where he'd moved away to make room for her.
'Scissors to Merrin,' he instructed, and the nurse promptly passed Merrin a pair. 'Vicryl to Lindsay. I'll leave you to it,' he told them, moving back. 'I'll be in the staff-room if you need me.'
Lindsay sewed up the abdomen in a broad layer, using a curved needle and catching the peritoneum, the muscle and subcutaneous tissues in a figure-eight-style stitch, explaining to Merrin what she was doing at each step.
Merrin's job was to hold up the four sets of artery forceps which Lindsay had clipped to the peritoneum so that the SHO couldn't mistakenly catch some of the abdominal contents in her sutures. Lindsay showed her how to remove each set as the closing progressed.
After she'd finished they tore away the adhesive plastic membrane which had been covering their patient's skin, closed the skin, swabbed everything clean and covered the wound and the drain with sterile dressings.
It took them a few minutes to clean up and shed their gowns and help move their patient onto the trolley so he could be taken to Recovery, then Lindsay showed Merrin where to find the staffroom. 'I just need to ring the crèche,' she said quickly, gesturing down towards the other end of the corridor. 'Ben was sick twice last night. I want to make sure he's been all right this morning.'
The professor was alone in the tea room. Sprawled in a chair, an open journal beside him, his long legs crossed in front of him, he'd pulled his mask down and was talking on the phone.
He looked up briefly and nodded when she came in and Merrin felt her mouth dry. Even without the awareness of his personality that the last two days had given her, she couldn't not recognise that physically he was an extraordinarily attractive man. Dark and enigmatic and powerful. She told herself that it wasn't surprising that she found herself reacting to him, even though she'd never found herself particularly attracted to handsome men in the past. But then, regardless of the way he looked, she suspected that Neil McAlister was a man who'd make an impression on most women.
'Tim, I agree,' he was saying, 'but the funding's not going to appear by magic. Have you spoken with anyone at the college?' There was a pause and then he said, rather wearily, Merrin thought, listening while she made coffee. 'Yes, all right. Yes, I'll try. I'm seeing them at a meeting next week so I'll mention it then.'
The conversation continued a few more minutes and when he replaced the receiver she passed him a drink and two chocolate biscuits.
He stared down at the cup and saucer as if mystified. 'What's this?'
'Coffee. Or would you prefer tea? Milk or sugar?'
'Coffee. Black's fine. Merrin, I don't expect you to make my drinks.'
'You hadn't made your own,' she observed, taking one of the bench-like padded seats opposite him.
'I was about to when I was interrupted by a call.'
'Well, then.' She looked down into her own drink. 'Drink up. Better eat your biscuits before anyone else comes. They were the last two.'
'Merrin...'
She lifted her head, meeting his disturbingly darkened expression determinedly, but thankfully whatever chastisement he'd been about to deliver was delayed because Lindsay came in.
The SHO was frowning. 'Ben's been sick again this morning,' she said hesitantly. 'Last night I thought it was all the ice cream he'd eaten but they say he won't eat anything at all now and they don't think he looks well. He's running a slight temperature. It's probably nothing. Robert's in Bristol today at some sales conference and he won't be back till six. Prof, do you mind—?'
'Go,' he told her quietly.
'I'm really sorry.' But she looked relieved. 'Thanks. I just want to check him out. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can.'
'Take your time,' he said evenly. 'We'll manage. Douglas doesn't need any help and Merrin can assist with the rest of my list.'
With Lindsay looking so worried, Merrin felt guilty at the rush of excitement the professor's words
'Scissors to Merrin,' he instructed, and the nurse promptly passed Merrin a pair. 'Vicryl to Lindsay. I'll leave you to it,' he told them, moving back. 'I'll be in the staff-room if you need me.'
Lindsay sewed up the abdomen in a broad layer, using a curved needle and catching the peritoneum, the muscle and subcutaneous tissues in a figure-eight-style stitch, explaining to Merrin what she was doing at each step.
Merrin's job was to hold up the four sets of artery forceps which Lindsay had clipped to the peritoneum so that the SHO couldn't mistakenly catch some of the abdominal contents in her sutures. Lindsay showed her how to remove each set as the closing progressed.
After she'd finished they tore away the adhesive plastic membrane which had been covering their patient's skin, closed the skin, swabbed everything clean and covered the wound and the drain with sterile dressings.
It took them a few minutes to clean up and shed their gowns and help move their patient onto the trolley so he could be taken to Recovery, then Lindsay showed Merrin where to find the staffroom. 'I just need to ring the crèche,' she said quickly, gesturing down towards the other end of the corridor. 'Ben was sick twice last night. I want to make sure he's been all right this morning.'
The professor was alone in the tea room. Sprawled in a chair, an open journal beside him, his long legs crossed in front of him, he'd pulled his mask down and was talking on the phone.
He looked up briefly and nodded when she came in and Merrin felt her mouth dry. Even without the awareness of his personality that the last two days had given her, she couldn't not recognise that physically he was an extraordinarily attractive man. Dark and enigmatic and powerful. She told herself that it wasn't surprising that she found herself reacting to him, even though she'd never found herself particularly attracted to handsome men in the past. But then, regardless of the way he looked, she suspected that Neil McAlister was a man who'd make an impression on most women.
'Tim, I agree,' he was saying, 'but the funding's not going to appear by magic. Have you spoken with anyone at the college?' There was a pause and then he said, rather wearily, Merrin thought, listening while she made coffee. 'Yes, all right. Yes, I'll try. I'm seeing them at a meeting next week so I'll mention it then.'
The conversation continued a few more minutes and when he replaced the receiver she passed him a drink and two chocolate biscuits.
He stared down at the cup and saucer as if mystified. 'What's this?'
'Coffee. Or would you prefer tea? Milk or sugar?'
'Coffee. Black's fine. Merrin, I don't expect you to make my drinks.'
'You hadn't made your own,' she observed, taking one of the bench-like padded seats opposite him.
'I was about to when I was interrupted by a call.'
'Well, then.' She looked down into her own drink. 'Drink up. Better eat your biscuits before anyone else comes. They were the last two.'
'Merrin...'
She lifted her head, meeting his disturbingly darkened expression determinedly, but thankfully whatever chastisement he'd been about to deliver was delayed because Lindsay came in.
The SHO was frowning. 'Ben's been sick again this morning,' she said hesitantly. 'Last night I thought it was all the ice cream he'd eaten but they say he won't eat anything at all now and they don't think he looks well. He's running a slight temperature. It's probably nothing. Robert's in Bristol today at some sales conference and he won't be back till six. Prof, do you mind—?'
'Go,' he told her quietly.
'I'm really sorry.' But she looked relieved. 'Thanks. I just want to check him out. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can.'
'Take your time,' he said evenly. 'We'll manage. Douglas doesn't need any help and Merrin can assist with the rest of my list.'
With Lindsay looking so worried, Merrin felt guilty at the rush of excitement the professor's words
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