by Lucy Clark
‘You have a…certain look in your eyes and around the corners of your mouth whenever there’s an unknown medical problem.’
‘I do?’ Reggie touched her fingers to the corners of her mouth, feeling a little self-conscious.
‘I know you.’
‘Oh, will you stop saying that? Please?’ She spread her arms wide. ‘There’s actually quite a lot you don’t know about me, Flynn. Yes, you knew me six years ago and, yes, we were very close and, no, I may not have changed in essentials, but will you stop constantly pointing out that you know me because, in reality, you don’t.’ The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.
Flynn stared at her in surprise. ‘I didn’t realise it upset you so much.’
‘Well, it does.’ Reggie gritted her teeth for a moment. ‘I don’t know what you want from me, Flynn. I don’t know if the offer to help relocate my neighbours or having me stay at your place comes with any sort of strings attached but I just can’t deal with too much more right now.’
‘There are no strings attached,’ he said quickly. ‘And what I want from you, Reg, is quite simple.’ He stood and looked her directly in the eyes. ‘I want your forgiveness.’
‘Forgi—’ She stopped, too stunned to speak. She couldn’t remember anyone ever asking her for her forgiveness before, especially someone who had hurt her so badly.
‘So…we’re needed in A and E?’ he asked, breaking the moment and tidying the desk.
‘Y-yes.’ Reggie blinked, working hard to compartmentalise her thoughts. Flynn wanted her forgiveness. Bergan needed her in A and E. Patients. Trauma. Expertise. That’s what she needed to focus on right now and, dragging in a breath, she pushed her personal thoughts aside. ‘Retrieval team.’
‘I’m part of the retrieval team? I don’t remember—’
‘Bergan said she needed you.’ Reggie threw her arms in the air in complete exasperation. ‘That’s all I know.’ Then she turned and headed out, wanting to get down to A and E as soon as possible so she could concentrate on something other than the way Flynn was constantly spinning her first one way then the other. She wished he’d stop because the motion was starting to make her feel ill.
In A and E, several of the retrieval team had already changed into the blue and yellow jumpsuits that stated they were part of the medical team at Sunshine General. Reggie headed over to where Bergan was gathering everyone together in the nurses’ station, feeling rather than knowing that Flynn was directly behind her.
She tried hard to switch off her awareness of him and focus on whatever Bergan had called them down to assist with. Professional. She needed to be professional. After all, she’d worked alongside Flynn before; in fact, they’d worked exceptionally well together in the Caribbean…and that had been part of the problem. Too good, too close, too quickly.
Bergan cleared her throat and everyone around fell silent, waiting for her to speak. ‘The key players are here. We’re just waiting for Mackenzie but she’s just getting out of Theatre so we’ll begin without her.’ Bergan pointed to the computer monitor, which was revealing a picture of the main beach in Maroochydore. ‘We’ve had a report from the surf lifeguards that a shark has been sighted on the beach. They’ve closed the area but have just spotted a person, out to sea, floating. One male, approximately in late fifties to sixties. They’re sending out a boat now and request immediate assistance.’
She turned to Flynn and Reggie. ‘You two, go in the chopper. You both have the relevant experience when it comes to shark attacks, having treated and operated on victims before. I want you at the scene, stat. The instant they have that body out of the water, you need to be standing by.’
‘Is there just the one victim?’ Reggie asked, her mind going through the different injury scenarios they might be facing.
‘That’s the report at this time. Go and change. Get to that chopper.’ With that, Bergan turned her gaze to the rest of the team. ‘Everyone else, listen for your posts.’
‘Change rooms are this way,’ Reggie said, before Flynn could ask. They walked quickly along the corridor, down the side of A and E towards the changing rooms. ‘Retrieval suits will be just inside the door. Once you’re changed, we’ll meet back in the corridor, grab the retrieval gear and head up to the chopper.’
‘I guess all that experience in the Caribbean has come in handy. I hope I can remember what we need to do,’ Flynn remarked as they hurried along. ‘I’ve been working very much inland for the past few years.’
Reggie smiled at him reassuringly as they reached the changing room doors. ‘You’ll be fine and if you forget, just ask me.’
‘I’ll do that,’ he promised, as he punched in the code for the male changing rooms at the same time she tapped in the code for the female changing rooms. ‘See you in five minutes.’
‘Or less,’ she remarked, pushing open the door.
Ten minutes later, they were both changed, seated in the chopper with their medical retrieval backpacks and ready for take-off.
‘Any word from the surf lifeguards?’ Reggie asked their pilot through the headset.
‘I’ll patch you through to Bergan,’ he replied.
‘What’s the latest?’ Reggie asked a moment later as they headed out towards the sea.
‘They’ve got the man in the boat. Left arm is partially detached, incision bites to left side of abdomen,’ came Bergan’s clear words. ‘There is also a report of a second victim. Young girl, twelve years of age. Lacerations to right side, unconscious, right foot missing.’
Reggie closed her eyes as Bergan spoke, knowing full well that Flynn could hear every word through his own headset. She tried to picture the victims’ wounds, tried to keep her mind focused, imagining herself moving through the motions of treatment. At times like these they couldn’t afford to think about the personal, about those poor people who had suffered such horror. In order to remain professional, they needed to remain detached.
‘The boat should be on the beach in two minutes.’
‘What’s our ETA?’ Flynn asked the pilot, watching Reggie closely, whose eyes were tightly shut. He knew she was trying to think things through, to imagine the wounds and the treatment they’d require. He could also remember the first time she’d been like this. Their very first retrieval together.
They’d been sitting in an ambulance, being driven from the hospital on Sint Maarten, towards a luxury hotel where several guests had been crippled with a gastro bug. As they’d been the only surgical residents at the hospital, it had fallen to them to treat the patients. Flynn had met Reggie only the day before and while he’d been instantly attracted to her, he hadn’t been at all sure how she performed under pressure.
‘She’s far too happy for her own good and although she did well in ward round, I have to wonder if she’s got what it takes to cope in emergency situations,’ he’d told Violet when he’d spoken to her on the phone after his first day.
‘I’m sure she’ll be fine, Flynn,’ Violet had responded. The two had known each other since they’d been toddlers, their mothers the best of friends, and Violet had been the closest thing he’d had to a sister. Their mothers had always said that one day the two of them were destined to marry, but both he and Violet had laughed it off, preferring to remain just good friends. ‘If she’s a qualified doctor and doing the same surgical training you are, then she must have some smarts,’ Violet had wisely pointed out.
Flynn had frowned, unable to believe the instant attraction he’d felt towards his new colleague. Perhaps doubting her abilities was his way of dealing with that unwanted attraction? At any rate, he’d hoped she was good because he hadn’t really fancied having to carry the weight of running the surgical team on Sint Maarten on his own for the next six weeks. ‘I’m still not convinced.’
‘Anyway,’ Violet had continued, ‘Tell me about the more relaxed pace of life. Nice and slow? Sunshine all the time? I hope so because seriously I thought your parents were going to pressure you into a coronary
if you hadn’t left.’
‘You’re exaggerating, Violet,’ he’d returned.
‘Six weeks of sun, surf and drinks with little umbrellas in them. Utter bliss.’
‘Sunburn, sand stuck everywhere and incompetent colleagues.’
Violet laughed at him, not taking his words seriously. ‘She must be pretty if you’re already labelling her as incompetent. You always do that, Flynn. It’s a protective measure. Any time you feel out of your depth, you look for the negative.’
‘I do?’
‘Look, Flynn, just promise me you’ll stop burning the candle at both ends and try to enjoy yourself. Get to know this colleague of yours. What did you say her name was?’
‘Regina Smith. Although she’s already informed me that she hates being called Regina, that she much prefers Reggie—like she’s some sort of trucker. Then she throws her arms around me in one of those uncomfortable friendship-hug things, telling me what a wonderful time we’ll have working together. Far too happy for her own good.’
Violet wasn’t able to stop laughter from flowing down the telephone line. ‘She sounds fantastic, Flynn, and perhaps just what you need for the next few weeks. A little holiday romance, eh?’
‘Bite your tongue. You know I’m not interested in any sort of relationship. Not with the pressure our parents are putting on us.’
‘It’ll never happen, Flynn. You and I are destined to be best friends. Nothing more. Now go. I have a feeling that this Reggie Smith may just surprise you.’
And she did. As they travelled in the ambulance, heading towards that luxury hotel, Reggie’s eyes were closed as though she was trying to catch up on her sleep.
‘Conserving your energy?’ he asked.
‘No.’ She spoke the single word before opening one eye to look at him, the corners of her lips turning upwards. ‘Concentrating.’ She closed her eye and lapsed back into silence.
‘Er…OK. Well, would you like to talk about what sort of scenarios we might encounter and how you envisage us handling the situation to ensure an effective and prompt outcome?’
‘That’s what I’m doing,’ she replied. ‘I like to close my eyes and picture the situation, visualise myself treating the patient. That way I know exactly what equipment I need and the best way to handle things.’
‘You…picture yourself doing this?’
‘Yes. Try it.’ She opened one eye again and looked directly at him. ‘Close your eyes.’
‘I don’t think—’
‘We have another five minutes before arrival. Just try it at least.’ She closed her eyes again and, feeling utterly stupid and knowing he probably looked ridiculous, Flynn eventually closed his eyes.
‘Let’s say the patient complains of right-sided abdominal pain with localised tenderness in the middle. I see myself palpating their abdomen, ensuring it isn’t appendicitis or hernia. Although there’s an outbreak of a gastro bug, it doesn’t mean that one of our patients isn’t suffering from that but is rather suffering from something far more serious. Not that I’m trying to imply that gastroenteritis isn’t a serious condition but simply pointing out that we need to be on top of things.’ She paused to take a breath but before she could start again he jumped in.
‘You’re a talker,’ he stated, opening his eyes, feeling mildly silly for agreeing to do things her way but impressed she’d actually managed to get him to comply.
Reggie’s grin was bright and wide, like her gorgeous blue eyes as she opened them to look at him. She leaned forward in her seat, as far as the seat belt would allow and looked directly into his eyes. ‘I’ve been told the only way to shut me up is to kiss me.’ She waggled her eyebrows up and down suggestively and then sat back in her seat and openly laughed at the stunned look on his face. ‘Relax, Flynn. I don’t bite.’ She winked at him. ‘Not unless you want me to.’
The old cliché somehow sounded fresh coming from Reggie’s lips and it was only then he realised he’d been staring at her mouth, as though his thoughts were more than willing to follow her lead.
And indeed, the first time he had kissed her had been to shut her up. He couldn’t remember what she’d been talking about but he did remember not hearing a word of what she’d been saying, more fascinated by the way her lips moved, wanting desperately to kiss them, to show her just how desirable she was.
Now, many years later, with so much water having flowed rapidly under the bridge between them, Flynn wanted nothing more than to lean forward and kiss those incredibly perfect lips of hers…lips that fitted so snugly against his own. How he’d yearned for them over the years. How he wanted to pick up where they’d left off. How he wished he’d been stronger back then and had stood up for what he’d really wanted out of life.
‘Preparing for descent,’ the chopper pilot said.
‘Copy that,’ Reggie returned, and opened her eyes. She looked directly at Flynn. ‘Ready?’
‘Yeah.’ He nodded his head for emphasis and cleared his throat, unsure whether she’d heard him properly through her headphones. He needed to pull it together. To be professional. He knew Reggie—and their patients—were counting on him but sometimes it was difficult to be around her, especially when there were so many memories of their time together intruding into his thoughts.
As the chopper landed and they disembarked, Flynn tried not to notice the way even the blue and yellow overalls made Reggie look sexy. Carrying their gear, they headed over to where the surf lifeguards’ boat was being pulled up onto the sand. Reggie was taking the lead on this one and he’d learned, that first day, as they’d treated over thirty patients at the hotel for various complaints, that she was indeed an exceptional doctor.
Bright, talented and absolutely gorgeous. A lethal combination and one he was far from being immune to.
CHAPTER SIX
ON THE BEACH, the surf lifeguards had set up a shield to give them some privacy while the man, whose name was only given as Kev, was carried from the lifeboat to where Flynn and Reggie were opening their emergency backpacks, ready to get to work.
‘Establish IV line, get that plasma up and going, stat,’ she stated, and Flynn nodded.
‘Agreed.’ Although they both knew what they were doing, it was important to communicate effectively and clearly exactly what procedures they were undertaking.
As soon as Kev was placed in front of them, they both had their gloves on. As Kev was wearing a wetsuit, Flynn took out the heavy-duty scissors and immediately began cutting away the neoprene fabric so they could better see what they were dealing with. After peeling away the section from his chest, most of which was covered in blood, Reggie hooked her stethoscope into her ears to check Kev’s heart rate while Flynn grabbed a large bandage and applied pressure to Kev’s left arm, ensuring it was as secure as possible to assist with stemming the bleeding.
‘Hi, Kev,’ she said to the man, who was semiconscious. ‘I’m Dr Reggie Smith with Sunshine General. This is Dr Flynn Jamieson. We’re here to help you.’ She smiled at him as she unhooked the stethoscope. With the paramedics on the scene, one of them came over and was able to hold Kev’s head stable until they could get a neck brace onto him.
‘The girl.’ Kev spoke the words through gritted teeth as Flynn picked up a penlight torch from his medical kit and performed Kev’s neurological observations. As they worked, both Flynn and Reggie called their findings to each other.
‘Heart rate is elevated.’
‘Pupils equal and reacting to light. Best to put the line in his foot,’ Flynn remarked, before looking down at Kev. ‘The girl’s been found. The surf lifeguards are bringing her in now.’
‘She was…being taken farther…out to sea. Had…to save her.’ His words were disjointed but understandable, which showed his cognitive function was clearly working.
‘You did great, Kev. Now I need you to try and relax. We’re here to help you.’ Reggie was taking the tubing she required from the sterile packaging. She checked both feet for pulses and reported they were both the
re. She also asked Kev to wiggle all his toes for her and although it hurt, he was able to do as she asked. ‘You’ll feel just a little scratch,’ she told him as she prepared to insert the cannula into his foot.
‘I’ve felt more…than that today,’ he retorted. ‘What…what are you doing?’
‘You’ve lost a lot of blood, Kev,’ Flynn told him. ‘We need to replace those fluids as soon as possible. Once we have some fluids into you, we can give you something for the pain. Can you wiggle the fingers on your right hand for me?’
‘I’m not important,’ Kev told them.
‘I beg to differ,’ Reggie replied, as one of the other paramedics came over to help. She left him to finish off inserting the drip and turned her attention to Kev’s abdomen. ‘I just need to have a little look around, see what The damage is, and then we can give you something for the pain,’ she told him.
‘The girl. The girl…is all that’s important,’ he said, his teeth gritted in pain. ‘Need to save the girl.’
‘You did save her,’ Flynn reassured him.
‘I did?’ At this news, Kev seemed to relax a bit. He closed his eyes. ‘Couldn’t save my own girl but…this is good.’
Reggie and Flynn briefly looked at each other, wondering what on earth Kev could be talking about. The bite marks on Kev’s abdomen were clear but deep. Flynn had already packed one of the puncture wounds with gauze and Reggie grabbed another bandage from her kit and applied pressure to one area on Kev’s lower left abdomen.
‘Hold this,’ she instructed the paramedic, who had now finished setting up the drip. ‘I think it’s time we gave you something for the pain,’ she told Kev. ‘Are you allergic to anything?’
‘No. No, but had a heart attack…six years ago now…but good since,’ Kev replied, unable to shake his head as the paramedic was now attaching a neck brace to keep Kev’s head as still as possible.
‘And you’re not taking anything? No fish oil?’
‘Vegan now,’ he told her. ‘Flaxseed oil.’
