Needed: Full-Time Father (Medical Romance) by Carol Marinelli

that?’ Guy asked, and Madison could only admire him. Even though she had explained the problem to Guy, he was giving Judith the opportunity to tellher own story. She was pleating the sheet beneath her fingers and Madison watched the tears of pain, frustration and utter humiliation rolling down Judith’s cheeks.
    ‘Because I make things up.’
    ‘What sort of things?’ Guy asked, as if it were the most natural question in the world.
    ‘Illnesses,’ Judith sobbed. ‘I lie so that I can get myself admitted to hospital.’ When Guy didn’t say anything and was clearly waiting for more information, finally Judith elaborated. ‘I’ve had hundreds of tests, loads of operations and none of them were needed.’
    ‘How did you do that?’ Guy asked. ‘Have you had any medical training?’
    ‘No.’ Judith shook her head angrily, and for a moment a flash of the old Judith returned, a flash of the manipulative, scheming woman who had graced so many hospital corridors. ‘But I can read and, much to the doctors’ indignation, I’m actually clever. They hate to think that someone without a medical degree might actually know more than them, hate to think that they’ve been fooled—’
    ‘I’d hate it, too,’ Guy admitted, halting her angry tirade. ‘I’d hate to think I’d put anyone, no matter how much they thought they needed it, through a medical procedure that wasn’t warranted—when clearly they needed a different kind of help.’ He stared directly at her and Madison noted that it was Judith who looked away first. ‘You’ve obviously pretended to have stomach pain before.’
    ‘But I haven’t done it for ages,’ Judith whispered through chattering teeth.
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘Because I didn’t want to live like that any more. I’ve been seeing a psychiatrist. She’s been wonderful, and we’ve been sorting the mess out.’
    ‘The mess?’ Guy asked.
    ‘The mess in my head.’ Judith tried to shout, but the pain forced her back on the pillow, sobbing in defeat as she lay there.
    ‘OK, can you show me where the pain is?’ Guy asked.
    Madison lifted Judith’s gown, silently appalled at the numerous scars—a legacy of her disorder.
    ‘It’s all over,’ Judith gasped as Guy probed her stomach. Taking his stethoscope from around his neck, he listened for a full minute for bowel sounds.
    ‘Have you taken any medication, apart from these?’ Guy asked, gesturing to the various painkillers that had been found in her bag.
    ‘Nothing.’ Judith shook her head, but Guy just stared, clearly not convinced. ‘I took some laxatives. I thought if I could go to the toilet, that might help.’
    ‘OK, let me listen to your chest.’ Gently, with Madison’s help, he leant her forward and listened to her chest. For fifteen minutes he conducted a full and very thorough examination, before finally replacing the blanket and opening one of the silver trolleys in the cubicle to prepare to put in an IV.
    ‘You won’t be able to do it,’ Judith said, as Guy applied a tourniquet. ‘My veins are all scarred and collapsed because of all the times they’ve been used.’
    ‘All the unnecessary times,’ Guy corrected her, and Judith nodded pitifully.
    ‘Normally they call for an anaesthetist or I have to go to Theatre to have a PICC line put in.’
    ‘Just stay very still,’ Guy said quietly. ‘I think I’ve got one.’
    He had!
    Madison gave a blink of admiration. She knew only too well that Judith’s veins were almost impossible to gain access to. Years and years of abuse had rendered this simple procedure practically impossible, yet with one attempt Guy had succeeded.
    ‘Africa.’ He gave a small smile and looked up at Madison. ‘If you can get a needle into a premature, malnourished, collapsed baby, then you can get one into Judith.’
    ‘Thank you, Doctor.’
    ‘Don’t thank me yet.’ Guy shook his head. ‘Now, Judith, I’m not going to give you anything for pain—’ As she opened her mouth to