A Very Special Child

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘We didn’t get chance for introductions before, did we?’ He held out his hand and smiled at her. ‘I’m Mark Dawson and you must be Laura Grady. I’m very pleased to meet you, Laura. Welcome to the team.’

  ‘So, that brings us to Katie Watson. How has she been today?’

  Mark Dawson sat back in his chair and tossed the steel-framed spectacles he’d been wearing onto the desk. He’d spent the past half-hour running through the case histories of all the children in the ward, and Laura had to admit that she was impressed. Although he had their notes in front of him, he’d referred to them only briefly, obviously needing the most minimal reminder to bring each child’s details to mind.

  She found herself thinking back to what Rachel had said earlier, about him being the most caring man she had met, and silently agreed. It didn’t take a genius to see that Mark Dawson was deeply committed to the welfare of his young patients.

  She quickly focused her attention on what Rachel was saying, realising that she couldn’t afford to let her mind wander. One of the reasons Mark had asked her to sit in on the meeting that morning had been so that she could get an overall view of the patients in the ward, and she had to admit that it had been a great help. She wouldn’t like him to think that she wasn’t taking full advantage of the opportunity, or that she wasn’t as dedicated to the job as he so obviously was…

  She frowned, wondering why it seemed so important that he think well of her.

  ‘How was she when you left her, Laura?’

  Mark’s deep voice cut through her musings and she quickly retuned her mind to the question, not sorry to let that disquieting thought disappear. ‘Fine. She was telling me about her dog and that seemed to cheer her up and take her mind off the fact that she’d been so sick, poor little mite.’

  Mark smiled, his grey eyes lighting up with an inner warmth which was very attractive. ‘Well, that’s more than any of us have achieved so far!’

  He laughed when he saw her confusion. ‘Katie has been extremely withdrawn since she was admitted two days ago. We’ve all tried to get through to her but without much success. Obviously, you’ve managed to find something to spark her interest. Well done!’

  Laura couldn’t help smiling back at the genuine pleasure she heard in his voice. ‘It was more luck than anything else, I imagine. I just happened to ask her if she had a dog and that was it.’ She frowned. ‘Is she worried about being in hospital? Is that why she’s been so withdrawn, do you think?’

  ‘That, plus the fact that her mother hasn’t been in to visit her as yet.’

  Mark’s tone was grim as he got up. There was barely concealed impatience in the way he strode to the window then swung round. Laura felt a shiver dance down her spine as she saw the anger that darkened his eyes. Mark would never compromise where a patient’s welfare was concerned, she realised.

  ‘Katie’s mother, Lisa, has found herself a new boyfriend, it appears. He’s taking up most of her time so that she doesn’t seem to have any to spare for her daughter.’

  ‘How awful for the poor child!’ Laura exclaimed, understanding immediately what had sparked his anger. ‘I can’t understand how any mother could put her own needs before those of her child.’

  ‘No, I don’t imagine you can,’ Mark agreed softly. His eyes held hers for a moment before he turned to Rachel, and Laura forced herself to concentrate once more, although it wasn’t easy. There had been something in the way Mark had looked at her which had set every nerve in her body tingling, though she couldn’t understand why

  ‘Any luck contacting Katie’s father?’ he asked the sister.

  ‘No. The number we had on file for him has been disconnected and, with Lisa not having been in to visit, I haven’t had chance to see if she knows how to get in touch with him,’ Rachel explained.

  She turned to Laura with a sigh. ‘This isn’t the first time Katie has been admitted with UTI. She’s been in once before, only her parents were still living together then. Since they split up things seem to have got progressively worse.’

  ‘Worse? In what way?’ Laura queried. However, it was Mark who answered. Coming back to the desk, he sat down again and ran his hands through his hair with weary impatience.

  ‘Meaning that Lisa has been very lax about making sure that Katie takes her medication. We put Katie on a daily low dose of trimethoprim after her first admission. She was diagnosed with vesico-ureteric reflux when she was a baby, so we decided prophylactic antibiotics were called for.’

  ‘I see. What grade of reflux was there?’ Laura asked in concern.

  ‘Two. Urine was flowing back into one of the ureters and the pelvis, but there was no dilation.’

  ‘I see.’ Laura frowned as she thought about what he’d said. It was rare for urine to flow back towards the kidneys but, unfortunately, some children were born with this problem. Instead of urine passing into the bladder and being stored there, it flowed back up the ureters. In Katie’s case this meant that urine had actually refluxed into the complex system whereby her blood had been filtered of impurities.

  ‘So how long did this go on for?’ she asked in concern. ‘And did Katie need surgery to sort out the problem?’

  ‘Fortunately not. By the time Katie was two she’d stopped refluxing so there was no need for surgical intervention. However, she’s had several bouts of UTI in the past eighteen months so her GP referred her to us for investigation. We decided that she would fare better on long-term antibiotics to prevent further infections.’

  He shrugged but Laura could tell that he was as concerned as she was. ‘There was no problem when her father was around because he made sure that she took the medication as per instructions. However, since he disappeared off the scene all that has gone by the board.’

  ‘What a shame! Doesn’t Katie have any contact with him at all now?’ Laura asked in dismay.

  ‘Not from what I can gather from her GP. He was so worried when the mother eventually took Katie to the surgery that he contacted me direct and asked if we could admit Katie immediately. And I’m glad he did.’

  Mark’s tone was hard. ‘The poor kid has lost a lot of weight in the couple of months since we saw her last. My main concern now is that renal scarring may have occurred because of the renewed bouts of infection. However, there’s no way of knowing until we see the results of the ultrasound scans and X-rays, which are booked for the end of this week.’

  None of them said anything. Laura suspected that they were all mentally crossing their fingers that the scans wouldn’t show any irreversible damage to Katie’s kidneys. It was hard to believe that any mother could have been so careless as to put her child at risk the way Katie’s mother had done.

  The beep of a pager suddenly broke the silence and Mark grimaced. ‘That’s for me.’

  He picked up the phone to respond to the call while Laura, taking her cue from Rachel, got up to leave. It was obvious that the meeting was at an end and suddenly she couldn’t wait to get down to the real nitty-gritty of the job. She had always loved nursing and her natural enthusiasm had been whetted by Mark’s obvious commitment. Suddenly, she knew that her fears had been groundless and that she would cope, and couldn’t help smiling as the last of her uncertainty melted away.

  ‘Why the smile? Not that I’m objecting, of course. A smile like that could light up the dullest day.’

  There was a teasing note in Mark’s voice as he replaced the receiver, but it didn’t conceal the fact that he’d meant what he’d said. Laura felt a ripple of heat spread from one small point in the very centre of her being and radiate outwards, filling her with a pleasure so intense that she was sure it must show. She rushed into speech, afraid that he might ask her what was wrong. Frankly, that was the last thing she wanted to have to explain when she wasn’t sure of the answer herself!

  ‘I was just thinking that maybe I would be able to cope with this job after all,’ she blurted out. She saw Mark frown and immediately wished she’d stopped to think before saying tha
t. After all, she didn’t want him having doubts about her ability to do this job.

  ‘Of course you can cope! Why on earth would you doubt it?’ he demanded. He folded his arms across his chest and stared at her, and she shifted uncomfortably.

  ‘Oh, well, I was just worried that I might find it difficult to slot in here,’ she mumbled, then jumped as he gave an openly sceptical laugh.

  ‘If I didn’t know better then I would swear you were fishing for compliments, Laura Grady.’ He suddenly reached out and gave her a gentle shake. ‘You’re going to fit in here perfectly! I can guarantee that.’

  ‘Can you?’

  Was that really her voice? Laura wondered shakily as she heard the husky tones which supposedly emerged from her lips. She swallowed then tried again, afraid that Mark would think her a complete ninny, acting this way. ‘I mean, thank you. I appreciate your confidence, Dr Dawson.’

  ‘Make that Mark, and there’s nothing to thank me for. I knew as soon as I read your CV that you were the right person for this job. I was away on a course when the interviews were held but I’d already made my views clear to the board. I’m only glad that you accepted the post, Laura. Dalverston General needs nurses of your calibre.’

  He gave her a last warm smile before he left the office. Laura stood right where she was before she realised that Rachel would be wondering where she’d got to. She squared her shoulders as she headed for the door. Mark’s belief in her was something she intended to live up to…starting this very minute!

  She left the office and glanced along the corridor just in time to see him stepping into the lift. Perhaps he sensed he was being watched because he looked round. Their eyes met in a look which sent a wave of heat washing through her before he disappeared from view, but the damage had been done already.

  Laura went back to the ward, responding automatically as Rachel introduced her to the rest of the team, although a few seconds later she couldn’t recall the names of either of the two other nurses on duty that day. Was it any wonder? the voice of her conscience whispered as she hurried off to begin the first task Rachel had set her, getting one of the children ready to go to Theatre.

  She bit her lip as she cross-checked Daniel Glover’s name tags against the theatre list, struggling to contain the feeling of guilt. Was she really such a shallow person that she could forget who and what she was just because an attractive man was kind to her? Was it really so easy to forget about Ian and the love they’d shared? She hoped not. But maybe she should remind herself of the facts before she made a fool of herself.

  She was Laura Grady, a widow with a four-year-old son who suffered from Down’s syndrome. No matter how kind Mark Dawson might be to her, it wouldn’t change that and neither would she want it to.

  All she wanted from life now was the chance to raise her son. She didn’t need anything else because she’d had it all already…a wonderful marriage to a man she’d loved. The memory of the love she and Ian had shared was more than enough to see her through the coming years.

  Wasn’t it?

  It was that last thought, which slipped in before she could stop it, that worried her most of all.

  CHAPTER TWO

  IT WAS a busy day but as the time flew past, Laura knew that she’d been right to accept the job. She enjoyed every minute, finding it easier than she’d dared hope to slip into the routine of caring for her small charges.

  Rachel had explained that continuity of care was a key criterion in nursing the children, and that they worked a system whereby each nurse was assigned certain children who would come specifically under her care. Cutting down on the number of people who dealt with each child, helped them form a bond. It also meant that the nurses had far more input into the way each child was cared for, and that they were encouraged to make suggestions.

  Laura was delighted when she discovered that Katie had been assigned to her care. Learning what she had about the child’s background, had made her more determined than ever to do her best for the little girl. She made a point of stopping to speak to her whenever she got chance throughout the day.

  Daniel Glover came back from Theatre and she had a reassuring word with his mother when she saw how anxious Mrs Glover was.

  ‘Everything went extremely well, Mrs Glover,’ she assured her, smoothing the sheet over the drowsy child. Although Daniel had come round from the anaesthetic, he was still a bit groggy. ‘You’d be surprised how many children have this operation to clear up severe cases of glue ear like Daniel had.’

  ‘That nice Dr Dawson said that but you can’t help worrying, can you?’ Josephine Glover sighed as she looked at her son. ‘I just wish I’d realised sooner that Daniel had a problem with his hearing but, to be honest, he never acted as though he couldn’t hear me.’

  Laura smiled, determinedly quelling the flutter her heart gave at the mention of Mark’s name. She hadn’t seen him since that morning as he hadn’t been back to the ward. She’d heard Rachel telling one of the parents that he was tied up in a meeting but would be available the following day if they wanted to speak to him. The consultant paediatrician, Simon Martindale, was away on holiday so Mark was having to stand in for him, which must have increased his workload.

  Now Laura forced herself to focus on Daniel’s worried mother, rather than allowing thoughts of Mark Dawson to intrude. ‘A lot of children adapt to the problem of impaired hearing, so you mustn’t blame yourself. And, of course, the sticky fluid that collects in the middle ear and interferes with the movement of the eardrum and ossicles and causes the problem tends to build up over a period of time. Each time Daniel had a cold or respiratory infection the situation became worse.’

  ‘I see. But what about these grommets the doctor mentioned—they won’t cause Daniel a problem, will they?’ Mrs Glover queried uncertainly.

  ‘Not at all. They are just tiny tubes which the surgeon has put into the incisions he’s made in Daniel’s eardrums. Their job is to equalise the pressure on both sides of the eardrum so that the mucus can drain down the Eustachian tubes into the back of Daniel’s throat. They usually fall out of their own accord once the hole in the eardrum closes.’

  She smiled encouragingly. ‘Quite frankly, Daniel is going to find life a lot easier now that he can hear what’s going on!’

  Mrs Glover looked a lot happier as she was left to sit with her son. Laura carried on with her work and before she knew it five o’clock had arrived. She went to have a word with Katie before going off duty, smiling when she saw the child’s face light up as soon as Katie saw her approaching.

  ‘I’m going home now, poppet. Is there anything you want before I leave—a drink of juice perhaps?’ she offered, bending to brush the wispy brown hair back from the little girl’s face. There had been a lot of parents in and out of the ward all day, but Katie’s mother had been noticeable by her absence. Now Laura felt her heart ache as she saw the child look eagerly toward the doors as they opened to admit two more visitors, and her ensuing disappointment when once again her mother wasn’t one of them.

  ‘No, thank you. I’m not thirsty.’ Katie managed a wan little smile as she glanced down at the bedspread. ‘I really like these kittens, Laura. I wish I could show them to Daddy.’

  ‘Maybe your mummy will phone him and ask him to visit you, then he can see them,’ she suggested, mentally crossing her fingers.

  Katie shrugged resignedly. ‘Mummy and Daddy don’t love each other any more. She won’t speak to him when he rings up.’

  Laura stifled a groan. It seemed so unfair that the poor mite should have to suffer because of her parents’ break-up. However, there was little she could say so she gave Katie another warm smile. ‘Right, then, sunshine, I’ll see you tomorrow. Be good!’

  Katie’s wistful eyes followed Laura as she made her way down the ward. She paused to wave to the little girl then hurried to the staffroom. The other two nurses, who she’d discovered were called Jane Oliver and Cathy Williams, were already there, putting on their coats. The
y bade her a cheery goodbye, but didn’t wait as they hurried out of the door. They’d disappeared by the time Laura got to the lift. They’d seemed friendly enough but there had been little time to chat as they’d been so busy.

  Still, there would be time to get to know one another soon enough, Laura decided, pressing the button for the ground floor. She mustn’t be greedy. Considering it had been her first day, it had gone far better than she’d hoped!

  An icy wind greeted her as she left the hospital. It was the end of March and the weather still hadn’t settled down. There had been a mixture of sunny days interspersed with heavy rain for several weeks. This part of northern Lancashire was very beautiful but the weather certainly wasn’t predictable. However, even Laura, well accustomed to the vagaries of the climate, was surprised when it began to snow as she reached the end of the drive. She definitely hadn’t expected that!

  Drawing the collar of her coat up under her chin, she hurried towards the bus stop then looked round as she heard a car horn. It took her a second before she recognised the driver as Mark. He drew up alongside her and rolled down the window.

  ‘Hop in and I’ll give you a lift. Looks as though we’re about to have a bit of a storm.’

  He glanced at the sky and Laura realised that he was right as she followed his gaze. The sky had turned a funny yellowish-grey colour, indicating that there was a lot of snow on the way. She hesitated a moment but the thought of the long walk she had once she got off the bus helped her make up her mind.

  ‘Thanks. I appreciate it,’ she said, sliding quickly into the seat as Mark thrust open the passenger door.

  ‘No problem.’ He gave her a lazy grin before he pulled out into the traffic. Flicking on the windscreen wipers, he focused his attention on the road as he headed towards the centre of the town. The snow was coming down harder now, sticking to the pavements and turning them white. He didn’t say anything until he’d cleared the worst of the traffic which always built up at rush hour around the cenotaph. Then he shot Laura a smiling glance.