The Doctors' Christmas Reunion

In fact, they could do some of the drills on the old tennis court area here at home, which would mean they’d be less likely to skive off into an impromptu game.

And he’d appoint Rangi, one of the Sudanese lads, as his offsider to run the programmes on afternoons he couldn’t make it or was running late.

Satisfied that he had, at last, brought a little structure to the group, Andy put away his notebook and headed for bed, wondering if Ellie might get interested in the team even if she wasn’t playing. Pictured them together on the sidelines, as one again...

He sighed as he went to bed—alone—and shut his mind against all the questions that were too dangerous to consider: all the what if I’d done thisor said that, all the useless, totally impossible, ever-haunting what-ifs...

Although knowing Ellie was back in the bed they’d shared helped chase the dark thoughts away.

He had nearly kissed her, and he could practically hear her breathing...

Ellie woke early, showered, and dressed for work, then went to check on their new lodger.

Chelsea was up and dressed, sitting on the bed as if uncertain what to do next.

‘Come on,’ Ellie said to her. ‘You’ll have to learn to treat this house as your home, and to a certain extent look after yourself because Andy and I are often called out and you’ll starve if you can’t manage.’

She opened the pantry and pointed to a range of cereal, tea-bags, coffee, even drinking chocolate.

‘And there are always eggs and bacon in the fridge if you like a cooked breakfast, but it will be a case of help yourself because we tend to get up, eat, then go to work.’

Chelsea settled on cereal, while Ellie made toast for herself and a pot of tea that she set on the table, along with mugs, milk, and sugar.

‘Will you be okay here on your own while we’re at work?’ she asked, and Chelsea smiled at her.

‘I’m just so happy to have a home. Ours was so lonely without Mum and Dad. Harry was hardly ever there. I’ll sort out my things then sit on the veranda and read a book. From what I’ve seen, the Fraser passion for sci-fi is alive and well in this house.’

Ellie shuddered.

‘It was totally foreign to me when I first met Andy, and I’ve never got caught up in it, although I have read some of it.’

At lunchtime, when she and her new boarder sat together in the kitchen, Chelsea explained she was old enough to leave school but she really hadn’t wanted to. She’d always wanted to be a scientist so she desperately wanted to finish her schooling, and if possible get into a university.

‘How much school have you missed now?’ Ellie asked her.

The girl frowned as she worked out her answer.

‘About three—maybe five—weeks,’ she said. ‘I just sat around wishing it would all go away.’

‘And if you went back to school here, could you make that up?’

‘You mean now, this year, before the end of term—with this?’

She patted her bump.

‘Why not?’ Ellie said. ‘Even if you go back long enough to get some work to do over the Christmas holidays that will catch you up, then you can go back full time next year.’

‘And when the baby comes?’

Ellie sighed.

‘That’s going to depend on what you want to do about the baby. You don’t have to make any decisions right now, but there are really only two choices.’

‘Keeping it or adoption?’

Tears filled the girl’s eyes.

‘We’ve plenty of time to sort that out,’ Ellie told her. ‘We’ll talk about it, you and me, and Andy. Your boyfriend, Alex, too. Talk to him. He should have some say. Between the lot of us we’ll work out what’s best for both of you.’

Ellie pushed back her chair as she stood up, needing to get back to work and not yet ready for tearful discussions about the baby’s future.

Any baby’s future...

‘If you wouldn’t mind clearing away our plates, then you could have a good look at your room, maybe take down the old posters. You’d better roll them up and put them away somewhere in case they turn out to be precious to their former owner. We can get some paint to freshen up the walls and some new bed linen for you.’