by Lucy Clark
‘Thank you, Mrs Bellamy.’
They manoeuvred the patient into Sebastian’s consulting room.
‘It will be much better, Mrs Bellamy, if you stay out here with Winifred,’ he said with calm authority. ‘He’ll be fine. You’ll see.’
Danny had reached for the stethoscope, loosened Mr Bellamy’s clothing and was listening to his heart by the time Sebastian closed the door.
‘Heart rate is irregular,’ she reported. Sebastian ensured the patient’s airway was clear before reaching for the oxygen. He calculated the correct percentage before placing the mask over Mr Bellamy’s mouth and nose. Danny checked the man’s pupils. ‘Equal and reacting to light. Skin feels cold and clammy. Past medical history?’
‘Eats well, doesn’t smoke. Enjoys an occasional drink but of late hasn’t been feeling too good in general. BP, Dannyella.’
She pumped up the sphygmomanometer and listened closely. ‘One-twenty over fifty. History of angina pectoris?’
‘No. Let’s get an IV line in.’ They worked quickly together and Sebastian drew up an intravenous injection of nitroglycerine.
‘I’ll get the defibrillator paddles ready just in case.’
‘That shouldn’t be necessary.’ He administered the injection.
‘But, Mac, who knows when the ambulance will get here? Mr Bellamy could get worse. Do you have an ECG machine?’
‘This isn’t a hospital, Dannyella, it’s a doctor’s clinic. Besides…’ He hooked the stethoscope into his ears. ‘Hear those sirens?’ He listened to Mr Bellamy’s chest again.
‘What? That was quick.’
‘They must have been in the area. BP, Dannyella.’
‘Wow.’ She was amazed but disappointed at the same time. She took Mr Bellamy’s blood pressure. ‘Improving.’
‘Heart rate has stabilised.’
‘The nitroglycerine worked.’
‘Angina attack,’ he stated. The ambulance had pulled up outside because the sirens were loud, then they stopped.
‘Yes. I’m glad he’s stable now. Do you need to cancel the rest of your clinic and our plans for the evening?’ Danny kept a close eye on their patient as she spoke.
‘No. Why?’
‘Well, so you can look after Mr Bellamy.’
He shook his head, his face an unreadable mask. ‘This isn’t the outback, Dannyella.’ Within another minute Winifred was showing the ambulance officers through to where they were. Sebastian gave a quick debrief as Mr Bellamy was transferred to the stretcher and, after signing off on a piece of paper, Mr Bellamy and his wife were taken away to the hospital.
‘If you’d like to sit and make yourself a cup of tea…’ Sebastian showed her to the little kitchenette ‘…I shouldn’t be too much longer.’
Danny nodded, feeling a little despondent. ‘How many patients left?’
‘Two. Both prescription repeats. Shouldn’t take long.’ He was right. Half an hour later they were back at his place, packing a bag each for their stay in London. Danny smiled to herself as she packed several jumpers and thick socks. Sebastian needed everything done ahead of time, under control and neatly planned. She thought back to when she’d sent him to pack for their overnight trip. Five minutes she’d given him and here he was, giving her over twelve hours’ notice. Her smile faded. Didn’t that highlight the simple differences between them?
‘We’ll take the train to London in the morning, do some shopping and then go to the party. We’ll catch the train back on Sunday so hopefully, if the weather is nice on Saturday, we can do some sightseeing.’
‘Ooh, be like tourists.’
‘You are a tourist,’ he pointed out.
‘Where are we staying?’ She was working hard on recapturing her joval mood from earlier in the day but the situation with Mr Bellamy was still firmly in her mind. She felt cheated, having the patient taken away like that and handed over to someone else’s care. Sure, she’d seen it before in a lot of big city practices but hadn’t expected it to happen out here in a rural practice.
‘Usually when I go to London I stay with my mother. This time, however, I think we should stay somewhere else so I’ve taken the liberty to book us into a hotel.’
‘OK.’
He came and placed a hand on either of her shoulders. ‘Let it go, Dannyella.’
She shook her head and looked up at him. He was so in tune with her, it was amazing. ‘Doesn’t it frustrate you? To not follow through with your patient’s care?’
‘I do follow through.’ Sebastian raked a hand through his hair, which told of his frustration. ‘My name is on the referral to the hospital and I’ll be kept informed of everything that happens. I’ll be down there tomorrow to visit my patient and once Mr Bellamy is discharged from hospital, he’ll be back under my care again.’
‘And I’m not diminishing that importance,’ she said quickly, hoping he hadn’t taken offence at her remarks.
‘You call the flying doctor, not an ambulance. The flying doctors take over and transfers your patient to either Katherine or Darwin. What’s so different?’
‘Not much, really, but I guess it’s more the level of interaction. Depending on the circumstances, I can go to Katherine hospital with my patients and take care of them there—just like we did with Neil Tilby.’
‘But you’re on the staff at Katherine hospital. That’s what this comes down to, Dannyella. You give everything there is to give to your patients, so much so that one day you might not have anything left.’
‘And, what, you’re preserving yourself? Giving only a little bit? Not getting involved in people’s personal lives? Holding yourself aloof?’
‘It’s different here. The way people are brought up, educated—life in general. It’s completely different to the outback.’
‘So I’m beginning to realise.’ She wrapped her arms about herself and looked down at the ground.
Sebastian raked a hand through his hair. ‘Let’s forget it for tonight. It’s late and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.’ Things weren’t working out and although he’d tried to tell himself Dannyella needed time to adjust to his way of life, he could also tell that adjustment would be long and hard. Still…if she really loved him, wouldn’t she give it a go?
The next morning she could tell things still weren’t right. Sebastian was different here. More serious, more accepting, although to her it appeared a begrudging acceptance. Couldn’t he see how rich his life would be if he came to the outback with her? There, he’d been more relaxed and happy. She wanted him to return with her, to ease away the troubled lines on his face. He’d enjoyed being in the outback but, she quickly rationalised, it had only been for a holiday. If he came permanently, what guarantee would she have that he wouldn’t get bored there, too? After all, her mother had only stuck it out for five years before leaving. Danny forcefully pushed the thought away, determined to enjoy herself today.
Sebastian carried their bags out to his car. ‘We’ll leave the car at the railway station,’ he stated as he locked the house. On the train ride, they talked of various topics—all of them neutral. It was as though both were conscious of not saying the obvious, but the more Danny thought about it, the more she was convinced that Sebastian wasn’t at all happy in his job. During lunch, which Sebastian had packed, she thought back to the excitement she’d seen in his eyes when he’d been constructing the incubator for baby Tommy. She was so used to doing things like that, improvising and making do, it was just second nature to her, yet to Mac it had been like finding a heartbeat in a career he’d thought had died.
Finally, the announcement of their arrival at Euston station signalled the end of their train journey. The excitement of actually being in London coursed through her and she turned to him. ‘Let’s paint the town red!’
Half an hour later, Danny started to feel a little self-conscious. They’d left their overnight bags at the hotel where they would be staying, and as their room hadn’t been ready, Sebastian had declared it was the perf
ect time to shop.
‘Is this really necessary, Mac?’
‘Absolutely.’
Danny laughed. ‘You’re starting to sound like me.’
‘You’re a good influence.’ He laughed as they walked into one of London’s designer boutiques and she was pleased to have her Sebastian back. Away from his village, it appeared he could relax again.
‘Do you really think we need to shop in here? The dresses cost almost the same as my yearly salary.’
‘It’s covered,’ he murmured as the shop assistant came over to help them.
‘Yes, but I haven’t worn a dress since…’ She trailed off, thinking quickly. ‘See, I can’t even remember,’ she whispered.
‘First time for everything, then,’ he whispered back as the assistant asked if she could help them.
Danny didn’t miss the look of distaste she received from the shop assistant whose name tag identified her as Mary. The woman’s gaze travelled over Danny’s well worn denim jeans which had been bought about a decade ago and the layers upon layers of clothing which were piled on top.
‘We’re looking for a cocktail dress,’ Sebastian said, turning his most charming smile full force in Mary’s direction.
‘Is that all?’ Mary’s tone was polite, as was her smile, but the way she looked at Danny implied that a cocktail dress wasn’t even going to scratch the surface. Mary’s momentarily slip of professionalism said she thought Danny needed a complete make-over and clothes were only the first place to start.
Sebastian slipped his arm around Danny and gazed longingly down into her eyes. ‘She doesn’t need anything else,’ he said romantically. Danny smothered a laugh as Mary’s jaw hung open for a fraction of a second before the plastic smile was back in place.
‘Certainly, sir. If you’d like to come this way.’ She turned and began to walk through the boutique. Sebastian propelled Danny along.
‘Mac. I don’t want to do this,’ she said between clenched teeth. ‘What does it matter if I turn up in a pair of trousers? Why does it have to be a dress?’
‘I can see you’ve never been to a cocktail party before.’ His tone held a thread of amusement.
‘Well, there isn’t much call for them at the Dingo Creek pub.’
‘Perhaps you should mention it to Maisy, then.’ Sebastian stopped and turned her to face him. ‘Do you trust me, Dannyella?’ He took her hands in his.
She looked up at him and sighed. Of course she trusted him. She loved him. Love was nothing without trust. ‘Yes.’
‘Good.’ He brought her hands upwards and placed a brief kiss on each one. The gesture was both calming and romantic. He turned back to Mary, indicating they were ready to begin.
‘Any particular style or colour you prefer to wear, m’ am?’
Danny looked at the rows of dresses Mary was indicating and shrugged. ‘Dunno.’ She cleared her throat. ‘I reckon I should just…you know, try some on and we’ll…uh…see how it goes, I guess.’
‘Oh, you’re Australian.’ Mary’s smile brightened and she glanced once more at Danny’s clothes as though everything now made sense. ‘Do you live on one of those outback sheep properties?’
Danny glanced at Sebastian and noticed he was trying to smother a laugh. ‘Er…yeah. Something like that.’
‘How exciting.’ The shop assistant took a few dresses off the rack and ushered Danny into the changing rooms. ‘She’ll be out in a moment, sir.’
Where Danny had thought she’d be allowed to change in privacy, she soon found out she was wrong. Mary seemed intent on staying and helping her, keeping up a steady stream of excited chatter. ‘What’s it like, living out there?’
‘Constant.’
‘Is it terribly hot?’ Mary picked up Danny’s discarded coat and scarf and hung them neatly on coathangers. As Danny continued to shed clothing, they were all attended to by Mary.
‘You get used to it.’
‘I’ve always wanted to see the Australian outback. Is it really like all the movies?’
Danny’s smile was more bemused by the complete change in Mary’s attitude. ‘I guess it depends on what movies you’ve seen.’
‘Whereabouts do you live?’ Mary helped her into a bright red dress which was made out of the softest material Danny had ever felt. It draped all the way to the floor and as Mary pulled the zip up, she felt the material hug the curves of her body.
‘Er…Dingo Creek.’ Danny eyed her reflection in amazement. ‘Wow!’
Mary laughed. ‘Just you wait. We can do better than this dress, although it does look very nice on you. Did you want to show your friend?’
‘Um…I guess so.’
‘Wait a second, let me get you some shoes.’ Mary disappeared, and while she was gone, Danny continued to stare at her reflection. So this was what a dress felt like. She turned this way and that, amazed at how…utterly feminine she felt. It also made her feel exposed and completely vulnerable. ‘Here we are.’ Mary came back in, carrying several different shoeboxes. ‘Slip these on.’ She pulled out a pair of strappy red sandals.
Danny slid her feet into them. ‘How did you know what size to get?’
Mary smiled up at her. ‘That’s my job.’
‘Well, you’re very good at it.’ Danny took a step forward and wobbled precariously. ‘I don’t know if these are a good idea.’
‘Why?’
‘I’ve never worn high heels before,’ she confessed. ‘How am I supposed to walk in them?’
‘You really are from the outback, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, and I have no need for an outfit like this back there.’
Mary stood and fussed with Danny’s hair for a second, pinning bits up here and there, leaving a few wisps and tendrils hanging softly around her neck and face. ‘There. You’re ready for display.’
Taking a deep breath, Danny allowed herself to be led out of the changing room. Sebastian was sitting in a chair, flicking through a car magazine.
‘Whaddaya reckon, Mac?’
When he looked up, Danny was absolutely delighted at the way his jaw hung open in amazement, the magazine dropping heedlessly to the floor. Slowly he stood to his feet, his gaze never leaving her. When he continued to stare, she spun carefully around so he could see the whole effect.
‘Well? Aren’t you going to say something?’
‘I’m…’ He swallowed and cleared his suddenly dry throat. ‘I’m speechless.’
‘Is that a good thing?’
His blue eyes were glazed with longing. ‘Absolutely.’
‘This is the first of many,’ Mary said brightly as she held the changing-room door open for Danny once more.
As she turned and disappeared with Mary, Sebastian raked a hand through his hair in frustration. He should have been prepared for how she would look. He’d found the woman irresistibly attractive when she’d been wearing her grubbiest clothes so why hadn’t he prepared himself for how she would look all trussed up like a Christmas tree?
He exhaled slowly and, unable to sit and wait, paced around the store like a caged panther. She came out in two more dresses. One black and the other a burgundy colour. Each looked as incredible as the other and he realised it wasn’t the dress at all—it was the woman. When she finally came out dressed in deep purple, he would have choked on his tongue if it hadn’t already been hanging out of his mouth.
The top half of the dress was studded with sparkles which glistened under the artificial lights of the shop. It fastened around her neck, leaving her shoulders bare. The skirt ended halfway down her thighs, revealing her gorgeous legs.
He stared at her feet which were in a pair of slip-on shoes the exact colour of the dress. Her ankles were sublime, as were her calves. The urge to run his hand over the smooth skin was more powerful this time than ever before. This was the dress all right, but how on earth would he manage to control himself this evening?
‘I didn’t like the pantihose,’ she admitted when he kept staring at her legs. ‘But I can
wear them if it’s the proper thing to do, I guess.’
‘No.’ The word was choked and he shook his head for added emphasis. His gaze continued to travel up and he realised that Mary had wound Dannyella’s hair on top of her head and somehow managed to get sparkles in it.
‘You’re perfect.’ Sebastian couldn’t disguise the desire in his tone, or the passion in his eyes. ‘That colour…’ He trailed off and shook his head slightly, taking a step forward. ‘It was made for you.’ He reached out a hand and caressed her face. ‘You’re stunning.’
As he continued to hold her gaze, he wanted nothing more than to be with her…alone. It was then he recalled their surroundings and reluctantly dropped his hand back to his side. Without looking at Mary, he said, ‘We’ll take it. The dress, the shoes, and a coat to match and whatever you’ve put in her hair. In fact, we’ll take all of the outfits she’s tried on.’
‘Hey, hold on,’ Danny protested. ‘One dress is enough, Mac. There’s no need to go overboard.’
‘They all look so…incredible.’
She smiled and teased, ‘Do the dresses look incredible or do I make them look incredible?’
‘You know it’s the latter,’ he replied with a small smile. ‘Let me buy them for you.’
‘Thanks, Mac. I appreciate the sentiment but, honestly, where would I wear them?’ She shook her head. ‘One for this evening will be sufficient.’
He nodded at the gentle reminder that she wasn’t staying in England. ‘As you wish.’
Danny returned to the change room with Mary in tow. ‘That’s a first,’ the assistant said softly. ‘I’ve never seen a woman turn down someone else buying her clothes.’
‘I’m sorry if you work on commission but…’ Danny shrugged, running her hand lovingly down the material. ‘I just wouldn’t have anywhere to wear them.’
‘Don’t you get away for holidays?’ Mary asked as she started to undo Danny’s hair.
‘Not usually.’ Until now, Danny thought. Now that she was having this little holiday, she realised just how hard she had been working since gaining her GP qualification. Now that she knew how wonderful it felt not to be constantly on call, to take her time eating her breakfast and to try on the most luxurious clothes she’d ever come across, she was definitely going to plan another holiday…although she doubted she’d come back to England again.