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

protest Guy got there first. ‘It has nothing to do with whether or not I believe you, or punishing you or anything like that at all. The fact is, until we know what’s going on, until the surgeons have seen you…’
    ‘They won’t look at me,’ Judith said. ‘I can’t take this pain for much longer.’
    ‘I’m going to send you for an urgent CT scan of your abdomen and I’ll talk to the surgeons myself. In the meantime, we’ll put an NG tube down—that’s a small tube that goes from your nose into your stomachand drains…’ He gave a small shrug. ‘You know what an NG tube is, I’m sure. Now, that might give you some comfort but at the very least it will empty your stomach and stop the nausea. My preliminary diagnosis is an obstruction, probably caused by adhesions.’ His voice was very clear and very firm as he spoke to Judith, refusing for even a second to be pulled into one of her mind games. ‘After even one operation, there is a chance of adhesions. They’re like a spider web of glue in the stomach, and, given the amount of surgery you’ve had in the past, it’s inevitable that there will be a lot of scar tissue and adhesions.’
    ‘So I really am sick this time.’
    ‘I think that you are,’ Guy admitted. ‘But possibly, looking at your history, you’re having me on. I’m telling you, Judith, not as a threat, not trying to be unkind—given the amount of surgery you’ve had in the past, you are going to have a lot of very real health problems in the future with just this type of thing, and you’re going to need serious medical help. So if you’re playing games today, stop it now, tell me now and at least we’ll both know where we stand, because if this is just a need to get admitted to hospital, if this is attention-seeking behaviour, it has to stop right here and now, before I go out on a limb for you.’
    Madison watched as he gave Judith a chance to come clean, a chance to back down. Despite Judith’s poor track record, so emphatic were Guy’s words, so utterly direct and to the point, Madison felt that if Judith was lying, if she was playing one of her elaborate games,then Guy had said enough to convince her to stop it right there and then.
    ‘It isn’t.’
    ‘OK,’ Guy said. ‘I actually do believe you, Judith. But if I’m proved wrong, next time I’m not going to be so ready to be convinced.’
    ‘I know that, Doctor.’
    ‘OK.’ He gave a small nod. ‘I’ll get this blood to the lab and arrange some tests, and I’ll also talk to the surgeons. And I’m going to get Madison to apply a shield to the IV keypad and lock it.’
    ‘I’m not going to change the dosage,’ Judith said.
    ‘No doubt you have in the past, though. Judith, I’m going to be completely frank with you and that starts here. I am going to remove the IV trolley so that you can’t take anything, I’m going to lock up the IV pad so that you can’t attempt to alter it and I’m going to ensure that a nurse watches you when we obtain any specimens because even though you may be sick this time, old habits die hard. You’ve been doctor-shopping this week, possibly with good reason, but the simple fact is that you cannot be relied on to tell the truth or to protect yourself from harm, so I’m going to do my best to minimise any temptations. Now, I’m being frank with you and I expect the same in return, OK?’
    ‘OK.’
    ‘Now, you’re right, I don’t expect the surgeons to come rushing to see you—they’re up on the ward with a very sick patient at the moment and they’ve got another one that needs to go to Theatre soon—so I’ve decidedto give you an anti-emetic and a small dose of morphine just to take the edge off. I won’t give you much, so it will no doubt have worn off by the time you’ve had your CT and then the surgeons can see you and assess you properly.’
    ‘Thank you.’
    ‘Do you believe her,’ Guy asked as Madison headed over to the drug cupboard, calling Alanna over