she told him she couldn’t remember what she had done and when? ‘I suppose you’re going to say this proves how important your follow-through plan is,’ she said.
‘It’s pretty obvious there are some gaps in the system,’ he said. ‘But that’s why I’m here to sort them out. I noticed you didn’t make it to the second breakfastmeeting. We’ll be holding them all week and next until I have each A&E staff member up to date.’
‘I’ve read through the document you gave me,’ Erin said. ‘And, depending on what happens this afternoon, I’ll try and make the ward-round.’
‘I would appreciate it, Dr Taylor,’ he said. ‘By the way, I thought you might like to know, Mrs Haddad—the mother of the young man who died of the stab-wound—has withdrawn her complaint.’
Erin felt her shoulders go down in relief. ‘I’m very sorry for her loss, but I tried everything I could to save him. It was just too late.’
‘I think she came to realise that,’ he said. ‘It’s sad, isn’t it? The waste of a young life—all that potential gone to waste.’
Erin kept her expression blank. ‘There’s enough drug education around to warn people of the dangers.’
He studied her for a moment with that piercing green gaze. ‘You don’t have empathy for someone with a drug problem?’ he asked.
‘Look, Dr Chapman,’ she said, expelling a breath of impatience. ‘There are lots of really ill patients who need our care. People who self-abuse clog up the system and take valuable resources away from others who are unwell through no fault of their own.’
‘It’s not our place to make value judgements on patients who come in for treatment,’ he said. ‘There are a host of reasons why people get hooked on drugs or alcohol. They deserve the same level of care and priority afforded any other patient.’
‘I’m not for a moment saying I would treat anyone differently,’ she said. ‘I just wish more people would take responsibility for their own health.’
‘I understand the frustration; I feel it myself at times,’ Eamon said. ‘But there is only a limited amount of funds to go around. We have to do what we can with what we have.’
There was a beat or two of silence.
Erin heard the ticking of the clock on the wall and the white-noise hum of the refrigerator as it reset its thermostat. She also felt sure she could hear the beating of her heart. It was booming in her chest like a kettle drum with a beat that was as unsteady as it was rapid. She sent the tip of her tongue out to moisten her dry lips, her stomach giving an unexpected little kick of excitement when she saw his gaze slowly descend to her mouth.
Time froze for a moment, and then began to swell with promise…
The door behind Erin suddenly opened and a female voice chimed, ‘Oops, sorry, I didn’t meant to disturb you both.’
Erin turned and faced the female registrar. ‘You weren’t disturbing anything,’ she mumbled, and quickly made her way out the door, her face feeling as if it was on fire.
CHAPTER FOUR
E RIN was in her kitchen feeding Molly that evening when she heard the sliding doors of next door’s balcony open. Her skin automatically tightened, and her heart gave a little thump as she heard the click-clack of footsteps on the tiles.
‘Gosh, Eamon,’ a feminine voice said. ‘It’s an absolutely awesome view from here. I wish you’d let me move in with you. Won’t you reconsider? Please?’
Erin pressed her spine flat against the pantry door as she shamelessly eavesdropped.
‘No way, Stephanie,’ Eamon said, although his tone was full of warmth. ‘We’d be at each other’s throats within days.’
‘You’re so heartless,’ the young woman said. ‘I don’t know why I still love you.’
‘It’s your job, that’s why,’ he said.
Erin silently fumed. What an arrogant playboy! No doubt he had woman after woman hanging around for his attention. How annoying, if she was going to have to listen to him
‘It’s pretty obvious there are some gaps in the system,’ he said. ‘But that’s why I’m here to sort them out. I noticed you didn’t make it to the second breakfastmeeting. We’ll be holding them all week and next until I have each A&E staff member up to date.’
‘I’ve read through the document you gave me,’ Erin said. ‘And, depending on what happens this afternoon, I’ll try and make the ward-round.’
‘I would appreciate it, Dr Taylor,’ he said. ‘By the way, I thought you might like to know, Mrs Haddad—the mother of the young man who died of the stab-wound—has withdrawn her complaint.’
Erin felt her shoulders go down in relief. ‘I’m very sorry for her loss, but I tried everything I could to save him. It was just too late.’
‘I think she came to realise that,’ he said. ‘It’s sad, isn’t it? The waste of a young life—all that potential gone to waste.’
Erin kept her expression blank. ‘There’s enough drug education around to warn people of the dangers.’
He studied her for a moment with that piercing green gaze. ‘You don’t have empathy for someone with a drug problem?’ he asked.
‘Look, Dr Chapman,’ she said, expelling a breath of impatience. ‘There are lots of really ill patients who need our care. People who self-abuse clog up the system and take valuable resources away from others who are unwell through no fault of their own.’
‘It’s not our place to make value judgements on patients who come in for treatment,’ he said. ‘There are a host of reasons why people get hooked on drugs or alcohol. They deserve the same level of care and priority afforded any other patient.’
‘I’m not for a moment saying I would treat anyone differently,’ she said. ‘I just wish more people would take responsibility for their own health.’
‘I understand the frustration; I feel it myself at times,’ Eamon said. ‘But there is only a limited amount of funds to go around. We have to do what we can with what we have.’
There was a beat or two of silence.
Erin heard the ticking of the clock on the wall and the white-noise hum of the refrigerator as it reset its thermostat. She also felt sure she could hear the beating of her heart. It was booming in her chest like a kettle drum with a beat that was as unsteady as it was rapid. She sent the tip of her tongue out to moisten her dry lips, her stomach giving an unexpected little kick of excitement when she saw his gaze slowly descend to her mouth.
Time froze for a moment, and then began to swell with promise…
The door behind Erin suddenly opened and a female voice chimed, ‘Oops, sorry, I didn’t meant to disturb you both.’
Erin turned and faced the female registrar. ‘You weren’t disturbing anything,’ she mumbled, and quickly made her way out the door, her face feeling as if it was on fire.
CHAPTER FOUR
E RIN was in her kitchen feeding Molly that evening when she heard the sliding doors of next door’s balcony open. Her skin automatically tightened, and her heart gave a little thump as she heard the click-clack of footsteps on the tiles.
‘Gosh, Eamon,’ a feminine voice said. ‘It’s an absolutely awesome view from here. I wish you’d let me move in with you. Won’t you reconsider? Please?’
Erin pressed her spine flat against the pantry door as she shamelessly eavesdropped.
‘No way, Stephanie,’ Eamon said, although his tone was full of warmth. ‘We’d be at each other’s throats within days.’
‘You’re so heartless,’ the young woman said. ‘I don’t know why I still love you.’
‘It’s your job, that’s why,’ he said.
Erin silently fumed. What an arrogant playboy! No doubt he had woman after woman hanging around for his attention. How annoying, if she was going to have to listen to him
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