Summer With A French Surgeon

‘No, you stay and have another drink, Dominic. It’s not far.’

He pulled a wry face, but let her go off by herself.

She walked quickly, pausing as she went round the corner to look up at the sun dipping behind the hills. It had almost disappeared but a pink and mauve colour was diffusing over the skyline. She remembered how she’d once thought it was a miracle that the sun could disappear behind the hills and reappear from the depths of the sea in the morning. Her father had explained about the earth being round and so on but she’d still thought it was a miracle. Still did!

She turned her head and looked out at the darkening sea. There were fireflies dancing on the black waves, illuminating the scene. It was truly romantic, though not if you were all alone surrounded by strolling couples and families taking their children home to bed. She reminded herself that this was the life she’d now chosen, to ensure that she pursued her chosen career to the height of her destiny.

A smile flitted across her lips as she told herself to lighten up. It was a bit early to be having grand thoughts about her destiny.

Oh, yes, she was going to enjoy her evening now that she’d calmed her wicked thoughts and got herself back on the journey that she’d set herself. There would be time enough for romance, marriage, babies and everything else she wouldn’t allow herself until she’d established her career.

CHAPTER TWO

ALMOST three weeks later Julia was sitting outside Bernard’s office, waiting for her turn to have a one-on-one meeting with him about her progress to date. She was studying the printed sheets that Bernard had handed out at the last tutorial. It was difficult to believe that the first month of their course was almost over. The days had flown by during which they’d all been bombarded with work assignments, essays to write on the theories behind various orthopaedic operations and actual operations to observe in Theatre.

Whilst in Theatre they had to make copious notes, all of which needed to be written up in their own time. The notes then had to be transformed into a coherent observation of the operation, including their own comments and criticisms. These were emailed to Bernard as soon as possible. In no time at all they received an assessment of their work with much criticism from him. She knew she wasn’t alone in being the recipient of his scathing comments.

They’d also undertaken sessions in the Urgences department, the French equivalent of Accident and Emergency, where they had to do minor operations and treatments on emergency cases, observed and assessed by the director of Urgences, Michel Devine. He in turn reported back to the twitchy Bernard.

When Dominic had told everybody that Bernard was reputed to be a hard taskmaster, he had been spot on! She’d been so naive three weeks ago. She hadn’t believed she would have to work under such pressure.

Just at that moment Dominic arrived in the corridor and plonked himself down beside her.

‘What time’s your endurance test?’

She frowned at him. ‘Shh. He’ll hear you.’

‘Don’t care if he does. I feel like walking out. It’s time he cut us some slack. We’re all qualified and experienced doctors, for heaven’s sake. Who does he think he is, treating us like—?’

The door opened. ‘Good morning, Julia. Dominic,’ their taskmaster said, glancing severely at Dominic.

Julia followed Bernard inside and sat down on the upright chair in front of the desk. She wasn’t afraid of him, she told herself as he went round to the other side and glanced at the screen of his computer. She reckoned all the information on her was there. Everything she’d ever done since aspiring to take on this arduous course.

He looked across the desk at her and at last there was eye contact with him. She couldn’t help the frisson of excitement that ran through her as she looked directly into those dark hazel eyes. Why was she being so perverse in finding herself attracted to this man who’d made the past three weeks such an endurance test for her?

‘How are you finding the course, Julia?’

No smile, just that piercing stare that was causing shivers to run down her spine. Shivers she couldn’t possibly analyse.

She took a deep breath. ‘It’s relentlessly tiring … but exceptionally interesting and frustrating at the same time.’

He frowned. ‘In what way is it frustrating?’

‘Well, you haven’t yet let me loose in Theatre so I can do some actual surgery. I’m getting withdrawal symptoms from all this theorising.’

Was that a brief twitching of the lips or the beginnings of a contemptuous smile on his face? Whatever it was, it died immediately as he looked intensely displeased with her.

‘Julia, you will appreciate that I have to make absolutely sure that if I let one of my students ‘loose in Theatre’, as you put it, that the patient will be in capable hands.’

‘Yes, of course, I do appreciate that, but I’ve had a great deal of experience in Theatre and—’

‘So I’m told,’ he interrupted dryly. ‘Your tutor in London, Don Grainger, gave you an extremely glowing reference, outlining some of the orthopaedic operations you have performed.’

She brightened up at this piece of news. What a treasure Don Grainger had been during her medical-school days and after graduation.

‘So,’ Bernard continued in the same dour tone, ‘during this illustrious career you’re pursuing, how much experience have you had of hip replacements?’

Oh, joy! At last she was definitely on home ground! She began to elaborate at length on the hip replacements she’d undertaken, at first assisting before moving on to operating under supervision.

He interrupted to ask questions as she enthused about how she loved to remove the static, painful joint and replace it with a prosthesis. His questions concerned the types of prostheses she’d used, which she preferred and if she enjoyed following up the after-care of her patients.

‘But of course I enjoy seeing my patients after I’ve spent so much time with them in Theatre. Seeing the patient before and after surgery, making sure they’re getting the best possible after-care, is all part of the buzz a surgeon gets.’

‘Buzz? What do you mean by this?’

In her enthusiasm for the subject she’d gone into English. Embarrassed at getting so carried away, she began to speak French again to dispel the wrinkles of concern that had appeared on his brow. ‘It’s the wonderful excitement of taking away pain and suffering and restoring a new, more active lifestyle to a patient. Not exactly what I meant but something like that.’

They were both silent for a few moments. The clock on the wall ticked away the seconds, reminding Bernard he had another student to see. He wished he didn’t find this one so fascinating. Was it her enthusiasm for the subject or was it something he shouldn’t even be thinking about every time he met up with her? She was his student, a career woman, and he was a family man. Never the twain should meet!

He put on his stern tutor expression as he stood up to indicate the interview was over.

‘Send Dominic in, please.’

She turned and walked to the door, anxious to escape from the inquisition and the conflict of emotions she was experiencing.

‘How was it?’ Dominic asked as she came out.

She shrugged her shoulders. ‘I’ve no idea how it went,’ she whispered. ‘Good luck!’

The next day she was still none the wiser. If anything, she was now feeling even more frustrated. She really was getting withdrawal symptoms from being just a cog in the machinery of this difficult course. She needed to actually make a major contribution to an interesting operation in Theatre, feel the buzz of satisfaction she was used to getting when an operation was a success and the patient’s state of health vastly improved.

She looked up from the notes she’d been studying as Bernard walked in and took his place at the front of the tutorial room. The chattering between the students died down as ten pairs of eyes focussed on their professor. She thought he looked slightly worried this morning as he glanced around the room.

‘Good morning.’ A slight nod of the head in her direction as he acknowledged her, seated, as she had been so far this course, in the front row.

Bernard’s serious expression didn’t change as he began to explain what would happen that morning. They had admitted a patient three days before who had been on the waiting list for a hip replacement. Apparently, the lady in question was from a medical background herself. She had elected to have her operation under general anaesthetic and in the interests of furthering the education of the budding surgeons in Bernard’s group she had agreed that her operation should be used for teaching purposes.

‘Surgery begins at eleven this morning.’ He seemed to be directing his statement right at her.

Why was he still looking at her? She tried to shrink down in her seat. He raised his eyes again to address the now apprehensive students.

‘I shall be performing the operation with the help of a qualified and experienced junior surgeon and one of my students.’

He was looking at her again. She swallowed hard.

‘I have deliberately given you no warning of this because there will be times in your future careers when you will be called upon to operate at short notice and I wanted to see how you handle the added adrenalin that sometimes causes panic amongst the less suitable candidates.’

He smiled. Thank goodness! It was as if the sun had come out. She shifted awkwardly in her seat, sensing that he was about to make an important announcement.