The Italian Surgeon's Secret Baby

by Sue MacKay

  ‘Told you he’s a fan.’ Colleen left her to get on with cajoling Gino out of bed and onto his crutches.

  ‘Come on, Gino. We’re going for a walk.’

  ‘But it’s nearly time for the tea trolley to come round, and I can’t miss out on that,’ he griped.

  ‘You won’t. I’ll make you a cup myself if necessary. Have you had your blood pressure taken this morning?’

  ‘It was high.’

  Elene had to swallow the laughter his delaying tactics brought on. She would have him up and walking before she left for the day. ‘I’ll get the monitor while you sit up and swing your legs over the side.’

  The two short walks over the morning were interspersed with exercises to strengthen the damaged muscles and bed rest, which seemed to be Gino’s favourite part of the morning.

  ‘You know how to get them moving.’ Mattia surprised her as she helped Gino back onto the bed for the last time.

  ‘Aren’t you meant to be at the hospital?’ she asked.

  ‘Next surgery’s at two. I thought I’d come see how you were doing. And check on Gino. How’s your morning gone?’

  ‘I’ve been in my element.’ A glance at the wall clock showed she should’ve signed off half an hour ago. ‘No wonder my stomach’s jumping up and down.’

  ‘You going straight home?’

  ‘I should in case Aimee’s fretting.’ She’d grab a pastry at a café on the way.

  ‘She’s happy playing in the sandpit.’ When she raised an eyebrow at him he shrugged. ‘I rang Anna on my way here. Let’s grab that bite to eat together.’

  ‘Sure,’ she said to his retreating back. He just expected her to agree. So what? Her spirits were soaring. A few minutes with Mattia were always minutes to enjoy. Usually, anyway. When she came out of the changing room he was waiting at the main entrance.

  Outside, they walked towards the bus station where there were many cafés. Mattia led her down an alley into a tiny, dimly lit café where the talk was all in Italian and old men were playing dama.

  Elene laughed. ‘I grew up playing Italian checkers.’

  ‘You fit right in here,’ Mattia said. ‘What would you like to eat?’

  Settling for a sandwich, Elene sat at the only vacant table, which was crammed into a corner, and watched Mattia chat casually to a couple of elderly men. His height dwarfed anyone standing, and brought the walls in even closer, making the café feel small and cosy. She’d seen his charm in action in Wellington but outright friendliness hadn’t been so apparent, though he was usually with patients when she’d been near him.

  Mattia tugged his phone from his pocket, holding it to his ear. Waving to her to join him, Mattia told the girl to put their lunch in bags and cancel the coffee. ‘Gino’s fallen and possibly dislocated his hip.’

  ‘Not good.’ Grabbing their lunch bags, Elene hurried after him. ‘What’s the plan?’ Mattia had surgery in thirty minutes at the hospital.

  ‘We’ll take him into Theatre immediately. You can work with me. An anaesthetist is on her way, so it shouldn’t take long.’ He punched a number on his phone and told someone that he’d be a little late for the operation scheduled for two.

  Elene ran to keep up with his long strides. ‘I’ll call Anna and explain I’ll be late. Hopefully Aimee won’t get upset.’

  ‘You think? When Anna spoils her rotten? Aimee never cries around her.’

  ‘True.’ Relief relaxed Elene.

  ‘Gino.’ Mattia didn’t slow down as he entered the ward. ‘What happened? Colleen, I’m back and Elene’s with me.’ He was at the bed, pulling back the cover. ‘Now, my man, I’m going to take a look at your hip. If you have dislocated it then we have to give you an epidural, numb you from the chest down, and then I can put it back in place.’

  ‘Will I be all right, Doctor?’ Gino was pale, and looking stunned. ‘I was only doing what Nurse Elene said. I wanted to show her I could do it on my own. Then I twisted around when someone called my name.’

  Elene winced. ‘It’s all right, Gino.’ She took the man’s shaky hand and held tight. ‘Dr Ricco will have you up and about again in no time at all.’ She’d bet Gino would be afraid to get back on those crutches for a while. ‘I’ll be here to help you every day until you’ve got your confidence back.’

  Mattia gently felt the muscles around Gino’s hip, but the abnormal angle of the hip joint said it all. ‘Definitely dislocated. Right, we’ll go scrub up. Colleen will bring Gino through to the prep room and we’ll do this in Theatre. It’s a safer environment. Not that we have any alternative, spare rooms being in short supply.’

  Standing at a basin next to Mattia, scrubbing her hands, she couldn’t help but smile. This was like the days in Wellington when she’d worked with him, but today she was completely at ease with him, wasn’t looking for things to argue about. ‘No wonder you always look exhausted at the end of the day if this is what happens to your schedule.’

  ‘The life of a doctor, eh?’ He elbowed the tap off.

  ‘Not all doctors take on another unit on top of their regular work.’

  ‘Whatever.’

  He’d pulled on vinyl gloves and was aiming for the door, but stopped to face her. There was an intensity in the eyes now locked on hers. But after a moment all he said was, ‘Let’s do this,’ and the door he’d elbowed open swung shut behind him.

  Elene followed, and began taking obs. ‘BP one-thirty-five over eighty-five.’

  A woman rushed in and introduced herself as the anaesthetist before quickly and efficiently putting Gino into La-la Land, from where he uttered tiny snores and looked as though nothing was wrong.

  Elene lifted Gino’s hospital gown away from his lower body and Mattia stepped up to lift the injured leg. He was fast and strong, and it was done, the hip back in place. Mattia felt around all the muscles in the hip area. ‘He’s going to hurt for a while.’

  ‘This’ll set back his recovery,’ Elene agreed. ‘BP’s one-thirty-five over ninety-eight.’

  Mattia nodded. ‘Don’t be too quick to get him back on crutches. Start with the walking frame tomorrow, and then only for short stints over the next couple of days.’ He looked down at his patient. ‘He didn’t want to leave the unit, but I bet he’d give anything to be heading home now.’

  ‘It must’ve been some fall to dislocate that hip.’

  ‘He twisted very abruptly,’ Colleen told them as they wheeled the bed out of Theatre. ‘I heard him cry out, then there was an almighty crash and I found him lying on the floor.’

  ‘Didn’t he know not to twist his body?’ Mattia asked, looking ready to tell someone off.

  ‘Yes, he did,’ Colleen growled. ‘But it’s one of those movements people make without thought.’

  Elene smiled. Another nurse not prepared to let Mattia boss her around. ‘I’ll sit with him until he comes round.’ She could eat her sandwich there. ‘I’ll give Anna another call. I hope she doesn’t change her mind about looking after Aimee. This is day one and I haven’t been near home yet.’

  ‘I’ll call her,’ Mattia said. Then, ‘Home, eh?’

  A blush raced up her cheeks. ‘As in the place I’m staying for a while. Home is a shorter way of saying the same thing.’

  ‘Here I was, thinking you were settling in.’ He didn’t sound annoyed that she might’ve been. Surely he didn’t want that? No, he was talking without thinking it through. Except Mattia never did that, always knew what he was saying.

  Elene relented. ‘It’s a lovely place and I am happy to be there.’

  ‘Get as comfortable as you like.’

  ‘Careful. I mightn’t want to leave again.’

  ‘Exactly.’

  She’d walked right into that one. ‘Are you suggesting we could continue cohabiting and sharing Aimee indefinitely?’

  ‘It’s one way of moving forward
.’

  But what if they bumped into each other in the kitchen and it led to another kiss? Or took them down the hall to a bedroom? ‘I don’t know about that.’

  ‘Give it some thought.’ Then he was gone, heading out of the door and off to the hospital and the surgery he’d postponed.

  She’d been daydreaming about kisses while Mattia had been getting down to the nitty-gritty of why they were even in the same space, the same town, country.

  I’m not fit to be a mother if I’m that easily distracted.

  Checking Gino’s pulse did nothing to help with the turmoil now erupting in her head. Her pulse was probably way higher than his. How serious was Mattia about her staying on in his house for longer than her original schedule? Had he thought it through? She’d have to find a proper job that would pay her bills—board and groceries at least. They’d be sharing so much, but everything would be on Mattia’s terms because it was his house, his territory. No, she couldn’t stay on indefinitely under the current terms.

  ‘Nurse?’

  ‘Hey, Gino, you’re awake. That’s good. You’re not going to feel anything in your lower body for a few hours. There’ll be no getting out of bed for the rest of today.’

  ‘You’re not going to make me walk?’

  ‘You’re off the hook till tomorrow, and then we’ll take it slowly, starting with the frame again.’

  ‘I’m sorry I made a mistake and hurt myself. The doctor wasn’t too pleased with me, I think.’

  Wrapping the BP cuff around his upper arm, she laughed. ‘Dr Ricco was worried about you, not angry. But you’re going to have to be more careful from now on. No sudden movements. The walking was going so well, and that’s a good thing, but crossing your legs, twisting your hips or making sudden turns is not allowed. Understand?’

  ‘Yes, Nurse.’

  ‘Yes, Elene,’ she emphasised. Until now he’d always used her name. ‘You’re not in trouble with me either.’

  Her patient relaxed into his pillow. ‘That’s good.’

  ‘The better news is there’s rabbit stew for dinner.’

  She got a wobbly smile in return.

  Ripping the cuff away, she told him, ‘Blood pressure’s almost normal. Now, go to sleep and let that hip start mending. I’ll be right here if you need to go to the bathroom or want a drink of water.’

  Less of a wobble in the next smile. ‘You’re good to me. I don’t deserve it.’

  ‘Everyone’s allowed a second chance.’ Care of Mattia, that one. But he was right. People made mistakes, but it didn’t mean they should be punished for ever. So could she think of getting into a relationship again and making a go of it next time? Could that be her second chance? Why did an image of Mattia flit across her mind just then? He was not the man for her second-chance relationship. She knew he was nothing like Craig, but he liked being in control too much. Though those kisses did make up for that, for a while. And, truly, he didn’t demand she be subservient like Craig had. Though that had taken time to become apparent with Craig. No. Mattia was nothing like him. It should work. Hello? To hell with second chances, huh? Mattia would not give himself one after the Sandy fiasco so there went hers.

  ‘I’ll get you a cup of tea.’ She stood up, not waiting to see if Gino wanted one or not. Keeping busy would get her mind back in order, and hopefully put a stop to those stupid images and ideas floating around her brain like they had every right to be there.

  * * *

  Thursday was going to be another hot, clear day. Elene knew that from the quick drive to the unit with Mattia at five-thirty that morning as they responded to an emergency. ‘Fill me in on the details,’ she said to him.

  ‘Our patient’s a teenager, six months pregnant and homeless. Her friends brought her in when she slipped on the steps leading up from the beach, where they apparently spent the night under the stars. Euphemism for nowhere else to go.’

  ‘There’s no shelter for the homeless?’

  ‘Yes, but some teenagers avoid it, not wanting to answer the questions or be sent into care.’ Mattia pulled into the unit’s car park.

  ‘Why bring her here and not the hospital?’

  ‘You’d have to ask them that. But, from what I’ve been told, we’ll transfer her as soon as it’s feasible.’ His door opened. ‘We’re dealing with a broken arm and torn blood vessels, not the pregnancy.’

  ‘She’ll need checking thoroughly if she fell very far.’ That baby could’ve taken a hard knock.

  ‘I agree. But first things first. Stop the bleeding.’

  There was a lot of bleeding to stop, and most of it nothing to do with ruptured blood vessels. Mica was haemorrhaging. According to her friends, the baby had taken the brunt of the fall. The shattered ulna and radius in her left arm with a torn vein only added to their woes.

  ‘Elene, I’m going to call in the obstetrician and then operate on Mica’s arm. Get ready to assist.’

  ‘Yes, Mattia,’ she answered with a smile as she sponged blood off Mica’s arms.

  Mica was sent to Radiology while everyone prepared for Theatre. Elene felt right at home, despite not knowing the others crowded around the table—except for Mattia. And sometimes she wondered how well she knew him. But not in here. Watching Mattia, working alongside him, while he operated always had her in awe. But that wasn’t the man she had to get along with.

  ‘Those bones aren’t broken,’ Mattia muttered as he scanned the X-ray of Mica’s arm before the anaesthetist put her under. ‘They’re shattered.’ Stepping closer to the young girl, he asked quietly, ‘Mica, can you hear me? I’m Dr Ricco.’

  The girl nodded once, opened frightened eyes to stare at him.

  ‘I know your arm is hurting. Are you in pain anywhere else?’

  Her good arm moved and her hand touched her ribs. ‘There.’

  ‘I want another X-ray,’ Mattia announced. ‘Can we get the portable machine in here pronto?’

  ‘What’s up?’ Elene asked as she gently inserted a cannula in Mica’s good arm in preparation for drugs and fluids.

  ‘I don’t like the condition of her bones where the fractures occurred.’

  ‘Brittle bone syndrome?’

  ‘Mica.’ Mattia leaned close to the trolley. ‘Do you have a history of broken bones?’

  Another nod. ‘Lots. Lately.’

  So it wasn’t something she’d had from birth. ‘Dietary?’

  ‘Could be.’

  Elene placed the BP cuff above the cannula and took a reading. ‘One-forty-two over eighty-eight.’

  Mattia and the obstetrician discussed how to go about this without too much stress on Mica while dealing with all the injuries ASAP.

  Elene heard a stifled gasp and bent over the trolley with a tissue to wipe the tears spilling down the frightened girl’s cheeks. She was only a child herself. Sixteen, pregnant and in a terrifying situation. ‘It’s going to be all right, Mica.’ She took her hand and leant close. With the doctors talking, nurses preparing for surgery, the anaesthetist getting ready, it was chaotic in an organised way, but very scary for their patient. ‘Everyone’s on your side.’

  ‘My baby?’

  That was a problem she couldn’t answer. ‘The doctors are monitoring Baby. Its heart’s beating so that’s good.’ She wasn’t about to outline what could be wrong. The baby had been quiet for a while, no kicking—possibly dealing with shock. ‘We’re going to give you something to make you go to sleep for a little while.’

  ‘Keep my baby safe,’ Mica sobbed. ‘Please.’

  Elene froze, her hand hovering above Mica’s. ‘Keep Aimee safe. Please. Don’t let anything bad happen to her.’ Danielle on the birthing table, haemorrhaging due to low platelet numbers, tears streaming down her pale cheeks, fear in her eyes.

  ‘Elene?’ Then, ‘Elene, focus.’ Mattia was beside her, his hand on her shoulder. �
�You’re in Theatre with Mica. Mica, remember?’ He’d spoken in English.

  She shivered and looked up into his concerned eyes. ‘Sorry.’

  ‘It’s okay. Think you can see this operation through?’ No censure marred his question. He understood.

  Finding a wobbly smile, she nodded. ‘Yes, I can.’

  ‘Great.’ Then Mattia looked around the team lined up. ‘Let’s do this.’ On the nod from the anaesthetist he picked up a scalpel, his focus entirely on the fractured arm and putting the bones back together. Elene, now under control of her emotions, passed instruments as he required.

  An hour later they left Theatre, Mica’s shattered bones wired together, the bleeding stopped and her arm stitched. She was still in the care of the obstetrics team who had managed to stem the haemorrhage but were concerned about the baby’s lack of movement.

  Mattia scrubbed his hands and turned to Elene. ‘You did well in there.’

  ‘Thanks to you getting me back on track. That’s not happened before.’

  Mattia stepped closer, laid a hand on her shoulder. ‘You are allowed to grieve.’

  ‘Not in Theatre with a seriously injured young girl desperate to save her baby.’ A tear escaped and slid down her cheek, followed by another, and another.

  ‘Don’t torture yourself.’ He drew her against his length, his arms winding around her. ‘You’re coping with a lot and doing it brilliantly.’ He leaned close, his lips brushing her cheek. ‘Brilliantly.’

  The air was suddenly filled with man scent overlaid with antiseptic. And Elene’s head seemed to be floating, blanking the pain, absorbing the warmth, the kindness, the understanding from this man. She pressed closer to the source of comfort and security.

  Then those lips were on hers, skimming across her mouth before possessing her, taking the kiss deeper and deeper, his tongue owning hers, until she was afraid to breathe in case she woke up to find this all a dream. Which would be the right thing to happen. But she didn’t want right. She wanted this—Mattia’s kisses. Mattia himself. Wanted him burying himself inside her and obliterating the pain for ever.