As they neared the house, Alice waved to a woman with a mass of red hair, leaning out of the upper floor window. "Maeve, it's me."
"Alice! I'll be straight down." A few minutes later the front door opened. "I thought you were in a desert somewhere. Come here and give me a hug."
Alice walked into Maeve's open arms. "It's good to see you. I missed you."
"What the hell happened to your arm, darling?" Maeve's gaze rose from Alice's cast and raked over Cameron.
He bristled at the accusation in her eyes.
Alice hugged closer to his side, defusing his indignation with her warm smile. "I was injured in Africa. This is the man who saved me. He's an army doctor, Maj. Cameron Knight. My husband."
Maeve's eyebrows shot up and disappeared in the unruly mop of red hair. A gamut of emotions crossed her face as she assessed him. Finally she held out a hand. "Maeve Brown. I run this place."
"Good to meet you, Maeve." He would forgive this woman for jumping to conclusions. She seemed to be important to Alice. "We saw the altercation at the door. Are you all okay inside?"
A woman's cry distracted Maeve, and she glanced over her shoulder. "Not really. That guy's wife is in a bad way, but she won't let me call an ambulance." She heaved a frustrated sigh. "She won't talk to the police either."
"Would you like me to examine her?" Cameron offered the olive branch, fully expecting her to turn him down.
Maeve's gaze moved back to him, her expression wary. Long moments passed, then she stepped aside. "Yeah, Nina needs a doctor."
A threadbare hall carpet covered the floorboards, but the walls were a cheerful yellow decorated with children's artwork. The smell of pizza drifted from the end of the corridor. Maeve led them to a room at the back that held a couple of beds. A woman in jeans, socks, and a gray T-shirt lay in a fetal position, groaning.
"Kids?" Alice asked under her breath.
"Three in the playroom."
Alice nodded and squeezed Cameron's arm. "See you in a minute."
He watched her slip from the room then turned his full attention on his patient.
"Nina, here's a doctor to see you," Maeve said.
The woman didn't respond. Not a good sign.
Cameron moved to the side of the bed. "Hello, Nina, I'm Dr. Knight. Maeve asked me to take a look at where you're hurt." He lifted aside the woman's long dark hair to see her face. She had a swollen lip and bruising on the side of her face—nothing to account for this degree of discomfort.
She lay with her knees bent and her hands over her belly.
"Nina, I need you to turn onto your back." He glanced at Maeve and she nodded.
After what the woman must have gone through at the hands of her husband, it was best if Cameron touched her as little as possible. He stepped away as Maeve soothed the woman and coaxed her into rolling over.
"Lift her T-shirt, please," he said.
The sight of angry purple bruising splotched across her belly and ribs sent a sick lurch to Cameron's stomach. He had seen far worse injuries, but never on a woman inflicted by her husband.
Hell. He clenched and released his fist before moving closer to the bed. "I need to palpate the bruised area to check for damage," he said softly to Maeve. "It might be best if you talk to her and reassure her while I undertake the examination."
Maeve nodded and pulled up a chair to sit by Nina's head. She gripped one of her hands and spoke softly. Cameron tuned out the words, only aware of the soothing timbre of her voice. He palpated gently, feeling for damage. A visual inspection suggested possible fractured ribs and he confirmed that diagnosis. He couldn't tell if there was more serious visceral injury inside the chest, but her distress indicated that.
She needed to be admitted to the hospital stat.
He backed away, and Maeve joined him in the hall outside the room. "You need to call for an ambulance immediately. She has fractured ribs and possible internal injuries."
Maeve cursed Nina's husband then hurried away, leaving Cameron alone.
The melodic sound of Alice's voice drew him like a beacon of hope. He pushed open a door to find her kneeling on the floor with three children around her. At the sight of him, the little ones crowded closer to her. The youngest girl, who couldn't be more than two, sat on her knees while the others tucked against her side. Alice put an arm around them and smiled up at him.
"This is Cameron. He's a very kind man who makes sick people better."
He sat on a sagging armchair and the middle girl came over and held out a doll.
"Thank you." He took the doll and cradled it in his arm like he did with Sami. "What's your baby's name?"
"Wendy."
"Just like in Peter Pan." He handed back the doll and the little girl trotted over to Alice and squeezed onto her lap beside her sister, still giving him shy glances.
No obvious bruises showed on the children, but even if the father never physically hurt them, witnessing what happened to their mother would psychologically scar them for life.
Almost silently, the three little girls arranged dolls and soft toys around a square of bright material and set out plastic cups and plates.
He'd seen this before in war zones; children who'd witnessed terrible atrocities would still play. In Afghanistan he'd seen boys kicking a ball about in the street beside the blasted debris of their home, and a little orphan girl with an old brush dressed up as a doll.
It tore his heart out. He'd never imagined he'd feel this way here, in the middle of London.
"Is Mummy all right?" the oldest girl asked Alice.
"She will be. And you'll be safe staying here with Maeve until Mummy is better."
The girl put her arms around Alice's neck and hugged her. The sight of Alice with the three children reminded Cameron of his mother. The realization sideswiped him. Alice loved children just like his mum did. She had that same gentle way about her—somehow soft and feminine but completely determined at the same time.
No wonder he loved her.
Chapter Nine
It seemed strange to Alice, being back in a military hospital. Although this brand new modern facility near Brize Norton in Oxfordshire was a world away from the decrepit building and makeshift facilities at the field hospital. With its pristine floor tiles and glass walls, the only similarity was that the medical staff wore military uniforms.
Cameron pushed Sami in a stroller borrowed from Olivia. Alice walked at his side, wearing her comfortable old jeans and college sweatshirt, her purse over her shoulder. It was so nice to have her own things back.
The trip to the refuge had been like stepping into her past. A past she'd rather forget. She hadn't realized how different she felt since she met Cameron, as if she finally had a future to look forward to. This life she had with him was a world away from those desperate days when she'd thought she'd never be happy.
"Hi, Cam. You're back." A doctor in uniform stopped.
"Just on leave. This is my wife, Alice, and our son," Cameron said.
Alice smiled and shook the man's hand. Every time they met people Cameron knew, he introduced her and showed off Sami. Any lingering doubt about his commitment to them was quashed by the proud smile on his face.
They climbed in an elevator and headed for the pediatric department on the fourth floor where Lieutenant Colonel Fabian was to meet them. This was the day Alice had been waiting for, Sami's first appointment for his lip.
This hospital was state-of-the-art, with the latest high-tech equipment. The best money could buy to treat wounded military personnel and their families. And the medical staff was first class. Yet nerves tightened her stomach. As they rode the elevator, she fiddled with the edge of her plaster cast, trying to scratch the itching skin underneath. "This darn thing is driving me crazy. When can I have it taken off?"
"Next week." Cameron wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple. "I'll pop into the orthopedic department before we leave and arrange an appointment for you. It doesn't take long to cut it off."
Alice couldn't wait to have her arm back. She'd be able to hold Sami properly for the first time since he was a newborn.
A computer voice announced the floor number and they stepped out. Sunlight flooded through the huge windows, illuminating the animal pictures that decorated the corridor leading to pediatrics. They followed a trail of animal paw prints and reported to a nurse at the reception desk. "Please take a seat. I'll page Lieutenant Colonel Fabian and tell him you're here."
Sami woke and whimpered, probably sensing his unfamiliar surroundings. Alice leaned over his stroller and stroked his head. "It's all right, Sami sweetie." She glanced up at Cameron. "Perhaps you should lift him out and cuddle him."
"Good idea." Cameron gathered the tiny boy in his arms and walked back and forth, whispering to him and rubbing his back. Frustration filled Alice. She desperately wanted to be able to do that herself, but she couldn't because of her wretched cast. The sooner it was taken off, the better.
"I think he's hungry." Cameron sat beside her and adjusted his grip on Sami so she could see the baby's face. "He's sucking his fist."
"How can he be hungry already? He had a bottle a few minutes before we left. After each bottle, I barely have time to change his diaper and clean up before he's ready for another feed." Not that she had to manage alone. Cameron did more than his share of the work. Olivia helped as well when they needed advice. She had been wonderful.
Cameron rocked Sami in his arms, trying to distract him. "There's Sean Fabian. At least he didn't keep us waiting long."
At Cameron's words, Alice glanced up and did a double take. A tall blond man strode towards them. He had a natural air of authority. Not only that, he was good-looking and he knew it. She could guess he was a high-ranking officer by his confident manner.
Olivia had mentioned his nickname was Lieutenant Colonel Fab because all the nurses were in love with him.
"Cameron, good to see you again." The blond officer held out a hand.
Cameron shifted Sami into one arm to shake. "Morning, Sean. Thanks for fitting us in so quickly."
"Radley tells me you got married, so this must be Mrs. Knight."
"It's Alice," she said, shaking his offered hand. His blue eyes were an extraordinary color, nearly turquoise like the Mediterranean. She'd never seen eyes that color before.
"Please call me Sean." He glanced towards the nurse at reception. "Which consulting room am I in?" From out of nowhere, three nurses appeared and jostled for his attention.
"Let me show you."
"No, I will."
A redhead, obviously the most senior in rank, won out and the other two retreated.
Cameron leaned down and put his lips close to Alice's ear. "Radley says he has to beat them off with a stick."
Alice rolled her eyes and Cameron chuckled.
They followed Sean along a corridor, the winning nurse strutting in front of them, leading the way.
"Here you are, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?"
"That's all, thank you." To his credit, he hardly gave the woman a second look, his attention on Alice and Cameron.
Reluctantly, the nurse turned away.
"Please come in." Sean ushered them into the consulting room and closed the door. "Do take a seat."
They settled themselves in comfy chairs as he logged in on the computer and read some notes.
"Right, according to Radley, Sami has a left unilateral congenital interruption of the upper lip. Can you hold him up so I can take a look?"
Cameron lifted Sami. Sean examined inside her baby's mouth, and the two men talked in medical jargon for a few minutes. The gist of it seemed to be that Sami's operation would be straightforward.
"Are you happy if we have him in next week?" Sean turned his megawatt smile on Alice.
"Will he need to stay overnight?"
"Normally I'd say yes, but you have Cameron and Radley on hand. If everything goes well, he can come straight home."
Her breath rushed out in relief. She had dreaded her baby spending a night in the hospital. She wanted him at home in his bassinet beside her bed where he belonged.
"Are you okay?" Cameron squeezed her hand. She realized she'd zoned out and the men were waiting for her to answer.
"You're sure he will be all right? There's no risk from the anesthetic or anything like that?"
"As certain as I can be. Nothing is ever one hundred percent safe, but this is a simple procedure. He'll be monitored carefully at all times. You don't need to worry. You can stay with him until he goes into surgery, and see him as soon as he comes out of recovery."
"Can Cameron be in the OR with you?" If she couldn't be with Sami the whole time, she wanted Cameron there to make sure everything was okay.
"We don't allow doctors to operate on members of their own family."
"I'll be with you, love." Cameron's gaze was steady and reassuring. He believed Sami would be fine. Some of Alice's tension faded, but she wouldn't be able to relax completely until her baby boy woke up after his surgery and was well.
***
"I know this is lousy timing." Olivia shuffled through papers on the kitchen table as she spoke. "The last thing you want the day before Sami's surgery is to be grilled by the people from Adoption Services, but you were lucky to get a date so quickly. Couples usually wait months for their first interview."
Alice nodded, her mind only half-engaged in the conversation. She had tried to prepare for this interview, dressed nicely, and even put on some makeup. Adopting Sami was the most important thing in the world, but how could she concentrate when thoughts of Sami's operation filled her head?
Cameron seemed equally distracted. He finished rolling up the sleeves of his shirt to the elbow, only to immediately roll them down again.
The doorbell rang, jolting through Alice like a clap of thunder. Cameron's gaze jumped to hers. They stared at each other, fear and uncertainty bouncing between them.
Then he smiled, breaking the downward spiral of her emotions. "Come here, sweetheart." He wrapped her in his arms and rocked them both soothingly. "We need to stay positive. We have the foreign adoption papers. We love Sami, and you've been caring for him since he was born. Nobody will look after him better than us. He's our son. This interview is a formality."
Alice pressed her face against his chest, breathing in the herbal fragrance of him that had become so reassuring. "I'm fine," she lied.
She turned to where Sami slept in his stroller and kissed her baby on his forehead for luck. Cameron followed suit. Then they headed to the hall where Olivia's voice sounded as she invited the social workers from the adoption agency inside.
A middle-aged woman with wavy brown hair and glasses and a similarly unremarkable man in a gray suit stepped into the house. "I'm Olivia Knight," she said, shaking their hands. "This is my brother-in-law, Cameron Knight, and his wife, Alice."
Even in her fashionable dress with her hair up, Alice felt gauche beside Olivia in her cream pants and pink cashmere sweater with her glossy dark hair in a chignon. She had the same air of quiet confidence that her husband did.
"I'm Mrs. Sugden." The woman shook Alice's hand and then Cameron's, a warm smile on her face. Some of Alice's tension faded. "This is Mr. Warne, my assistant." The man gave a perfunctory smile and also shook their hands.
Cameron placed a palm on Alice's back. "If you'd like to follow me," he said to their guests. They headed to the dining room as they had planned and seated themselves at the table.
Mrs. Sugden retrieved a file from her briefcase and placed it on the table while Olivia lingered in the doorway.
"Would you like tea or coffee?" Olivia asked. When everyone had answered, she slipped away, leaving the door ajar.
Cameron cleared his throat. "Thank you for coming. We really appreciate how quickly you were able to see us."
"That's no problem, Mr. Knight." Mrs. Sugden flicked through her notes. "I gather this baby is a foreign national you brought into the country. We
normally don't condone this without prior approval, but there's a note on the file that the child was in peril."
"Sami needs surgery on his lip. He's going into the hospital tomorrow," Alice said, vocalizing what was uppermost in her mind.
"He'll be fine, love." Cameron's hand covered hers on the polished walnut table. He turned back to the officials. "It's a routine procedure. We have arranged for an eminent surgeon to operate. There's very little risk."
"I'm glad to hear it. Now if we can start by taking down your basic details."
They answered a string of questions until they reached occupation. Olivia brought in a tray of cups and they paused while she handed them out.
"Can you tell me what you do for a living, Mrs. Knight?" the woman asked Alice.
"I've been working for a charity. I plan to stay home and look after Sami now." She glanced at Cameron and he smiled with encouragement. They had discussed this. Both of them wanted Sami to have his mummy at home with him. Cameron earned enough to look after them so Alice had no need to work. Cameron was kind and supportive of her choices. Not like her father who forbade her mother from working for his own reasons.
"That's fine. There's nothing wrong with being a full-time mum if you can afford it. So, what is your occupation?" Both Mrs. Sugden and her assistant switched their attention to Cameron.
"I'm a doctor."
"Excellent." The woman smiled and made a note on her form.
"An army doctor," Cameron continued.
The two social workers glanced at each other, their smiles becoming strained. A tense silence stretched. Alice's breath caught. Something was wrong.
The woman laid down her pen and knitted her fingers over the folder. "Are you aware that when you adopt a child, both parents have to live at home for a minimum of three years to provide a stable family environment?"
A chill swept through Alice. Cameron's hand tightened on hers. "We don't have our own home sorted out yet, but we plan to rent a property close by."
"We can do a home check once you settle in," Mrs. Sugden said. "That's not my concern. The armed forces usually require officers to serve abroad, Mr. Knight. Can you guarantee you won't be deployed away from home for three years?"
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