They had been spared a flood only because Rachel had happened to hear the water running and had gone to investigate. She had found Daniel—complete with stop-watch—timing the proceedings and oblivious to the fact that water was ready to pour over the side of the bath at any moment!
Rachel had given him a good telling-off but none of them believed it would have much effect. Daniel had the sort of enquiring mind which meant that trouble followed him around!
Laura made a mental note to mention what she’d learned. However, there was no opportunity for the rest of the morning because it was so busy. Two of the children from the minibus crash were discharged, but they had three new admissions, which stretched them to the limit. And, to cap it all, Bethany was in a great deal of pain.
Laura spent some time with the teenager but it was hard to watch her suffer. Phantom pain from an amputated limb was a well-documented problem. However, Laura suspected there was more to it than that. Bethany’s usual pain relief didn’t seem to be having any effect and she found herself wondering if perhaps a neuroma had formed. That kind of benign tumour, made up of nerve tissue, could develop on occasion, despite every precaution being taken.
She decided that it should be investigated and went to find Rachel, only to discover that she had taken an early lunch-break. Cathy was covering for her and she made no attempt to disguise her hostility when Laura went to the office.
‘Yes? What is it now? Maybe you don’t have anything to do but I have so get on with it.’
Laura took a calming breath, refusing to sink to the other woman’s level despite such provocation. ‘Bethany Jones is in a lot of pain and I think she needs someone to look at her leg. I know Mark is in a meeting so perhaps we should get Tom Hartley down here. It could be a neuroma.’
‘Could it indeed? And since when have you been qualified to make such a diagnosis?’ Cathy laughed scathingly. ‘Just because you’re sleeping with Mark Dawson, it doesn’t make you an expert!’
Laura’s stomach turned over. How did Cathy know what had happened? Unless…unless Mark had told her? Her mind grappled with that thought, but before she could convince herself how unlikely it was Cathy continued.
‘I thought so. I could tell what your game was from the moment I met you. Nice move, Laura. I bet Mark didn’t know what had hit him, did he?’
‘I…I don’t know what you mean…’ she began, but once again Cathy didn’t let her finish. There was the gleam of malice in her eyes as she treated Laura to a scornful stare.
‘You look as though butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth, but we both know the score. You must have thought all your Christmases had come together when Mark dropped into your greedy little hands. The trouble is, as I’ve said before, that he’s just too nice for his own good. He can’t see what you’re up to.’
‘How dare you?’ Suddenly Laura had had enough. She might have been willing to ignore Cathy’s spiteful comments about her work, but there was no way she was prepared to let her make any more such remarks about her private life!
‘So I slept with Mark as a means to an end? Is that what you’re saying?’ She gave a scornful laugh, watching the ugly colour bloom in the other woman’s face. ‘After all, it’s what you’d do, given the chance, isn’t it, Cathy? And I have a much greater incentive to try and land myself someone like Mark. I mean, how many men would be willing to take on a handicapped child? But Mark is different, isn’t he? He’s kind and caring and it didn’t take much to convince him what a wonderful human being I am. Sleeping with him was little enough repayment for the chance of a free meal ticket!’
She paused to draw breath, barely aware that she was trembling all over. How could anyone accuse her of such dreadful deeds? She was just opening her mouth to tell Cathy in no uncertain terms how wrong she was when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye.
She glanced round and her heart seemed to grind to a halt as she saw Mark standing by the lifts. It was obvious from his face that he’d heard every word she’d said and how he’d interpreted them.
There was a moment when his eyes held hers before he abruptly turned and strode towards the stairs. The door slammed shut behind him and the noise it made seemed to release her from the spell.
Ignoring Cathy’s mocking, triumphant laughter, Laura raced after him. He had a head start on her and had reached the ground floor before she managed to catch him up.
‘Mark, wait! Please!’
He stopped, his hand resting on the doorhandle as she arrived, panting, at his side. ‘I’m on my way to A and E,’ he said flatly and the tone of his voice made her feel chilled to her soul. Surely he didn’t believe that she’d meant any of those things she’d said? He couldn’t! And yet there was something about the way he stood there, looking so distant and aloof, which made her fear the worst.
Reaching out, she laid her hand on his, beseeching him to listen to what she was saying. ‘It won’t take long but I have to explain what you heard—’
He shook his head. ‘There’s no need. Anyway, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss this.’
‘Then when can we talk about it?’ Her fingers gripped his harder when he tried to withdraw his hand because she was suddenly afraid. Mark couldn’t possibly believe she would do that to him—make use of him—surely?
Her voice took on a new urgency as she struggled to make him understand what had been going on. ‘What I said just now wasn’t true! It was Cathy, you see. She’d said some horrible things about you and me, and I—’
‘And you were what?’ His tone was glacial all of a sudden. ‘Trying to set her straight so that she understood the situation?’ He shrugged but she could see the pain in his eyes and her heart ached at what he must be going through. ‘Fine. It’s always better to get things out into the open, I find. It saves a lot of problems in the long run.’
‘No! You’ve got it all wrong!’
Why wouldn’t he listen to her? Why wouldn’t he believe what she was telling him? Even as her mind screamed out the questions she knew the answers. Mark was deeply hurt by what he’d seemingly overheard and he was reacting to it as anyone would.
She took a deep breath, struggling for control as she tried to convince him that he’d put the entirely wrong interpretation on the conversation. ‘I was furious that Cathy should imply that I was trying to…to trick you. It wasn’t the first time that she’s passed such comments but I was determined that it would be the last. I was trying to make her see just how ridiculous she was being.’
‘Really? And in the course of doing so you thought it necessary to tell her that we had slept together?’ His brows rose steeply, and the look he gave her was so cold and clinical that she shuddered. ‘That isn’t the sort of confidence people normally share with someone they don’t like. But perhaps you used it more as proof of just how deeply involved we are? A sort of warning that it was a waste of time her making waves because I wouldn’t believe her?’
‘No! I didn’t confide anything in her. She just…well, she just guessed!’
Laura could hear the panic in her voice and fought to control it. However, it wasn’t easy when Mark was acting like this. ‘I never said anything about last night to Cathy, or anyone else,’ she said flatly, desperate to convince him.
‘No?’ He shrugged, his shoulders rising and falling dismissively. ‘Maybe you didn’t and it was just a lucky guess on her behalf. After all, my interest in you must have been apparent to everyone, I imagine?’
He must have seen the blush that swept up her face because his laughter was sardonic. ‘I can see that I’m right. I was never very good at hiding my feelings, Laura, so it didn’t take an expert to see that I was falling for you. You soon realised what was happening, although in all fairness you did try to warn me that you weren’t interested. I suppose I can’t blame you for taking advantage of the opportunity when I refused to be convinced.’
‘What opportunity? What are you saying, Mark?’ Her tone sounded almost as cold as his had
done, but she couldn’t seem to add any emotion to it when her very bones felt as though they had turned to ice all of a sudden.
Mark smiled thinly and the expression in his eyes made her want to weep. It was as though all the warmth had seeped away, leaving them cold and empty, like the eyes of a stranger. ‘That maybe you eventually saw me as the answer to your problems if not your prayers. It can’t have been easy, managing on your own. In fact, I know how hard it has been because you told me so yourself. So why not take advantage of my interest in you?
‘I’m not rich but I have a steady job. And I’m kind to old ladies and children. I’m not too bad a catch at the end of the day, even if I could never match up to your husband. Once you’d subdued your guilty conscience then it wasn’t too hard to play along, was it, even though you had a few qualms this morning? Still, maybe sleeping with me so soon hadn’t been part of the plan, but these things happen. I only hope that you didn’t find it too distasteful.’
There wasn’t anything she could say. Words weren’t enough to describe how it made her feel to have him accuse her like that. Laura was too numb to cry, too numb to feel anything much. It was as though the world had caved in around her and she’d been left staring into a great dark pit from where there was no escape.
Without a word she turned and made her way back up the stairs, and the sound of her footsteps mocked her. Every step was a step away from Mark but, then, the distance between them couldn’t be measured in feet or even miles. How could he believe her capable of such deceit? She had no idea but, then, she really didn’t know him all that well, just as he obviously didn’t know her.
CHAPTER TWELVE
‘I’M PLEASED to say that there’s no sign of renal scarring. Katie has been extremely lucky and our main concern now has to be to ensure that she’s not placed at risk again in the future.’
Mark tossed his spectacles onto the blotter and looked round. There was a small crowd gathered in the office that afternoon for the team meeting. Laura was there to add her comments about the children under her care, and she was trying to keep her mind on what was happening rather than on what had gone on that morning. This was the first time she had seen Mark since their conversation, and it wasn’t easy to blot it out of her mind. Recalling what he’d accused her of doing was just so painful.
Tears stung her eyes and she quickly looked down at the notes she’d been making. Thankfully, everyone seemed too concerned about Katie to notice her distress.
‘The police have tracked down her mother at last.’ Gill Marsh, the hospital’s social worker, sighed as everyone looked at her. ‘Yes, she’s on holiday. She’s in Gran Canaria with her boyfriend. According to my contact at the police station she’ll be flying home later today, although it took a bit of persuasion to get her to cut short her stay.’
‘Incredible, isn’t it?’ Rachel voiced all their thoughts. She sighed as she looked at Gill. ‘How about Katie’s father? I shudder to think what will happen to the poor kid if the mother is left to look after her on her own again.’
‘The police have a lead which they’re following up. Evidently, they think that Gary Watson is in Ireland. And as for Lisa Watson getting Katie back, well, that’s something the courts will decide. The police have said that they’ll be prosecuting Lisa for child abandonment, so Katie will probably be placed under an interim supervision order until a decision is made about her future.’
‘Poor little thing! As if she hasn’t enough to cope with,’ Laura murmured, her heart going out to the poor child.
‘Not everyone shares your devotion to their children, Laura. Neither are they willing to make the kind of sacrifices you make.’
Mark’s tone was level yet she knew that what might have sounded like a compliment to the others was a world away from being that. It was a reference to the previous night and, specifically, to the fact that he believed that she’d slept with him purely as a means to an end.
She felt sudden anger compounded of pain and a deep sense of injustice. ‘Probably not. But my view is that you do whatever it takes even if you might find it personally abhorrent.’
His eyes flashed as the jibe hit home, although his tone didn’t alter. ‘Then all I can say is that I admire your dedication.’ He took another set of notes off the pile but not before she’d seen the expression of pain that crossed his face.
Laura took a deep breath, feeling her heart aching. Suddenly the urge to retaliate had disappeared as fast as it had come. Knowing that she was hurting Mark was more than she could bear. She loved him and the last thing she wanted was to cause him any pain!
‘So, on to Bethany. How has she been today?’ Mark checked the girl’s notes and nodded. ‘Everything looks fine. She doesn’t appear to be experiencing any problems so I think we’re looking towards her being fitted with a temporary prosthesis in a week or—’
‘Excuse me.’ Laura spoke up, jolted out of her own unhappy thoughts by what he’d said. ‘Bethany was in a great deal of pain this morning!’
‘Then why didn’t you see fit to tell anyone?’ Mark’s tone was glacial and Laura felt her heart start to pound. He was speaking to her in a purely professional capacity now and it was obvious that he was angry by what he saw as a lapse by her.
She hurried to set matters straight. ‘I did! I told Cathy that I was concerned about her. You were in a meeting so I suggested that we should contact Tom Hartley and ask him to see Bethany. I wondered if perhaps a neuroma had formed.’
‘There’s nothing down here to suggest that Tom saw her or that he was asked to.’ Mark’s face was set as he turned to Rachel. ‘Did Cathy mention any of this to you?’
‘No. Obviously, I would have done something about it if she had, although Cathy is perfectly capable of contacting Tom herself if she thought it urgent that Bethany be seen,’ she replied, looking worried.
‘We need to have a word with her so that we can get to the bottom of this. However, my main concern right now is Bethany.’
Mark got up and abruptly left the office. A small silence fell after his departure. Laura took a deep breath, wondering if it was her imagination or whether the others seemed to believe that she was at fault.
She glanced at Rachel but the other woman avoided her eyes as she excused herself and left. Gill Marsh had gathered up her papers and she, too, disappeared. Penny Carmichael, the physiotherapist, cleared her throat.
‘Looks like a bit of a mix-up, doesn’t it?’
Laura nodded miserably. ‘Yes, it does. I can’t understand why Cathy didn’t contact Tom.…’
She tailed off, remembering what had happened earlier when she’d spoken to the staff nurse. Had Cathy forgotten about contacting the surgical registrar in the heat of the moment? It was the only explanation she could think of, although she doubted whether Mark would consider it a valid excuse.
He came back just then. His face was set as he went to the phone and dialled. ‘Tom Hartley, please.’ He paused, a frown darkening his brow. ‘Then ask him to call me as soon as he can. It’s urgent.’
The phone went down with a thud which reverberated around the room. Laura realised that her palms were damp and ran them down her skirt. Mark’s expression was thunderous as he turned to Penny and quietly informed her that the meeting was over. However, when Laura got up to leave he stopped her.
‘I want a word with you, Nurse Grady.’
Penny shot her a sympathetic smile before she hurried out of the door. It was obvious she believed that Laura was in for a telling-off, although for the life of her Laura couldn’t see how she was at fault. She had informed her superior, Cathy, about her concerns, so surely it had been up to Cathy to follow through on them?
‘Mark, I—’
He held up his hand to stop her saying anything. ‘I would prefer it if we waited until Staff Nurse Williams joined us. Please, take a seat.’
Laura sat down, suddenly glad to do so as her legs began to tremble. It was difficult to remain calm in view of the disapproving atmosp
here in the room. However, there was no trace of nervousness on Cathy’s face as she tapped on the door and came into the room.
‘You wanted a word with me, Mark?’ she asked brightly.
‘Please.’ He waited until Cathy had sat down before continuing, ‘I’m extremely concerned that no action was taken when it was discovered that Bethany Jones was experiencing severe pain this morning. Nurse Grady informs me that she told you about the situation and suggested that you ask Tom Hartley to see Bethany as I was unavailable. Is that right?’
‘I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t understand.’ Cathy’s voice had risen in surprise. However, it was nothing to what Laura felt as the other woman turned to her. ‘Exactly when were you supposed to have told me about this?’
Laura felt sick as she heard the disbelief in the other woman’s voice. Cathy sounded so convincing that she actually began to doubt herself. Had she really told her about Bethany?
It was obvious that Mark had sensed her uncertainty. ‘You are sure that you discussed this problem with Staff Nurse Williams?’
Her mind cleared as she heard his sceptical tone. It was obvious that Mark didn’t believe her, and it stung to realise it. ‘Of course I’m sure!’ She gave a discordant little laugh. ‘I told her about my concerns this morning. In fact, you overheard what I said!’
‘I didn’t hear you making any reference to Bethany,’ he stated flatly.
Cathy gave a tinkly laugh. ‘That’s because she never mentioned her!’
She turned to Laura with an expression of bewilderment on her face. ‘I really can’t believe that you’re trying to blame me for your incompetence. I know we haven’t exactly hit it off—understandable really, because I’m a stickler when it comes to work. However, I think it’s deplorable that you should try to lay the blame at my door, especially as the one who has suffered in all this is poor Bethany.’
Laura gasped. ‘How can you say that? You know that I told you she was in pain.’ She turned to Mark when Cathy shrugged. ‘I did!’
A Very Special Child Page 19
