Reunion with His Surgeon Princess

by Karin Baine

  He’d succeeded in alienating her now and would be lucky if she forgave him for his behaviour at all. Regardless that he’d thought sending her home would be best for both of them. Kaja sitting here watching, worrying and waiting wasn’t going to help anyone. Seth was the one who had the success of this procedure resting heavily on his shoulders.

  As a living donor Bruno had to have routine checks to ensure he was suitable—health screening, physical exam, X-rays to check for signs of any kidney disease. His father also had to have pre-transplant tests to check for any signs of infection. The transplant couldn’t go ahead if there was any problem with either the new organ or the patient.

  Bruno’s operation had already been completed, with the kidney safely removed, and by all accounts he was recovering well with no sign of infection or unusual blood loss. Although the kidney was able to survive out of the body for up to forty-eight hours, the optimal time from removal to transplant was four hours. A factor always on Seth’s mind when the operation itself could take anywhere from ninety minutes to six hours depending on the complexity of the situation.

  With the duke’s bloods and urine tests satisfactory, Seth scrubbed into Theatre along with the anaesthetists and other attending medics. He’d carried out this operation countless times over the course of his career but there was even more pressure on him today to be the best at what he did. This was Kaja’s father and the leader of an entire country.

  Watching his progress on the monitor, Seth made several small surgical cuts under Olov’s ribs. Each one a reminder that he had the responsibility of this man’s life in his hands.

  This keyhole technique, while delicate, aided speed of recovery when there were smaller incisions to heal. While there was no need to remove the damaged organs, he would have to hitchhike the blood into the new kidney.

  He wished he could apply a similar procedure to his relationship with Kaja so they could live with the damage from their past and use the good parts to jump-start a new working relationship. He couldn’t continue banishing her from the hospital to avoid their personal issues. Once this surgery was over he needed to hold out an olive branch and hope she didn’t use it to whip him.

  Now he’d consigned himself to making reparations with Kaja, he focused on his patient, whose body was lying open to him.

  ‘Clamp, please.’

  He isolated the renal vein, and iliac artery and the new kidney was retrieved from cold storage ready to be transplanted.

  It was a demanding, technical operation but there was satisfaction seeing the kidney turn pink and come back to life as it was warmed up with a warm saline solution.

  Seth wondered if his relationship with Kaja could ever be resurrected in a similarly healthy fashion.

  Once he was certain everything was working as it should, they began closing. Only then was he able to relax a bit, content he’d done his job to the best of his abilities. Equally important, he could tell Kaja the transplant had been a success.

  * * *

  ‘Miss Kaja! I don’t know what to do. I know you are very busy with your poor brother and father...’ Fatima crossed herself as she ran into Kaja’s room.

  ‘Fatima, what’s wrong?’ She didn’t have the time or energy for any more dramatics. She was exhausted. Drained by the emotions and intensity of the day so far. Not only because of her worry about her family members but she was trying to fathom the reasons behind Seth’s sudden personality change. He’d never spoken to her so abruptly before and she wasn’t sure what she’d done to deserve it other than be concerned for her family’s welfare. Whatever his reason, it was clear he’d wanted her out of the way.

  Unfortunately, with all of that running through her mind she hadn’t been able to shut her brain down even for a few hours’ sleep. Despite Seth’s insistence, being at home hadn’t made her any less anxious.

  ‘I had a phone call...my sister needs me. She’s had a fall and been taken to hospital. I must go and see her but what about you and Miss Amy? I can’t leave you alone.’ Poor Fatima sounded as though she was about to have some sort of breakdown as she wrung her apron with her hands.

  ‘Yes, you can. Take as much time as you need to look after your sister. Now, where’s Amy?’

  ‘She is sleeping. Are you so very sure you can manage without me?’ Seeing Fatima’s distressed face, Kaja was tempted to say no to assure her she was indispensable. She had managed alone for the longest time but Fatima was a comfort to her when she needed it. A mother figure providing some sense of belonging where she no longer felt she had any.

  ‘We will do our best to cope while you are away. Don’t worry about us. Go, be with your sister. Family must take priority.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Fatima kissed her on both cheeks and the gratitude expressed for a few days’ leave humbled Kaja. She’d become so engrossed in her own world and problems she’d selfishly forgotten Fatima had a life outside the palace. The woman she took for granted was needed and loved by her own family too. It would do them both good to be reminded of that.

  ‘Take as much time as you need and let us know how your sister is keeping.’ Although it might have sounded like an afterthought she was genuinely concerned and decided taking an interest in Fatima’s personal affairs was long overdue. It might stop some of this continuous self-pity she’d been indulging in for too long.

  It was only when she waved her devoted companion off that Kaja realised what she’d agreed to. She was taking charge of Seth’s daughter in Fatima’s absence. Without his knowledge or permission.

  * * *

  Kaja couldn’t relax. She couldn’t focus on the book she was attempting to read, the words blurring every time she looked at the page as her mind wandered. There was too much going on for her to sit on her plush plum velvet banquette surrounded by plump cushions pretending she didn’t have a care in the world.

  Despite any appearance of her as a princess lounging around waiting for her prince to come and rescue her, her nerves were shredded to ribbons. She was on high alert, ears straining for the sound of the telephone call from the hospital, or a sign of Amy stirring in her bedroom. The afternoon was a fraught one as she waited for it to be disturbed. Even more so now she had to come up with some idea of how to entertain a four-year-old. She had little experience of children, save for those she’d treated in a medical capacity. It was important to get this right for Amy because if she was upset, Seth would be too. More so than he apparently already was with her.

  Not only did she want to prevent Amy from becoming bored and starting to miss her father, but she had to prove to Seth she was capable of taking care of his daughter. If she let him down again he’d never forgive her.

  * * *

  Kaja didn’t know how long she’d been sitting here in Seth’s apartment waiting to be useful to someone. Every tick of the brass clock on the mantelpiece seemed longer and louder than ever, echoing around the empty lounge. With only Seth’s personal effects for company.

  His jacket, clearly redundant in these current temperatures, was slung over the back of a chair. A pair of trainers sat by the door ready for his early morning jog around the palace gardens. The one she watched from behind her bedroom curtain and which had steadily become the highlight of her days. There was a stack of crime thrillers sitting perilously on the side table by her seat and a trail of Amy’s toys stretched across the carpeted floor. It already looked like a family home. Lived in. She was sure he’d dismissed any member of staff who’d offered to tidy and clean the rooms, regardless that he was too busy to do it himself.

  These were signs of a man content with who he was, without a need to impress anyone else. She envied him that freedom along with that one huge responsibility who demanded his time and attention.

  Kaja lifted one of Amy’s pink plastic teacups from the floor. Father and daughter had obviously been having a tea party together before he’d gone out to do his other job as a life-
saving surgeon. It was such a simple indulgence of his daughter but the image it conjured up brought a smile to her lips and a pang in her heart. That was the kind-hearted, warm man she remembered. Someone who’d never be too busy to play with his child because he understood the gift he’d been given. Not everyone was lucky enough to be a parent.

  Seth might have appeared a distant stranger to her in comparison but there was one thing that continued to niggle her. If he remained resentful about their past relationship, or as indifferent to her as he’d have her believe, why on earth had he come here? He had plenty of work at home and clearly no desire to tread old ground on a romantic level so what had prompted him into helping her? Seth didn’t owe her a thing. It was the other way around. She couldn’t help but think that the only reason he had for coming out was the unfinished business between them.

  A shiver of excitement tickled the back of her neck. He must have forgiven her to some extent to have considered her request to help her father. Perhaps his love for her hadn’t simply died the way she’d believed after hearing about his subsequent nuptials. He’d practically told her he’d done that on the rebound.

  Kaja tried her best not to get carried away by the idea. Given recent events, she had a long way to go to get him to even talk civilly to her again. Besides, even if their feelings for one another hadn’t evaporated completely, their circumstances wouldn’t be any more compatible now. They were still worlds apart and he had his daughter’s feelings to consider along with his own. She stared into the plastic receptacle wishing it could tell her fortune, map out her future for her when she couldn’t do it herself. As much as she had wanted Seth to look at her the way he used to, she was afraid awakening old feelings was a wasted exercise.

  Kaja was plagued by the confusion over what it meant to have him back in her life. She still couldn’t be the woman Seth needed her to be.

  It was exhausting being in her head. When she heard Amy’s little feet patter across the floor it was a relief to have something else to focus on.

  ‘Hello, sleepyhead. Fatima had to go home to her family for a little while. Her sister’s very poorly.’

  The four-year-old was still rubbing her eyes when she wandered in, her clothes and hair in disarray. ‘Like your daddy?’

  Kaja’s heart lurched, surprised that the child had picked up on what was going on in the adult world around her.

  ‘Not quite, but she’s in hospital and Fatima has gone to visit.’

  Amy thought for a moment. ‘Can Daddy fix her too?’

  ‘Your daddy is very busy but Fatima’s sister will have a doctor like him to take care of her.’ That seemed to be enough to satisfy her curiosity as Amy climbed up onto the settee and tucked her legs beneath her.

  ‘I’m hungry. Fatima said we were going to make cookies and play hide and seek.’

  ‘I guess that’s what we’re doing, then. Let me get changed and I’ll take you down to the kitchen.’ That took care of how she was going to keep Amy occupied for the afternoon. Only time would tell if Seth would be appeased so easily on discovering Fatima’s replacement.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ‘LET ME KNOW when they’re ready for visitors,’ Seth instructed the staff in the intensive care unit before exiting the hospital.

  At this moment he was regretting telling Kaja to send away her chauffeur and stretch limo. His job might not involve heavy manual labour but it was exhausting just the same. The intense concentration, knowing the fatal consequences if he messed up, along with the hours spent on his feet took their toll mentally and physically. He was sorry he didn’t have someone to pick him up outside and deliver him to Kaja’s door.

  The short stroll he undertook suddenly became a marathon when his whole body was crying out for rest.

  It wasn’t only shunning a bit of luxury he was kicking himself for either. He’d been short with Kaja today. Not at all supportive at a time when she needed it because he was too wrapped up in his own issues. If he’d been dealing with the family of any other transplant patient he would’ve been more sympathetic. He hadn’t been fair treating her differently at such an emotive time. If this had been either of his grandparents, or, heaven forbid, Amy, he would’ve been beside himself with worry too. Sending her away hadn’t been his call to make.

  He had no right to be rude to her simply because he was afraid of getting too close again. Behind all the glamour and privilege, he could see she was still the same woman he’d wanted to marry. The problem with that was she’d already rejected him once before. After a divorce, losing his gran and with all of the baggage his mother had left him with, those shutters around his heart should’ve been on lock down. Yet he kept thinking of the good times he and Kaja had once shared, scuppering any chance of remaining impervious to her charms.

  Since Kaja wasn’t party to the complicated web of thoughts causing him to act so unreasonably, he wanted to deliver the news about the surgery in person rather than let her hear it in a two-second phone call where he was desperate to get off the line. It was an effort of reparation on his part and would give her a chance to voice any question she might have. This wasn’t about him and Kaja, it was about her and her family. That was why he was here. If she tore strips off him for the way he’d spoken to her today he’d have to stand and take it. It was the least he deserved in the circumstances.

  ‘Seth Davenport.’ He waved his ID at security as he’d become accustomed. Regardless that they knew him by sight now he had to wait until they waved him through and some unknown entity opened the gates.

  As after every other tense shift, he was looking forward to some downtime with his daughter. He needed some normality more than ever. An uncomplicated period where nothing was asked of him other than loving his daughter. Something he didn’t need to work at when she was the only person he could guarantee wouldn’t want him out of her life.

  ‘Hello?’ His voice echoed around the hall, eliciting no response. It was so different from the usual homecoming he received when Amy launched herself at him, pleased to have him to herself again. Here, everything seemed flat, lifeless, lonely. It was impossible not to pity Kaja if this was what she came back to on a regular basis.

  Despite his weariness Seth jogged up the stairs to his apartments, eager to get to his daughter and that familiar sense of home, family and being loved.

  There was no sign of Nils, which wasn’t surprising since he’d told him in no uncertain terms he didn’t need assistance. Fatima was a different story. Seth wouldn’t have been able to work without her looking after Amy and the two had already forged a bond, which he took as confirmation his daughter was content. That was all that mattered.

  He was surprised the two of them hadn’t come haring straight at him the second he’d come through the door. Along with Amy’s demand for his attention he’d become used to the older woman constantly trying to feed him up.

  ‘I’m home!’ The sound of an excited squeal reverberated around the entire floor of the building but his daughter remained elusive.

  He frowned, a tad put out but also too tired to go child-hunting just yet. Instead, he gave into exhaustion, kicked off his shoes and sank into an armchair, which was surprisingly comfy for something that resembled a golden throne. It was something he suspected had been chosen only for the aesthetics. Amy was clearly enjoying herself wherever she was and as long as she was happy he could afford to close his eyes for a moment.

  He was about to nod off when the sound of bare feet slapping on the tiled floor and a familiar voice called him back from oblivion.

  ‘I didn’t realise you were home.’

  He opened his eyes to see Kaja skidding to a halt in front of him and was momentarily lost for words. Like his daughter standing beside her, Kaja’s face was splattered with either mud or chocolate, or both. The elegant princess had been replaced with a ragamuffin. Her sleek, perfectly coiffured glossy hair had been tied up into a messy
ponytail. Loose tendrils, which had escaped during her obvious exertions with his daughter, clung damply to her rosy cheeks. However, it was her choice of outfit that made him do a double take. She’d swapped the chic trouser suit he’d seen her in this morning for something more practical.

  With one swipe she transferred most of the chocolatey mud onto the sleeve of her—his—oversized grey sweatshirt.

  ‘I think I recognise that.’ He nodded towards the hoodie she’d teamed with a pair of loose tracksuit bottoms.

  Kaja’s cheeks pinked a little more. ‘Um...yeah, I think this one’s yours. It was the only comfy thing I could find. My wardrobe isn’t exactly conducive to childminding.’

  Seth could only imagine the carnage if her expensive silks had been plastered in the same way as his old university sweater. She looked like the old Kaja standing there wearing her favourite item of his clothes. He wondered if it had accidentally found its way into her suitcase when she’d fled or if she’d packed it as a reminder of him. His bruised ego and wounded heart hoped it was the latter and that she’d thought of him, might have even missed him over the years. As he had her.

  He decided not to reference her clothing any further or attach any significance to it aloud. Not when she’d essentially told him she’d only worn it because it was dispensable and it didn’t matter if it got dirty or torn.

  ‘Why are you minding Amy? Where’s Fatima?’ He didn’t know if it was more surprising that the officious older woman had abandoned her post or that the previously stand-offish Kaja had enthusiastically stepped up in her place.

  ‘Fatima had a family emergency. I’m afraid she’s had to return home for a while. I hope you don’t mind but I’ve been looking after Amy in her absence.’