excellent qualifications and experience. Blame the cutbacks. I hate rejecting good men.'
'And good women,' said Kate firmly.
'Quite.'
Her eyes challenged his. 'So there will be five female surgeons on your shortlist?'
Not likely, Gertie. This quota business doesn't work – and a good woman's hard to find.'
* * *
'So how was it, your first experience of Maynard and the dreaded Tom Galvan?
James and Kate were sitting together in the staff cafeteria having a cup of tea before she left for home. James kept glancing at his watch. He'd set up a controlled test in the lab and half an hour was as much as he could allow himself for a snack of beans on toast and a shared pot of tea with Kate, who had just come off duty
'This morning wasn't so bad but you know it's ridiculous the number of people who kept trooping in and out all afternoon. Mr Galvan's senior registrar—'
'Kingsley Armstrong?'
'Yes, Kingsley, that's right. Well, he came and stayed ages going over theatre lists and discussing patients. And Kimberley brought across the post and letters to sign and he told her to be back to take dictation first thing in the morning. Plus half the senior medical staff fobbing me off with beaming smiles and "Just going to pop my head round the door and say hello". Doctors disturbing him who should know better. Mr Galvan got no rest to speak of. And as for the flowers! They keep arriving and he just says 'I'm not having this torture chamber turned into a mausoleum. Give them to someone else.'
She prattled on, and James listened with half an ear now that he'd satisfied himself Kate had ended her first day unscathed. He was preoccupied with the complex reactions taking place at that very moment on his lab bench.
'That television doctor, Diana Diamond, sent two dozen red roses. Mr Galvan kept those in his room. He seemed happier after they came,' she added thoughtfully. 'I wonder how he knows her?'
James looked up in surprise. Then his brow cleared. Of course, it must have been before Kate came to Crisp's. 'Those two were an item once upon a time. For all I know they still are. She was a medical SHO at King's. I used to see her around here when she came down to stay with Galvan. That was before she got snaffled up by the BBC to present that TV programme Best of Health . Very striking woman. '
'I think she's beautiful,' said Kate earnestly, cradling her mug of tea in her hands, conjuring up from memory the glamorous screen image of Diana Diamond.
'Oh yes, Diana's one hot lady. Look I must go, sweetheart, see you later maybe?'
Kate grabbed his sleeve. 'And me, darling, am I another hot lady?'
'Heavens, no, sweetheart,' he said kindly, believing this reassuring answer was just what a dear, sensible girl like Kate Wisdom wanted to hear. 'Have you been going round like that all day?'
'What?' said Kate in a puzzled voice.
'With your belt not properly fastened.'
'Grrr!' sulked a very confused staff nurse, heading home to her single bed.
Chapter Four
K ate withdrew the needle of a hypodermic containing 20 mls of blood and pressed cotton wool to the punctured vein in the crook of Tom's left elbow. Automatically Tom folded his arm, answering her encouraging smile with a baleful scowl as he relaxed back into the pillows. 'Repeat after me,' she said brightly , Thank you, Nurse, I didn't feel a thing.
Tom emitted a sound which reminded her of a bear with a sore head. He clearly didn't trust her yet. Specially where needles and his body were concerned.
Kate was rapidly coming to the conclusion that the only way to deal with Mr Galvan was to tell him in a firm tone of voice what she was about to do—and then get on with it before he had time to think up an argument against it.
'Now you're to stay in bed this morning until the Professor's done his examination.'
'Suits me fine.'
Suits me too, thought Kate. That's a complicated fracture of the humerus, and with one arm in plaster your balance is affected. I don't want you
'And good women,' said Kate firmly.
'Quite.'
Her eyes challenged his. 'So there will be five female surgeons on your shortlist?'
Not likely, Gertie. This quota business doesn't work – and a good woman's hard to find.'
* * *
'So how was it, your first experience of Maynard and the dreaded Tom Galvan?
James and Kate were sitting together in the staff cafeteria having a cup of tea before she left for home. James kept glancing at his watch. He'd set up a controlled test in the lab and half an hour was as much as he could allow himself for a snack of beans on toast and a shared pot of tea with Kate, who had just come off duty
'This morning wasn't so bad but you know it's ridiculous the number of people who kept trooping in and out all afternoon. Mr Galvan's senior registrar—'
'Kingsley Armstrong?'
'Yes, Kingsley, that's right. Well, he came and stayed ages going over theatre lists and discussing patients. And Kimberley brought across the post and letters to sign and he told her to be back to take dictation first thing in the morning. Plus half the senior medical staff fobbing me off with beaming smiles and "Just going to pop my head round the door and say hello". Doctors disturbing him who should know better. Mr Galvan got no rest to speak of. And as for the flowers! They keep arriving and he just says 'I'm not having this torture chamber turned into a mausoleum. Give them to someone else.'
She prattled on, and James listened with half an ear now that he'd satisfied himself Kate had ended her first day unscathed. He was preoccupied with the complex reactions taking place at that very moment on his lab bench.
'That television doctor, Diana Diamond, sent two dozen red roses. Mr Galvan kept those in his room. He seemed happier after they came,' she added thoughtfully. 'I wonder how he knows her?'
James looked up in surprise. Then his brow cleared. Of course, it must have been before Kate came to Crisp's. 'Those two were an item once upon a time. For all I know they still are. She was a medical SHO at King's. I used to see her around here when she came down to stay with Galvan. That was before she got snaffled up by the BBC to present that TV programme Best of Health . Very striking woman. '
'I think she's beautiful,' said Kate earnestly, cradling her mug of tea in her hands, conjuring up from memory the glamorous screen image of Diana Diamond.
'Oh yes, Diana's one hot lady. Look I must go, sweetheart, see you later maybe?'
Kate grabbed his sleeve. 'And me, darling, am I another hot lady?'
'Heavens, no, sweetheart,' he said kindly, believing this reassuring answer was just what a dear, sensible girl like Kate Wisdom wanted to hear. 'Have you been going round like that all day?'
'What?' said Kate in a puzzled voice.
'With your belt not properly fastened.'
'Grrr!' sulked a very confused staff nurse, heading home to her single bed.
Chapter Four
K ate withdrew the needle of a hypodermic containing 20 mls of blood and pressed cotton wool to the punctured vein in the crook of Tom's left elbow. Automatically Tom folded his arm, answering her encouraging smile with a baleful scowl as he relaxed back into the pillows. 'Repeat after me,' she said brightly , Thank you, Nurse, I didn't feel a thing.
Tom emitted a sound which reminded her of a bear with a sore head. He clearly didn't trust her yet. Specially where needles and his body were concerned.
Kate was rapidly coming to the conclusion that the only way to deal with Mr Galvan was to tell him in a firm tone of voice what she was about to do—and then get on with it before he had time to think up an argument against it.
'Now you're to stay in bed this morning until the Professor's done his examination.'
'Suits me fine.'
Suits me too, thought Kate. That's a complicated fracture of the humerus, and with one arm in plaster your balance is affected. I don't want you
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