The Surgeon's Perfect Match

Huge blue eyes beneath a mop of golden curls gleamed with sheer joy in response to Holly’s query. It didn’t seem to matter that every breath was a struggle to provide oxygen to the inadequate level of circulation her failing heart could provide.

‘The twins are…making a surprise. I’m not…allowed to see.’ Michaela took several quick breaths and then lowered her voice. ‘I think it’s…a picnic…on my bed.’

Holly stood up and peeped through the small square window in the door to the nearest single room. Sure enough, two small girls were arranging paper plates holding bite-sized treats like fairy bread and grapes. Their mother, Robyn, was pouring soft drink into plastic cups.

‘Is it…a picnic?’

‘Not telling.’ Holly grinned and sat down again. ‘How’s school going?’

‘Good. I miss heaps, though.’

‘You’re more than smart enough to catch up. How’s Toby?’

‘He’s good, too. But I’m not riding…just now.’

Of course she wasn’t. Michaela had been a star junior rider in the pony club until a year ago. The rare complication of an ordinary viral illness had given her congestive cardiomyopathy—a dilated, floppy left ventricle incapable of pumping blood effectively.

Michaela had not come under Ryan’s surgical firm’s care because the only surgery that could help was a heart transplant. The cardiology team was doing its best to keep her alive in the hope of that happening, but the chance that Michaela could ever ride her beloved pony, Toby, again was slim at best.

Her pets had always been a favourite topic of conversation, however.

‘Does Toby still like eating jelly snakes?’

‘Yeah…I’ve got a…new kitten now.’

‘Oh, cute! What colour?’

‘Black.’

‘Girl or boy?’

‘Girl.’

‘What’s her name?’

‘Sooty.’ Michaela looked disgusted. ‘The twins…named it before they…gave her to me.’ Her face lit up again as a man approached. ‘Hi, Daddy!’

‘Hey, gorgeous.’ Michaela’s father was carrying a wicker basket with flaps, and Holly was as curious as the girl beside her. Wasn’t the picnic food already in Michaela’s room?

‘What’s…in the basket?’

‘Not telling.’ Don Brown looked stern. ‘It’s supposed to be a surprise.’

The faint mewing sound that followed his words led to a startled silence.

Michaela giggled. ‘You’re…busted, Dad.’

Don cast an anxious glance at Holly. ‘I’m breaking the rules, aren’t I?’

Holly stood up. ‘I didn’t hear a thing,’ she claimed. She winked at Michaela. ‘See you later. I hope you enjoy your lunch.’

Daniel’s lunchtime food and entertainment was a lot less inventive but the atmosphere around him was happy without the poignancy of Michaela’s case. His mother was pinning up pictures of Daniel’s heroes, the members of his favourite Auckland rugby team who were also part of the national All Blacks squad.

Sitting on the end of his bed, discussing the finer moments of the last match they had played, was Ryan.

‘And did you see that drop kick? Scott Grigg’s the man, isn’t he?’

‘He’s called Sox.’

‘Why?’ Holly hadn’t heard the popular rugby player’s nickname. ‘Because he has stinky feet?’

‘Please!’ Ryan’s look was as pitying as Daniel‘s. ‘We’re discussing the man of the match here.’

‘D’you know he’s only eighteen?’ Daniel twisted in bed to look up at the poster in prime position. ‘And he didn’t even start playing rugby until he was thirteen.’ He looked back at Ryan. ‘I’ll be able to start playing soon, won’t I?’

‘At the rate you’re recovering, it won’t be too long before you can get active, but we need to keep a good eye on you for a while yet.’

‘Will I get out of hospital in time to go to the next game? It’s in Auckland. I was too sick to go last time they played here.’

‘We’ll see what we can do,’ Ryan promised, before excusing himself. Outside Daniel’s room, he raised an eyebrow in Holly’s direction. ‘How are things in the unit?’

‘Grace is still running a bit of a temperature. Her white count is normal but there’s the possibility it’s some kind of infection. The medical team isn’t happy to clear her for surgery until they have more idea of what might be going on. Leo’s clear for surgery if you want to swap their slots tomorrow.’

Ryan nodded. ‘Let’s go and have a chat to his parents.’

They passed Michaela’s door and Ryan’s casual sideways glance made him come to an abrupt halt. Holly stifled a giggle but the sound earned her a suspicious glance.

‘You know what’s going on in there, don’t you?’

She tried to look convincingly innocent. ‘Michaela’s back in. Sounds like things are deteriorating, unfortunately. She said something about her kidneys not functioning too well and…’

But Ryan didn’t appear to be listening. He grabbed Holly’s elbow and tugged it to pull her closer. It wasn’t until Holly co-operated, turned and spotted who was at the end of the corridor that she realised what Ryan was doing. The hospital’s CEO‘s personal assistant, a woman not noted for her sense of humour, was making visit to the ward. If she saw the additional visitor in Michaela’s room, the family picnic was unlikely to end on a very good note.

Both Ryan and Holly were quite tall enough to block any inadvertent view through the window in the closed door behind them.

‘What’s the creatinine level?’ Ryan then queried with uncharacteristic brusqueness.

Holly blinked. ‘Um…’

‘You’d better get on top of this, Holly.’ Ryan was frowning. ‘Deterioration in renal function is going to mean having to juggle anti-failure medication. Really, I’m surprised at you for not having the lab results available already.’

The tone, suggestive of a professional rebuke, earned Holly a similar frown from the passing administrator, but the woman clearly wasn’t going to interrupt such an exchange. Ryan waited until she was turning into the nurse manager’s office and then he smiled apologetically, turning to wave through the window.

‘Maybe you should suggest that the four-footed friend goes back in its box before the white witch returns.’ The remnants of his smile faded as he turned back to Holly. ‘The clock’s ticking a bit loudly in there, isn’t it?’ His face was sombre now. ‘I’ve got a quick phone call I really have to make, Holly. Meet you in Leo’s room in ten minutes?’

‘Sure.’

Ryan had turned away quickly enough for Holly not to have picked up anything personal in his glance, but it surfaced anyway as she let herself into Michaela’s room to join the picnic for a minute or two.