We’ll put an announcement in the paper if you want.’
‘Are you sure?’
He laid down his knife and fork. ‘You keep asking me that. Are you sure yourself? If you aren’t, then do say so.’
‘Oh, no, I’m sure—I just can’t believe my luck!’
He chuckled. ‘I know the feeling. This is delicious—any more?’
And so they settled into the routine. The first one home prepared the meal, and they tackled the clearing up together. For the first few nights Clare got up and went back to the hospital to satisfy convention, but by the weekend they decided it was ridiculous.
On the Saturday morning Clare rang her parents and told them she was moving in with him. They were a bit surprised, but so pleased about their little girl finally taking the plunge that they said nothing.
They met him on Saturday evening after she came off duty, and fell under his spell as she was sure they would. On Sunday he took Pop sailing while she was working, and on Monday she tackled the housework while he went in to the hospital. He was home very late, having had to operate on a hang-glider pilot who had come a cropper, and slid into bed beside Clare with a contented sigh.
She was on an early on Tuesday, and took the report from Sister Price in the absence of Sister O’Brien, who was on days off until Thursday.
Danny Drew had been playing up in the night again, and had kept Pete Sawyer awake. He was still suffering with his arm, although his pelvis had healed well andhis patella was well on the way to recovery. Mrs Wright, who had fallen the previous week, had also had a restless night and Clare made a note to get the SHO to have a look at her.
There’s one interesting new admission,’ Sister Price told them. ‘Barry Warner. He’s a young man of twenty-four whose hang-glider folded up on him. He’s got extensive fractures of just about everything, and needs very careful nursing. I suggest anyone coming into contact with him should look at the X-rays first. He had a compressed fracture of L4, and a right sacro-iliac strain, but otherwise no spinal injuries. Severe dislocation of the left shoulder, cracked acetabulum on the right due to the way he fell, but mostly it’s lower leg fractures with external fixation on the right leg because of the soft tissue damage. Oh, and he cracked some bones in his right hand and wrist but they don’t seem to be giving him much trouble. Apart from that he’s a mass of cuts and bruises, and feeling thoroughly sorry for himself, but who can blame him with that lot?’
‘I should say he’s lucky to be alive,’ Clare commented, and Sister Price laughed.
‘Just now I don’t think he’d agree with you, Staff. Mr Barrington’s done a wonderful job of sticking him back together again. He was working on him until very late.’
‘I know,’ Clare said without thinking, and then rushed on, ‘I spoke to him this morning, he told me about it.’
She blushed, and Sister Price raised an eyebrow. ‘I didn’t realise he was in yet. Any questions? No? Right, I’ll be off. See you tomorrow.’
Clare could have kicked herself. The other nurses were exchanging speculative glances, and she sent themall off about their duties with rather more speed than was strictly necessary. Michael stuck his head round the door minutes later and blew her a kiss.
‘Morning, gorgeous. Thanks for leaving me the coffee.’
‘You’re welcome. Sister Price thinks you’re wonderful.’
‘Of course! It’s only to be expected. I am wonderful!’
‘Modest, too,’ she said with a smile. ‘I gather you did amazing things to the young hang-glider.’
‘Barry Warner? God, he was a mess. Have you seen him yet?’
‘No, I was just going to go and have a look and make sure he was all right.’ On their way to the little side-ward where Barry Warner was being nursed, she told him all about putting her foot in it, and he laughed.
‘I don’t know why you don’t just tell them. Perhaps we should fix the
‘Are you sure?’
He laid down his knife and fork. ‘You keep asking me that. Are you sure yourself? If you aren’t, then do say so.’
‘Oh, no, I’m sure—I just can’t believe my luck!’
He chuckled. ‘I know the feeling. This is delicious—any more?’
And so they settled into the routine. The first one home prepared the meal, and they tackled the clearing up together. For the first few nights Clare got up and went back to the hospital to satisfy convention, but by the weekend they decided it was ridiculous.
On the Saturday morning Clare rang her parents and told them she was moving in with him. They were a bit surprised, but so pleased about their little girl finally taking the plunge that they said nothing.
They met him on Saturday evening after she came off duty, and fell under his spell as she was sure they would. On Sunday he took Pop sailing while she was working, and on Monday she tackled the housework while he went in to the hospital. He was home very late, having had to operate on a hang-glider pilot who had come a cropper, and slid into bed beside Clare with a contented sigh.
She was on an early on Tuesday, and took the report from Sister Price in the absence of Sister O’Brien, who was on days off until Thursday.
Danny Drew had been playing up in the night again, and had kept Pete Sawyer awake. He was still suffering with his arm, although his pelvis had healed well andhis patella was well on the way to recovery. Mrs Wright, who had fallen the previous week, had also had a restless night and Clare made a note to get the SHO to have a look at her.
There’s one interesting new admission,’ Sister Price told them. ‘Barry Warner. He’s a young man of twenty-four whose hang-glider folded up on him. He’s got extensive fractures of just about everything, and needs very careful nursing. I suggest anyone coming into contact with him should look at the X-rays first. He had a compressed fracture of L4, and a right sacro-iliac strain, but otherwise no spinal injuries. Severe dislocation of the left shoulder, cracked acetabulum on the right due to the way he fell, but mostly it’s lower leg fractures with external fixation on the right leg because of the soft tissue damage. Oh, and he cracked some bones in his right hand and wrist but they don’t seem to be giving him much trouble. Apart from that he’s a mass of cuts and bruises, and feeling thoroughly sorry for himself, but who can blame him with that lot?’
‘I should say he’s lucky to be alive,’ Clare commented, and Sister Price laughed.
‘Just now I don’t think he’d agree with you, Staff. Mr Barrington’s done a wonderful job of sticking him back together again. He was working on him until very late.’
‘I know,’ Clare said without thinking, and then rushed on, ‘I spoke to him this morning, he told me about it.’
She blushed, and Sister Price raised an eyebrow. ‘I didn’t realise he was in yet. Any questions? No? Right, I’ll be off. See you tomorrow.’
Clare could have kicked herself. The other nurses were exchanging speculative glances, and she sent themall off about their duties with rather more speed than was strictly necessary. Michael stuck his head round the door minutes later and blew her a kiss.
‘Morning, gorgeous. Thanks for leaving me the coffee.’
‘You’re welcome. Sister Price thinks you’re wonderful.’
‘Of course! It’s only to be expected. I am wonderful!’
‘Modest, too,’ she said with a smile. ‘I gather you did amazing things to the young hang-glider.’
‘Barry Warner? God, he was a mess. Have you seen him yet?’
‘No, I was just going to go and have a look and make sure he was all right.’ On their way to the little side-ward where Barry Warner was being nursed, she told him all about putting her foot in it, and he laughed.
‘I don’t know why you don’t just tell them. Perhaps we should fix the
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