by Joanna Neil
Abby stared at him and shook her head in exasperation, her mouth making a reluctant smile. ‘So, can we move on? I was asking about the prospects of you going to film Helen…’
‘I would,’ Martin said, ‘but the director asked me to stay with you. He thinks you’re perfect TV material.’
‘He’s making it up as he goes along,’ Matt intervened, coming to stand beside her. His deep, gravelly voice coming out of the blue sent little thrills of pleasure coursing through her whole body.
She glanced at him. He was wearing beautifully cut dark trousers and his shirt was crisply laundered, a mid-blue colour that reminded her of a summer sky.
‘Don’t listen to him,’ Matt said. ‘He has a crush on you the size of a house.’ He went up to the camera and mouthed exaggeratedly, ‘Hands off. She’s mine. I saw her first.’
Abby threw up her hands in despair. ‘I give up,’ she said, shaking her head and making the mass of her curls quiver in response. ‘You’ve all lost your senses.’ She went to meet the approaching ambulance. ‘I have to work. Try not to get in the way.’
The infant that was being brought to hospital was a little girl, just six months old, and she was clearly having great difficulty with her breathing, even though she was receiving oxygen through a mask.
‘Respirations are fast,’ the paramedic said. ‘There’s a lot of wheezing and she has a slight fever. She’s been like this for quite a while and she’s getting very tired. I’m afraid that she won’t be able to sustain this level of stress for very much longer.’
‘Thanks, Lewis. I’ll do everything I can for her. Let’s get her into treatment room two.’
As they were going into the room, though, the infant stopped breathing. ‘I can’t find a pulse,’ the nurse said, and Abby immediately started chest compressions, using her fingertips to try to restore the baby’s heartbeat.
Matt swiftly connected the electrodes that would attach the child to the heart and lung monitor, and the nurse took over the bag to mask ventilation that would maintain the baby’s oxygen supply.
Abby glanced at the monitor. ‘She’s asystole.’ Her heart plummeted. Defibrillation would be no use now that there was no cardiac rhythm, but she had to do something to bring this infant back.
‘I can’t get IV access,’ Matt said a moment later. ‘Her circulation has shut down.’
‘Let me try. You take over here.’ Abby handed over the CPR to Matt, and tried to gain intravenous access so that they could give medication that would help to resuscitate the child. After a couple of attempts, she had to agree that it couldn’t be done. ‘All right, we’ll intubate her with an endotracheal tube.’
It occurred to her that Matt might have been put out by her taking over from him in such a peremptory fashion, but he didn’t make any protest, and she didn’t have time to debate the issue with him. The baby was her primary concern right now. ‘Pause the compressions while I intubate her.’
Swiftly, she started the procedure, and then she checked that the tube was properly in place in the baby’s windpipe. ‘There’s good chest movement now,’ she said. ‘We’ll put her on humidified oxygen to relieve the congestion in her lungs.’
‘I don’t feel a pulse when the chest compressions are stopped,’ the nurse commented, a note of urgency in her voice.
‘We’ll go on with them.’ Abby glanced up, and was glad to see that Matt had already started those once again. ‘I’m going to give her epinephrine through the tracheal tube, and I’ll take blood for testing through an intraosseous line. I suspect this is a viral infection, bronchiolitis, most likely, but we won’t know for sure until the tests come back.’
‘I still can’t get a pulse.’ The nurse was alarmed, and Abby could understand her apprehension. They had to do something quickly or they would lose this infant.
‘I’m going to give her another dose of epinephrine.’
They waited for the medication to work, and the tension in the room was oppressive, until at last Matt said, ‘We’ve a sinus bradycardia.’
Abby checked the monitor and felt a surge of relief. The heartbeat was slow, but it was a normal rhythm, and that had to be good.
‘Blood pressure’s coming up.’ The nurse continued to give the baby the oxygen she needed.
‘Heart rate’s one twenty,’ Matt said, some time later. He was smiling now, and the relief all round was tangible.
‘That’s great. Thanks, everyone,’ Abby murmured. ‘We’ll give her bronchodilators to see if we can get the breathing passages to open up a bit more.’
They all stepped back after a while and went about their normal tasks. Some time later, when she felt it was safe to do so, Abby removed the endotracheal tube, and the baby made a little coughing sound and drifted into slumber.
Alone in the room, Abby checked the monitor and gazed down at the infant. ‘You gave us quite a scare, sweetheart, but you’re going to be all right now,’ she said huskily. She lightly stroked the infant’s downy hair, and smiled. She would have liked to cradle the baby in her arms, but the little girl had been through a lot and it would be best to leave her to sleep peacefully.
‘You’re deeply attached to the children in your care, aren’t you?’ Matt’s soft voice reached her, and she looked up at him, nodding acknowledgement. She hadn’t heard him come back into the room.
‘Yes, I am. I know we should keep a professional distance, but who wouldn’t feel the tug of emotion?’
‘Is it hard for you to let them go?’
‘When they’re ready to go home, you mean?’
‘Yes.’
She thought about that. ‘I suppose it is sometimes. I’m glad that they’re well, and ready to go with their parents, of course, but they always take a little bit of me with them.’
He nodded. ‘It’s hard not to get involved, but perhaps it’s different for people who have children of their own. Then you might not tend to become so attached to them. Have you thought about that?’
‘About having children?’ He had asked her something similar once before, she recalled, and she had fobbed him off then, but maybe having his niece and nephew to stay with him had made him wonder about family life. ‘Yes, I’ve thought about it. Maybe it will happen some day.’
She said it on a soft sigh, because deep down she knew that day might never come. It wasn’t just a question of finding the right man to share her life, but there was the nagging ache of that scar tissue left behind after she had been attacked. What were her chances of ever becoming pregnant? That was something else that she didn’t want to have to think about.
He glanced at her, but perhaps he sensed that something was bothering her, because he left the subject alone. Instead he asked about the two-year-old girl who had been brought in to the hospital some weeks ago.
‘I think her name was Lucy,’ he said, ‘and she was actually Sam’s patient. You were very concerned about her because she had never been vaccinated and had an infection that left her in a very bad way. I wondered how she got on. Did she pull through all right?’
‘Yes, she did, thankfully. It was a form of pneumonia, as we suspected. She was admitted to the children’s ward and it was touch and go for a while until the antibiotics kicked in, but she finally went home last week. Sam was especially pleased that things turned out well for her.’
‘That’s good. I know Sam was worried, but it’s always a great feeling when you see that they’ve come through the crisis point.’ He looked at the sleeping baby and then sent Abby a swift glance. ‘You made sure that this little one pulled through.’
‘We worked as a team. That’s what brings these children back to health.’ She gave him a troubled glance. ‘I hope you weren’t offended by my taking over from you with the IV access. I just felt that someone else needed to try before we gave up on it. I wasn’t calling your skills into question.’
‘I realise that. I would have done the same if I’d been in charge, but it’s a fact that sometimes it’s virtually impossible to get
intravenous access.’ He studied the monitor briefly before looking back at her. ‘You know, Abby, you’re a brilliant doctor and a wonderful paediatrician. You seem to keep a clear head, even when you’re under pressure, and you guide your team well, whatever the task involved.’
He was thoughtful for a moment, as though he was trying to work something out. ‘It can’t have been easy for you to get where you are today. It must have taken a lot of hard work and dedication on your part, and it can’t have helped when your boyfriend let you down so badly.’
Was that why he had backed off when he’d been asking about her wanting a family of her own? She had been thinking about the difficulties of ever achieving that, but he must have believed that she had simply been dwelling on the wrongdoings of her ex.
She gave a wry smile. ‘They always say women have to work twice as hard as men to get where they want to be, don’t they? I worked night and day to get the qualifications that would bring me to this position. I had to prove to myself as much as to others that I was worthy of this job.’
‘Even so, it must have been a huge setback when your ex took your shared research and claimed it for himself. Was that before, or after, you came to work here?’
‘It was before. I think it spurred me on to do something to convince myself that I wasn’t a pushover.’
‘What happened? How did he do it?’ He hesitated. ‘Do you mind me asking? I would have thought you would always try to keep your work safe.’
‘I don’t mind.’ She gave a soft sigh. ‘Yes, I did take care to protect my work, but I was recovering in hospital from being attacked when Craig went for his interview.’
She grimaced ruefully. ‘He tried to say afterwards that he thought he was doing me a favour by claiming the credit for the major part of the work, as I was unwell and wouldn’t be able to attend for an interview just then, but I was wary. I knew how ambitious he was. Me being incapacitated in the hospital was all the opportunity he needed. He wanted the promotion that I was going after and the kudos of being the lead researcher would help bring him that, so while I was recovering he put himself forward for it. He said we would both benefit from it, being a couple, because what was good for one would be good for the other, but I think he was trying to justify his actions to himself.’
Matt reached for her, curving his long fingers around her upper arms in an embrace that was comforting and sympathetic at the same time. ‘That must have been a terrible time for you.’
She frowned. ‘Yes, it was. I only found out the truth of what happened when his contract was cut and dried and I met up with someone from the interview panel who congratulated me on my small contribution to Craig’s wonderful research paper. I felt it was too late by then to do anything about it. I was hurt, and disappointed, but most of all I was bewildered. I would never have dreamed that anyone could do something so underhand, especially someone I cared for. And then I discovered that he had committed the ultimate deceit. He started seeing someone else while I was recovering from surgery, and that finished everything off for me. I was in hospital, trying to get myself together after a shattering event, and he was cheating on me.’
‘I’m so sorry, Abby.’ He ran his hand over her arm in a soothing gesture. ‘It’s no wonder that you’re cautious around people.’
‘I have to be.’ She clamped her lips together momentarily and then said, ‘I thought I knew him and it turned out that he was a snake in the grass. How can I ever rely on my instincts when I made a stupid mistake like that?’
His blue eyes darkened. ‘He set out to win your confidence, and it wasn’t your fault that he succeeded. People are not all like that. Someday you’ll have to learn to trust again.’
Her mouth wavered. ‘I suppose I will. Right now, though, that’s a very hard thing to do.’ Her expression was bleak.
He drew her towards him and bent his head, gently resting his forehead against hers. It made her feel safe and secure, having him hold her this way, and it was good to know that he cared. She felt the gentle warmth of his breath on her cheek, and more than anything she wanted to move closer to him and let her body mesh with his so that she could absorb some of his strength and unwind in the reassuring protection of his arms.
Only a moment of doubt crept into her mind as a fleeting memory of their time by the lake came back to haunt her. She was drawn to him more and more each day, but for her own sake she had to steer clear of any emotional involvement with him, hadn’t she?
The children’s innocent words should have been warning enough of that. He was having too good a time being a bachelor right now, and she would only be hurt if she let him into her heart. She had been burned once, and it would be foolhardy of her if she were to allow it to happen again.
She eased herself back from him. ‘I envy Jacob and Sarah with their innocent take on life. Their world is full of joy and expectation, and they don’t ever have to worry about being on their guard, do they?’
‘Probably not.’
The baby stirred, and Abby glanced at her sweetly pink lips, and saw the way her tiny, dimpled fingers clasped the doll that she had brought in with her. She was over the worst. This was the kind of moment that made her job worthwhile.
She sent Matt a brief smile. ‘They had a good time yesterday, didn’t they? I expect they enjoy staying with you. Are they going to be with you for long?’
‘Only for another day. Amy and her husband are due back home tomorrow.’
‘You said they were looking to buy a property abroad, didn’t you?’
‘That’s right. Last time I spoke to Amy she said they had found a villa that looked promising, but they were going to travel to one of the smaller islands off the coast to look at another couple of properties over there. They were planning on hiring a boat so that they could look around at their leisure.’
‘It sounds wonderful. I’ve never thought about buying a place abroad.’ She gave a brief smile. ‘I have enough to cope with, keeping my small cottage up to scratch.’
His mouth tilted. ‘Me, too. There’s always something to do to keep the house looking good, and the garden would be a wilderness if I didn’t tackle it every now and again.’
He sent her a coaxing smile. ‘Actually, I wanted to ask you whether you would like to come over and spend some time with us at the house this evening. The children wanted to know if you would see them again before they go home. They really loved being with you, and Jacob especially is hoping that you’ll play football with him and Sarah said she wanted to show you some of her drawings. She’s a talented girl, but she’s not very confident, and it would boost her if you were to give her some encouragement.’ He lifted a dark brow in question. ‘Will you come?’
‘I think I’d like that,’ she said. ‘I enjoyed being with Jacob and Sarah.’ She’d enjoyed being with him, too, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. She couldn’t quite find the courage to let him know how she felt about him.
‘I’d heard that you live in a farmhouse,’ she murmured. ‘Is that right? Is there still a working farm connected with it?’
‘There used to be a farm, but that went a long time ago. It’s in quite a rural setting, though, because the house is in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and beech woods. I do have an original duck pond with a stream and a waterfall on my land, and it’s great that the wildfowl still use it. The children love that part of the grounds when they come to stay, and at least now that they’re older I don’t have to worry too much about the danger side of things. I still keep part of it discreetly fenced off, though.’
Abby smiled. ‘It sounds impressive when you talk about the grounds, rather than the garden. I’m envious already. My little cottage is what they call cosy. I’ve lived there for about ten years now, and I’ve sort of become used to it being cramped. I often think I should move, but I love little bits of it, and it’s not too far for me to travel to work.’
‘I know what you mean. That is always a major consideration.’ He gave her a hopeful glance
. ‘So you’ll come over to my place this evening? I’ll make dinner for us. I thought we might have lasagne with sun-dried tomatoes, crusty bread and salad. What do you think?’
She gave a soft chuckle. ‘I think you’re trying to tempt me, and if that’s the case, you’ve succeeded. It sounds wonderful.’
‘Good. Then that’s a date.’
A date? Abby felt a sudden quiver of uncertainty. Did she have any idea what she was getting into? Matt had begun to have a very strange effect on her. How else could she have gone from cautiously tiptoeing through life to reckless abandon in the space of just a few short weeks?
By the time her shift came to an end, she had given up on chastising herself. The deed was done, and she wasn’t about to disappoint Jacob and Sarah if they had asked for her. The fact that she spent a long time choosing what to wear for the occasion didn’t mean that she was trying to make herself look good for Matt, did it? She simply wanted to feel right.
In the end, bearing in mind that she might be called on to play football, she chose her favourite jeans, which fitted like a glove, and teamed them with a pretty top that clung where it touched and had a silky soft feel to it.
‘You’re just in time,’ Matt said, opening the door to her a while later and giving her a wide smile. ‘Jacob and Sarah have been busy making appetisers, so you’re in for a treat. Fruit cocktail of melon, grapes, orange and apple, and an iced milkshake on the side, served up in dessert glasses. Specially for you.’
‘For me?’ she said.
He nodded, and whispered confidentially, ‘I promise, I made sure they both washed their hands first.’
She smiled at that and then saw that the children had followed him along the hall and were looking at her expectantly.
‘I can’t wait,’ she said. ‘It sounds delicious.’ They both looked relieved and pleased at the same time.
‘I said we should make milkshake,’ Sarah confided as they walked along the corridor, ‘because I know it’s your favourite.’
‘It is. Thank you.’ It cheered her to know that the children were happy to see her. Somehow it seemed important that she should get on well with Matt’s family.
