Saving Dr. Cooper

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘So why are you looking so glum, big brother? And before you try to deny it, I have to say that you don’t look your usual laid-back self. Is it woman trouble, by any chance?’ she demanded, easing herself onto the sofa.

  ‘What makes you think that?’ he hedged. ‘I could be having problems at work or trouble with my flat—anything, in fact.’

  ‘You could but you’re not.’ She grinned at him. ‘Come on, Ross, I know you too well. Nothing ever affects you. That isn’t meant as a criticism. I think it goes with the job you do. When you’re faced with some of the awful situations that you have to deal with then normal, everyday worries must seem very insignificant.’

  ‘Mmm, I suppose you’re right. I never really thought about it that way before,’ he conceded. ‘Obviously, the four years you spent at university weren’t a complete waste of time after all!’

  He ducked when Kate threw a cushion at him by way of reply. He picked it up and put it back on the sofa, thinking how tired she looked despite the fact that she’d spent the morning resting. He made a note to phone his brother-in-law and see if Mike could come home sooner than planned then sighed when he realised that Kate wasn’t going to let the matter drop.

  ‘You can insult me all you like but I’m not letting myself get sidetracked, if that’s what you’re hoping.’ Kate settled back again and smiled angelically. ‘So come on, out with it. Who is she and why is she causing you a headache?’

  ‘Her name is Heather Cooper, Dr Cooper, to be precise. She’s the senior registrar in St Gertrude’s A and E department,’ he explained wearily, knowing it was pointless trying to hold out. Kate was relentless when it came to ferreting out information. Anyway, maybe it would help to talk through the situation and get her opinion about what he should do.

  ‘I see. Do I take it that she’s the lady who ministered to you during your recent stay there? Soothed your fevered brow and all that?’ Kate chuckled. She was obviously enjoying herself immensely. ‘Don’t tell me that your eyes met across a bedpan and—bingo—it was love at first sight?’

  ‘Hardly,’ he said dryly, although the memory of how he’d felt when he’d first seen Heather wasn’t easily dismissed. He couldn’t remember ever reacting so strongly to anyone before. He cleared his throat, somewhat uncomfortable with the idea.

  ‘Heather doesn’t dole out bedpans for a start. She’s far too important for that.’

  ‘Oh, pardon me! Anyway, you’re just splitting hairs because you’re too embarrassed to admit that you’ve fallen for the lovely doctor. Am I right or am I right?’

  Ross rolled his eyes. ‘You’ve been reading too many romantic novels. Pity help poor Mike when he gets home!’

  He held up his hand when his sister went to butt in because he didn’t want her prising too much out of him. Admitting that he was attracted to Heather was one thing but he wasn’t prepared to go any further than that.

  His stomach lurched because the thought that it might be more than just physical attraction was alarming. He knew so little about Heather that it would be foolish to imagine even for a nanosecond that he might have fallen in love with her. He’d never believed in the theory of love at first sight and wasn’t about to subscribe to it now. However, the idea prickled at the back of his mind like a thorn.

  ‘Heather is a very attractive woman and I admit that I’m interested in her. The problem is that she doesn’t seem the least bit interested in me.’

  ‘That must have been a blow to the old ego! No wonder it’s whetted your appetite, Ross. I might be your sister but I’m well aware there aren’t that many women in the world who would turn you down.’

  Ross frowned as he considered what Kate had said, or the first bit of it at least. Was it Heather’s lack of interest that had, perversely, aroused his?

  ‘Have you tried asking her out?’

  He looked up when his sister spoke, undecided if that was the real explanation as to why he was so drawn to Heather. ‘Yes. I invited her out for dinner and she turned me down flat.’

  ‘Maybe she’s already seeing someone,’ Kate suggested. ‘Or perhaps she’s having to work long hours. The papers are always going on about the shortage of staff in our hospitals and A and E departments are reportedly the hardest hit of all.’

  ‘I suppose either is possible,’ he admitted gruffly, although it grieved him to have to add another man to the equation. Maybe Heather wanted to spend any free time she had with Carlisle? He hurried on before the idea could take root.

  ‘She has a child, a little girl who looks to be about two years old, so she can’t have much spare time, I don’t imagine.’

  ‘Not if she’s working full-time and looking after a child,’ Kate agreed. ‘What about the child’s father? Is he no longer on the scene?’

  ‘Heather told me that he’d died before her daughter was born.’

  ‘Oh, how sad! It must have been really hard for her,’ Kate exclaimed sympathetically.

  ‘It must. Oddly enough, I sensed there was some tragedy in her past when we first met.’ He sighed when Kate looked at him quizzically. ‘I come across a lot of people in my job who have suffered and I recognised the signs.’

  ‘Which makes you ideally placed to understand what she’s been through,’ Kate suggested.

  ‘Maybe. The problem is that she seems reluctant to talk about what happened.’

  ‘Maybe she needs to get to know you better before she opens up.’

  ‘You could be right.’ Ross frowned. Was the explanation as simple as that? After all, Heather didn’t really know him so why should he expect her to open her heart and tell him all about herself?

  The twins came back just then to tell Kate that the video had finished and they were hungry. Ross stood up. ‘OK, guys, I’ll make you something to eat. Let your mum have a rest.’

  He herded the boys to the door, glancing round when Kate said, ‘Thanks, Ross. I can’t wait till I’m back to my normal self. All this sitting around is driving me crazy.’

  ‘Enjoy it while you can. You’ll have no time to lounge around once junior arrives. Anyway, it gives me a chance to get in some practice at being the perfect uncle.’

  ‘Oh, you’re pretty good at that already.’ Kate winked at him. ‘You need to work on your parenting skills so you’ll be ready for fatherhood. That’s your next big test.’

  ‘I need to find the right woman first,’ he pointed out dryly.

  ‘Maybe you already have,’ Kate said innocently.

  Ross didn’t say anything as he left the room. He took a deep breath but the image that swam before his eyes made his blood heat. Heather would look even more beautiful pregnant with his child.

  He groaned out loud. He had to get a grip before this got completely out of hand! Maybe he was attracted to Heather and maybe he did want to get to know her better, but he wasn’t planning on marrying her.

  Another picture swiftly formed in his mind’s eye and his hands clenched. Now he could see Heather walking down the aisle, looking an absolute vision in white lace. She had flowers in her hair and the most radiant smile on her face….

  Ross sucked in air like a drowning man and the image faded, but he was shaking as he went into the kitchen and set about making the twins some lunch. He wasn’t sure what was happening to him but he had to find a way to take control of himself. He couldn’t keep letting thoughts of Heather rule his life like they had been doing. If Heather wasn’t interested in him then there were other women who were. He would make a few phone calls when he got home, kick-start his social life, and forget about Heather Cooper.

  It was only as he was spooning baked beans onto slices of toast that he remembered his forthcoming visit to St Gertrude’s. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to see Heather one last time but he would play it cool. He would stick strictly to the reason for his visit and be polite but aloof….

  And pigs might fly, a small inner voice taunted. Remaining aloof around Heather was asking the impossible!

  CHAPTER FOUR />
  ‘TIME of death, four thirty-two. Thanks, everyone. We gave it our best shot.’

  Heather peeled off her latex gloves and tossed them into the waste sack. Her blood-spattered plastic apron quickly followed. The patient, a forty-five-year-old man called Dennis Watson, had been mending a loose chimney pot when he had slipped and fallen through the glass roof of a conservatory. He had suffered multiple lacerations, including damage to his femoral artery. Although the A and E team had done all they could, he had bled to death before they could get him to Theatre.

  Resus looked like a scene from a horror film with pools of blood all over the floor and all the staff liberally spattered with it. Just for a second Heather found herself wondering why on earth she did such a job before she caught sight of Rob Bryce, their new houseman. He looked so shocked by what he’d just witnessed that she immediately forgot about herself and went to have a word with him.

  ‘Are you OK, Rob?’ she asked, drawing him aside as Melanie began to clear up the bloodied dressings they’d used. The cleaning crew would need to be called in and she mentally crossed her fingers that they wouldn’t have another full-blown emergency until the room was fit to be used again.

  ‘I’m fine,’ Rob replied quickly. However, Heather could tell that he was only saying what he thought she wanted to hear.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she mouthed to Mel that she was taking Rob to the staffroom and got a thumbs-up in reply. The rest of the team had obviously realised how stressful the incident had been for the young trainee. They’d all been new to the job at one time and could remember how they’d felt in the early days.

  ‘Let’s have a cup of tea,’ Heather suggested, leading the way. She smiled at Rob. ‘The first rule when working in A and E is never to miss out on the chance of a cup of tea because it might be hours before you get another one!’

  ‘I must remember that.’

  Rob managed a weak smile as he followed her into the corridor. There were only a few people waiting in Reception so Heather was confident that Ben could hold the fort a while longer. He’d returned to work the previous day, claiming that he was fully recovered from his illness, although he still looked a bit under the weather.

  She made a note to have a word with him then sighed. She had to sort out Rob instead of getting sidetracked. It wasn’t the first time that she’d found her concentration wavering that week either. Ever since Saturday, she’d found her mind skipping off at tangents all the time. It was alarming when she was normally so focused, doubly so when she suspected that it was a repercussion from her meeting with Ross Tanner. What was it about the man that disturbed her so much?

  There was still no answer to that question so once again she pushed it to the back of her mind as they entered the staffroom. There was nobody else in there so she shut the door and went to plug in the kettle. Rob looked very ill at ease, as though he was worried that he might be in for a telling-off, so she hurried to reassure him.

  ‘That was a really nasty incident we had to deal with. Watching someone bleeding to death in front of you has to be one of the most traumatic experiences you can go through.’

  ‘It upset you as well? I didn’t think it would….’ Rob broke off, obviously fearing that he might have said the wrong thing.

  ‘Because I’ve been doing this job for some time?’ Heather sighed. ‘I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that. It still gets to you but you learn to deal with it. You have to because you have to think about the next patient who’s going to need your help.’

  ‘I know you’re right, but when I saw all that blood…’ Rob gulped and suddenly sat down.

  Heather dropped tea-bags into the pot while she gave him a moment to compose himself. She made the tea and poured them both a mug, adding a spoonful of sugar to Rob’s. Carrying the mugs over to the table, she sat down and tried not to think about how Ross had done the same thing for her on Saturday. He’d tried to help her get over the shock she’d had by plying her with tea and sympathy.

  Heat fizzed through her veins as she recalled the concern in his eyes when he had looked at her. It was as though her mind had captured the moment and held fast to it. But, then, there were so many other images that had crowded into her head at odd moments this past week, like how tall Ross was, how good-looking, how caring he’d been towards his nephews and Grace…

  ‘I’d no idea what five litres of blood really looked like. It was absolutely everywhere! And as fast as we tried to pump more in, out it came. That’s something they don’t tell you about in med school.’

  Heather blinked and the room rushed back into focus. She put her mug on the table and took a deep breath. She had to stop thinking about Ross all the time. She’d allowed herself quite enough leeway since Saturday.

  ‘Unfortunately, nothing you learn from a textbook can ever prepare you for the reality of doing this job, Rob,’ she said gently. ‘You’ll have to deal with a lot of very unpleasant things but it’s all part and parcel of it, I’m afraid.’

  ‘And what if you can’t deal with them?’ Rob ran his hands through his short ginger hair. Heather could see how worried he looked. ‘Does it mean you’re not cut out for medicine?’

  ‘Not necessarily. It could be that you just aren’t cut out for accident and emergency work.’

  Heather bit back a sigh because the last thing she wanted was for Rob to be so disheartened by what he’d witnessed that he gave up medicine all together. He wouldn’t be the first young doctor who suddenly realised the job wasn’t what he’d hoped it would be, but it would be a shame to lose him.

  ‘Look, Rob, what happened today was exceptional even by our standards, and you acquitted yourself extremely well.’ She shrugged when he looked at her uncertainly. ‘The reason we don’t usually accept housemen straight from med school is because they need to get some idea of the problems they’ll encounter. You’ve been thrown in at the deep end and the last thing I want is for you to be put off by this. If you want me to arrange a transfer for you to a different department then I’ll do so.’

  ‘No-o,’ Rob said slowly. ‘It would feel as though I’d given up before I’d had a real shot at the job. I think I’d always regret it if I did that.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Heather gave him a moment to reconsider her offer then smiled when he nodded. ‘Good for you! I have a feeling that you’ll make a first-rate doctor, Rob. Just don’t expect too much of yourself too soon.’

  ‘Thanks.’ He smiled back, looking so much happier that Heather knew she’d been right to talk to him. Sometimes all it needed was to talk through your feelings and sort things out before a problem arose.

  Her pulse leapt as she was forced to admit that she had never followed that advice herself. She had refused to talk about her feelings after Stewart had died. Even to her mother she’d had difficulty explaining the depth of her despair. Maybe she should take Ross up on his offer and pour out the whole story to him?

  She was so stunned by the idea that she didn’t hear the door opening, and jumped when Melanie appeared at her side.

  ‘You look lost in thought, Heather. Hope it’s a nice one about a tall, dark, handsome fireman,’ the young nurse teased before she suddenly sobered. ‘Anyway, Mr Watson’s wife has arrived. I’ve put her in the relatives’ room and told her that you’ll be in to see her shortly.’

  ‘Thanks, Mel.’ Heather stood up, grateful that she’d been spared having to think up a reply to that remark about Ross Tanner. The fact that she had been thinking about him didn’t sit easily with her.

  She looked round when Rob got to his feet as well and shook her head. ‘You can stay here and finish your tea if you like.’

  ‘No, it’s OK. I’d rather get back to work.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Do you want me to come with you to see Mrs Watson?’

  ‘No, it’s fine,’ she assured him, although she admired him for offering. ‘Maybe you could give Ben a hand. If we can clear the backlog then we’ll be ready if we get another emergency.’

  Rob h
urried off, trying to hide his relief at being spared the ordeal of telling the man’s wife that her husband had died. Heather turned to Mel with a satisfied smile. ‘I think he’ll make it, don’t you?’

  ‘I hope so. We’re short-handed enough as it is. I don’t know how they expect us to cope when we’ve got so many vacancies. Have they found anyone for the consultant’s post yet, do you know?’

  ‘The last I heard they were going to re-advertise it,’ Heather explained. ‘None of the previous candidates were suitably qualified.’

  ‘Looks as though you’ll have to carry on doing that job as well as your own for a bit longer,’ Mel said sympathetically.

  They left the staffroom and Heather paused in the corridor. ‘I’ll go and break the news to Mrs Watson. Do you think you could find a porter to help you move Mr Watson to the treatment room? I expect Mrs Watson will want to see him and I really don’t want her going near Resus at the moment with the state it’s in.’

  ‘Will do.’

  Melanie hurried away while Heather made her way to the relatives’ room. This was the part of the job she hated most, but it had to be done. All she could do was try to make it as easy as possible for the poor woman, but she knew from personal experience how traumatic it would be for Dennis Watson’s wife.

  ‘Dr Cooper!’

  Heather looked round when she heard someone calling her and saw Norma Pierce, the chief executive’s secretary, hurrying towards her. ‘Did you want me, Mrs Pierce?’

  ‘Yes. I’m afraid there’s been a bit of mix-up somewhere along the line,’ the elegant, grey-haired woman explained, handing Heather a sheet of paper. ‘You should have received notification of this visit last week but for some reason the letters got sent to my office instead of being distributed to each department. I’ve been away on holiday and only just found them.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  Heather unfolded the letter as the other woman hurried away. It was an official notification to say that the hospital would be inspected the following day prior to the issuing of a new fire safety certificate. Heather made a note to tell everyone and started to fold up the letter when a name typed on it seemed to jump right out at her. The inspection was being carried out by a team led by Station Officer Ross Tanner.