emergencies. I’m an accident and emergency specialist. I can help. Go, Dominic. Move.’
CHAPTER FOUR
H E HAD help.
He shouldn’t have let her come. She was hurt herself. He glanced across at her but she stared straight ahead, her face determined. Like she thought he was going to stop the car and kick her out.
He didn’t have time to argue. But even if he wanted to…
She was another doctor.
Last night he’d had insight into this woman’s medical skills. Maybe it could make the difference in whether Jamie Sutherland lived or died.
Okay, he wasn’t about to argue.
He had his phone in the car cradle now. He phoned the ambulance in Campbelltown, requesting help. Then he concentrated on driving. Concentrated on what lay ahead.
‘Tell me what we’re facing,’ Erin said into the silence. He was speeding as fast as he dared without putting themselves in danger, but his foot on the accelerator must tell its own story. She knew this was life or death.
‘Jamie’s eight years old. He’s had a couple of near misses. Last time it was from a friend’s mum making peanut-butter sandwiches, not washing the knife and then making him a ham sandwich. He nearly died. This time he’s eaten half a muesli bar. His cousin told him it didn’t have nuts in. It’s chock full of ’em.’
‘His parents have what they need?’
‘They have adrenaline, antihistamine and an action plan. They’ve done everything they can, but they phoned from the car and I could hear him choking.’
‘You wasted time ringing the neighbour.’
‘I don’t have a choice,’ he said grimly. ‘Martin and Nathan aren’t safe on their own.’
‘I would have—’
‘It was quicker to phone Dulcie rather than hope you’d do it.’
She fell silent. But he could sense what she was thinking.
‘I don’t know you,’ he said at last. ‘I couldn’t trust that…’
‘Of course you couldn’t.’ She shook her head, as if convincing herself, obviously trying to see the whole picture. ‘But…if Martin and Nathan need such close supervision…if you’re the only doctor for miles…is it fair that you take on their care?’
‘Of course it’s not.’
She blinked. ‘Sorry. But…’
‘But nothing. Of course it’s not fair,’ he repeated, savagely. ‘They need a full-time carer. But they’ve both come from such appalling backgrounds that no foster-family will take them. You get Nathan, you get Michael in your life as well, and he’s dangerous. Martin’s mother is just plain weird. She only loves Martin when he’s sick so she tries to make him sick. It’s Munchausen’s by proxy syndrome. He gets sick or is hurt, she gets sympathy and attention. Martin’s starting to believe the way to affection is self-harm. Dreadful stuff. So these kids stay with me or they go into juvenile detention because there’s nowhere else secure enough for them to go.’
‘You’d take on these people…’
‘If I have to. To protect my kids.’
‘That’s crazy.’
‘Yeah,’ he said, and he thought, She’s right. It’s crazy.
Why the hell did he do it?
He’s crazy, she thought. Nuts.
Dom was focused again on his driving, on the road ahead, on getting to where they had to be without killing them both.
She’d never met such single-minded purpose.
He was…He was…
Um…no. Back in your box, she told herself, feeling weirdly off key.
She’d been off key all week. She hadn’t realised how close Charles was to proposing—she hadn’t figured how much their parents were depending on it. These last few days had been shock enough without falling for…falling for…
Whoa. No!
I must have hit my head last night, she thought. Everything before now seemed out of focus. Unimportant.
What was important was Dom.
She could help him.
‘Will you quit it with the staring?’ he said, and she caught herself.
‘Sorry. I was thinking…’
Thinking what? What should she be thinking?
Work. Of what lay before them. Of course. ‘How
CHAPTER FOUR
H E HAD help.
He shouldn’t have let her come. She was hurt herself. He glanced across at her but she stared straight ahead, her face determined. Like she thought he was going to stop the car and kick her out.
He didn’t have time to argue. But even if he wanted to…
She was another doctor.
Last night he’d had insight into this woman’s medical skills. Maybe it could make the difference in whether Jamie Sutherland lived or died.
Okay, he wasn’t about to argue.
He had his phone in the car cradle now. He phoned the ambulance in Campbelltown, requesting help. Then he concentrated on driving. Concentrated on what lay ahead.
‘Tell me what we’re facing,’ Erin said into the silence. He was speeding as fast as he dared without putting themselves in danger, but his foot on the accelerator must tell its own story. She knew this was life or death.
‘Jamie’s eight years old. He’s had a couple of near misses. Last time it was from a friend’s mum making peanut-butter sandwiches, not washing the knife and then making him a ham sandwich. He nearly died. This time he’s eaten half a muesli bar. His cousin told him it didn’t have nuts in. It’s chock full of ’em.’
‘His parents have what they need?’
‘They have adrenaline, antihistamine and an action plan. They’ve done everything they can, but they phoned from the car and I could hear him choking.’
‘You wasted time ringing the neighbour.’
‘I don’t have a choice,’ he said grimly. ‘Martin and Nathan aren’t safe on their own.’
‘I would have—’
‘It was quicker to phone Dulcie rather than hope you’d do it.’
She fell silent. But he could sense what she was thinking.
‘I don’t know you,’ he said at last. ‘I couldn’t trust that…’
‘Of course you couldn’t.’ She shook her head, as if convincing herself, obviously trying to see the whole picture. ‘But…if Martin and Nathan need such close supervision…if you’re the only doctor for miles…is it fair that you take on their care?’
‘Of course it’s not.’
She blinked. ‘Sorry. But…’
‘But nothing. Of course it’s not fair,’ he repeated, savagely. ‘They need a full-time carer. But they’ve both come from such appalling backgrounds that no foster-family will take them. You get Nathan, you get Michael in your life as well, and he’s dangerous. Martin’s mother is just plain weird. She only loves Martin when he’s sick so she tries to make him sick. It’s Munchausen’s by proxy syndrome. He gets sick or is hurt, she gets sympathy and attention. Martin’s starting to believe the way to affection is self-harm. Dreadful stuff. So these kids stay with me or they go into juvenile detention because there’s nowhere else secure enough for them to go.’
‘You’d take on these people…’
‘If I have to. To protect my kids.’
‘That’s crazy.’
‘Yeah,’ he said, and he thought, She’s right. It’s crazy.
Why the hell did he do it?
He’s crazy, she thought. Nuts.
Dom was focused again on his driving, on the road ahead, on getting to where they had to be without killing them both.
She’d never met such single-minded purpose.
He was…He was…
Um…no. Back in your box, she told herself, feeling weirdly off key.
She’d been off key all week. She hadn’t realised how close Charles was to proposing—she hadn’t figured how much their parents were depending on it. These last few days had been shock enough without falling for…falling for…
Whoa. No!
I must have hit my head last night, she thought. Everything before now seemed out of focus. Unimportant.
What was important was Dom.
She could help him.
‘Will you quit it with the staring?’ he said, and she caught herself.
‘Sorry. I was thinking…’
Thinking what? What should she be thinking?
Work. Of what lay before them. Of course. ‘How
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