extent of Mary Ballantyne’s injuries and that it wouldn’t be long before she could be discharged.
Braden Foster, who was treating Mary now, had also been able to give a report on Michael’s surgery, and the news was good.
‘He’ll make it,’ Braden had said. ‘Thanks to you.’
‘It was a team effort,’ Rory had responded.
Like the way the staff were currently dealing with the overcrowded department. Efficiently and cheerfully. Judy was still here—and hadn’t someone said she was supposed to go off duty some time ago? If he was still head of department here he would be proud of them all.
Even the orderly, who was wearing a pair of red felt reindeer horns on his head as he came past with an empty wheelchair.
‘Could I borrow that?’
‘Sure. Merry Christmas, Doc.’
‘You, too.’ Rory pushed the wheelchair towards the cubicles. He had one more request to honour, and then he was going to do something for himself.
Or rather for Kate.
For both of them, perhaps.
Things were starting to clear in his head. He was being given an opportunity here to repay Kate for what she had given him—albeit unwittingly. He could make life easier for her. Support her.
He wouldn’t have chosen to become a father, but it was happening—and, dammit, if he was going to be a father he was going to be the best he could possibly be.
Pulling back the curtain, he found Kate helping Florence to sit up.
‘Just take things easy,’ she warned her patient. ‘You’ve had a bump on the head and you’ve been lying down for quite a while. You might well find you’re a bit dizzy if you try and get on your feet too quickly.’
‘Mary’s fine,’ Rory informed Florence. ‘She’s about to have a small blood vessel in her nose cauterised, and when the bleeding’s definitely stopped the fracture will need strap ping. She’d like to talk to you.’ He smiled as he deftly manoeuvred the wheelchair into the cubicle. ‘Your chariot, ma’am.’
‘I don’t need that.’ Florence slid her not in considerable weight onto her feet. Seconds later she paled and clutched Kate’s arm.
Kate helped lower her into the wheelchair. ‘Better?’
Florence still looked pale. And not very happy. ‘How am I going to help Mary with the children if I come over all peculiar when I stand up?’
‘Give it some time,’ Rory advised as he turned the chair and started wheeling Florence to where Mary was being treated. ‘Nobody’s going anywhere for a while yet, and I prescribe a nice hot cup of tea.’
There was another prescription he was going to make as soon as he could. One for Kate.
K ATE TIDIED UP , putting the suture needle and the syringes from the local anaesthetic and the tetanus booster into the sharps bin, and all the disposable material and anything contaminated with blood into the hazardous waste bag.
A glance at her watch showed that it was now two hours since the first victims of the mini-bus accident had arrived. No wonder her feet and her back were aching and she was feeling so tired. Helping to deal with a Code Red would have been enough all on its own. To have to factor in all the confusing and still overpowering feelings she had for Rory had made it a marathon.
Maybe she could put her feet up back at the desk, and take over what must be a vast amount of paperwork.
Or maybe not.
She was smoothing a clean sheet onto the bed when someone came into the cubicle behind her.
It was a surprise to hear the curtain being whisked shut, and even more of a surprise to turn and find Rory standing there.
He was smiling at her. As though he was genuinely pleased to see her. It was impossible not to respond. Not to feel that incredible warmth . Kate smiled back and forgot all about her sore feet.
‘When are you due?’ Rory asked quietly. Not that there was any chance of anyone overhearing above the noise in the department.
‘My obstetrician seems to think they’ll come early, but we’re hoping for at least
Braden Foster, who was treating Mary now, had also been able to give a report on Michael’s surgery, and the news was good.
‘He’ll make it,’ Braden had said. ‘Thanks to you.’
‘It was a team effort,’ Rory had responded.
Like the way the staff were currently dealing with the overcrowded department. Efficiently and cheerfully. Judy was still here—and hadn’t someone said she was supposed to go off duty some time ago? If he was still head of department here he would be proud of them all.
Even the orderly, who was wearing a pair of red felt reindeer horns on his head as he came past with an empty wheelchair.
‘Could I borrow that?’
‘Sure. Merry Christmas, Doc.’
‘You, too.’ Rory pushed the wheelchair towards the cubicles. He had one more request to honour, and then he was going to do something for himself.
Or rather for Kate.
For both of them, perhaps.
Things were starting to clear in his head. He was being given an opportunity here to repay Kate for what she had given him—albeit unwittingly. He could make life easier for her. Support her.
He wouldn’t have chosen to become a father, but it was happening—and, dammit, if he was going to be a father he was going to be the best he could possibly be.
Pulling back the curtain, he found Kate helping Florence to sit up.
‘Just take things easy,’ she warned her patient. ‘You’ve had a bump on the head and you’ve been lying down for quite a while. You might well find you’re a bit dizzy if you try and get on your feet too quickly.’
‘Mary’s fine,’ Rory informed Florence. ‘She’s about to have a small blood vessel in her nose cauterised, and when the bleeding’s definitely stopped the fracture will need strap ping. She’d like to talk to you.’ He smiled as he deftly manoeuvred the wheelchair into the cubicle. ‘Your chariot, ma’am.’
‘I don’t need that.’ Florence slid her not in considerable weight onto her feet. Seconds later she paled and clutched Kate’s arm.
Kate helped lower her into the wheelchair. ‘Better?’
Florence still looked pale. And not very happy. ‘How am I going to help Mary with the children if I come over all peculiar when I stand up?’
‘Give it some time,’ Rory advised as he turned the chair and started wheeling Florence to where Mary was being treated. ‘Nobody’s going anywhere for a while yet, and I prescribe a nice hot cup of tea.’
There was another prescription he was going to make as soon as he could. One for Kate.
K ATE TIDIED UP , putting the suture needle and the syringes from the local anaesthetic and the tetanus booster into the sharps bin, and all the disposable material and anything contaminated with blood into the hazardous waste bag.
A glance at her watch showed that it was now two hours since the first victims of the mini-bus accident had arrived. No wonder her feet and her back were aching and she was feeling so tired. Helping to deal with a Code Red would have been enough all on its own. To have to factor in all the confusing and still overpowering feelings she had for Rory had made it a marathon.
Maybe she could put her feet up back at the desk, and take over what must be a vast amount of paperwork.
Or maybe not.
She was smoothing a clean sheet onto the bed when someone came into the cubicle behind her.
It was a surprise to hear the curtain being whisked shut, and even more of a surprise to turn and find Rory standing there.
He was smiling at her. As though he was genuinely pleased to see her. It was impossible not to respond. Not to feel that incredible warmth . Kate smiled back and forgot all about her sore feet.
‘When are you due?’ Rory asked quietly. Not that there was any chance of anyone overhearing above the noise in the department.
‘My obstetrician seems to think they’ll come early, but we’re hoping for at least
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