by RJ Hunter
Laura waved goodbye to her friend and climbed into the back of the ambulance with Ivy. It was mid-morning by the time they arrived, but fortunately the Accident and Emergency Unit wasn't too busy at this time of day. Laura checked Ivy in, and was told to wait with her in a sterile-looking cubicle. The old lady was drifting in and out of sleep, and looked uncomfortable sat in the wheelchair, but she still managed the occasional smile, despite her fall. An hour passed before they were eventually taken into X-ray. They were only in there for a short time, before being told to wait back in the cubicle again. However, a friendly young nurse put her head around the curtain to tell them that, Dr. Greene would be along to see them shortly, and did they need anything?
Laura couldn't help smiling at the mention of the doctor's name. I'll probably need a chastity belt if he's as bad as Amanda has made out, she thought!
Two minutes later, a tall, shaven-headed, black doctor arrived, looking dashing in his long white coat and wearing the obligatory stethoscope around his neck. He was very pleasant, and charmed Ivy immediately.
"I have good news for you, Mrs. Butler," he said, hanging up a set of X-rays over a screen. "There's no break, your arm is just badly bruised. We'll have to put it in a sling for you," he smiled.
"Thank-you doctor, that's good to know, but it's still very painful, and what about my head?" Asked Ivy, straining to hear him.
"It will be painful for a while, but I'll write you up for some pain-killers." He then glanced across at Laura, and asked for Ivy's prescription card. He wasn't disappointed in what he saw, and let his eyes linger on the pretty, blonde nurse.
Laura became a bit flustered, and dropped Ivy's notes on the floor. The doctor immediately bent down alongside her and helped to retrieve them. However, Ivy's drug card had slipped under a chair and Laura had to bend and stretch to reach it. Dr. Greene took the opportunity to survey her fine curves, noticeable even in her starched, blue nurse's dress.
"I haven't seen you around before?" He asked, glancing up at a stray lock of hair that had fallen across her face.
"I've been working over at St. Mary Abbot's," she replied, handing him the card and trying to re-gain her composure. "I don't come to A&E for another couple of months."
"That's a shame, I could have shown you the ropes!" He added, with a hint of an African accent.
Laura tried to stifle a giggle, but found herself flirting with the handsome doctor.
"Wont you be here then?" She asked, her courage returning.
"No, probably not. I have a locum job over in the states, so I'll be leaving soon."
"Oh, that's a shame," she replied, a little breathlessly, "You're very good with Ivy."
"Thank-you, Laura," he said, moving closer to read her name badge, "A beautiful name, for a beautiful woman!"
Laura didn't quite know how to respond to that. She had never been complimented in such a way before.
"So what about Ivy's head?" She asked, trying to change the subject.
"Yes, of course, I'm sorry Ivy, I was distracted by your lovely, English rose nurse!" He said to the old lady, while keeping his eyes firmly on Laura. He then removed the bandage, and examined Ivy's head wound.
"Be careful, doctor, it hurts!" She winced in pain.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Butler. I'll be as gentle as I can, but it can hurt sometimes," he added, turning his attention to Laura once again.
Feeling herself starting to blush, Laura took Ivy's hand and held it tightly as the doctor continued with his examination.
"It'll need a few stitches," he said finally, as he tossed the old bandages into a yellow bag. "But I think, we'll use Steri-Strips, as I don't want to cause Ivy any more pain. So where are you from Laura?" He asked, glancing down to the young nurse's breasts.
"Twickenham, in West London," she replied shyly. "But, I'm staying in the nurses home at the moment."
"That's interesting to know, which one?" He asked, turning to look into her blue eyes.
"Empire House, on Vincent Square. So where are you from?"
"Ghana, as a child, but I've lived in this country for most of my life. My father was a foreign diplomat."
"So did you do your training here, Dr. Greene?" She asked, meeting his dark, expressive eyes.
"Yes, I trained here in London, but please, call me, Lincoln."
"Lincoln Greene! What a wonderful name!" Laughed Laura, now becoming quite relaxed in his company.
"I'm glad you like it!" He laughed back, his pure white teeth, seeming even more brilliant against the darkness of his skin.
They were interrupted, as the nurse from earlier wheeled in a dressings trolley. She smirked, and immediately sensed the electrifying atmosphere between the white student nurse and the black doctor. She then flashed a knowing smile at Dr. Greene.
"Do you want me to assist?"
"No, I'll be okay, I'm sure Laura can look after me."
The young nurse glared at Laura, before going back out, and pulling the curtains shut with one swift move.
As he was putting the final touches to Ivy's bandage, Dr. Greene's pager sounded. He finished off, then went out to made a call on the telephone in the corridor.
"I'm sorry, Laura but I have to go. It's been a pleasure to spend time with Ivy and yourself."
Laura felt quite disappointed as she thanked him and said goodbye.
"Perhaps, I'll see you around Laura, we get on so well!" He said, turning her legs to jelly with his broad, piercing smile.
"Maybe," she replied awkwardly, "It's a small world."
Laura and Ivy had yet another wait. This time it was for the ambulance to take them back to St. Mary Abbot's, and Ivy was getting impatient. Laura wondered if she should go to the ambulance office and ask how much longer the delay would be.
Sighing, she glanced at her fob watch, it was now nearly three pm, and she was getting hungry and thirsty too. She looked in her bag for something to give the old lady, and found half a small bar of chocolate, then delving deeper, she found a packet of fruit-flavoured polo's, and helped herself to one. It was then that she heard Dr. Greene's familiar, deep, sensual voice.
"I thought, you'd be long gone by now?" He asked, concerned.
"No, we're still waiting for transport." Replied, Laura, a little deflated.
"Leave it to me!" He said, "I'll go and see them in the office and say, Ivy's a priority case! You'll be back in Kensington in no time, and if not, I'll drive you myself."
He returned five minutes later with a triumphant smile on his face.
"The ambulance is on its way!" He exclaimed excitedly. "See what the power of the long white coat can do!"
Laura smiled, and her eyes latched onto his, perhaps lingering a little too long. She couldn't help noticing this powerful electricity erupting between them.
Lincoln was as good as his word, within minutes, an ambulance was there to collect them. Laura waited as the crew put Ivy on board and strapped her safely inside. Lincoln came over beside her, she could smell his strong, musky scent. It was manly, and very alluring.
"Laura, I was wondering if you'd do me the honour of having dinner with me?"
She was stunned, and felt her heart jump. She was about to answer yes immediately, despite what she'd heard about his reputation. She hesitated for what seemed like an eternity.
"I'm sorry, Lincoln, you've been so kind to Ivy and myself, I feel awful saying no, but I have a boyfriend."
He looked disappointed, but managed to put on a brave face.
"That's okay, Laura. I should have realised, a woman so exquisite, and so stunningly attractive as yourself would naturally have a boyfriend. I'm very jealous, but please, I'm the one who should be sorry, I didn't think."
"Perhaps, another time," she added, trying to bring him down gently.
"Yes, perhaps another time." With that, he turned to leave.
"He's going to end up bedding you, Laura!" Called out Ivy from inside the ambulance, and within earshot of the doctor.
"Ivy, you shou
ldn't have been listening!" Gasped Laura, her face crimson.
The car had been playing up again, so Nick had taken the Piccadilly Line from South Kensington to Osterley. It felt rather strange, returning to the matrimonial home after such a lengthy separation. Nick had responded to Sandra's letter, although it was more out of curiosity than anything else. He thought he knew all of her tricks and felt that he couldn't be manipulated by her anymore. The letter however, had left him completely miffed. Something strange was going on, and it was so totally unlike Sandra to have written it. Could she have really changed, he wondered, pressing the door bell.
Sandra looked radiant as she came to the door, casually dressed in jeans and baggy, pink T-shirt. She had recently had her hair done and her make-up looked immaculate. After giving him an affectionate hug, she took his hand, and like a teenager smuggling in her boyfriend, led him inside. Her perfume smelt divine, but not over-powering as was often the case with Sandra. Nick thought she had filled out a little since the last time he'd seen her, but the bit of extra weight seemed to suit her.
It had been quite a week for Nick. He had sat his finals, then had a boozy goodbye drink with his friends at the hospital. He had even managed to see Laura, but it didn't seem to go too well, because of the tragic news about Tina. That's what he assumed anyway. The thought that Laura may have been tiring of him did cross his mind, but he chose to dismiss it.
Now, it seemed odd, and a little sad that two chapters of his life had come to an end at the same time. He tried to convince himself that his experiences at both the college and the hospital were pretty hellish affairs, what with all the studying he had to do, and then having to live in a tiny, cold and noisy room. Then, there was the awful, mind-numbing 06.30am starts at the hospital, combined with having to endure low pay. If Nick were to describe this to anyone, they would have thought him mad. But the truth was, they were marvellous times, and he had loved it, both at the college and the hospital, after all, he'd met Laura there. Now his heart felt heavy, for he hadn't told her he was leaving. Perhaps, it just didn't seem important what with Tina's death. He wasn't quite sure if he would ever see her again. They had arranged to meet in a cafe in Kensington in a couple of day's time, but she had seemed a little indifferent when he had first suggested it.
As soon as Nick stepped into the lounge, Sandra was upon him.
"Here you are, a small surprise gift. I'm so proud of you!"
"What is it?"
"Open it and see, come on, hurry up!" Exclaimed Sandra in an animated tone.
As Nick removed the wrapping paper and opened the small box, he was amazed to discover a spectacular and very unusual watch. The face was made up of Egyptian hieroglyphs, with the Sphinx, and pyramids set out on a dark blue background. He smiled and kissed his wife on the cheek.
"You seem so different Sandra, what's happened - have you had a lobotomy or something?"
"Damned cheek! I've changed, Nick, just like I said in my letter. I've started a new job, stopped drinking, and wait for it - I've got rid of Craig, and I've never felt better."
"But what happened, you and Craig seemed so suited?"
"Oh, come on, he was just a little shit. Anyway forget him. I've cooked us a lovely meal, come and sit down."
"It certainly smells pretty good, but I'm intrigued by your metamorphosis?" Replied Nick, still suspicious.
"Stop going on about it. Can't you just take something at face value? Besides, there's more surprises that I'll tell you about over dinner."
The chicken supreme was excellent, but cooking had never been one of Sandra's strong points and Nick felt it wasn't the time to start questioning if it was shop-brought.
"Come on then, what's these surprises. You haven't totally turned your back on capitalism and joined the labour party or anything like that have you?"
"No, not exactly, Nick." Cringed Sandra.
"You've turned into a lesbian?"
"Very funny! Now listen carefully, do you remember Willis from the insurance company?"
"Of course. I haven't seen him for years. Is he okay?"
"Yes, in fact he's more than okay. He's started up his own business in the city, and by all accounts, things are going extremely well. He deals with most of the contents and home insurance referrals I get. He wants you to go and work with him."
"I couldn't cope with all that again Sandra."
"It's not cold-calling or door-knocking. It's all referrals, and you just sit in a nice, air-conditioned office in London, it's as easy as that."
"But it's been such along time."
"Nonsense, you're just a bit rusty that's all. It's nothing you haven't done before - call him, you can start whenever you want."
Nick sat back and sipped his wine. He liked old Willis, he was an honest, hard-working sort, and would probably give him a very good deal.
"I must say, it sounds tempting." He replied.
"Think about it, while I go and get the desserts."
"I would probably need a bit of a break first." Shouted Nick through to Sandra in the kitchen.
"That's okay. You can start when we get back from Spain."
"Spain?"
"Yes, I knew you'd want a break, so I booked us a two-week holiday. It's a place called Llafranc."
"Llafranc?"
"It's a lovely little fishing village, completely unspoilt, and close to Barcelona. We can go sightseeing!"
"Sandra, stop babbling on. Are you mad? Whatever makes you think we can just act as if nothing has happened and simply go on holiday together?"
"Come on Nick, you wouldn't have come over tonight if you weren't still interested in me would you?"
"I was curious that's all."
"Okay, fine. But we both need a holiday, especially you. I think you deserve one."
"But I'm absolutely broke, I can't even get the car fixed."
"There's still plenty of money in our account."
"It's your money, Sandra."
"We're husband and wife, Nick, remember? Come on, please say you'll come."
"I don't know. I'd forgotten just how impulsive you could be."
"It would be wonderful to be a couple again, and in sunny Spain, it would be so romantic."
"Wait, just hold on a second." Replied Nick, a little puzzled. "So what exactly happened with you and Craig?"
"I don't want to talk about it. We're finished and that's all you need to know."
"Sandra, I know you only too well. Did he chuck you?"
"Yes, he chucked me, now are you satisfied?" She replied angrily.
"Was it because of your drinking?"
"No, it wasn't this time. It was because he caught me with another man, if you must know!"
"So, let's get this straight, you, a married woman, were two-timing Craig, he caught you out, and dumped you, is that what happened?"
"Yes, that's about it, how many times do I have to tell you!"
"God, Sandra, I just don't understand you at times. So now, you're lonely and want your little old hubby back?"
"Yes, I suppose so, but don't start playing the hurt innocent with me. You've been seeing some young tart haven't you?"
"So what if I have. Laura and I have a very special kind of relationship - it's based on trust!"
"Have you slept with her?" Demanded Sandra, standing up to face him.
Nick poured himself another glass of wine and sat back at the table.
"Yes, I have slept with her."
"So that's your idea of trust is it?"
"I didn't come here to argue with you Sandra, perhaps I'd better leave."
"Don't be so dramatic, Nick. We're both adults. These things happen, none of us are perfect. Besides, where would you go, back to her? Stay here tonight, it's still half your house. You can always sleep in the spare room if you want to stay faithful to your precious, little Laura!"
She then went across to him and sat on his lap, running her well-manicured fingers through his hair.
"I knew you hadn't changed Sa
ndra." He replied, pulling his wife down to ravish her.
It was a hot, sticky day and Laura had to wrench up the window as far as it would go in order to obtain even the slightest of breezes. The only noise she could hear was the distant hum of a cleaner's vacuum, somewhere on another corridor. There didn't appear to be anyone else at home on Laura's floor, had the sunshine lured them all off to nearby St. James's Park, she wondered. Laura had a couple of days off, and had arranged to meet Nick later that afternoon, it was a date they had agreed upon a few days earlier. The idea of going back on the underground didn't appeal to her in the slightest, it just seemed to be getting hotter. Dressed in a cool, light cotton sundress, and wearing sandals, she felt relieved to be rid of her dowdy blue nurse's uniform, with its restrictive high, cardboard collar and starched white apron. Eventually she decided to walk from the nurse's home the short distance into the park, she would then cross over into Green Park, and make her way up towards Knightsbridge, where she could catch a bus into Kensington.
It had taken that much longer, but the walk had given Laura some valuable time to be alone and think, which at the moment was something she felt she needed to do. Getting off the bus at High Street Kensington Station, Laura glanced at her watch. There was still half an hour to go before she met Nick, and since the shops were there, she may as well put the time to good use and do some browsing therapy. She went into Marks and Spencer's, and looked at the women's autumn range, but nothing seemed to catch her eye, so she tried a few of the more trendy boutique shops. Laura could of course get whatever clothes she needed from Scarlet's, but if the truth be known, she wasn't particularly keen on some of Lizzie's creations, and would often accept the garments offered her in order not to offend her mother's best friend. After much deliberation, Laura found a pair of culottes she liked and paid on her credit card. Realising the time, she began to make her way to Mario's. Fortunately, the cafe where she was meeting Nick, was down a nearby side street and opposite the library. It was a small, simple cafe, which served wonderful coffee. Nick and Laura had been there several times after spending afternoons sunbathing together. She sat up on one of the tall stools by the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of him as he approached. He'd recently been spending time in the library, due to his exams, so she wasn't sure if he would appear from that direction, or come from the High Street.