The Surgeon's Secret

by Lucy Clark

  ‘OK,’ she replied and headed for the emergency surgical suite. They couldn’t reorganise the hospital elective list, even if they’d wanted to, as Alex’s public operating session was on Tuesday afternoons and all of those patients had already been admitted to hospital that day.

  As Louise was a private patient they could operate on her in a private hospital, but as her pelvic fracture wasn’t stable Alex didn’t want to risk moving her any more than necessary—and rightly so.

  Jordanne didn’t know the head nurse in ESS as well as she knew the staff in elective surgery but that didn’t matter in this instance. She and Alex required theatre time for a patient within the next twenty-four hours and that was all there was to it.

  Registered Nurse Colleen Pomeray was the theatre sister in charge, and Jordanne knocked firmly on her office door.

  ‘Hi, Jordanne,’ Colleen said, and motioned for her to enter. ‘What can I do for you?’

  ‘Take a guess,’ Jordanne said as she came in and sat down opposite Colleen.

  ‘Alex needs some theatre time.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘How much?’

  ‘At least five hours. Acetabular reconstruction.’

  ‘Is that for the hit-and-run accident who came in last Friday?’

  ‘That’s the one. Louise Kellerman.’

  Colleen consulted her schedules. ‘I can give you six hours straight in Theatre A tomorrow morning.’

  ‘Excellent. I’ll take it.’

  ‘If I shift that case over there,’ Colleen mumbled as she rewrote the schedule, ‘then move that case to an hour later then, voilà, six hours.’

  ‘You’re a gem.’

  ‘I’d do anything for Alex,’ Colleen said with a friendly smile. ‘He operated on my sister four years ago and since then he knows he has me wrapped around his little finger.’

  ‘Well I’m sure he’d be most grateful to you for accommodating this session. I know I am. At least I can take back some good news.’

  ‘Tough day?’

  ‘No tougher than others. At the previous hospital I worked at, a lot of the staff were unwilling to help out in situations such as these. It was like pulling teeth.’

  ‘Sounds as though you’re glad to be out of there.’

  ‘My contract was only for twelve months—as is this one—and although they asked me to extend it, when Jed told me about the possibility of a job here I jumped at the chance.’

  ‘So you like working with Alex?’

  Jordanne grinned. ‘Well, Alex is just like another brother to me.’

  ‘He is a nice guy. Does he have any sisters?’

  ‘No. Just one brother.’

  ‘And now he has you?’ Colleen asked.

  ‘If we’re to be completely accurate, I guess he has two. My sister Jasmine would have to adopt him as well.’

  Colleen smiled. ‘Sounds as though Alex is in for a new experience.’

  Jordanne was about to quip something like, You’ve got that right, but decided against it. Instead, she said, ‘Thanks for rearranging things. I’ll go tell Alex the good news.’

  As she walked towards the ward, Jordanne wondered how well Colleen Pomeray knew Alex. The thought made Jordanne very uncomfortable. Imagining Alex with another woman, it made her stomach lurch and twist into knots.

  As she rounded the corner into the ward, Jordanne forced the issue from her mind. She’d discuss it with Kirsten later. She found Alex in the nurses’ station, laughing at something Teagan Hughes had said. The way the registrar was looking at him—like the cat who’d got the cream—reinforced the knots in Jordanne’s stomach.

  Had the staff behaved like this towards him during the past month? Was it something new Jordanne was seeing or had it always been there? Jealousy began to rear its ugly head but she forced herself to quash the emotion. She was the one who’d started this surrogate-sister business and now she had to acknowledge that Alex might be playing his own games.

  She pasted on a smile as she walked into the nurses’ station.

  ‘Am I the best, or am I the best?’ she asked rhetorically.

  ‘You’ve arranged theatre time,’ Alex guessed, turning his gaze from Teagan to her.

  ‘Exactly. Six vacant hours of ESS theatre time tomorrow morning is now booked for Louise Kellerman.’ Jordanne smiled up at him and he returned the smile. She felt warmed and once again had confidence in her plan. The lump of lead in her stomach returned to its usual fluttering of butterflies. Amazing how a simple smile from the man could completely change her attitude.

  ‘Good. Let’s check on Louise before getting the equipment organised.’ They walked to her room and did a final check on her operation sites before leaving her to doze in peace.

  ‘Are you going?’ Teagan asked, and Alex nodded. ‘Well, then, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night, if not before.’ She smiled at him again as he and Jordanne left the ward.

  The lead returned. ‘Tomorrow night?’ Jordanne queried, trying to keep her tone impartial.

  ‘Uh-huh.’ Alex nodded as they headed back to his office, Louise’s latest set of X-rays under his arm.

  ‘What’s tomorrow night?’

  They came to the door of the department and Alex stepped forward to hold it open for her. His grin was like that of the Cheshire cat and Jordanne had the distinct impression he was up to something. ‘Nothing in particular,’ he replied casually, and headed for his office.

  Jordanne stopped by her own office and removed her white coat and stethoscope. Both of them had a theatre task force committee meeting in another hour and Louise Kellerman’s theatre equipment was their first priority. What she’d really like to do now was to drag him out of the hospital and take him somewhere quiet where they could talk.

  Roberto Portatello’s words came instantly to mind. ‘Don’t rush him,’ she whispered softly to herself, and knew that when she entered his office she’d be the calm, controlled, consummate professional that he’d hired.

  Jordanne walked to his office and found the door slightly ajar. As he was expecting her, she didn’t bother knocking but instead walked in and closed the door. Her new resolve crumbled the moment she looked at him.

  Alex was sitting in his chair, his eyes closed and his fingers gently rubbing his forehead. Jordanne crossed quietly to his side and placed her hands on his shoulders. She’d only been pretending to massage them this morning but now, after his initial shock at her touch, she urged him to stay still.

  ‘Try and relax,’ she said, dropping all pretence. She stood behind his chair and kneaded his knotted-up shoulders. Neither of them spoke for at least ten minutes while Jordanne’s fingers worked their magic.

  ‘Better?’ she asked as she came around his desk.

  Alex opened his eyes and gazed at her. The blue depths didn’t radiate anything other than fatigue. It was as though he was letting her glimpse the real man who lived deep down inside his soul. ‘Thank you.’ The two words were said without any pretence or double meaning and Jordanne accepted them like a precious treasure.

  ‘You’re welcome.’ She reached for the packet of X-rays he’d put on the table and took them over to the viewing box. ‘We’ll have to shelve our discussion of the research project until later,’ she said. ‘As we don’t have much time now, let’s get started.’

  They discussed the scans in detail, going over what approaches to use and what instrumentation and equipment would be required. Finally they were done but were running late for the meeting.

  ‘I’ll go to the meeting if you wouldn’t mind organising the equipment. Also, would you mind telling my secretary about the operation and asking her to cancel my morning meetings?’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘What did you have planned for tomorrow morning?’ he asked as he shrugged into his suit jacket and picked up the necessary theatre task force committee file from the desk.

  ‘I had a few interviews scheduled for the research project but I can rearrange them for Friday afternoon.’


  ‘Was Dylan Foster one of them?’ he asked with a frown.

  ‘Yes.’

  She had expected him to start on another tirade of her being careful or of him wanting to be there when she interviewed Dylan. Instead, Alex simply nodded and headed for the door.

  ‘I’ll come to the meeting as soon as I’ve finished.’

  ‘Don’t rush,’ he said with a smile. ‘They’re never that exciting.’ With that, he walked out, leaving her standing in the middle of his office.

  It took a moment or two for Jordanne to get over the effects of his casual smile. She wished he wouldn’t unleash them on her without warning. Gathering the X-rays together, she stopped by his secretary’s office to pass on the message before heading back to ESS.

  Jordanne knew she was in grave danger of falling in love with Alex Page, and at this moment in time she wasn’t at all sure that she wanted to stop it.

  ‘Suction,’ Alex said and then added, ‘Let’s get this final reconstructive plate and screws in and we’ll be ready for a check X-ray.’

  They’d already inserted a reconstructive plate through the anterior approach and now, through the posterior approach, another reconstructive plate was required.

  ‘Good,’ Alex told his staff once they’d completed the task. ‘Check X-ray, please.’

  Once this had been done and both Jordanne and Alex were satisfied with the fracture’s reduction, they began to close in layers. It wasn’t too much later that Louise was being wheeled to Recovery and Alex sat down to write up the operation notes.

  Jordanne went to the female changing rooms, deciding it wasn’t worth changing out of theatre clothes for now as they still had the hospital’s afternoon operating list to get through. She brushed her hair and wound it back into a bun before checking the clock. Just enough time to grab a bite to eat. If they started their elective operating list late, there’d be trouble.

  As Jordanne was coming out of the changing rooms, she saw Alex going into the male ones. He looked at her and smiled. ‘Going to get some lunch?’ he asked as he stood in the doorway.

  ‘Yes. I’ll check on Louise first. Can I get you anything from the cafeteria?’

  He thought for a moment before saying, ‘Just save me a seat. Thanks to the hospital grapevine considering us almost brother and sister, I guess it’s OK for me to sit and eat lunch with you.’ Before she could reply he continued, ‘I must say how amazed I am that such a rumour has spread so quickly around the hospital. I can’t imagine where it originated.’

  ‘Can’t you?’ Jordanne asked with a sweet smile on her face. ‘Neither can I.’ They looked at each other. The silence seemed to stretch on for ever as neither of them spoke, at least not with words. Alex’s deep blue eyes could be very expressive, and the more Jordanne looked into them the more adept she became at interpreting the unspoken language that seemed to be developing between them.

  The smile slowly disappeared from her face as she saw desire spark in the depths of his gaze. The world around them seemed to blend into obscurity as she looked from his eyes to his mouth and noticed that he wasn’t smiling either. Jordanne had fantasised too many times to count how incredible she knew she’d feel the very first time Alex kissed her. She swallowed again and parted her lips, unable to breathe properly. Her knees were beginning to fail in their job of holding her steady.

  All she wanted was for Alex to grab her by the shoulders, spin her into the male changing rooms, thrust her up against the wall and plunder her mouth with his own. A shudder cascaded over her at the thought.

  From the look in his eyes, it appeared that Alex was thinking along similar lines. Jordanne knew that if she simply stepped up onto tip-toe she’d be well within kissing distance. She also knew that the time wasn’t quite right. To kiss Alex now would jeopardise any hope of them becoming more serious in the future—and that was what Jordanne now desperately wanted more than anything. To see what would evolve if they both gave it enough time and attention.

  Instead of stepping in closer, Jordanne eased away and dropped her gaze. She nipped her bottom lip between her teeth and closed her eyes for an instant. Opening them again, she took a deep breath and took another step back. Forcing a smile, she said, ‘I’ll…um…’ She stopped and cleared her throat, knowing full well that her voice sounded extremely husky. ‘I’ll save you a seat. Coffee?’

  ‘Great,’ he replied, also with a forced smile. Any earlier camaraderie they’d managed to obtain had been blown away with the wind after that near kiss. Or, Jordanne thought as she turned and walked down the corridor, a near miss.

  As it was the beginning of the lunchtime rush, Jordanne quickly joined the queue and bought some sandwiches. Then she crossed to the tea and coffee facilities, which were complimentary and available twenty-four hours a day, and made two cups of coffee. Black with no sugar for Alex and white for herself. Finding a seat was about to become an impossibility, but she managed to get a table where there were four seats vacant.

  Sitting down, she tried not to scan the doorway for Alex. He’d said he’d come so all she could do was wait. Jordanne unwrapped the sandwiches and bit into one. She’d eaten three before he walked in and she couldn’t remember what any of them had tasted like.

  As he scanned the cafeteria, looking for her, Jordanne became paralysed. When his gaze finally settled on her, she smiled despite the fact that she was desperately trying to get herself under control again.

  ‘Calm down,’ she told herself softly, and managed to quash the fluttering butterflies in her stomach. ‘Hi,’ she said when he was a bit closer. Alex slumped into the chair opposite her.

  ‘It’s been ages since I’ve ventured into the cafeteria during the lunchhour rush.’

  ‘I know what you mean.’ Jordanne laughed. ‘I was in here last week and almost had to call for an ambulance it got so crowded. Here…’ Jordanne motioned to the cup of coffee. ‘Have a sip of this and you’ll begin to feel better.’

  He did as she suggested and looked at her over the brim. ‘You remembered,’ he said softly after swallowing.

  ‘Black—no sugar,’ she replied, knowing exactly what he was talking about. Again their gazes held and Jordanne was beginning to think she couldn’t control the rate in which a relationship might develop between them.

  ‘Mind if I sit down?’ Ian Parks asked as he slumped into the chair next to Alex. ‘How did Theatre go this morning?’

  Alex looked at him as Jordanne took a sip from her cup.

  ‘Quite well,’ he answered. Ian started talking about his morning and discussing a few of the cases currently in the ward. Within five more minutes Teagan Hughes had joined them and together the four of them ate lunch. In some ways Jordanne was glad of their company. It meant that she and Alex could be seen together around the hospital without raising too many eyebrows. In other ways she wasn’t so happy. Teagan kept looking across at Alex and smiling at him a lot.

  All too soon Alex announced it was time for the elective theatre list. He and Jordanne said their goodbyes to Ian and Teagan.

  ‘Oh, I’m coming with you,’ Teagan said, smiling warmly at Alex. ‘As one of your junior registrars, I believe it’s part of the orthopaedic training programme that we’re taught by the senior consultant in operating procedures.’

  ‘Quite right,’ he replied, and gave her a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. ‘Let’s go, then.’

  The three of them walked towards Theatre. As both Alex and Jordanne were already in theatre garb, they checked their list and went to speak to the patients. Teagan came in after changing and seemed a bit miffed that Alex hadn’t waited for her.

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ Jordanne pointed out, trying to be positive towards Teagan. ‘Let’s get scrubbed. We have a busy list to get through.’

  There were two knee arthroscopies and one removal of surgical metal. Once more Jordanne and Alex worked like a well-oiled machine and the theatre list proceeded without a hitch. As Jordanne degowned, she was thankful the day was almost
over.

  She waited until Alex had finished writing up the operation notes before they checked that all three patients were nicely stabilised in Recovery.

  ‘Let’s get down to ESS,’ Alex said, trying to smother a yawn.

  ‘Agreed,’ Jordanne said, equally as tired.

  ‘Why do you have to go down there?’ Teagan asked with a frown. ‘Surely you don’t have more operating to do?’

  ‘No,’ Alex replied with a small smile. ‘Our clothes are in the ESS changing rooms.’

  ‘Oh.’ Teagan nodded. ‘Well, don’t forget tonight,’ she prompted.

  ‘I won’t,’ he replied, and with a smile still in place he gave her a nod before turning towards the doors that led out of the elective theatre block.

  Jordanne had watched him closely through out that brief exchange. As before, when he’d been talking to Teagan, the smile didn’t quite meet his eyes and she had the distinct impression that although he liked the junior registrar, he had no romantic feelings towards her. At least, she hoped that’s what it meant. He was very tired, so it might be fatigue that was causing him to be less enthusiastic.

  Regardless of what she might have perceived, she still felt her stomach twist into knots at the mention of him seeing Teagan Hughes after hours. He knew this surrogate brother and sister business was all an act. He’d admitted to finding her attractive and that he didn’t think they should pursue it. That didn’t mean that he should flaunt his love life in front of her.

  Jordanne ground her teeth together as she followed him down the stairs and along the corridor that lead to ESS.

  ‘You all right?’ he asked.

  ‘Why?’

  He shrugged. ‘You’re just quieter than usual.’

  ‘You should be so lucky. I thought you’d be enjoying the reprieve.’ Jordanne tried to force a jovial air to her words but knew they also sounded clipped. They walked down the small corridor where the ESS changing rooms were located. There was no one else around. Alex put his hand on Jordanne’s arm and stopped her.