The Doctor's Marriage

by Leah Martyn

  She didn’t. She usually bought several sliced loaves at the supermarket and stored them in the freezer until she needed them. She gave a funny little shiver. It seemed odd to have eaten something Riley had prepared—even if the soup had come from a can. Odd and somehow rather nice…

  ‘What about some honey to go with that?’ His eyes alert, Riley watched as his wife pulled off another chunk of bread. ‘Or a banana?’ He pushed the fruit bowl towards her.

  With her head on one side, Jane considered her options. ‘Honey, I think. In the pantry?’ She stood up.

  ‘Should be. Put the kettle on while you’re up, Janey.’

  ‘Sure.’ And because she was still a bit off balance, she turned and gave a faint smile. ‘Apart from our early drama, how was your clinic?’

  ‘Went quite well, I thought.’

  ‘You’re a good GP, Riley,’ she said generously, filling the electric kettle and plugging it in.

  As they sat over their mugs of tea, he said sharply, ‘I’ve had second thoughts about keeping our relationship quiet.’

  ‘Oh?’ Jane gave him a startled look.

  He frowned. ‘If you’re agreeable, I’d like to put Ralph and Angelo in the picture but emphasise we need space and privacy to sort things out.’

  Jane felt her breath cut off. Looking down at her hands, trying to make her voice offhand, she said, ‘You’ve changed your tune.’ And put more pressure on you for an answer about your marriage, a voice in the back of her head warned.

  He gave a twitch of his shoulders. ‘I feel less than honourable leaving the partners in the dark. I thought I could handle it but I find I can’t,’ he said frankly.

  Jane swallowed convulsively. She had no wish to appear devious either. ‘All right. Do you want us to tell them together?’

  He tipped his head back but kept his gaze cast down. ‘I’ll have a word, seeing that I placed you in an invidious position in the first place by just turning up here and applying for the position.’

  Jane’s throat tightened. He sounded almost protective. But would he keep to his word? she wondered. Actually allow them the space he seemed so adamant about? Jerkily, she got to her feet and began carrying things to the sink.

  ‘Leave that, Jane.’

  The implacability in his voice spun her back towards him and the atmosphere between them was suddenly as taut as a tripwire.

  Her heart thumped. ‘Riley?’ Her voice came out on a jagged little laugh. ‘Why the…look?’

  Almost in slow motion, he unwound to his feet and closed the space between them. ‘I’m thinking of the wildest possibilities,’ he murmured throatily. He laid his hand on her bare arm, its warmth making her shiver.

  She licked dry lips. ‘Like what?’

  ‘Like this…’ Riley dipped his head and looked blazingly at her for a few seconds.

  ‘Ooh…’ Jane took a shallow breath, already on tiptoe to meet him when he kissed her.

  The pressure of his lips parted her mouth in a series of fleeting caresses, exquisite torture activating an avalanche of emotions that turned her inside out.

  Taking the familiar smell of the sandalwood soap on his skin deep into her lungs, she raised her hands, her fingers beginning a journey of rediscovery across the hard ridge of his shoulder, to the base of his neck and into his hair. Her fingers spread wide, relearning its soft, springy texture in urgent little sweeps.

  She pressed closer to him, craving more, yearning for his teasing touch of his lips to travel upwards and outwards along her skin to rediscover the whole of her body…

  In dreamlike sequence, they came slowly apart.

  ‘Come to bed with me now, Janey.’ He breathed the words on her temple. ‘We’ve time…’

  Jane froze. It was as though something had switched on in her head. She brought her gaze back to his, saw his heavy-lidded look and something else she couldn’t define.

  She wrenched her arms away, felt her throat parched, stretched and painful when she swallowed. ‘How can you do this, Riley?’ Her grey eyes were stormy, wide in disbelief.

  ‘Do what?’ He looked baffled, spearing both hands through his hair, leaving the strands scattered every which way.

  ‘Try to manipulate me!’ she responded with sudden ferocity.

  ‘Manipulate you?’ he said in disbelief. ‘Where do you get that from? I didn’t notice you protesting, Jane. And we’re still married. It’s hardly an indictable offence to want to take my wife to bed in the afternoon.’

  ‘When we’ve not even begun to talk!’ Jane felt the tell-tale colour crawl up her neck and face.

  ‘Talking got us nowhere in the past.’

  ‘I don’t believe you’ve done this!’ Her sudden fury was so strong, she could have thrown something at him. ‘Now you’ve ruined everything.’

  ‘That’s right, chuck all the blame at me!’ Riley swore under his breath. ‘Grow up, Jane.’

  ‘Who the hell are you to tell me to grow up! Oh, lord…’ she whispered helplessly. ‘I can’t deal with this now.’

  Frantically, she looked around for her case, her mind spinning.

  ‘Is this what you’re looking for?’ Riley’s eyes were as cold as ice as he held her medical bag out to her. Without looking at him, she snatched it. ‘For heaven’s sake, lighten up.’ His mouth twisted in disgust.

  ‘Go and live your fantasies somewhere else, Riley,’ she bit back, frantically straightening her shirt and finger-combing her hair with a hand that shook.

  Riley shook his head, his chest rising and falling in a deep sigh. He felt sick to his gut, degraded. As though he’d mistakenly walked on stage and had no knowledge of his lines. How dared she question his motives? If they waited around until she came to her senses, their marriage would be out the door for ever. His mouth tightened.

  ‘Have it your way for now, Jane.’ He put his hands on his hips, his fingers slanting downwards and inwards like arrows. ‘But get this and get it straight. Don’t expect me to beg. You’d better think about meeting me halfway or not at all.’

  Jane hardly knew how she’d arrived at the women’s shelter.

  Why did they keep seeing things so differently? Why couldn’t she just make up with her husband? She’d asked him to let the past go so why couldn’t she? Was she in danger of becoming neurotic?

  She swallowed and swallowed again, her throat blocked by momentary tears. If she hadn’t come back to earth so painfully, accused him of all those things, she could be even now stretched over his beautiful male body…

  The thought made her shiver. Perhaps he was right. That making love was all they needed to do to get their marriage back on track, to rekindle everything they’d once been to each other. Could it really be that simple?

  Her thoughts were still scattered as she came to a halt outside the shelter, an old timber home which was gradually being refurbished to accommodate the migratory flow of women and children.

  Rummaging through her bag for a tissue, she blotted her eyes and blew her nose and thought a bit dazedly, What am I going to do about you, Riley? About us? Is there any us any more?

  Jane announced herself over the intercom at the front door, which for security reasons was always kept locked.

  While she waited to be admitted, she turned, taking a few steps back to lean over the porch railings, watching as a butterfly scooped the air and landed on a nearby flowering shrub, its wings a purple haze against the white petals. The sheer perfection of nature lifted her spirits, so that she turned with a smile when Marianne Ross opened the front door.

  ‘Thanks so much for coming, Jane.’ The manager of the shelter was fortyish and gently plump, her dark hair styled in a becoming bob. She had a ready smile of welcome. ‘Come through to the office,’ she said warmly. ‘Cup of tea?’

  ‘Please,’ Jane accepted gratefully.

  ‘How was your leave?’ Marianne waved Jane into a chair and flicked on the electric jug. ‘You went to the Gold Coast, didn’t you?’

  ‘Mmm.’ Jane blinke
d and told her mind to function. Her holiday seemed like a lifetime ago now. ‘It was a nice break. And I managed to fit in a one-day seminar hosted by one of the drug companies as well.’

  ‘So what’s happening in that direction?’ Marianne’s mouth turned down wryly. ‘Anything to interest us in this part of the world?’

  ‘There’s a new cream to treat skin cancer being trialed. Looks very positive.’

  ‘How long away?’ Marianne placed their mugs of tea and a plate of digestive biscuits on the table.

  Jane raised a shoulder. ‘As we speak, about three years. But for the patients who have to have the lesions either frozen or removed surgically, it will be good news and a far less invasive process.’

  ‘Do you think our population as a whole will ever learn sun sense?’

  ‘With our beaches and long hot summers?’ Jane’s mouth went up in a wry little twist. ‘Probably not. A lot of the young kids still think a suntan is the sexiest thing around.’ Jane took a mouthful of her tea, almost scalding her throat, reminded of the lump that was still there from her run-in with Riley. Determinedly, she looked over her mug at Marianne. ‘What did you want to see me about?’

  ‘Several things.’ The manager’s gaze fluttered down and then up to rest speculatively on the young doctor sitting opposite her. ‘It’s our AGM next week,’ she began carefully. ‘And, well, we wondered if you’d accept a position on our management committee.’

  ‘Oh…’ Jane’s mouth opened and closed. ‘What would I have to do?’

  ‘We’ve been impressed with the work you’ve done for us here, Jane. Your passion for women’s health…’ Marianne spread her hands. ‘We were kind of hoping you’d get more involved, perhaps assist in the development and revision of some of our policies?’

  Jane was stunned. Matters pertaining to women’s health and well-being were very dear to her heart but did she have the time? ‘I’m flattered, Marianne, but—’

  ‘Will you at least think about it?’ the other woman broke in persuasively.

  Well, she supposed she could do that. Jane lifted her gaze, catching the shimmer of sunlight through the lacy fretwork of flowering trees outside the window. There was such good work being done here, she reflected, and with very limited funds. ‘I’ll let you know in a couple of days, OK? Now, was there something else you wanted to chat over?’

  ‘We’ve a new resident.’ Marianne leaned forward confidingly. ‘Julie and her children, Brandon and Tamika, aged four and two respectively. They arrived on the bus from Brisbane last Thursday. She had boyfriend trouble. Apparently he’s into drugs. Constantly threatened to beat her and the children if she didn’t hand over her benefit to him.’

  Jane had heard similar stories too many times to be the least surprised any more. And personal relationships were often such a minefield…. ‘And that’s what she’s been doing? Handing over her money?’

  ‘Apparently—or most of it. According to Julie, it suddenly all got very sticky. She grabbed the kids and got herself into the city’s transit centre and took the first bus leaving town. She ended up here in Mt Pryde.’

  ‘Want me to check them over?’ Jane asked gently.

  ‘It would ease my mind.’ Marianne shook her head. ‘Experience has taught me that every case is different. Julie and her kids need time to readjust, but they don’t seem to be making much progress. They’ve stayed huddled together since they got here—like refugees.’

  ‘Lord…’ Jane felt a wave of compassion for the young family. ‘What on earth possesses young women to get involved with these cretins in the first place?’

  Marianne knew Jane’s question was rhetorical. Nevertheless, she answered it anyway. ‘They’re usually at the height of their vulnerability, needy—looking for love.’

  ‘Where’s the family now?’ Jane hefted her case from the floor and got to her feet.

  ‘In the lounge,’ Marianne said. ‘I’ll go with you and then I’ll make myself scarce in case Julie wants to talk.’

  Some time later, Jane reported her findings to the shelter manager.

  ‘They’re all quite traumatised and underweight,’ she said candidly. ‘But Julie probably hasn’t had the money to buy proper food for them for weeks. And she needs counselling, Marianne.’

  ‘I know. But she hasn’t been receptive so I haven’t pushed her.’

  Jane nodded. ‘I think she might be now.’ The vibrations of her contact with the young woman were still with Jane. Her patient’s initial attitude had spoken of defiance and then, as Jane had begun to break down her emotional barriers, the girl had exhibited a fear that was almost tangible. ‘Julie’s scared to death that this boyfriend, Clint, will track her down.’

  Marianne clicked her tongue in exasperation. ‘I’ve told her a dozen times there’s no way he can find her here. But even if by some remote chance he did, the police would be brought in to deal with him.’

  Jane lifted a hand and rubbed a finger across her temple. ‘I’ll look in again next week, Marianne. And if you could bump up their vitamin C levels? The kids are a bit sniffly.’

  ‘Not a problem.’ Marianne bustled to open the door of her office. ‘Someone donated a case of kiwi fruit to us only yesterday. They’re high in C, aren’t they?’

  Jane smiled. ‘One of the best. And throw in a stir-fry occasionally, with lots of nice fresh vegetables, noodles or rice. Most kids enjoy that. Sorry…’ Jane made a small face. ‘I’m overdoing the doctoring, aren’t I? Preaching to the converted.’

  ‘Never think that,’ Marianne said seriously. ‘We’re just so grateful for your genuine interest in the work we try to do here. Speaking of which…’ Marianne smiled and began to usher Jane towards the rear entrance ‘…come and see our latest acquisition for the kids.’

  ‘Oh, that’s splendid!’ Jane turned an excited face to Marianne. The spacious back garden was now a riot of play-gym equipment, from swings to a slippery slide, monkey bars and a sandpit in the shape of an enormous pale blue shell. ‘The kids must think this is paradise.’ She laughed. ‘Who donated them?’

  ‘The Lions’ club. Very generous of them, I must say. And the sand should arrive later today.’

  ‘Don’t forget to cover it when the children aren’t playing in there,’ Jane reminded lightly.

  ‘Stray cats?’ Marianne chuckled. ‘Don’t worry, it’s all taken care of.’ They turned to go back inside. ‘Of course, even with all the new stuff, the cubby house still appears to be the favourite with most of the kids.’

  ‘Perhaps it’s because they feel safe there.’ Jane was thoughtful as she looked across to the sturdy structure with its brightly painted window ledges and door. ‘As opposed to the home environment they’ve come from.’

  Jane hardly had time to draw breath for the rest of the week. Which might have been a good thing in some ways, she considered. At least, with all the doctors busy, there’d been no time to wonder where her relationship with Riley stood.

  They’d seen one another, of course but he’d had his head down, familiarising himself with the practice and the patients. And she knew Angelo had hauled him off to a game of squash one evening after work. And the Mitchells had invited him to dinner…

  As she gathered up her notes to take to their weekly staff meeting, Jane wondered if he’d told the partners about them. She’d noticed no change in their attitude towards her. And she’d been watching for signs. But everything had seemed much as usual.

  She sighed and rose to her feet. As always, she supposed Riley would tell her in his own good time.

  The staff meeting eventually wound to close.

  ‘I must say my week’s been less frenetic with Riley on board.’ Ralph Mitchell’s smile was appreciative as he looked over his spectacles at the others.

  There was a moment of thoughtful silence, until Angelo enquired, ‘How have you found it, Riley?’

  ‘Not too daunting. Thanks all of you for bearing with me.’ His dark gaze found Jane’s and she looked hastily away.


  Ralph cleared his throat. ‘Well, if that’s all, folks, I’ll be on my way. I want to call in on Angus McNair on my way home.’

  ‘How’s his hip replacement?’ Angelo drained his coffee and set his mug back on the table.

  Ralph chuckled. ‘He’s agitating to set a golf date. I’ve told him he’d better be content with a quiet game of chess for the next little while.’ Ralph turned to enlighten Riley and Jane. ‘Angus founded the original Mt Pryde Medical Centre some twenty years ago. He’s a grand old boy. If you’re both still here around at Christmas, you’ll meet him. He does a great Santa act for the kids in hospital.’

  ‘Well, I can’t speak for Jane of course.’ Riley kept his gaze down. ‘But I’d like to think I’ll be here.’

  Jane’s chin went up sharply. She stared at Riley in utter disbelief. Where did he get off implying that she was the one lacking in commitment when she was the one who’d begun to put roots down, bought a home? She shook her head, suddenly at a loss to understand the machinations of this complex, compelling man she’d married. ‘I assumed it was understood I’m here for the long term,’ she enforced levelly.

  ‘Good, good.’ Ralph was brisk, gathering up his notes. ‘Angelo and I have great faith in you and Riley working things out.’

  So he must have told them. As the implications came to her, Jane felt her cheeks warm. She hoped she wasn’t expected to comment further, because she could think of nothing to say. She felt suddenly depleted, deploring Riley’s actions for having placed them in this kind of awkward position in the first place.

  ‘I’m on call at the weekend.’ The senior doctor stood and pushed his chair in. ‘So have a good weekend, all of you. God willing, I’ll see you on Monday.’

  The air fairly crackled when he’d left.

  ‘Uh, listen, guys.’ Angelo leaned back in his chair, his fingertips working a tattoo on the tabletop. ‘If you’d like a bit of space to start throwing things, I’ll make myself scarce.’

  ‘Don’t go anywhere, Angelo,’ Jane said sharply. ‘I can’t speak for Riley, of course, but I’d like to apologise for causing any awkwardness or embarrassment to the team.’