The Pregnant Intern

by Carol Marinelli

  'Looks like we'll both just have to lump it, doesn't it?' he said lightly.

  Alice gave a small laugh. 'In my case, literally.' Raising her glass, she offered a toast. 'Here's to suffering the consequences.'

  As their glasses clinked their eyes met. Again Jeremy flashed her his smile, but this time Alice didn't smile back. Her mind was suddenly in turmoil and, dumbfounded, confused, she took a hasty sip of her drink. Surely she couldn't be falling for him? Not her as well as every other female at Melbourne City?

  Until that point Alice had safely assumed that your sex hormones somehow disappeared when your pregnancy test came back positive. Nothing scientifically based, of course, but for Alice it was just the way she felt. She hadn't even considered the fact she might find another man attractive. Oh, maybe somewhere a long way down the road, on the distant horizon, but it wasn't something she had dwelt on. She had enough to deal with, just concentrating on making a half-decent life for herself and the baby. But looking at Jeremy sitting across the table, immaculate, gorgeous and smiling at her, it was if she were seeing him for the first time. Suddenly he wasn't just her good-looking boss, the one with the reputation, but a man who made her laugh, who actually listened—and one with a vulnerable side, too. And for Alice it was proving to be an irresistible combination.

  'What's wrong?' Jeremy asked, and Alice heard the concern in his voice.

  'Nothing,' she said, flustered. 'The baby just did a huge somersault,' she lied. 'I think I'm going to give birth to a gymnast.'

  'You must be exhausted. I'll get the bill.'

  As he signalled the waiter Alice fished in her bag for her purse.

  'Don't even think about it.' Jeremy shot her a look across the table.

  'We'll go halves at least,' Alice insisted.

  Jeremy seemed to find this hilarious. 'I haven't done that since I was a medical student. Anyway, that's not fair,' he joked. 'You had the steak and two mineral waters. Look, Alice,' Jeremy drawled. 'There have to be some compensations for spending an evening with a self-confessed male chauvinist, so at least utilise them.'

  So she did. She didn't even bother to put up too much resistance when Jeremy insisted on driving her home; his leather-upholstered seats far more tempting than the tram. But as the car slid to a halt outside her block, Alice was suddenly hit by an attack of nerves.

  'Er, you don't want a coffee or anything, do you?' she said, praying he would take the hint and refuse. Her poky little bedsit was hardly the Hyatt and, anyway, she couldn't remember if she'd made her bed yesterday.

  But Jeremy appeared not to notice her reluctance. 'A coffee would be perfect.'

  Thankfully she had made the bed. Jeremy instantly made himself comfortable, kicking off his shoes and flicking on the television as Alice busied herself with the coffee. Obviously strange women's apartments held no fear for him, Alice reminded herself. Luckily she had bought some filter papers at the weekend and could make a decent brew; the cheap home brand she generally survived on was definitely an acquired taste.

  'I bet you hog the remote control,' Alice commented as she brought two steaming mugs through.

  'Of course.'

  It was a choice between the sofa or the floor, and if she sat there Alice doubted if she'd ever get up again, not in a ladylike fashion anyway, so she was left with little choice other than to sit beside him. The same feeling of awareness she had experienced in the car returned. Frantically searching for something to say, she watched as he stifled a yawn. 'You must be exhausted, too,' Alice said sympathetically. 'After all, you wouldn't have had any sleep last night with Lachlan and everything.'

  Jeremy shrugged. 'Comes with the territory, though I must admit it's the first time in ages I've had to work right through.'

  Alice took a sip of her coffee. 'Lucky you were on site last night and got there so quickly.' Her cheeks were burning but she couldn't stop herself. 'How come you were there?' Her grey eyes peered over the edge of her mug. Her question sounded casual enough but Tier, heart was in her mouth as she awaited the answer.

  'I was already more than a bit worried about him. I was half waiting for a call, although I admit I thought it would be from Linda. Then there's the other sickie patient we've got in Intensive Care. He's still pretty unstable. Since the accident I'm not given to speeding, as you can imagine. It seemed more sensible to stay in one of the on-call rooms when I'm on, rather than trying to make some mercy dash in the middle of the night. Safer, too.'

  Even Alice was surprised at how she relieved she was that he hadn't been with a woman. OK, so who was to say that Carrie or whoever hadn't been in the on-call room with him? But at least his reasons sounded plausible.

  'I don't think you fully understand how well you did last night, Alice. Cold septic shock is often terminal. We got to him just in time.'

  'It's Fi you need to thank. I did nothing.'

  'I've already thanked Fi. And what she said to you was right, too. It did take a lot of guts to ring me and go with your hunch. You didn't just help Lachlan last night—you made my return a whole lot easier.'

  Alice gave him a bemused look. 'How?'

  'As I said before, there are a lot of people watching. It would be tragic enough to lose a young fit man in any circumstances, but a fellow consultant's son...'

  'No one could have blamed you, Jeremy. You did a brilliant job in Theatre, you reviewed him thoroughly postoperatively. You know better than me how subtle the signs of septic shock can be, especially in someone so young.'

  Jeremy put down his empty mug. 'You're wrong, Alice. There are a lot of people waiting for me to put a foot wrong. Even if it hadn't been my fault, the consequences for me professionally would have been dire.'

  'It didn't come to that,' Alice said softly.

  'Thank God. Anyway, it's worked the other way, and I know that it's completely unfair on you and Fi—but I'm suddenly reaping the benefits of your wisdom. Nice as it is for now, I'm not that shallow that I don't realise it could have gone either way, and that my so-called friends slapping me on the back at the moment would have been sticking in a knife.'

  'But why? Why would they want to see you brought down?'

  Jeremy let out a sigh. 'Not all of them. I haven't got that many enemies. But the few I do have are pretty powerful. You know what hospitals are like, how mud sticks. I've put a few people's noses out of joint in my time, and they thought the accident was somehow my comeuppance. As you reap so shall you sow and all that.'

  'Surely you can't have been that bad?'

  'Of course not.' Jeremy managed a repentant grin. 'At least their daughters didn't seem to think so.'

  'Ah.'

  'Am I making sense now?' Those impossibly blue eyes were staring at her intently.

  'Perfectly.' For a moment their eyes locked. He smiled then, really smiled, his eyes creasing, and Alice felt her insides flip over, only this time it was definitely nothing to do with the baby.

  'Can I get you another coffee?' she asked quickly, but Jeremy shook his head.

  'I'd best be off.' He stood up and, smiling slightly as Alice struggled somewhat to join him from the impossibly low sofa, offered his hand, which Alice almost instinctively reached for, allowing him to take her weight as she stood up. Feeling about as seductive as a baby elephant, she managed an embarrassed laugh.

  'I was fit—once. It seems like a lifetime ago.'

  Jeremy grinned. 'I'm just eternally grateful it's women who have the babies.'

  He made no move to go, didn't even release her hand. Instead, he stood there for a moment, his eyes searching her face. There was an unmistakable tension, but Alice assumed it was all coming from her. She was all too aware of her condition to even consider that Jeremy might reciprocate her attraction.

  "Night, then, Alice.' He pulled her gently towards him and for a fleeting second his lips brushed her cheek in a casual goodnight kiss—except there was nothing casual about it for Alice. The world seemed to move in slow motion as she took in the scent of his colo
gne, felt his moist, warm lips graze the side of her face, her swollen stomach for a second pressing against him. It should have been no big deal, any man would have ended a pleasant evening with the same gesture, there was nothing to read into it.

  But it was a huge deal, Alice conceded as he let her hand go. Jeremy Foster close up was every bit the exhilarating experience she had heard about. He deserved every flicker of his reputation if one tiny kiss could have that effect on a woman. No wonder they all melted, Alice reflected as he turned to leave. It would take a stronger woman than her to turn him down. 'Have a good night's sleep,' she managed to rasp.

  Jeremy nodded. 'No doubt about that. I'd better book an alarm call or I doubt I'll make it.'

  Alice stood there dumbfounded. 'Was it you that booked the call for me this morning?'

  Jeremy gave a casual shrug. 'Sure.'

  'But why?'

  'I thought you needed the rest. It did Linda no harm at all to be reminded of the work an intern does. She might think she's carried the whole team for the last year, but by all accounts the only job she's been doing is mine. Everyone else had to do the rest.'

  'But I told you I don't want any special treatment.' This was all too much—never had it entered her head that it might have been Jeremy who'd been so thoughtful.

  Jeremy, though, seemed to think it was no big deal. 'I know you don't want any special treatment, and if it makes you feel any better I'll be sure to run you ragged tomorrow. Thirty-six hours on the go is bad enough at the best of times, Alice, let alone in your condition. You should be grabbing every opportunity to rest when you're on call.'

  'Th-thanks,' she stammered.

  He didn't answer. With a vague wave he opened the door and Alice stood watching as he made his way down the corridor and out through the foyer.

  Walking back in, she looked at the two empty mugs side by side on the coffee-table. The scent of his cologne still hung in the air and Alice closed her eyes for a moment. Jeremy Foster was the last person she should even think of falling for. He was a flirt and a womaniser. Everything she didn't need. After Marcus, surely she had learned her lesson by now—men couldn't be trusted.

  As if to prove a point, she took down a photo album from her bookshelf and opened it. Images of Marcus and herself filled the pages. This was the man whose child she was carrying, the man whom she'd thought had loved her, the man she had loved. But not now, Alice thought darkly. His abhorrent reaction to her pregnancy, his utter unwillingness to stand by her through difficult times had shown his true colours. There simply weren't any feelings of love for Marcus left in Alice, just hurt and bitterness and an overwhelming sense of sadness for her unborn baby.

  Anyway, she concluded, snapping the album firmly shut, she was way out of her league where Jeremy was concerned. The gossip said he liked his woman size eight, un-opinionated and uncomplicated, and Alice failed dismally on all three. Which was for the best really. The last thing she needed right now was to be yet another notch on his bedpost. Another woman in the hospital lugging around a broken heart because she'd succumbed to his charms. Maybe the safety of her bump could now provide a refuge to hide behind, because Alice knew without a doubt that if she wasn't six months pregnant it would have taken every ounce of self-control to show Jeremy the door tonight.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  If, and for Alice it was a big if, there had been some gentle flirting going on that night, Jeremy seemed to heed her warning that she didn't want any special favours and on the work front treated her not quite as one of the boys but more or less. However, on more than one occasion she caught him staring at her, and she was almost certain that the look in those devilish blue eyes showed her that he definitely saw her as a woman. And even though Alice repeatedly told herself that she didn't want a repeat of their casual date, when she visited Josh she found herself battling with a stab of disappointment when invariably she had just missed Jeremy.

  Darren Barker returned from annual leave and after a month Josh came back to work, but despite the fact that the team was fully manned for the first time in ages, the workload, like Alice's girth, only seemed to get bigger.

  'Hell, what's Jeremy trying to prove?' Josh remarked when he saw the theatre list for the following week. 'There's practically a full month's worth here. Thank heavens we've got Monday off or we'd be dead on our feet. We'll never find beds for them all—they're going to have to cancel some.'

  Alice didn't look up from the notes she was writing when she answered, 'No such luck. Jeremy's swung it to have some of the closed-off beds opened to get the waiting times down, so I'd make the most of this weekend if I were you. We're going to be going in all guns blazing from Tuesday. Fi's having a fit—apparently she's going to have to get a load of agency staff in, what with the new patient-staff ratios. Jeremy, in one week, is going to blow the whole year's ward budget.'

  'The budget's not going to be the only thing that blows. Dianne will throw a wobbly if I keep coming home late. And, looking at this list, there's not going to be much chance of getting out on time.'

  This time Alice did look up. Putting down her pen, she took a grateful sip of the tea Fi had thoughtfully placed in front of her. 'How's Dianne coping now? You said she seemed pretty down.'

  Josh ran a hand through his long hair. 'I think she's just exhausted. Declan's a real live wire. It was hard enough dealing with just him, but now we've got Eamon home it's too much for her to deal with. He takes for ever to feed.' Josh leant back in his chair. 'Not that we're complaining. It was touch and go for a while, and to have him home so soon and doing so well is like having all your prayers answered at once. It's just...'

  Alice, without getting up, moved her chair on its wheels nearer to Josh. 'That you're both exhausted.' She finished the sentence for him. 'Don't feel guilty for feeling this way. A sick baby is hard work at the best of times, let alone with a healthy demanding twin. It's only been six weeks. No doubt Dianne's still not caught up with her sleep, let alone everything else that's gone on. It must be hard for her, especially now you've been back at work a couple of weeks. She must be feeling, pretty isolated. Have you thought of getting someone in to help?'

  She watched as Josh rolled his eyes. 'I did suggest it. Dianne promptly burst into tears and said that I thought she couldn't cope and was a lousy mother. I can't win.'

  'Maybe it's a bit more than exhaustion, Josh,' Alice suggested-cautiously. 'Dianne could well have postnatal depression. A complicated labour, a sick baby, a multiple birth—they're all known risk factors. I should know; my obstetrician gave me a pile of leaflets to read this week. I think I'm heading for it and the baby's not even born yet.'

  Josh managed a small smile at the joke. 'I think you're right, Alice. Maybe I should put my foot down and just get some help in.'

  'And get her to see her GP as well. Maybe ring him and mention what it's like for Dianne at the moment. She doesn't need to know you've called, but if the GP's actively looking for signs of depression it could make diagnosis easier, and the sooner she gets help the better.'

  'Thanks, Alice. I just never thought being a parent would be this hard.'

  'Don't,' Alice said through gritted teeth. 'I'm starting to have a touch of stage fright.'

  'Sorry.' Josh grinned. 'How long have you got now?'

  'Seven weeks and counting, which means just four weeks left of this place. I must admit I'm more than ready to finish. It's getting harder and harder to roll myself out of bed in the morning. Three days off sounds just what the doctor ordered. I think we should make the most of it.'

  Josh nodded. 'I intend to. Maybe I should give my mum a ring see if she can come for the weekend—take the load a bit.'

  Alice pursed her lips. 'You know what they say about mothers-in-law. Another woman offering endless advice might be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I'd try breakfast in bed and lots of TLC all round, and if things don't get better, speak to the doctor. Sorry,' she added. 'I'm interfering. Your mother's probably wonderful.'


  This time Josh really laughed. 'I'd say you're right again. Nice save, Alice.'

  Her pager broke in and, laughing as she picked up the phone, Alice felt as if the walls had suddenly fallen in as she heard the switchboard operator's cheerful voice.

  'There's a visitor for you in Reception, Dr Masters. A Marcus Collins. Should I direct him up to the ward or would you like to come down?'

  For a moment Alice couldn't speak and her mind suddenly went into overdrive. What could Marcus possibly want? What if he had changed his mind, wanted her back? Wanted to play a part in the baby's life? How would she react to that?

  'I'll come down,' she managed to rasp.

  'Is there a problem?' Josh asked, noticing how pale Alice had gone.

  'I'm not sure yet.' Alice stood up. 'Look, Josh, I'm practically finished. I've just got one more prescription chart to write up—would you mind?'

  'Sure,' Josh replied amicably. 'Alice, you'd tell me if there was something wrong, wouldn't you?'

  'Anything I should know about?' Jeremy's clear tones clipped through the air and they both swung around in surprise.

  'Nothing's wrong,' Alice insisted. 'An old...' She paused for a moment too long. 'Friend has just turned up. He's waiting down in Reception. I was just asking Josh if he'd mind finishing up my drug orders.'

  Neither man pushed further, and Alice gratefully picked up her stethoscope from the workbench and made her way down the corridors to Reception, her heart practically in her mouth as she tried to fathom what lay ahead. But even if she'd had a full week to come up with an endless list of scenarios, never could she have envisaged what Marcus had in store.

  His greeting was cool, decidedly uncomfortable even, and Alice noticed that Marcus not only couldn't meet her eyes, he was also studiously attempting to avoid looking at her hugely pregnant stomach.

  'I need to talk to you, Alice.'

  Alice swallowed and nodded. 'We can use one of the pre-admission rooms.' She led him the short distance along a carpeted corridor and, after checking with the admission clerk, let them into a small admitting room, which the admissions staff used to register booked patients.