Four Weddings: A Woman To Belong To / A Wedding in Warragurra / The Surgeon's Chosen Wife / The Playboy Doctor's Marriage Proposal

‘Tom, his blood pressure is really low.’ Bec’s questioning and concerned gaze fixed on him. ‘Food poisoning?’

Tom threaded the curved needle and started to bind the muscle layers of the hand together in a series of small stitches. ‘Maybe.’ Without looking up, he asked the other crew. ‘Does anyone feel sick or dizzy?’

‘I don’t know what you just asked them, Tom, but they’re all shaking their heads.’

‘I think we just ruled out food poisoning.’ He changed over to the finer thread for the skin closure stitches.

Bec encouraged Trang to drink some more water. ‘Not necessarily. Trang’s the cook. He could have tasted dinner as he prepared it and the contamination could be from that. We’re well because we haven’t eaten that meal yet.’

He smiled at her logic as he snipped the thread. ‘Very perceptive.’ Keen intelligence wrapped up in a delicious body. It was a powerful combination. One he couldn’t wait to explore again. And he would as soon as he’d solved the Trang puzzle.

The sick man took a sip of water but most of it dribbled out of his mouth.

‘He’s dribbling, Tom.’ Apprehension clung to her words.

‘And he’s slurring his speech.’ He quickly finished the last stitch, his brain frantically searching his memory for clues. ‘Trang, is your mouth feeling numb?’

‘My mouf an’ my tong.’ The words sounded thick.

‘Squeeze my hand as hard as you can.’ Tom placed his hand against Trang’s uninjured hand.

The pressure was weak. Far too weak for a young man of twenty.

Bec’s words about tasting a meal rang in his head. ‘What were you cooking?’

The young man’s gaze slid away. ‘Soup.’

A red flag hoisted itself in his mind. ‘What sort of soup? It’s important you tell me. You could be very, very sick.’

Trang threw an imploring look at his captain and then dropped his head. ‘Puffer fish.’

All the symptoms dropped into place. He’d been cooking the delicacy that the Vietnamese government was actively discouraging. Discouraging because fugu was deadly. ‘Bec, you were right. He’s poisoned himself with his cooking. He’s got tetrodotoxin poisoning.’

A stunned look passed across her face. ‘But that’s a neurotoxin and it will slowly paralyse his respiratory system. We’re hours from the mainland. Hours from a respirator.’

‘I know, but he said he was making soup. Let’s hope the fish had been gutted and that there were only traces of toxin heavily diluted by water.’ He turned to the now frightened young man. ‘How did you prepare the fish?’

‘I took out the guts. I know these are where the poison is.’

Tom sighed. ‘Did you boil the heads and skin?’

Trang sobbed. ‘I did.’

‘There’s no antidote, is there?’ Bec bit her bottom lip.

‘No. None. It paralyses the victim, leaving them fully conscious. A living death.’ He stood up and gave Trang’s shoulder a squeeze. ‘He cooked the eyes of the puffer fish, which are full of the toxin. But we’ve got charcoal to absorb it and if we can give him a gastric lavage and empty his stomach we have a fighting chance.’

Bec started rummaging through the medical kit. ‘I guess we can use the IV tubing as a lavage tube.’

‘Good thinking. All we can do is address the symptoms. Let’s hope that this is as bad as he gets.’ He touched her arm. ‘I’ll tell the captain to head the boat back to Halong City.’

She nodded, a flash of regret streaking across her face. He knew exactly how she felt. It was going to be a long night but not the type of long night they’d both imagined.

* * *

Bec woke with a start. Rain pounded the porthole as the boat rocked violently. Her stomach lurched and she dragged in a deep breath, trying to calm the seasickness. Tom had sent her to bed. His bed. Only problem was, he wasn’t in it.

Just as she’d finished the gastric lavage and charcoal treatment, the storm had hit. The tranquil sea she’d swum in only a few hours before had become a roiling, churning mass of white-capped waves, thudding hard against the hull of the boat, making it roll back and forth. Making her stomach roll. Just like on the motorbike when she’d succumbed to motion sickness. Tom had taken one look at her and ordered her to bed.

She lay staring at the inky blackness outside, guilt nibbling at her. She wondered how Trang was doing. She should get up and help Tom. Sitting up, she edged to the side of the bed and then stood. The boat lurched. She fell back as acid burned the back of her throat. She hated this. Hated feeling this weak.

She lay down again and closed her eyes. The sound of the doorhandle being pulled down made her turn over. Tom’s bulk filled the small cabin. Wondrous delight wound through her. She could lie and watch him for hours. ‘How’s Trang?’

He sat on the edge of the bed, his weight tilting her toward him. His long fingers stroked her temple. ‘He’s stable. And damned lucky. His decision to make soup saved his life as it diluted the toxins. He hasn’t deteriorated and his breathing is OK. The first three hours are the most dangerous and we’re into four now. He’s improved slightly.’

‘Thank goodness. I’m sorry I let you down.’

His hand cupped her cheek. ‘You didn’t let me down. You were there when I needed you. The last couple of hours have just been observation. He’s being monitored by one of the crew who will come and get me if anything changes.’ He kicked off his shoes. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Fine as long as I stay lying down.’ She put her hand over his. ‘You look worn out.’

‘Yeah.’ He tried to stifle a yawn. ‘Is there room for me in there?’

‘Absolutely.’ She moved over to make some space.

He lay down next to her, drawing her back against his front, moulding his body to hers and wrapping his strong arms around her in a tender hug. He gently kissed her hair and sighed, his arms tightening around her.

She breathed out and snuggled in, sheltering in his caring arms, feeling the rise and fall of his chest against her back. Serenity flowed through her. She belonged here with this amazing, caring man. When she’d come to Vietnam with a plan to help, she’d never thought that Vietnam would give her a greater gift. The gift of trust.

His breathing slowed, and his body slackened against her. She stroked his arms. The poor guy was exhausted. She smiled, thinking about their vigorous lovemaking and swimming hours earlier. She’d been part of wearing him out.

When he’d made love to her she’d never been so exhilarated in her life. It was as if he’d opened a door to a new world and she’d tumbled through it into paradise. And it was so much more than the sex.

The sex had been brilliant but lying here in his arms feeling cosseted and treasured, was part of this new world. A world of trust and respect, of friendship and understanding, and infinite caring. Of love.

Love.

For the first time in her life she recognised what love in its true form really was. She could touch it and taste it and feel it.

She belonged with this man.

With her legs entwined with his and her arms resting against his, she drifted into sleep.

* * *

Tom quietly let himself back into the cabin. He’d woken and gone up to check Trang. He was much the same but it could take five days for the paresthaesia and muscle weakness to subside completely. They were still an hour away from berthing in Halong City and the blinding rain and wind hadn’t abated.

He should wake Bec up but she looked so peaceful, lying there. He half reclined next to her, stroking her hair from her face. She cuddled into him, her head resting on his chest.