Unlocking the Doctor's Heart

‘There’s no need—’ Beth began.

‘No, it’s your first day here, I could have shown some empathy. Let’s face it, you shouldn’t think of me as an absolute son of a—’ He stopped in mid-sentence. For some strange reason, and against his better judgement, he actually cared what Beth thought of him. ‘Well, let’s say you shouldn’t completely despise me, like the rest of them do, until at least your second week here.’

CHAPTER TWO

IT WAS ABOUT seven o’clock in the evening when Beth headed for the doctors’ lounge. Vivian, an attractive ashen-haired nurse who had arrived for the afternoon shift, convinced her of the need to take a tea break.

Beth had managed to slip away in the afternoon for half an hour for lunch and that had doubled as time to put her feet up. But that had been almost six hours ago and she could feel the hunger in her stomach starting to stir. The thought of waiting for the lift or walking up three flights of stairs to the staff cafeteria after ten hours on her legs had her slip some coins into the slot of a vending machine and retrieve two chocolate bars for her late supper.

‘You’re not setting a good example to the patients. What happened to the three well-balanced meals a day?’

Beth was stopped in her tracks by the same dogmatic voice that had started her day.

‘You’d be better off with some fruit or at least a protein bar,’ Dr Harrison continued before she had the chance to reply.

Trying hard to keep her heavy legs from collapsing, she turned to him. Then she wished she hadn’t. He stood before her in a dark grey suit and crisp white cotton shirt, which contrasted starkly against his tanned skin and black wavy hair, which he wore slicked back. This further emphasised his softly chiselled features. A red silk tie and highly polished leather shoes completed his outfit.

Beth drew a steadying breath. He looked gorgeous and she felt like nothing on earth. She glanced down at her creased slacks and shapeless consulting coat with iodine splatters and wanted to disappear into an invisible black hole in the tiled floor. She had long since given up on her hair and had just let the curly wisps take on a direction of their own. How unfair was nature to let him bounce back and look so good after a full day’s work? The musky scent of his cologne stirred senses she had thought were asleep.

‘A night on the town?’ she enquired as she tried to stifle a yawn.

‘A celebration of sorts, actually.’

‘Well, I hope you have a nice time,’ she answered softly.

‘I will if my date turns up on time.’

Beth thought better of staying around chatting to the handsome consultant. If he was anything to set standards by, his date would be ravishing, and after the long day she had put in she’d rather not be introduced. She would only feel like the third, and definitely shabby, wheel.

‘Well, if you’ll excuse me,’ she began, ‘I’ll be going. I’ve only got a few minutes’ break and I really need to sit down.’

‘Certainly,’ he said, giving her a sideways glance. ‘You look like you could do with the rest.’

Beth just smiled and headed for the doctors’ lounge. You look like you could do with the rest, she repeated in her mind. Why hadn’t he just said, ‘God, you look awful’ and be done with it?

As she made her way down the corridor, she heard the seductive tone of his voice, then a soft female laugh. Unable to hide her curiosity, Beth turned her head and watched as a tall blonde, wrapped in a strapless red evening gown, slipped her arm through Dr Harrison’s. Beth felt a stab of envy. She wasn’t sure whether it was the woman’s disgustingly expensive designer dress and jewelled shoes or the man with her that really appealed. Then she laughed to herself at how terrible she would look with either after such a long day, and she headed into the lounge for a much-needed half-hour rest.

To her dismay, the vision in the dinner suit filled her mind. Looking that good, she decided, should be a crime. Then she thought back to their meeting that morning, and despite his arrogant attitude Beth couldn’t deny her unexpected and unwanted attraction to her boss. He was handsome and inherently sexy, that was undeniable... But there was something else. She wasn’t sure what intrigued her about the man but as she felt her eyes slowly closing, she shook her weary head and climbed to her feet. Now was not the time to drift off to some pleasant reverie about her picture-perfect boss. The last thing she needed was to be found sleeping on the job.

Beth stretched her aching muscles and made her way back to A and E. She had not quite reached the swing doors when her beeper went off. The sound of hurrying footsteps in the opposite direction signalled an emergency arrival. Beth rushed through the doors and fell in step with the paramedics and the barouche. A nurse hurriedly attached a stand to the drip that one paramedic held.

‘What do we have?’

‘Female, hit and run, ten years of age. Vital signs okay, BP ninety over fifty, suspected fractures both legs. No other signs of injury. We’ve administered pethidine, IV, for pain relief.’

‘Bay five,’ Vivian called.

Beth nodded, then turned her attention back to the paramedic. ‘Parents?’

‘No, she was alone at home. A neighbour saw the accident and called us. Apparently she was looking for her cat and ran onto the road. Her name is Tania Grant.’

Beth smiled down at the young girl. ‘Well, then, Tania, apart from your legs, does it hurt anywhere?’

The child’s eyes glistened with tears as she shook her head.

‘Okay, I don’t want you to worry about anything. I’m going to have a look and make sure there’s nothing else wrong while nurse Vivian tries to contact your parents.’ Beth gloved up while the paramedics parked the barouche in the bay.

‘Now, Tania,’ she began softly, ‘do you know where your parents are tonight?’

‘Yes, they always go to the same place to eat on special occasions.’

‘Do they often leave you alone when they go out at night?’ Beth asked as she reached for her stethoscope.

‘No, never... That’s cold!’ she protested when the metal touched her chest.

‘Sorry, sweetie, but I need to listen to your heart for a minute. While I do, could you tell the nurse where she can contact your parents?’

The tall, ashen-haired nurse reached into her pocket for a notebook and pencil and jotted down the name of the restaurant. ‘I’ll go and call them.’

Satisfied with the child’s vital signs, Beth turned her attention back to the injured legs. ‘Now, Tania, I’m going to need an X-ray of both of your legs to see what damage you have and a couple of other pictures while we’re there. I’d like to wait for Mummy’s and Daddy’s—’

‘He’s my stepdad,’ the girl cut in.

‘Fine, your mummy’s and your stepdad’s permission, but I don’t think they’d mind under the circumstances, so as soon as nurse Vivian gets back, she’ll take you around to the X-ray department and I’ll see you back here in just a little while.’

Tania nodded. Beth smiled as she brushed a stray wisp of blonde fringe from the little girl’s forehead. ‘So you’re not left alone often?’

‘No, this is the first time. My stepbrother, Tom, was supposed to be home with me, but his friend who lives next door called and asked him over to watch videos. I didn’t want to act like a baby and make him stay with me. If Mittens hadn’t sneaked out when Tom left, I wouldn’t be in this trouble.’ She started to cry.

‘Shh,’ Beth said gently. ‘You’re not in trouble, but I suspect Tom might be.’ She reached for Tania’s file, noted her vital signs and wrote a request for X-rays. ‘Vivian shouldn’t be much longer, I’m sure, then you’ll go straight around to Radiology.’

‘But I want my mummy with me.’

‘Well, let’s hope she can make it here in time.’

No sooner had she finished than Vivian walked into the room and over to Tania. She patted the little girl’s hand. ‘Your parents are on their way. They said they’d be here as fast as they could, but the restaurant is in the foothills so it could take twenty minutes.’ Then she turned her attention to Beth. ‘Dr Seymour, her parents gave consent for any diagnostic tests and treatment that you feel are necessary, so I called Radiology and they’re waiting for Tania. Oh, and Dr Huddy told me to let you know your shift is finished. He’ll take over in here.’

‘I’m sorry, Tania, we can’t really wait for Mummy,’ Beth replied as she gently put another pillow under the child’s arm to support the IV. ‘But Vivian will take really good care of you and a lovely doctor called Simon will be treating you when you get back.’

The girl burst into tears. ‘I don’t want to see someone else,’ she sobbed, and tried to tug at her wrist where the intravenous line had been inserted and taped. ‘I want you to take this thing out of my hand. It’s hurting me and I want my mummy.’

Beth encircled the little girl’s hands in her own. ‘I know it’s uncomfortable, sweetie, but the medicine in the bag up there is helping to stop the pain in your legs.’ She wiped the tears from Tania’s cheeks with a tissue. ‘Mummy will be here very soon, and then you’ll feel much better.’

Beth glanced down at her watch. She was almost past exhaustion but she was loath to leave the girl so distraught.

‘How about I take you around for that X-ray, then we can wait together for your parents and you can tell me about Mittens. You know, I had a cat when I was your age but about the worst she did to me was give me a bad scratch. She certainly never put me into hospital!’

Tania gave a little smile and agreed to go with Beth for the X-ray.