Saving Dr. Cooper

by Jennifer Taylor

  The words swam before her eyes. Ross would be right here in the hospital tomorrow morning at ten o’clock and there was no way she could avoid him.

  Ross parked his car in one of the slots designated for official visitors. Reaching over, he took his hat off the back seat and brushed a few specks of dust off it. He must have carried out umpteen safety checks during his time with the brigade but that day he felt as nervous as a rookie. His stomach was churning and his palms were actually damp. It was proof of the effect Heather had on him and just for a moment he regretted ever formulating this plan before common sense asserted itself. The hospital was due for an inspection and he had a job to do first and foremost. Everything else had to come second to that.

  He got out of the car and looked round to see if Terry Green and Jack Marsh had arrived. As station officer, Ross had to be available if there was a problem back at the station so they had come in separate cars. He spotted the men crossing the car park and waited for them.

  ‘Right, you both know the drill. We’ll start on the ground floor and work our way up through the building,’ he explained as they headed towards the hospital’s main entrance. ‘I’ve brought copies of the building plans for each of us so we can each take a department to save time.’

  He distributed the plans then went to the reception desk to check in. The receptionist had been warned about their visit and had passes all ready for them. Ross clipped the plastic-covered visitor’s permit to the lapel of his uniform jacket then turned to the other two men.

  ‘Terry, you take Outpatients and, Jack, you can have the physiotherapy department. The name of each departmental head who you’ll need to liaise with is on your check-sheets.’

  ‘Where are you off to?’ Jack checked his copy of the floor plans. ‘A and E, is it? It’s the only other department on the ground floor.’

  ‘Yes,’ Ross agreed tersely, wondering if he should ask one of the others to swop with him. Heather must know about his visit and he couldn’t help wondering how she felt about it. Did she suspect that he had engineered it initially so that he could see her?

  ‘Rather you than me,’ Jack said cheerfully. ‘I’m not all that fond of the sight of blood. I take it that we can’t use our radios?’

  ‘No. They could interfere with some of the equipment. Ask the reception staff to page me when you’re done and we’ll go from there.’

  Both men nodded and went their separate ways. Ross took a deep breath then strode along the corridor that led to the accident and emergency department. It was busy that morning so he joined the queue at the reception desk and introduced himself to the middle-aged receptionist when it was his turn.

  ‘Oh, hi! Heather warned us that we were due an inspection this morning.’ The woman, whose name badge identified her as Trish, leant over the desk and looked around. ‘I’m not sure where she’s got to…. Mel, have you seen Heather?’

  A young, blond nurse, whom Ross remembered from when he’d been admitted, paused on her way to the cubicles. She laughed when she saw Ross. ‘Back again so soon, Mr Tanner? We’ll be putting you on the coffee-making rota next!’

  Ross summoned a smile, wondering if there’d been more to that comment than just a friendly greeting. Had Heather told the staff about his last visit, when he’d asked her out?

  He tried to dismiss the idea as being of very little importance but he hated to think that she might have laughed about it with the staff. ‘Not when you taste my coffee. The guys at the station refuse to drink it.’

  ‘Oh, well, you can’t be good at everything is what I always say,’ the nurse observed cheerfully. ‘Anyway, I’ll tell Heather you’re here. Won’t be a sec.’

  She disappeared and Ross moved aside so that he wasn’t blocking the desk. He looked around the waiting room, sighing when he saw the state of some of the people who were in there that day. It never failed to amaze him how much damage folk managed to inflict on themselves.

  ‘Station Officer Tanner?’

  He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Heather’s voice. He swung round and felt his heart begin to race when he saw her. Her hair was coiled into its customary no-nonsense knot and she wasn’t wearing a scrap of make-up, but she looked so heart-breakingly lovely that his insides spasmed with desire. He wanted to sweep her into his arms right there in the middle of the department, kiss her until she clung helplessly to him then kiss her all over again but tenderly and gently this time as he promised her undying devotion.

  His muscles contracted until he was in genuine agony. If that wasn’t love then what the hell was it?

  Heather swallowed but the lump in her throat wouldn’t budge. She’d been mentally preparing herself for seeing Ross ever since she’d arrived at work that morning, but the polite little speech she had rehearsed had completely dried up. It was the way he was looking at her, his hazel eyes filled with such warmth that it seemed to melt her very bones. For the first time since Stewart had died, Heather experienced the heady tug of physical desire.

  Her response shocked her so much that she recoiled and cannoned into Rob, who happened to be passing along the corridor. They were both thrown off balance by the collision and there was a scuffle as they tried to right themselves.

  ‘Careful!’ Ross caught hold of her arm and steadied her.

  ‘Thanks.’ Heather hurriedly withdrew her arm. She apologised to Rob but her heart was racing. It took every scrap of courage she possessed to face Ross as the young houseman went on his way.

  ‘That was clumsy of me. I must be more careful what I’m doing in future.’ She summoned a smile but it wasn’t easy to pretend that nothing had happened. She’d always thought that part of her had died with Stewart, but she’d been wrong, it seemed.

  ‘Accidents happen, not that I need to tell you that.’

  Ross treated her to a wry smile as he looked around the waiting room. Heather felt the drumming beat of her heart gradually subside when she realised he had no idea what had really happened. It was difficult to hide her relief but she knew it would be a mistake to let Ross see there was anything wrong with her.

  ‘You certainly don’t. Anyway, we’d better not waste any more time. I expect you’re as busy as we are. Where do you want to start?’

  ‘Storerooms first then we’ll work through the department, checking for any obvious hazards,’ he explained. ‘St Gertrude’s has an excellent safety record so I’m not anticipating any major problems.’

  ‘The health and safety officer is very keen and does regular spot checks.’ She led the way to the first of the storerooms and unlocked the door, determined to keep things on a purely professional footing. ‘Heaven help any department that doesn’t come up to scratch. You end up being bombarded with paperwork!’

  ‘Better than having staff and patients injured,’ he observed, looking around. ‘It’s amazing how many people don’t realise the dangers of storing flammable items next to power points, for instance. They don’t understand that an electrical spark can cause a fire.’

  ‘Sometimes it’s a case of familiarity breeding contempt,’ she suggested as he made a note on one of the sheets attached to his clipboard. ‘People get so used to handling flammable substances that they forget about the dangers.’

  ‘That’s very true.’ Ross followed her to the next storeroom. ‘Take that fire I attended the other week—the one where that little boy was injured. That was caused by a tenant from one of the flats using glue to mend a picture frame. He ignored the warning on the tin about it being highly flammable and lit the gas cooker. The vapour from the glue ignited and the whole place went up.’

  ‘How awful!’ Heather shuddered. She glanced around the room, trying not to think about how close Ross had come to losing his life that day. It was too much to deal with after what had happened to Stewart, although it surprised her that she should equate the two events.

  ‘A moment’s carelessness is all it takes.’ Ross crouched down to check the labels on some plastic containers.

&nbs
p; Heather felt her breath catch when she saw the muscles in his thighs bunch. He leant forward to reach one of the containers at the back and she bit her lip when she saw how the action had made his uniform jacket strain across his powerful shoulders. All of a sudden it felt as though she was seeing him properly for the very first time and she found that she couldn’t drag her gaze away.

  His body was the classically perfect male shape with wide shoulders and a broad chest tapering down to a trim waist and hips. Those long, muscular legs gave him the advantage of an above average height, somewhere in the region of six feet two, she’d guess. When he stood up to check some items stacked on a shelf, Heather’s eyes followed and took fascinated stock of the crisp, dark brown hair and strongly marked brows, the high cheekbones and firm jaw, the commanding slope of his nose. All in all, Ross was an extremely handsome man, she concluded, and he certainly wouldn’t pass unnoticed in a crowd.

  ‘This container is leaking. It needs to be replaced.’

  He looked round and Heather hastily averted her gaze, but it alarmed her that she should have been standing there admiring him. She couldn’t afford to let herself be attracted to Ross. She had to remember what he did for a living. She’d been through enough heartache for one lifetime.

  ‘Heather, are you all right?’

  The concern in his voice finally penetrated her thoughts and she rallied. ‘Sorry. You said the container was leaking?’

  ‘Yes. It needs removing and the spillage cleaning up. Everything else is fine but I’d suggest that you have someone check all the containers to be on the safe side.’

  He put out a restraining hand when she turned to leave the room. ‘Are you sure you’re feeling all right? You looked a bit…well…lost is the only word I can think of.’

  ‘I’m fine.’ She managed to smile but it was unnerving to realise how easily he seemed to pick up on her moods. She hunted for an explanation that would stop him asking any more questions. However, the fact that she’d felt it necessary to remind herself about the dangers of getting involved with him really worried her.

  ‘Grace had rather a restless night and I didn’t get much sleep. I’m a bit spaced out this morning.’

  ‘It can’t be easy, looking after her as well as working full time,’ he observed quietly.

  ‘My mother helps. I certainly wouldn’t be able to manage without her.’

  She glanced down, feeling a shiver run through as she saw how his fingers were curled around her arm. His hands were well shaped with long fingers and broad palms, but they were the hands of a man who didn’t shy away from hard physical work. It made her wonder how they would feel on her bare skin, if his fingers would be slightly rough to the touch.

  Her breathing quickened as her mind captured the idea and ran riot with it. How wonderful it would be to feel the abrasion of his fingertips caressing her naked body. She could imagine the delicious friction they would create as they moved over her skin—travelling up her thighs, cresting the curves of her hips and dipping into the hollow of her waist before they finally arrived at the fullness of her breasts….

  The shrill peel of the emergency telephone made her jump. Heather raised startled grey eyes to the hazel ones which were watching her so intently. ‘I…I’d better go and see what’s happened,’ she said haltingly, finding it incredibly hard to force out any words when she desperately needed to draw in oxygen.

  ‘Of course.’

  Ross’s response was only what she would have expected, but the tone of his voice imbued the words with all kinds of meanings. Heather felt the colour ebb and flow in her face and could do nothing about it as she continued to stare into his eyes. Had Ross guessed what she’d been thinking just now?

  The rational side of her mind said, no, of course not, that it simply wasn’t possible to read someone else’s thoughts. However, the look in his eyes said that it was true. Every caress she’d imagined he had shared with her, mentally if not physically, at least.

  The idea was so overwhelming that Heather couldn’t move. It was Ross who broke away when his pager beeped. He checked the display and frowned.

  ‘Urgent message from the station. Can I use your phone?’

  Heather jumped like someone being awoken from a trance. ‘Of course. You can use the one in the office. It will be a bit more private in there.’ She quickly led the way to the office and opened the door. ‘I’ll leave you to it while I see what’s going on.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  He hurried into the room and went straight to the phone. Heather willed herself to calm down as she went to the desk, but she must have looked a bit odd because she saw Trish staring at her. Abby McLeod was talking on the emergency telephone and furiously jotting down notes at the same time.

  ‘Are you OK, Heather?’ Trish demanded. She had a tendency to mother the rest of the staff, and whilst normally Heather appreciated the receptionist’s kindness she would have preferred not to be on the receiving end that day. ‘You don’t look so good, I must say. I hope you’ve not caught Ben’s bug.’

  ‘Let’s hope not.’ Fortunately, Abby hung up just then so Heather was spared having to think up anything else to say. It was obvious from the sister’s expression that they had a major incident on their hands.

  ‘There’s been an explosion at that new dockside complex they’re building,’ Abby informed her. ‘Ambulance Control have been told to expect multiple casualties so they’ve despatched six crews to the scene. They’ve asked us to send a rapid response team because we’re the nearest. Apparently, there’s a huge tailback of traffic because of the smoke drifting across the road so we’re having to use the helicopter. It will be here in roughly five minutes’ time to collect us.’

  ‘Right.’ Heather thought rapidly then began to issue instructions. ‘You and I will attend the accident, Abby. That will leave Ben, Rob and Mel here. Janet and Doreen are due in at twelve but if you could phone the nursing manager, Trish, and ask her if there’s any spare staff, that would be a help.’

  She didn’t wait for Trish to reply as she led the way to the storeroom where they kept everything they needed for an incident like this. Several of the main London hospitals had been equipped to provide rapid response teams, although St Gertrude’s had been one of the last to join the scheme. Heather had been called upon only twice in the few months they had been providing the service and she wanted to be certain that she had everything they would need.

  She checked the ready-packed cases of medical supplies while Abby sorted out the clothing they would need to wear. Waterproof jackets and trousers adorned with fluorescent green stripes identifying them as medical personnel were stocked in various sizes. Abby quickly got kitted up then passed Heather a jacket and trousers, waiting until she’d dragged them on over her clothes before handing her a safety helmet as well.

  ‘Thanks.’ Heather rammed the helmet onto her head but didn’t waste time fastening the strap under her chin. The helicopter would be on its way by now and she didn’t want to keep it waiting. She snatched up one of the medical kits, passed another to Abby and turned to leave, then stopped dead. Ross was standing in the doorway and the sight of him seemed to have drained all the strength from her limbs.

  She didn’t notice when Abby excused herself and left. Her heart was thumping too loudly to hear anything. Ross took a couple of steps and it seemed as though everything was happening in slow motion as he came towards her.

  ‘I’ve been called back to the station. There’s been an explosion at that new dockside complex,’ he said softly, his eyes tracing her face in a way that made Heather feel so weak that it was an effort to remain upright.

  ‘I know.’ She had to wet her lips because they seemed to be sticking together. ‘Th-that’s where I’m going. We’ve been asked to send a rapid response team.’

  ‘It will be dangerous, Heather. That area of the docks was used for storing crude oil. The tanks were drained years ago but it appears one of them must have been leaking. There’s a lake of oil
underneath it which has caught fire.’

  He took hold of the strap on her helmet and fastened it securely under her chin. Heather closed her eyes when she felt his fingers brushing the soft skin beneath her jaw because the touch of them was every bit as sensual as she’d imagined it would be. ‘Make sure you keep that on at all times.’

  ‘I will.’

  Her voice was little more than a whisper but there was no disguising the wealth of emotions it held. Heather felt her heart jerk when she heard Ross swallow. His fingers slid along her jaw, tracing its delicate curve, before they began exploring her face.

  Heather could feel a moan of pleasure building inside her as she felt the delicious friction he was creating wherever his fingers touched her, but before it could emerge his hand returned to her chin. Time seemed to come to a standstill when she felt him tilt up her face so that his mouth could claim hers in a kiss which was so gentle that she wondered if she’d dreamt it.

  Her eyes flew open but Ross had already moved away. He paused in the doorway and Heather felt as though she was being enveloped in a great sea of warmth when he smiled at her.

  ‘Take care, Heather.’

  ‘You, too, Ross,’ she whispered, although she wasn’t sure if he’d heard her as he hurried away. She went out to the corridor and automatically turned in the direction of the lifts. Conscious thought was beyond her at that moment but she knew that she needed to get up to the helipad on the roof before the helicopter arrived.

  Abby was waiting by the lifts so they travelled up together. Heather responded as best she could as the nurse chatted about the type of injuries they might encounter, but it felt as though she was functioning on autopilot. Ross had kissed her as though he really cared about her, but surely that couldn’t be true?

  The lift arrived at the top floor and they had to get out and use the stairs to reach the roof. There was a locked door to be negotiated first, however, a security measure to prevent patients and visitors gaining access to the roof. Try as she may, Heather couldn’t remember the code for it.