cornwall had replied. “You’re stronger than I am! You could pull a cart with that heart. You’re as strong as an ox!”

  After that, Nurse Kaye had removed the dressings from the wound on Rachel’s chest and helped her to have a shower. It was the first time Rachel had been able to have a proper shower since the operation. Nurse Kaye didn’t replace the dressings on Rachel’s chest after she helped her to dry and get dressed. When Rachel asked her about it, Nurse Kaye told her that Dr Jones had said that from today, she would no longer need them.

  Rachel now got on well with Julia Kaye. But no matter how hard she had pressed the nurse, Julia refused to tell Rachel what evil punishment she had given to Gavin Smedley.

  And then it was lunchtime.

  How could it be just lunchtime?

  In the afternoon, Dr Cornwall had taken her for an electro- cardiograph. When he looked at the results he kept telling her she was as strong as an ox, until she told him she was going to hit him with the ECG machine. He just laughed.

  The rest of the afternoon was driving her crazy. There was nothing to take her mind off what was going on in court, or who might be coming to see her later on. The time just dragged and dragged.

  Finally, it was all over. Her mother came into the room followed by Dr Jones and another man. Rachel recognised him immediately from his photograph in the newspaper. It was Brian Morgan.

  Chapter Thirty

  A Day in Court

  Gina introduced Brian Morgan to Rachel. There were smiles and hellos. Rachel shook his hand. He seemed to be a nice young man, very down to earth and not like her idea of a barrister at all. Then Rachel asked the question that was tearing at her insides.

  “Where’s Mr McCord?”

  “He couldn’t come,” Gina replied. “He’s too busy.”

  “Too busy?” Rachel repeated. The look of disappointment was plain to see on her face.

  “He is rather busy, I’m afraid,” Brian said. “And I’ve got some work to do tonight as well, so I had better go, too. But, never mind, Rachel. I’m sure Robert will be able to come and see you tomorrow.”

  Brian then said goodbye, and he and Dr Jones left together. Dr Jones had hardly said a word. He just said hello when he came in, checked Rachel’s chart, and left.

  “Dr Jones didn’t look very happy,” Rachel said to her mother.

  “Don’t worry!” Gina said, sitting on the side of Rachel’s bed. “He’s just upset about what was said in court today, that’s all.”

  Rachel sat up eagerly in bed. “Go on, then, Mum!” she said, suddenly forgetting about everything else. “Tell me what I’ve missed having to sit here all day!”

  Gina began to explain.

  The MRI’s barrister was a Mr Davidson. He and Brian Morgan had made their opening speeches in the morning. Brian had gone first as he was sort of prosecuting, followed by Mr Davidson. After that, Brian Morgan had presented their case against the MRI, and the story of what had happened the night Sarah Williams had been brought into their Accident and Emergency department was finally examined.

  Various witnesses were called, including Dr Askwith. Brian had questioned him the most, almost accusing him of lying about the donor card he said that Sarah Williams carried. After him came some nurses, followed by more doctors. The main ones were a Dr Clarkson and a woman doctor called Anders. Both Dr Anders, who’s shift followed that of Dr Askwith, and Dr Clarkson, who was in charge of the Accident and Emergency department, hadn’t seen the donor card, or even heard of it’s existence that night.

  Gina hadn’t been very impressed by the doctors, or the General Manager, Mr Barrett, who came later. But Brian Morgan had impressed her. He took them all apart, deliberately making some of them angry until the judge told him off.

  There was a break for lunch, after which more witnesses were called. The last one was a policewoman called WPC Foster. She was there when the doctors discovered their mistake. Brian spoke to her for quite a while, too. She told of the confusion caused by Dr Askwith when he left for his holiday so quickly. What she said made everybody think that it was his fault, and that somehow he hadn’t done his job properly.

  “That’s probably what’s upset Dr Jones,” Gina said. “Dr Askwith is an old friend of his.”

  “Do you think he’s upset with us?” Rachel asked. She liked Dr Jones, and the idea that this court case might stop him from being her friend had dismayed her.

  “He’ll be alright once they get their turn,” Gina said. “Anyway, we don’t want to win this case, do we? We want to lose it! I just hope that Brian hasn’t over done it. He was so good today he certainly convinced me that he was trying to win.”

  “So what happened after that?”

  “That was it, basically. Brian finished with the policewoman. And tomorrow it’s their turn. I don’t know how they are going to get out of it. Even Robert was a bit concerned.”

  “He was there?”

  “Yes, he was waiting outside when I came out.”

  “But he was too busy to come back with you?”

  Gina looked at her daughter’s expression. “You really are upset that he didn’t come, aren’t you?” she said, stroking Rachel’s hair.

  Rachel nodded. “Am I being silly?” she asked.

  “Why do you think you’re being silly?”

  “Because I’m getting all upset over somebody I’ve never met before, just because he didn’t come and see me. I must be being silly.”

  Gina started fishing. “What do you know about him?” she asked.

  “Not much, just what I read in the paper.”

  “Were there any pictures?”

  Rachel nodded again. “Yes, one or two.”

  Gina went for the kill. “Have you got a crush on our solicitor?”

  Rachel looked very embarrassed. She lowered her head, quickly hiding her face behind her long hair. But her mother had already seen her face turning red.

  “You’re blushing!” her mother accused her. “You have got a crush
on him! It’s no use trying to hide it from me!”

  “Oh, stop it, Mum!” Rachel protested. “It’s not fair!”

  “You’re hopeless, Rachel! You really are!” Gina told her. She reached under her daughter’s chin and tried to raise her head, but Rachel crouched down even more. “Look at me,” Gina said. “Come on, Rachel! Stop being childish and look at me!”

  Rachel looked up, brushing her hair out of the way. “I’m not being childish!” she snapped. “It’s you! You always do this! Whenever I find anybody I like you always pick on me! It’s not fair!”

  “But Robert McCord? He’s old enough to be your father!”

  “No, he’s not!”

  “He is! He even looks old! He must be in his forties!”

  “No he doesn’t! And the newspaper said he was thirty-seven!”

  “There you are then! I told you he was too old!”

  “Oh, Mum!” Rachel threw the sheet over her head.

  Gina looked at her daughter, sitting there buried under the sheet. She sighed loudly, and said, “You might not like him, anyway.”

  “I won’t know until I meet him, will I?” came the slightly muffled reply.

  Gina reached out and slowly pulled the sheet from over Rachel’s head. All her hair looked ruffled and untidy. Gina smiled at her daughter, who watched her from over the top of her glasses.

  “You always do this to me, Mum,” Rachel said in a soft voice.

  “I know. I can’t help it,” Gina replied, and reached out to stroke her daughter’s hair, brushing it back into place as she continued talking. “I always was a bit interfering with you and your boyfriends, wasn’t I? I suppose I was just being over protective. But, it’s just that, well, I keep thinking and worrying, that one day, one of those boys you meet is going to whisk you away, and that you’ll forget all about me.”

  “Oh, don’t Mum! You’re just going to make me cry!” Rachel protested. “You know I love you! Of course I’m not going to go off and forget about you! Now you’re being silly!”

  “But you’ve got a new heart now,” Gina pointed out. “You’ll be able to do all the things you always wanted to do. You won’t need you’re Mum anymore. You’re going to be more independent. You’re not a little girl anymore Rachel, you’re twenty-four. Soon you’ll want to get a job, find new friends, and even get a place of your own to live. You’ll soon forget about me.”

  “I won’t! I’ll never do anything like that!” Rachel insisted. She could see that her mother was getting emotional, and if she didn’t do something about it soon, they would both end up being very soppy. “Even if I did do most of those things, I’d still want you around,” she said, putting her arm around her mother. “After all, who would fetch me up a cup of tea, or do the house work for me if you weren’t there?”

  “That’s it!” Gina said and she attacked Rachel, who quickly dived under the covers. Gina took the pillow and hit her with it. “Is that all I am to you? A house keeper and a cook?” she demanded in mock anger, as Rachel’s muffled screams came from somewhere under the sheets. “Just you wait until you come home! You want new friends? I’ll introduce you to new friends! Mr Vacuum Cleaner, Mr Sink, Mr Kettle, and Mr Brush and Pan!”

  Mock battles between mother and daughter were a long established tradition for Rachel and Gina. They helped to let off steam and to re-establish that physical closeness they shared, especially after any disagreement, or crisis. But now that Rachel was older, they didn’t always happen as frequently or as intensely as before. But less intense or not, they always started the same way. First Rachel would goad her mother, and then Gina would retaliate, generally by tickling Rachel until she gave in. Finally they would sit and talk, mulling over what was ailing them.

  Gina stayed for another two hours, sitting on the bed and talking with Rachel. During that time she and Rachel talked about various things. Like what they would do when Rachel came out of hospital. Would they go on holiday? And did Rachel want to go back to University? Or did she want to get a job? And what did Gina want to do?

  They also talked about men, and a lot about Robert McCord. Gina knew that the American fascinated her daughter, and when Rachel finally explained why, Gina felt slightly un-nerved.

  “You’re just imagining it,” she said. “It’s just a crush, that’s all.”

  “I’m not imagining it, Mum. Honest,” Rachel insisted. “And it can’t be just my own feelings either. He and Sarah must have had an affair when he worked for her husband.”

  Gina thought for a moment before telling Rachel what Robert McCord had told her.

  “I knew it!” Rachel said, excitedly. “I told you! I’m not making it up, Mum! I felt it! I really did!”

  Rachel was getting more and more excited, while Gina was just getting more worried. “Don’t get all soppy and romantic, now!” Gina told her. “I still think you just fancy him. You saw his photo in the paper and you liked it, that’s all. You always were a sucker for a handsome face!”

  “But, Mum–”

  “But nothing! Anyway, I’m still not too sure that he can be trusted.”

  “Why not? He’s helping us, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, but I’m not totally convinced that it’s just out of the goodness of his own heart.”

  “But he is helping us, Mum!” Rachel insisted. “He can’t be all bad!”

  “He stole another man’s wife, didn’t he?”

  That made Rachel pause. Her excited expression faded a little. “I don’t think Sarah loved her husband anymore,” she said slowly. “I think it was already over before she met Robert.”

  Now Gina really was worried. “Sarah? Robert? You don’t know any of these people, Rachel!” she said, anxiously. “You can’t possibly know what any of them were thinking!”

  “But I do, Mum!” Rachel insisted. “I feel it! Inside me!” She held her hands to her chest as she spoke. “I’m sure it’s not just a crush, Mum. It has to be more than that. But I’m not stupid, either. Even I can’t really understand what I’m feeling. So that’s why I have to meet him. I’m sure that I’ll find out what’s going on, and what he’s really like, as soon as we meet. Good or bad, I’ll know, one way or the other, straight away. I’m sure, Mum! I’m sure!”

  Gina looked at her daughter’s expression. It was so filled with emotion that she had to give in. “Alright,” she said. “I’m not promising anything, but I’ll ask him again tomorrow. If he comes, he comes. But if he doesn’t, or if he doesn’t have this same strange feeling that you do, then you have to promise me you’ll drop all this silliness. Alright?”

  Rachel looked stubborn. “He will feel the same!” she insisted. “He has to!”

  Gina sighed. “Don’t think of him as some hero, Rachel,” she said, wagging her finger at her daughter. “If he were a cowboy, he probably wouldn’t be wearing a black hat, but it most certainly wouldn’t be a white one, either.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Twist...

  If Rachel had thought the first day of the trial had dragged on for hours and hours as she waited for her mother to return, the second day must have seemed like her whole life had gone by. It drove her crazy. This time he would come. This time she would meet him. And she would know. Whatever her mother thought about Robert McCord, Rachel knew that as soon as she saw him and shook his hand, she would know. But why did the hours have to take so long? In the end, her mother actually returned early.

  But again Rachel was disappointed.

  “He can’t be too busy again!” Rachel almost wailed when her mother and Brian Morgan came into her room without him.

  “And hello to you too!” Gina said, hands on hips.

  Brian Morgan laughed before he answered Rachel’s question. “Yes, he is I’m afraid. And after what happened today, I think he’s going to be far too busy for quite a while.”

  “Why? What’s happened? Is he alright?” Rachel asked, slightly worried.

  Gina sat on the side of Rachel’s bed. “Well, if you give
us a chance, we’ll tell you!” she said. She looked so excited; Rachel thought she was going to burst. She hadn’t seen her mother looking as happy as this in ages.

  “It was like a bombshell!” Gina went on. “They accused him of having an affair with Mrs Williams!”

  “What? In court?” Rachel asked in amazement.

  “Yes! They just came straight out with it! That Mr Davidson said that this whole thing was just a private fight between him and her husband! Can you imagine it? The whole place went wild! More cameras went off than at a Royal wedding!”

  “Flipping heck!”

  Brian Morgan smiled. “Yes, it was a bit of a surprise,” he said. “Robert knew that he would be questioned at some point because he knew both Mr and Mrs Williams. And I knew that Robert was planning to make his affair with Sarah Williams public, anyway. But neither of us ever suspected that it would come out so soon. Even Robert was never too precise about how he was going to get the question asked in court. As it was, when Davidson called him as their first witness and just came straight out with it, it couldn’t have worked out any better if we had planned it that way.”

  “But I don’t understand!” Rachel said in anguish. “What was so important about their affair? And why did he want everyone to know about it?”

  Gina explained. “The affair itself wasn’t so important,” she said. “It just proved that he knew Mrs Williams well. That was important.”

  “That’s right,” Brian interrupted. “You see, only that doctor from the MRI, Dr Askwith, had seen and known that Mrs Williams was carrying an organ donor card. But now that it’s gone missing, and no one knows where it is, it was just his word that it ever existed. Until now.”

  Gina turned to stare at Brian. “Who’s telling this story?” she said to him.