Needed: Full-Time Father (Medical Romance)

by Carol Marinelli

  A classical Caesarean scar was one that ran vertically down the abdomen and was rarely used now, except in the most dire of emergencies. The lateral incision was now the method of choice. Guy absorbed this information whole flicking through Juka’s thin notes.

  ‘She could have had a traumatic delivery in the past or it could have been just the method of choice at the time—but if she has had a bad time, that might explain why she’s reluctant to be examined. Right, I’ll go and see her. Seeing as you’ve met her, can you come in with me, Moira. If you don’t mind, I’ll bring in Madison as well. Someone has to account for my minutes spent away from the department after all, and who better than the NUM?’

  ‘Sure.’ Moira shrugged, but her answer came a beat too late. She was clearly wondering what good an emergency nurse could be, but Guy already had that one worked out.

  ‘We work well together,’ Guy explained, pulling on some gloves outside the room. ‘I’m not the only one who could use a familiar face right now.’

  Entering the darkened room, they were met by a rather fraught-looking obstetrician. ‘The husband won’t let me examine her.’

  ‘Let me talk to him,’ Guy said, making his way over and introducing himself to the tall man standing quietly in the corner, a suspicious look on his face as three more strangers entered the room. But as Guy swiftly introduced himself he visibly relaxed and talked rapidly to Guy as Moira and Madison turned their attention to Juka.

  A statuesque, gracious-looking woman, she was leaning over the sink in the room. Her eyes were closed, but not tightly, and concentration was etched on every feature. But she was curiously relaxed, nodding gratefully as Moira gently but unobtrusively rubbed her lower back as Guy translated the conversation he was having.

  ‘Juka has had two normal deliveries since the “operation.”’ Everyone present heard the quotation marks Guy carefully placed around the words. ‘I think, and bear in mind my Sudanese is very basic, their first child died in utero and there were no drugs to facilitate a delivery so they operated, but the anaesthetic wasn’t very successful…’ Moira’s eyes met Madison’s, both women sharing an anguished look for what this family must have been through. Guy carried on talking to Juka’s husband and at one point his hand instinctively reached over and gripped his shoulder before he addressed the rest of the medical personnel in the room.

  ‘She got a nasty infection, was very ill and very depressed afterwards—and I don’t think discussing this now is helping much. She doesn’t want any help. She wants to deliver her baby herself.’ Guy carried on translating as Juka’s partner spoke, but suddenly it was Juka speaking, holding on to the sink and slowly squatting down. ‘Baby is coming now.’

  ‘Let’s get her over to the delivery room,’ Brett said, clearly wanting the safety of numbers and preferably lots of equipment.

  ‘Leave her!’ Moira ordered. She supported Juka’s shoulders, holding on to the woman as Juka did what she’d already done twice before, barely a murmur escaping her lips as she bore down.

  ‘I’ll get the delivery pack,’ Brett offered, but again Moira shook her head.

  ‘We’ve already got one,’ she said, gesturing to the table. ‘She’s fine, Brett. Just stay quiet or leave.’

  Brett stayed quiet—they all did, watching as, in almost silence, Juka bore down, with no pain relief, with no aid or intervention, in what must have been the most frightening of circumstances, in a new country where she didn’t even speak the language. Somehow she blocked it all out and focused on the task in hand. After just a couple of dignified small groans, Madison watched in awe as Juka reached down and delivered her own baby, lifting her tiny child into the world, clutching him to her chest, stroking the tiny face. Only then did Moira intervene, grabbing a bunny rug and wrapping it around the babe as everyone waited for it to cry…

  Guy made his way over and watched earnestly as Moira rubbed the tiny dark body more vigorously, not wanting to intrude but not wanting to stand back and do nothing as the seconds ticked on. Madison watched as Guy’s fingers moved toward the red emergency pusher, hastily peeling the paper on the delivery pack and handing Moira the cord ties and scissors so she could cut the cord and if necessary dash the baby over to the nursery. Only Juka remained calm, stroking her baby all over. Moira did the same and suddenly the baby’s face moved. The eyes blinked, a tiny mouth opened, limbs angrily flailed as the newborn dragged in its first breath.

  ‘A wee boy.’ Moira grinned, guiding Juka to the bed and wrapping the pair in blankets as the husband moved closer. ‘Oh, would you look at the curls on him? That is one beautiful baby.’

  Tears were streaming down Moira’s cheeks and only then did Madison realize that she was crying, too. She’d seen many births before but never one as beautiful and as low key as this. Nature had unfolded completely as it should, and Moira was right—it was an absolutely beautiful baby. His skin was a touch lighter than his mother’s, he had tiny black knots of curls on his head and the most gorgeous mouth, which searched furiously for food. His tiny, beautifully shaped head turned instinctively towards his mother, looking for security in a new unfamiliar world.

  ‘Let’s leave them,’ Guy suggested. ‘I mean us three,’ he added to Moira, who wasn’t going anywhere. ‘I think Juka won’t have any problem coping with delivering the placenta—given how easily she delivered the baby!’

  ‘That’s one long baby,’ Moira said, clutching Juka’s hand.

  Juka was holding hers back, speaking words that Madison didn’t understand, but she just knew from her gestures that Juka was thanking Moira for her help and understanding—for being there for her.

  ‘We’ll be off, Moira,’ Guy said quietly. ‘If you can’t get an interpreter and need some help, call me any time. Switch can ring me at home tonight if needed, so pass that on to the evening staff. I’ll call up this afternoon and talk to Juka and her husband anyway—I’d like to hear their story myself.’

  ‘Me, too,’ Moira said, staring down at baby and mother, clearly wondering what they must have been through. ‘Thanks so much, you two, for coming down. Given her history, it would have been awful for her to have been rushed into Theatre or delivery.’

  ‘That was wonderful,’ Madison breathed as they headed off to Admin for the budget meeting.

  ‘You really like nursing, don’t you?’

  ‘I love it,’ Madison admitted.

  ‘So what are you doing stuck in an office when all you want to be is out on the floor?’ Guy asked.

  Madison gave a reluctant sigh. ‘Because of the hours—and the money,’ Madison said. ‘Although if I did shift work, the allowances would actually make up my pay.’

  ‘So why don’t you?’ Guy asked. ‘Alanna’s hanging out for your job and you’re hanging out for hers—why don’t you both swap?’

  ‘You make it sound so easy,’ Madison said as they both stopped at the canteen to grab a couple of coffees from the machine to take to the meeting.

  ‘It is that easy,’ Guy said, filling a cup and handing it to her before punching in the numbers of his own choice. ‘Lots of the nurses in Emergency have kids, and they manage to make it work.’

  ‘Most of them have partners,’ Madison replied, wrapping a serviette around the hot cup before they headed back up the corridor and to the meeting where neither wanted to be.

  ‘So do you,’ Guy said as they reached the door. Madison was grateful for the serviette as her coffee slopped over the edges of her cup. ‘If you want one, that is.’

  ‘It’s too soon to be talking that way,’ Madison said, flustered, but Guy was completely unfazed, staring calmly back at her.

  ‘Is it? I know how I feel, Madison. I want all of you—and that isn’t going to change.’

  ‘I’ve got some very exciting news,’ Terrence Hall, the CEO, stared down the table at the gathered staff and Madison tried to drag her mind to the meeting in hand, but she was acutely aware of Guy sitting next to her, thoroughly bored, his long legs stretched out under the d
esk as he doodled on a pad. The budget meeting for the emergency department was ticking into its second hour. Guy’s words had sent her into an absolute spin—even if they hadn’t exactly been a revelation. Madison knew how she felt—knew how Guy felt too—it had been hearing him affirm it that had sent her into overdrive.

  He wanted to be let into her life—wanted more than he was having.

  He wanted the responsibility of a partnership, wanted to get to know Emily, who was so much a part of her. And what had seemed an impossibility only days ago was now a probability. It had become more a question of when rather than if she introduced him to Emily as her partner.

  ‘As you know,’ Terrence continued, and Madison again attempted to switch off her personal life and concentrate on the professional. ‘We’ve been trying to find the best way to honour Gerard Dalton’s contribution to the department, and we’re looking into some way to commemorate his name in the emergency unit. Madison, you suggested naming the resuscitation area after him.’

  ‘It’s just an idea,’ Madison responded, interested in the meeting now that it had turned away from figures and back to people. ‘Or perhaps we could call the observation ward the Dalton ward…’

  ‘Well, I’ve penciled in a meeting next week to discuss that. However, Yvonne Dalton and her solicitor came to see me earlier this week…’ Madison felt Guy’s body stiffen. His interest, which had been waning, suddenly picked up and Madison looked over at him, watching his taut face as he listened to what Terrence had to say. ‘Apparently, Gerard left provision in his will for the hospital to implement a scholarship programme in his name. It’s up to Yvonne as to how that scholarship should be administered but, following Gerard’s wishes, she’s come up with an extremely exciting proposal. As we all know, Gerard was a huge advocate of global medicine, of health care for all, not just the affluent. Now, the proposal is that when we are advertising for the intern rotation, we will offer within their contracts a fully funded, six-month trip to a developing country to practice medicine. Yvonne is looking into several options as to where the resources are most needed, but this has huge implications. If we stagger the internships we can provide a full-time doctor and in turn we will attract far higher caliber doctors for the intern positions. I don’t need to tell you all that it’s not just a matter of attracting doctors in this day and age—it’s keeping them. This way, there’s a big incentive for them to complete their programme at this hospital—it’s a win-win situation for both.

  ‘It sounds wonderful,’ Madison said, trying to take it all in. Terrence was right. Attracting and retaining doctors was a never-ending task, but with a scholarship such as this, there was a very real chance of Heatherton Hospital recruiting some of Australia’s best medical minds, of Gerard’s vision for a real centre of medical excellence coming to fruition. She gave a tiny pensive smile at Gerard’s foresight, excited at the prospect of what lay ahead.

  ‘Right.’ Terrence clapped his hands. ‘I’m actually meeting Yvonne to go over some details in ten minutes so let’s wrap things up. The final item to discuss is the advertisement placed for a new director of Emergency. Naturally this has unsettled some of the staff, but I’d just like to point out that, as happy as we are with your performance, Guy, legally we have to advertise the position externally and go through an interview process. This has nothing to do with your performance, and everything to do with adhering to procedure. Guy, like everyone, has to formally apply for the position and be interviewed by a board…’ He carried on talking and even though every word he said was extremely carefully scripted, everyone present knew that basically the interview process was a mere formality. Guy had done an amazing job in the short time he had been there, had stepped up to the position in the most trying of times and that, if he wanted it, the job was basically his.

  If he wanted it. And from what he had said before, clearly he did.

  Walking out of the meeting, Madison held herself back from catching up with Guy, determined not to let their relationship spill over into the workplace, to give anyone even the slightest hint of what was going on. But her own troubles, real or imagined, disappeared as she saw Yvonne sitting in the waiting room. In the last few weeks the weight had fallen off her. Her usually vibrant eyes looked exhausted, her hair, though well styled, was somehow lifeless. Without her beloved Gerard she looked lost, and naturally Madison made her way over to say hello to the woman.

  ‘Yvonne.’ Madison smiled warmly. ‘How are you?’

  ‘Getting there,’Yvonne said. ‘Did Terrence tell you about the scholarship programme?’

  ‘He did,’ Madison replied. ‘Yvonne, it sounds wonderful. So many people could potentially benefit. I can’t get my head around it. How about you, Guy?’ Madison asked as Guy came over.

  ‘It’s a marvelous idea, Yvonne. It’s going to take a lot of work, though.’

  ‘I’m more than prepared for that.’ Yvonne nodded firmly. ‘Gerard had actually worked on the idea for a couple of years. He was hoping to get it off the ground himself once the hospital was up and running. This is what he really wanted to do, more than anything.

  ‘Actually…’ Yvonne turned and faced Guy ‘…I was hoping to have a word with you before I go in and see Terrence.’

  ‘Sure,’ Guy said, but despite the ease of his reply Madison sensed the tension and something told her that it was time to leave.

  ‘It was nice seeing you, Yvonne.’

  ‘I’ll be in touch.’ Yvonne smiled. ‘Perhaps I could call you some time. I know Gerard would have liked you to be personally involved.’

  ‘I’d like that, too,’ Madison answered. ‘I’ll look forward to hearing from you.’ Then she took her cue and slipped quietly away.

  There was nothing Madison would have liked more than to tell her staff about what had taken place in the meeting, but it wasn’t her tale to tell so instead she bit her lip and said nothing about the exciting news and ploughed on with her work. But though the idea of the scholarship buzzed in her mind, it was Guy’s desire to move things forward that had Madison working on pure adrenaline. Her decision finally made, all she wanted to do was talk to him, to tell him how she was feeling, but the busy department squashed any hope of a chat and Madison only caught up with him at the end of her day, tapping on his office door with her bag over her shoulder as she headed for home.

  ‘Busy?’ Madison asked.

  ‘Snowed under.’ He gestured to the mountain of paperwork in front of him. ‘This is the bit I hate most.’

  ‘Me, too.’ Madison smiled but it didn’t quite meet her eyes. A tiny frown puckered her brow as, instead of taking five minutes for a chat, Guy resumed writing.

  ‘It’s great news about the scholarship,’ Madison ventured, trying to prolong things, reluctant to leave when she had so much to say. ‘It’s going to be fantastic for the department. I wonder how long it will take to get things up and running.’

  ‘Yvonne seems pretty keen to get things moving, but nothing’s going to happen overnight.’ Guy shrugged. ‘These things take for ever to get started. It could all amount to nothing.’

  ‘I hope not,’ Madison responded. ‘There’s no better way of honouring Gerard’s memory. This is something he’d be so proud of.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ Guy said, fiddling with his pen and staring moodily at his work. Madison’s frown deepened at his lack of enthusiasm.

  ‘I’d better get home,’ she said, her voice uncertain. She turned around and waited for him to call her back, for Guy to tell her whatever it was that was clearly on his mind. She consoled herself that he’d no doubt tell her later, that his pensive mood had nothing to do with her, and decided to give him the news that she knew would cheer him up.

  ‘Guy?’ Turning back to face him, she took a deep breath. ‘About what you said before…’ She swallowed hard, taking a deep breath before she plunged in. ‘I was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight.’

  ‘I can’t tonight.’ Guy shook his head, then attempted to soften
it with a smile. ‘I’ve got all this paperwork to catch up on, and Maternity might ring and ask me to come and translate.’

  ‘OK…’ Madison deliberately kept her smile in place, tried to convince herself that it was no big deal, but somehow failed. Switch could ring him on his mobile and since when had paperwork come before them?

  ‘Is Emily out tonight?’ Guy asked.

  Madison shook her head, blinking back tears, determined not to cry. ‘No, I thought you might, you know, come for dinner and…’ Her voice trailed off and she ached for him to fill the horrible silence, to somehow acknowledge the magnitude of what she was saying. But still he said nothing.

  ‘You’re not worried about the director’s position, are you?’ Madison tentatively asked, knowing she had hit a nerve when his shoulders stiffened slightly. She inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t her that was the problem. ‘Guy, the role’s yours, Terrence practically said as much, but they can’t just give it to you without going through the motions, you know that. Come for dinner tonight, don’t worry about it.’

  ‘It’s not that simple.’ Finally he looked at her, and Madison realized it was the first time his eyes had met hers since she’d stepped into the office. Suddenly she was filled with a sense of foreboding, suddenly all the doubts and fears that she’d pushed aside seemed to be aligning. She ached for him to put her out of her misery, to say something to quell the mounting unease within her, but as Guy finally spoke, Madison felt as if her insides were crumbling, felt her newly found confidence rapidly diminishing as her worst fears were confirmed.