by Sue MacKay
Robyn’s son William and Mickey went to the same kindergarten and loved playing together.
Robyn shook her head, then groaned.
‘What’s up?’
‘Nothing. A bit of a headache.’
Karina studied the thirty-nine-year-old as she took a seat. Robyn was here for her regular blood pressure check-up. ‘Where’s this headache?’
‘Behind my left eye.’ Robyn rolled up her sleeve, ready to have her blood pressure read. ‘Is Mickey enjoying kindy?’
‘I think so.’
I don’t want to go to kindy.
‘William can’t stop talking about Ben.’
‘Ben?’ Karina asked.
‘The new boy,’ Robyn explained. ‘He joined a few weeks ago and William seems very taken with him.’
Maybe that explained Mickey’s not wanting to go to kindergarten. William had a new friend and Mickey felt left out. It was inevitable, Karina supposed. William was highly intelligent for a young boy, whereas Mickey had learning difficulties.
The relief at finding a possible reason for Mickey’s angst about kindy was enormous.
‘Right, Robyn, how long have you had this headache?’
‘Since before I left home.’
‘What about your eyesight? Any blurriness? Double vision?’
Robyn started looking worried. ‘Funny you ask that. I had to keep blinking to see properly as I parked the car. I’m not seeing too straight now either. The headache’s getting worse. Like bad.’
Karina didn’t want to panic Robyn. ‘Stay there. I won’t be a moment.’
At Logan’s door she knocked.
‘You’re needed urgently.’
Logan joined her immediately. ‘What’s up?’
Quickly filling him in, she asked, ‘Could it be a brain aneurysm?’
‘It’s possible. What’s her history?’
‘High blood pressure treated with statins. I’ll read her BP now.’
Logan strode into her room, crossing immediately to Robyn. ‘I’m Logan, standing in for David. Karina tells me you’ve got a sudden, sharp headache and double vision. Anything else out of the ordinary?’
He didn’t muck about.
Karina wrapped the cuff around Robyn’s arm and felt her trembling.
‘I feel a bit sleepy.’ Robyn blinked again and again.
Logan asked, ‘Have you been taking aspirin in the last day or two?’
‘No.’
‘Any other drugs apart from your statins?’
‘No.’
‘I’m going to examine your eyes.’ Logan looked around for an ophthalmoscope, opened the drawer Karina indicated. ‘Try to hold as still as possible. The light can be annoying, I’m sorry.’
‘BP’s high.’ Karina wrote down the figures and showed him.
Pulling out a chair, Logan sat opposite a now very distressed Robyn. ‘I don’t want you to panic but you’re going to hospital.’ He looked briefly to Karina. ‘Can you call an ambulance? Stat one.’
As Karina picked up the phone and punched triple one, Logan returned his attention to his patient, acting and sounding like the complete professional he was, showing no signs of urgency when he must be desperate to have Robyn on her way to hospital.
‘The sudden sharp headache, double vision and what I see in your eyes suggests to me that you might be having a small bleed on the brain.’
The last of the colour in Robyn’s face drained away. ‘Am I going to die?’
‘You’ve come in very early on, which is good. In hospital they’ll do a CT scan and some blood clotting tests to find out if it is a bleed or not.’
Logan spoke slowly and softly, pausing after each sentence for Robyn to ask questions, but she appeared too busy digesting what was happening.
After organising the ambulance Karina said, ‘Robyn, do you want me to ring Tony so he can go with you?’
‘Please. And the school won’t know where I am either. I should be there by now.’ Tears spilled down Robyn’s face.
‘I’ll call them. I won’t say anything other than you’re too unwell to attend today. Tony can keep them posted.’
Out in Reception Karina told Leeann what was happening before asking, ‘Can I borrow you to help me shift a bed at lunchtime?’
‘No problem.’
Going into the doctor’s consulting room, she found Luke Browning—still waiting for Logan to finish his check-up. ‘Won’t be too long now, Luke.’
‘No worries. I’ve got all morning.’
‘How are those babies? Still waking you and Liz for feeds throughout the night?’
Luke and his wife had finally had triplets after their third IVF treatment, and they had to be the most loved babies on the planet. Karina had lots of cuddles with them whenever they came in for check-ups, and every time she wondered if she was wrong to think she could stay single and not have children of her own. But she loved Mickey as though he were hers. So what was her problem?
The sound of a siren cut off any further conversation. Karina met the paramedics at the back door and took them directly to her room, where Logan gave them the rundown while she helped Robyn onto the stretcher.
‘Take care.’
Minutes later the medical centre returned to calm, and Logan picked up from where he’d been interrupted, but it was well after midday before they caught up with their patient list. Fortunately it was mostly a day of flu and tummy bugs and drug prescriptions and nothing else eventful.
Karina felt drained of energy and it was barely lunchtime. Getting up to Mickey so often had caught up with her.
* * *
Logan paused in the doorway to Karina’s domain at the surgery. Sitting at her desk, hunched over a file, she looked tiny. With her big heart and exuberant personality he sometimes forgot how small she was. Even in his less-than-fit state it would be easy to scoop her up into his arms and hold her against his chest, kissing her senseless before exploring every inch of skin on that to-die-for body. After he’d carried her to his bed, of course.
Bed. With Karina curled into him.
Bed. Duh... That was why he was here. ‘Why did I just see a bed being taken across our lawn and into the house?’
The stunned look on her sweet face told him she hadn’t known he was there.
‘What?’
Then that cute pink filtered into her cheeks. Embarrassed? Or guilty?
‘Who was carrying it?’
‘Mr Grumpy and a wheelbarrow.’
She leapt out of her chair. ‘That man needs telling off. I told him not to do it. It’s too heavy for him.’
‘I don’t believe it. You told Jonty not to do something? Talk about challenging him. He was always going to do it from the moment you opened your mouth.’ He grinned at her mortification.
Her pearly whites showed between her lips as she sucked in a breath. ‘Guess my brain was in sleep mode.’
Sleep... Bed... Go, damn it. His brain was fixed on sex—with Karina.
‘You haven’t answered the question. There are more than enough beds in our house. Why another one?’
The pink shade darkened to a rosy red. Those teeth dug into her bottom lip so hard it must hurt.
‘It’s going in the lounge.’
That drove away all thought of sex. ‘You’re setting up a bed for me to sleep on in front of the fire?’ Like that was going to happen. Damn her for interfering. These were his nightmares, his problem. Not Karina’s.
‘Yes.’
Defiance glared out at him from under those long eyelashes to which she’d applied a load of mascara.
‘Don’t bother making it up. I won’t use it.’ If he lay down there he’d have a nightmare just as surely as he would back in the bedroom.
Even as she asked she was heading out of the room.
Following her, he shook his head at her back view. ‘You’re avoiding the subject.’
‘Not at all. But we’ve only got half an hour before we need to be back here. I can’t sit around talking all day.’
‘Why do you do this? Switch off when the conversation isn’t going your way?’
It was like trying to discuss the house with her—impossible. When Karina made her mind up about something there was no getting through to her that there might be another solution. One that suited both of them.
Of course she didn’t bother answering his last question.
As he reached the back porch Jonty was just leaving. His face was pale and he was yawning.
‘Are you all right?’ Logan asked. Had that bed weighed too much for the stubborn old man?
‘Of course I am.’ Jonty shuffled down the steps and began to stomp away.
‘Jonty, there’s a stomach bug doing the rounds. If you’re feeling ill it would pay to have a check-up in case you’ve caught it.’
‘Don’t need no doctor. When you get to my age all they do is find too many things wrong with you and try to make you eat rabbit food and drink nothing but water.’
Logan stepped back onto the path. ‘Come with me to the surgery while everyone’s at lunch.’
‘This thing that’s laying everyone low... It’s a twenty-four-hour bug?’
‘Yes, with another day thrown in to get over it.’
‘Then I ain’t got that.’ Jonty turned towards the gate that led to his house.
Oh, no, you don’t.
‘Let’s go. I’ll just take your temp, and I promise not to tell Karina to put your food through a blender before serving it.’
‘Huh. That girl will do whatever she chooses, whether you or I like it or not.’ But he changed direction, now aiming for the surgery.
Jonty wasn’t getting any argument from him about Karina.
In the consulting room he said, ‘Right, park your backside on that chair. Do you feel nauseous?’ When Jonty dipped his head in acknowledgment, he continued. ‘Any fever? Sweats? Day or night?’
‘Some.’ Jonty turned his hat over and over in his gnarled hands.
He’s afraid. He thinks he’s got something serious and doesn’t want to know. At his age who can blame him?
‘What else?’ Logan lounged on the end of the desk, as if he had all the time in the world to listen to this old guy.
‘My gut hurts lots and the toilet stuff’s not so good.’
‘Any blood in your stools?’ When Jonty raised an eyebrow in question he gave a more basic term for stools, then asked, ‘Is it black?’
‘A bit.’
‘Up on the bed now and I’ll check your stomach.’
Jonty stared at him, that hat almost spinning now. ‘I don’t want you finding anything I can’t deal with. You understand?’
‘I do. Completely. But let me put it this way—what if you’ve got something easily treatable?’
‘What are my chances? I’m too old these days.’
Logan put up a smile. ‘You’re also fit and very alert.’
Faded green eyes met his gaze and finally Jonty said, ‘Thanks, lad.’ He clambered onto the bed. ‘Don’t take too long. I’ve got to pick up those pipes so we can fix the drive in the morning.’
Logan warmed his hands under hot water, mulling over Jonty’s symptoms and which tests to order. Those tests would be the hardest to obtain. Jonty would fight him all the way. But he had an ace up his sleeve. Karina. Jonty’s Achilles’ Heel. He adored her as much as she did him. He might grizzle about it, but they’d get those tests done if she told him to.
Listening to Jonty as he listed his symptoms of stomach pain, dark stools, weight loss and tiredness, Logan began considering Crohn’s disease.
‘Ever have any mouth ulcers?’
‘One or two.’
‘Right...’ Now he knew which boxes to tick on the lab form.
* * *
It was late afternoon when Karina tracked him down in the tea room, getting a coffee. ‘Mickey’s very quiet since he got back from kindy. I hope he’s not sickening for something.’
The boy was sitting in the corner, colouring in a picture of an elephant, and his desultory manner underlined Karina’s comment. Still...
‘Stop worrying. If he’s crook we’ll know soon enough. There’s one plus. His urinary frequency seems to have stopped.’
‘How can I not worry? Tell me that, Logan.’
He didn’t get a chance.
Leeann strode into the room, saying to Karina, ‘Becca phoned and said to remind you it’s Friday night.’
‘I’ll call her back and tell her no.’ Karina looked despondent.
‘What does Friday night have in store?’
‘Drinks at the pub. But I’m too tired to be bothered today.’
‘Well, I’m not. It sounds like the best idea in ages. We’ve had a big day, so let’s go unwind for a bit. Who normally looks after Mickey when you go out? Jonty?’
She looked stunned and she dipped her head.
‘Come on, Karina.’ He dropped an arm over her shoulders, squeezed her gently against him. ‘It will be good to have some adult time.’
Leeann hadn’t finished. ‘Becca also said, Karina, that you should bring the doctor everyone’s talking about.’
Logan laughed. ‘There you go. I’m officially invited.’
‘Wait till I see Becca,’ Karina snapped as her face coloured a beautiful shade of red. ‘I’m going to kill her. Slowly. Painfully.’
‘You sure know how to make me feel wanted.’ Logan dropped his arm and picked up his coffee. ‘Just as well I’ve got a thick skin.’
* * *
‘He’s yummy!’ Becca leaned close to Karina the instant Logan stood up to go for another round of drinks. ‘No wonder you didn’t want to bring him along for the rest of us to get to know him.’
‘I didn’t want to bring him because I have him in my face twenty-four-seven as it is.’ She winced at her own unfairness. ‘I just wanted some time to think without him there, to not think about anything except having some fun.’
‘You’re not seriously telling me you don’t have fun with the yummy doctor?’ Becca laughed. ‘Come on, Karina, you’re not made of ice.’
Her face flushed. ‘Unfortunately.’
‘Aha, so you are interested in him?’ Her friend looked too darned delighted with that.
‘Here you go, ladies.’ Logan placed replenished beers in front of them and took his seat next to Karina. This time he managed to place the length of his leg against hers.
On her other side she got one of Becca’s elbows in her ribs. ‘Nice...’
‘Shut up,’ Karina whispered back, and adjusted her chair to put space between her and Logan. Picking up her drink, she tried to focus on the crowd and who was there that she knew.
Logan leaned closer. ‘You any good at pool?’
‘I know one end of a cue from the other.’
‘She’ll beat the pants off you,’ Becca’s brother informed him.
‘Let’s give it a whirl.’ Logan stood and reached down for her hand. ‘I haven’t played for a while, but I bet I can beat you.’
‘Now, there’s a challenge.’ Tugging her hand free of his, and feeling the instant cool where his fingers had been, she strode across to the table and began setting it up.
‘Heads or tails?’ He stood beside her, flicking a coin up and down in his right hand.
‘Heads.’
The coin slapped onto the back of his han
d. ‘Heads it is.’
Karina chose a cue and went to the end of the table. Bending over to line up with the triangle of balls, she mentally crossed her fingers that she wouldn’t make too much of an idiot of herself, then aimed the cue ball to break up the triangle. She could play, and sometimes she even won, but a champion she was not. As her first shot showed.
Hard as she tried, she couldn’t ignore Logan when he nudged her aside.
‘Let me show you how it’s done, girl.’
Rolling her eyes, she laughed. ‘You don’t have a problem with self-belief, do you?’
‘I’ll have you know I beat the Nigerian health centre staff every time.’ He winked. ‘The fact we used sticks for cues and apples for balls had nothing to do with it.’
He sank three balls before missing a difficult shot.
‘What did you use for a table?’ Lining up her next ball, she leaned over the edge of the table for better access. The resounding thunk as the ball hit the side of the pocket and dropped in made her chuckle. ‘Take that.’ Thunk. ‘And that—and that.’
‘A tin table with hats nailed to each corner.’
Laughter bubbled up just as she moved her cue. It slewed sideways and she missed her target. ‘Look what you made me do.’
‘Excuses, excuses. Again, let me show you how it’s done.’
‘Smarty-pants,’ she coughed out around her laughter.
Then she got an eyeful of neat, butt-filled pants as he leaned so far over the table it was a wonder his feet remained on the floor. The laughter dried up; as did her mouth. Oh, my. Now, there was a sight for sore eyes. Any eyes.
‘Looks like the drinks are on you.’
Logan’s voice penetrated the heat haze in her brain.
‘Why?’ A glance at the table gave her the answer. ‘The best of three?’
She began emptying the pockets and putting the balls back into the wooden triangle.
‘You’re on. But first I need my beer. It’s hot work, playing nice to a lady.’
‘That was nice? Distracting me and then sneaking balls into pockets when I wasn’t looking?’
Don’t ask me where my gaze was.
‘All part of the plan. Win by means foul or fair.’ He brought their beers across. ‘Get that inside you and see if it doesn’t improve your eyesight.’