Daredevil, Doctor...Husband?

by Alison Roberts

  Not only that, he was reaching in to touch the woman. To put a calming hand on her forehead, probably to stop her turning her head to look at him in case she had injured her neck.

  ‘It’s okay, sweetheart,’ he said. ‘We’re going to take good care of you.’

  Sweetheart? Was that an appropriate way to address an eighty-three-year-old woman?

  ‘Oh…’ Frances didn’t seem offended. ‘Oh… Who are you?’

  ‘I’m Zac. I’m a doctor.’

  ‘Do I know you?’

  ‘You do now.’ He leaned in further, a lopsided smile appearing as he make a clicking sound like someone encouraging a pony to move. The sound was accompanied by a wink.

  ‘Oh…’ The outward breath sounded like a sigh of relief. There was even a shaky smile in response. ‘Thank you, dear. I’ve been so scared…’

  ‘I know.’ His voice was understanding. Reassuring. Was he holding a hand or taking a pulse in there? ‘Summer—are you able to open the door on your side? It’s jammed over here.’

  With the assistance of a fireman and a crowbar, the answer was affirmative.

  With the new space, Summer was able to ease herself cautiously into the car. The creaking and slight forward movement of the vehicle made her catch her breath but it terrified Frances.

  ‘No…help…’

  This time it was Summer as well as their patient who took comfort from Zac’s confident tone. ‘The ropes just needed to take up the extra weight. You’re safe. There’s a great big fire engine up on the road that’s not going anywhere and the car is very firmly attached to it. Relax, sweetheart…’

  There it was again. That cheeky endearment. Summer wouldn’t want to admit that skip of her heart when it seemed like the car was beginning to roll further down the cliff. She most definitely wouldn’t want to admit that warm feeling the use of the endearment created. How powerful could a single word be? It could make you think that someone genuinely cared about you.

  That you were, indeed, safe.

  Suddenly, it was easy to focus completely on the job she needed to do. Summer unhooked the stethoscope from around her neck and fitted it into her ears.

  ‘Take a deep breath for me, Frances.’

  There was equal air entry in both lungs and a pulse that was a little too fast and uneven enough to suggest an underlying cardiac condition, although Frances denied having any. The worst bleeding from lacerations in papery skin needed pressure dressings for control because blood pressure was already low and Summer eased a cervical collar in place as Zac held the head steady.

  ‘Sorry, Frances. I know this is uncomfortable but it’s to protect your neck while we get you out. We can’t examine you properly until we get you up to the ambulance.’

  ‘That’s all right, dear.’ But it was Zac that Frances was looking at for reassurance. His hand she was holding through the window as Summer worked quickly beside her in the car.

  ‘Are you sure nothing’s hurting, Frances?’

  ‘My chest is a bit sore. And my arm…’

  ‘We can give you something for the pain.’

  But Frances shook her head. ‘I can bear it, dear. It’s not that bad…’

  Summer glanced up at Zac, who was still supporting the elderly woman’s head and neck. ‘We can reassess after we move her but I think we can probably wait till we get up to the top before worrying about IV access.’

  ‘Absolutely.’ Zac nodded. ‘The tubing and trying to carry a bag of fluids will only create a complication we don’t need. Bit of oxygen might be a good idea, though, do you think?’

  ‘Sure.’

  They explained how they were going to get her out of the car, using a backboard to slide her towards the passenger side and then turning her to lie flat as they lifted her out onto a stretcher.

  ‘You’ll be quite safe,’ Summer said. ‘We’ve got lots of strong young firemen to carry you up the hill.’

  ‘Oh…I’ve caused everybody so much trouble, haven’t I?’

  ‘It’s what we do,’ Zac told her. ‘If people didn’t have accidents or get sick, we’d be out of a job.’ He was smiling again. ‘And we love our job, don’t we, Summer?’

  This time, she really couldn’t help smiling back so she tilted her head towards her patient. ‘Indeed we do. Okay, Frances. You ready to get out of here?’

  Getting her out of the car had to be done as gently as possible because there could be fractured bones or internal injuries that hadn’t been recognised due to position and limited access but if there had been any increase in pain during the procedure, Frances wasn’t complaining. Cocooned in a blanket and strapped securely into the Stokes basket stretcher, she looked almost relaxed as the rescue team began the slow process of inching the stretcher up to the road.

  In the relative safety of the ambulance, it was Zac who led a more complete examination while an ambulance officer filled in some paperwork.

  ‘Next of kin?’

  ‘I haven’t got any. Not now.’

  ‘Is there anyone you’d like us to call?’

  ‘Maybe my neighbour. She’ll take care of the cats if I don’t get home tonight. Oh…that’s why I was driving today. There’s a special on in the supermarket at Whitianga. For cat food.’

  Zac got an IV line through fragile skin with a skill that was unlikely to leave so much as a bruise and Summer hooked up the IV fluids, aware of how meticulous and gentle the rest of his survey was, despite being rapid enough to get them on their way as soon as possible. ECG electrodes, blood pressure and oxygen saturation monitors were in place and Zac was keeping an eye on all the readings. A raised eyebrow at Summer had her nodding. The heart rhythm wasn’t dangerous but was definitely abnormal and would need treatment.

  ‘You don’t get dizzy spells, do you, Frances?’ Zac asked. ‘You weren’t feeling sick before the accident?’

  ‘I don’t think so. I really can’t remember…’

  ‘What medications are you on?’

  ‘I don’t take anything, dear. Apart from my calcium tablets. I’m as healthy as a horse. Haven’t needed to see a doctor for years.’

  ‘Might be a good thing that you’re going to get a proper check-up in hospital then. Bit of a warrant of fitness.’

  ‘I don’t like bothering a doctor when I don’t need to.’

  ‘I know. My gran Ivy is exactly the same.’

  ‘How old is she?’

  ‘Ninety-two.’

  Summer found herself sliding a quizzical glance in his direction as she gathered dressings and bandages to dress some of the superficial wounds more thoroughly. It wouldn’t occur to her to think about, let alone tell others, anything about her own family. What was it with him and his grandmother? Nobody could miss the pride in his voice and it just didn’t fit with the whole cheeky, bad boy vibe. And it certainly didn’t fit with his reputation.

  ‘She still swims every day,’ Zac added. ‘Has done her whole life. Reckons she’s half-mermaid. Does it hurt if I press here?’

  ‘Ooh…yes…’

  ‘Can you wiggle your fingers?’

  ‘That hurts, too…Have I broken something?’

  ‘It’s possible. We’ll put a splint on it and keep it nice and still till you get an X-ray. We might give you something for the pain, too. You don’t have to be brave and put up with it, you know. Sometimes, it’s nice to just let someone else take care of you.’

  Frances got a bit weepy at that point but the transfer to the helicopter and their take-off a short time later was enough of a distraction.

  It didn’t quite distract Summer. Was Frances stoic and uncomplaining because there was no point in being anything else? Was there really nobody who needed to know she’d had a bad accident other than her neighbour?

  The thought was sad.

  Maybe more so because it resonated. As the chopper lifted and swung inland to head back to Auckland, Summer watched the people on the ground get smaller and a cluster of houses in the small township of Coromandel where Frances
lived become visible. They vanished just as quickly and Summer turned, wondering if the elderly woman was aware and distressed by how far from her home they were taking her.

  ‘Morphine’s doing its job.’ Zac’s voice sounded loud in her helmet. ‘She’s having a wee nap.’ His eyes were on the cardiac monitor. ‘She’s stable. Enjoy the view.’

  But Summer still felt oddly flat. What if she’d been the one to have an accident in such an isolated location? Who would she call if she was about to be flown to an emergency department a long way from her home?

  It was moments like this that she noticed the absence of a partner in her life with a sharpness that felt increasingly like failure since she’d entered her thirties and everyone her age seemed to be getting married and starting families. There was nobody to call her ‘sweetheart’ and really mean it. No one to make her feel cherished and safe. It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to find someone—relationships just never seemed to work out.

  If she was really honest, though, she hadn’t tried that hard. She’d told herself that there was plenty of time and her career had to take priority but it went deeper than that, didn’t it? Moments like this always made the loss of her mother seem like yesterday instead of more than fifteen years ago and what she’d been taught about not trusting men was as much a part of those memories as anything else.

  Would she put her father down as next of kin? Not likely. She hadn’t seen him since her mother’s funeral and there was still anger there that he’d had the nerve to turn up for it.

  She’d probably do what Frances had done and opt to put a call in to a neighbour to make sure her pet was cared for.

  No. Her life wasn’t that sad. She had a lot of good friends. The guys she worked with, for starters. And her oldest friend, Kate, would do anything to help. It was just a shame she lived in Hamilton—a good hour’s drive away. Not that that was any excuse for the fact they hadn’t seen each other for so long. Or even talked, come to that.

  And, boy…they had something to talk about now, didn’t they?

  With Zac monitoring Frances during the flight and clearly happy that the condition of their patient was still stable, there was no reason why Summer shouldn’t get her mobile phone from her pocket and flick off a text message.

  Hey, Kate. How’s things? U home tonite?

  The response came back swiftly.

  Late finish but home by 10. Call me. Be good 2 talk.

  It would. Her friend might need some prior warning, though.

  You’ll never guess who’s back in town!

  CHAPTER TWO

  ‘ZAC…WHEN DID you get back into town?’ The nurse wheeling an IV trolley through the emergency department was overdoing the delighted astonishment just a tad when she caught sight of the helicopter crew coming out of Resus.

  ‘Only last week. Didn’t see you around, Mandy.’

  ‘I was on holiday. Giving my new bikini a test run on a beach in Rarotonga.’

  ‘Nice.’

  ‘It was. Is. Pink—with little purple flowers. Might have to give it another outing at Takapuna on my next day off.’

  It was no surprise that Mandy chose to assume he was referring to the bikini rather than the Pacific island. Confident and popular, she had flirting down to a fine art. There were rumours that it went further than flirting but Summer preferred to trust her own instincts and Mandy had always been willing to help when their paths crossed at work and good company at social events. The smile was as friendly as ever right now, but somehow it struck a discordant note. Maybe it had been the tone in Zac’s voice. Or the warm glance that had flashed between them.

  No surprise there, so why was it so annoying?

  Because her instincts had been trying to convince her that Zac wasn’t the monster she’d heard about? That someone who could treat a frightened elderly patient as if she was his own beloved granny couldn’t possibly be that bad? They’d just finished handing Frances over to the team in Resus and Zac had promised to come and visit to see how she was as soon as he was back in the department again. There had been tears on her wrinkled cheeks as she’d told Rob, the ED consultant taking over, that this ‘dear boy’ had saved her life.

  ‘That’s our Zac.’ Rob had grinned. ‘We’re lucky to have him back but we’re letting him out to play on the helicopters every so often.’

  It was a reminder that she was on Zac’s turf now because his primary job was as another one of the department’s consultants. After three years of working in Auckland, both on the road and in the rescue service, Summer felt as much at home in this environment as she did on station or at the base but something subtle had just shifted in unspoken ratings. Zac was the person Frances considered to be her lifesaver. He was also a doctor and clearly not only respected for his skills but well liked. Probably more popular than Mandy, even?

  Did none of them know what she knew about him?

  She’d been close to doubting the truth herself but seeing the way he and Mandy had looked at each other was a wake-up call. She’d been in danger of being sucked in by that charm. Like countless other women, including Mandy. And Kate’s sister, Shelley. Had she really been prepared to dismiss how Shelley’s life had been wrecked?

  ‘Hey, Summer.’ Mandy was still smiling. ‘Have you guys stolen Zac away from us?’

  ‘Wouldn’t dream of it.’ She kept her tone light enough for her words to pass as a joke. ‘I’m sure he’ll get sick of us soon enough and he’ll be all yours again.’

  Mandy’s sigh was theatrical. ‘Dreams are free,’ she murmured.

  A curtain twitched open nearby. ‘We need that trolley, Mandy. When you’re ready?’

  ‘Oops.’ Mandy rolled her eyes, blew a kiss in Zac’s direction and disappeared with her trolley.

  It was only then that Summer felt the stare she was receiving. A level stare. Cool enough to be a completely different season from a few seconds ago when Mandy had been present.

  Had he guessed that she hadn’t been joking? That she’d been wishful thinking out loud? Did she care?

  No.

  Then why was she suddenly feeling like a complete bitch? Helicopter crews were notoriously tight teams. They had to be. This was Zac’s first day on the job and, under any other circumstances, he would be a welcome addition to the team. Perfect, in fact. She’d never gone out of her way to make a newcomer feel unwelcome. Ever.

  She got a glimpse of how she must be coming across to Zac and she didn’t like what she saw.

  And that was even more annoying than feeling as if she had a running battle between her head and heart about what sort of person he really was. Or watching him confirm his ‘bad boy’ reputation by encouraging Mandy.

  Summer was being someone she didn’t even recognise.

  ‘We’d better take this stretcher back upstairs. Monty’ll be wondering where we’ve got to.’ She couldn’t meet his gaze any longer. Was this unfamiliar, unpleasant sensation what it felt like to be ashamed of yourself? She needed to find some way to rectify the situation. But how?

  She manoeuvred the stretcher into the lift. They would be airborne again within minutes, either on their way back to base or onto another job. They had to work together so, at the very least, she had to be professional and to stop letting anything personal get in the way of that.

  She broke the awkward silence in the lift just before the doors opened at roof level. ‘Great job, by the way…with Frances.’

  Talk about being damned by faint praise.

  And she’d all but announced to Mandy that she’d be delighted if he decided he’d rather stay within the four walls of the hospital’s emergency department from now on. How long would it take for that message to get dispersed amongst his colleagues?

  He’d been looking forward to this. Coming into the department as a uniformed HEMS member to hand over his first patient. Showing everybody that this was where his passion lay and that he was good at it. This was supposed to be the start of the life he’d dreamed of. A job that used every o
unce of skill he possessed and challenged him to keep learning more. A balance of the controlled safety of a state-of-the-art emergency department with the adrenaline rush of coping with the unexpected in sometimes impossible environments. The chance to do exactly the job he wanted in the place he’d always wanted to do it in—close to the only family he had, in a city big enough to offer everything, a great climate and, best of all, the sea within easy reach. Beaches and boats. The perfect playground to unwind in after giving your all at work.

  But the blue sky of that promise of fulfilment had a big cloud in it. A dark cloud that threatened rain. Possibly even hail and thunder.

  How ironic was it that her name was Summer?

  ‘Yes?’

  Oh, Lord…had he said something out loud? The microphone on his helmet was so close to his mouth, it could easily pick something up, even with the increasing roar of the rotors picking up speed to take off. Like the ironic tone of her name. He had to think fast.

  ‘Cute name,’ he offered. ‘Can’t say I’ve ever met a Summer before.’

  ‘My parents were hippies. Apparently I got conceived on a beach. After a surfing competition.’

  Monty’s laugh reminded him that this conversation wasn’t private. ‘I never knew that. No wonder you’ve got sea water in your veins.’

  It was the first piece of personal information Summer had offered. Monty’s amusement added to a lighter atmosphere and Zac wanted more.

  ‘A summer memory to keep, then?’

  ‘Yeah…’

  ‘Not many people know where they were conceived. I wouldn’t have a clue.’

  ‘Maybe you should ask your mother.’

  ‘My mother died in a car accident when I was seven and I never knew my dad. I got brought up by my gran.’

  ‘Oh…’ She caught his gaze for a moment, horrified that she’d been so insensitive. ‘Sorry…’

  ‘No worries. It’s ancient history.’ Zac was happy to keep the conversation going. ‘You got any siblings? Spring, maybe? Or Autumn?’

  ‘Nope.’

  The word was a snap. She could offer personal information but he wasn’t welcome to ask for it.