More Than Caring

‘But if it’s random, you can’t be prepared against it, can you?’ objected one of her older pupils, a senior nurse from the A and E department. ‘It must be different if you’re waiting for a bell to go at the start and finish of a bout in a competition.’

In spite of the fact that she’d carefully positioned herself to keep him out of her direct line of sight, Lauren caught a glimpse of Marc’s expression and was suddenly gratified to see that he was every bit as interested in what she had to say as the rest.

She dragged her eyes away and forced herself to gather her thoughts.

‘In one way, you’re absolutely right. You can never know when violence might explode out of nowhere. But you can be prepared, especially if you learn to take sensible precautions on a daily basis.’

Getting into her stride, she started off with what was for her the number one rule.

‘The best way to get out of a difficult situation isn’t becoming an expert at martial arts, it’s running,’ she announced baldly, and watched them blink.

‘You mean, go to keep-fit classes, or take up jogging?’ Marc asked with a frown. It obviously wasn’t what he’d expected. He looked almost as though she’d disappointed him.

‘Not necessarily, although we could probably all do with a bit of extra exercise if only we had the time and energy,’ Lauren said. ‘No, what I actually mean is, if you’re attacked, the best thing you can do is to run away—even if your attacker has grabbed your handbag. It’s never worth being injured or even losing your life over a bag full of odds and ends.’

Lauren reached for the shoulder-bag she’d deposited with her notes and demonstrated how to carry it tucked tightly under her arm with the long handles folded well out of reach.

‘Most attacks on lone women happen at night, so it’s important that you’re aware of any dangerous places on your journey—badly lit short cuts, for example—and that you find a safer way to go.’

She had their attention now but, strangely, she was most aware of a certain pair of smoky grey eyes following her every word.

‘I’ve prepared a set of notes that you can each take home with you at the end of the session, just to remind you of the points that we’ll go through in each class.’

She handed out the notes and waited a moment till they settled down again then began working her way through the list of basic safety strategies for women travelling alone.

It turned into a lively discussion…much to Marc’s surprise, if she was reading his expression correctly.

Had he expected her just to stand in front of them and deliver a dry lecture? she wondered crossly. Just wait until she started teaching them some of the really physical stuff. She’d prove to him that she was just as good at this as she was at her nursing job.

‘As you can see, self-defence has some similarities with medicine,’ she pointed out. ‘Much of the prevention side is just common sense.’

‘Like parking in well-lit areas,’ Marc said, a meaningful glint in his eye just for Lauren.

‘Which brings us back to the aspect of planning ahead,’ she hastily added, hoping the sudden wash of heat she could feel in her face wasn’t showing as a blush. ‘If you’re parking a car during the day, don’t forget to check that it’s still going to be a safe position to come back to at the end of your shift when it’s dark.’

‘There was one of those programmes on the television that gave out advice like this and they said you should have your keys in your hand when you go out to your car,’ Sam offered.

Lauren was delighted that the youngest member of the group had so much to contribute. She was such a bubbly personality that she would be an excellent person to spread the word about the classes.

‘Do the rest of you know why?’ Lauren asked, opening the question up to the whole group. ‘Can you suggest any reasons why it would be a good idea to carry your keys on the way to your car?’

‘You wouldn’t have to stand there for ages trying to fish the darned things out of the bottom of your bag,’ groaned one.

‘You’d have them in your hand to use as a weapon,’ suggested her bloodthirstier neighbour.

‘It’s down to that “be prepared, look prepared” thing again, isn’t it?’ said a third. ‘You won’t look like a dithery potential victim.’

‘Good,’ Lauren said, trying to block out the approving nod she caught from Marc. She didn’t need it to tell her that this was probably the most receptive group she’d had so far. Or was that just her heightened perception because of the presence of her largely silent observer?

‘Now, let’s take it a step further. You’ve unlocked the car. What do you do next?’

‘Get in quickly and lock the door?’ suggested one with a smile.

Lauren had turned towards her as she’d spoken, so she saw Marc silently reach out towards the speaker in front of him.

‘And what if you’ve just locked yourself in the car with a stalker?’ he growled menacingly as he placed his hands around her neck.

The young nurse’s shriek was almost enough to curdle the blood. It was certainly enough to drive the point home.

‘As Mr Fletcher has just kindly demonstrated,’ Lauren said to a slightly nervous chorus of chuckles, ‘you should always look in the back of the car before you get in, to make sure you haven’t picked up any unwanted passengers. And do it every time you leave the car, even if it’s been parked on a brightly lit forecourt while you filled up with petrol. To be really safe, lock the car when you go to pay for the fuel, and take your handbag with you.’

‘It’s all such obvious stuff, isn’t it?’ groaned her oldest pupil, Marion. ‘So simple that we should be doing it on an everyday basis without even thinking about it.’

‘If it’s any consolation, it doesn’t take long before it actually does become routine,’ Lauren promised. ‘By the time you finish the course you’ll find that it’s become automatic to plan an outing with the safety factor as an integral part of it. You’ll no more think about setting off without making arrangements for your return than you’d go on a journey without letting someone know where you’re going and what time you expect to arrive back. You’re just planning to stay safe—and stay alive—without letting fear take over and rule you. After all, it’ll probably never happen, especially if you take precautions.’

‘What about at home? Do we need to turn our houses into fortresses?’ Marion asked.

‘Only if the Queen’s in the habit of lending you the crown jewels on a regular basis,’ Lauren teased. ‘Most people need do nothing more than fit good locks and a safety chain and make sure they use them.’

Lauren invited questions but they all seemed perfectly happy with the basics they’d covered so far. A quick glance at her watch told her that they still had plenty of the allotted time left but she didn’t know whether the group would have had enough for one session and decided to leave the decision up to them.

‘Well, ladies…and gentleman,’ she added with a tilt of her head towards Marc, ‘that’s the end of the first part—the mainly theoretical side concerned with trying to avoid getting into dangerous situations. Have you had enough to take in for one day, or do you want to continue?’

‘Is this the bit where we learn how to throw giants around like matchsticks?’ her youngest pupil demanded with relish. ‘Like that kung fu stuff they do in films?’

‘And leap tall buildings in a single bound? Not exactly, Sam,’ Lauren said with a grin. ‘If you want to learn martial arts you’ll have to find classes where they can teach you from scratch. Here, you’re just learning the basics to help you get out of dangerous situations. And remember, the most important one is to run.’

‘Run?’ her young pupil said dismissively. ‘Running away’s cowardly. I’d rather wipe the floor with the so-and-so who tries to attack me.’

Lauren saw the frown beginning to darken Marc’s face and had a feeling that he was tempted to break in. She was glad when he resisted the urge.

She confronted the problem head on, hoping to inject a touch of humour to get it across.

‘OK, Sam, I know that we’re always taught that it’s cowardly to run away from our problems,’ she agreed. ‘And I’d be the first to admit that it can give you a buzz when you manage to throw a much bigger opponent…’ She paused just long enough for another, more wicked grin, telling herself that it wasn’t being aimed at Marc. ‘But I doubt the buzz would last very long when you realised what damage he’d done to your face with the knife he was carrying in his other hand. Or what about the broken jaw or the shattered eye socket when your attempts failed on the first try and you only succeeded in making him angry?’

Several members of the class pulled faces and Lauren could see from the thoughtful expression on Sam’s face that she might have succeeded in her aim.

‘At this moment, we’re just interested in defensive manoeuvres rather than offensive ones. But if you’re feeling particularly bloodthirsty there’s nothing to say that you couldn’t have all the fun you need, learning to throw people around in classes. Now, who’s going to be my guinea pig while I do some basic demonstrations?’

Lauren was expecting Sam to be the keenest but before the young woman even had a chance to offer, Marc was on his feet and making his way to the front of the group.

‘It would make more sense if I volunteered,’ he said firmly, the direct expression in those smoky grey eyes almost daring her to object. ‘Then all the others get an equal chance to see what’s going on.’

He was right, of course, but just the thought of being in any sort of close contact with the man was enough to have her pulse throbbing at twice its usual rate.

‘Well, yes, of course,’ she muttered, startled to realise that there was more than a little anticipation mixed in with the apprehension. ‘Good idea.’

‘So,’ he said as he pushed his sleeves up to reveal surprisingly muscular forearms shaded with dark hair, ‘what do you want me to do?’