Doctor On Her Doorstep

‘Yes, I think you should.’

He nodded. ‘So do I. And I want you to promise me something.’

Anything. She’d do anything she could to help him. ‘Okay.’

‘If you ever think that a personal issue is getting in the way of my treatment of a patient, you’ll tell me. I don’t mean dropped hints or concerned noises, but words of one syllable.’

‘I can do that. I’m better at words of one syllable than I am at hints.’

He grinned. ‘Thought you might be.’ He looked at his watch. ‘As we’re here, do you have time for some coffee?’

‘Yes, of course.’ Those honest eyes of his. Never once countenancing pity, but demanding respect. Jenna could almost feel them drawing her in, inch by inch. ‘I’ve another twenty minutes of my lunch break left, and they’ll page me if they need me.’ He went to stand and she beat him to it. ‘Stay there, I’ll get them.’

Things were beginning to make sense. He’d papered over the cracks of his own trauma so effectively that it only surfaced at night when he couldn’t suppress it with an effort of will. And by the time Jenna returned with the coffee, setting his cup down in front of him, he had already moved on and was thinking about something else.

‘Acid’s a very personal way to attack someone.’

‘It was personal. Kind of.’ Jenna tipped some milk into his cup. ‘Julie has a sister, a year older than her. They’re very alike, could be twins. She’d borrowed her sister’s blouse and jacket to go out in.’

‘And the acid was meant for her sister?’

‘Yes. An ex-boyfriend who held a grudge. The parents knew there was a problem there, and had been keeping an eye on Julie’s sister.’

‘And no one thought to stop Julie from going out dressed in her sister’s clothes?’ Anger suffused every line of his face.

‘Easy to be wise after the event. I’ve talked to the parents and put in an urgent request for counselling for Julie’s sister, but she’s not at the top of the priority list.’

He sighed, his finger and thumb massaging the bridge of his nose. ‘Do you think it would help if you and I had an informal chat with the whole family?’

Jenna turned the idea over in her head, and decided to trust him. ‘Yeah. Yes, I think that would help a lot.’

He’d seemed glad of her company over coffee, and almost relieved when Jenna had steered the conversation round to lighter topics. Relaxed now, he strolled with her all the way back down to A and E, staying to chat to Jenna’s colleague Brenda while Jenna went to the locker room. And he was still there when she returned.

‘I saw penguins last year when I went to New Zealand. I wasn’t too keen on the little blighters but my friend was mad to see them.’ Brenda’s blond hair, piled up on the top of her head in a messy confection of highlights and low-lights, was shining, along with her smile.

‘Yeah?’ Brenda had caught Adam’s interest and he hardly noticed Jenna’s return. ‘I’d love to go to New Zealand.’

‘Great place. We stopped off in Hong Kong on the way.’ Brenda was a seasoned traveller, saving her money and her annual leave for somewhere far-flung every summer. ‘I’m planning to go to India this year.’

His arms were folded on the counter in front of him and he leaned forward towards Brenda. ‘Are you? Whereabouts?’

Brenda had his full attention now and they were swapping stories about places they’d been, things they’d seen. Jenna didn’t have much to contribute to that conversation. Sure, she got itchy feet from time to time, who didn’t? But her yearning to see the world had been smothered by the need for security, her home, her career. One day, maybe, she’d have that sufficiently sorted to venture out a little.

‘Tell him to come along, Jen.’ Brenda was nudging her elbow.

‘Uh? Where?’ She’d lost track, reckoning that Brenda and Adam were doing fine on their own.

‘To the softball match next Friday evening.’ Brenda turned her attention back to Adam. ‘All the hospitals have teams, and we have a kind of league. We’re playing the Marylebone Medics, and they take it all very seriously, you know, practising and not drinking beer until afterwards.’ Brenda’s eye assessed the full breadth of Adam’s shoulders with something more than professional interest. ‘I bet you’re pretty handy with a bat. We might just stand a chance if I can persuade Rob to play as well.’

‘Where do you play?’ Adam seemed to be weighing up the offer.

‘Hyde Park. Over in the southern section, there’s always plenty of room on the sports field to stake a pitch. Our team’s the Bankside Cheetahs—because we cheat, not because we resemble a graceful, fast-moving animal.’ Brenda giggled. ‘Although Jenna has her moments.’

‘Right. Like last month when I tripped over your foot.’

‘That was just unlucky. Anyway, we’re never too proud to welcome a ringer on to the team.’

‘I work here. Part time for the next month, anyway.’

‘Oh, well, that’s even better.’ Brenda was scenting victory. ‘I thought you were lecturing at the university. They’ve got their own team but you don’t want to be with that lot. Far too young and enthusiastic.’

Adam chuckled. ‘I’m filling in with a couple of shifts a week here, as well as working with the reconstructive surgery team.’ He grinned. ‘We’re all sharing knowledge. So, assuming that I’m old and cynical enough for the Bankside Cheetahs, I’m totally legit.’

‘Well, that’s sorted, then.’ Brenda turned her green eyes on to him, full force. ‘I was wondering what that orange circle on the roster was. Stands for knowledge-sharing, does it?’

‘Guess so.’ Adam glanced at his watch. ‘But since I’m supposed to be sharing elsewhere today, I’d better make myself scarce.’ He gifted Brenda with a devastating smile and nodded at Jenna. ‘Later.’

Brenda watched Adam through the automatic doors, chewing speculatively on the end of her pencil. ‘How did it go with Julie?’

‘Good. He really got through to her. And he was honest with her, didn’t treat her as if she was stupid, just because she’s young. From what I saw of his case notes at the lecture yesterday, he’s an exceptional surgeon.’

‘Praise indeed.’ Brenda shot a querying glance towards Reception and received a signal that all was quiet. ‘So you’re practically living with him. What’s the story, any lady visitors?’

‘Give him a chance, he’s only been here two days.’ Jenna could see exactly where this conversation was headed. ‘You interested, then?’

Brenda shrugged. ‘Don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.’

Jenna shrugged. There was no reason why he shouldn’t be dating again. She doubted that Adam was short on offers.

‘I wouldn’t know. You’ll have to ask him. Or Rob, he’d probably know.’

‘I didn’t mean that.’ Brenda was looking at her pointedly.

‘Me?’ Jenna flushed, shaking her head. ‘What are you, mad?’

‘What’s wrong with that? He’s good-looking, seems like a nice guy. Unless you’ve still got an arrangement with Joe …?’

‘Joe? He’s been gone nearly a year now.’

Brenda pursed her lips. ‘I thought that maybe you were waiting for him or something. You two did seem very cosy right before he left. Didn’t strike me as if it was the end of the road somehow.’

Cosy was not the word for it. It had been more like agonised prayer on Jenna’s part that a miracle would happen and he wouldn’t leave. Or that he’d want her to go with him to Australia. Something, anything other than the harsh reality that he’d just felt like a change of scene and she wasn’t included in his future plans.

‘No. We split up for good.’

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realise, Jen, you seemed so okay with it all that I thought that you two had worked something out.’ Realisation dawned on Brenda’s face. ‘But you were just playing nice, weren’t you?’

Jenna shrugged away the hurt. It had been the same when her parents had left, easier to pretend that she didn’t care and just get on with her life. ‘Joe’s ancient history. And Adam’s not my type.’