‘Don’t give up on yourself. Scientists are making medical breakthroughs every day. Even if you do get sick, by the time it happens, there might be a cure.’
Did she think he didn’t hope for that every day? Of course he did. But it wouldn’t be soon enough for his dad and there were no guarantees it would ever happen. That she was thinking along those lines only proved she didn’t want to accept the facts.
‘I don’t think you need any medication at this stage,’ he said, heading for the door. ‘If you can’t sleep, try warm milk or meditation, and maybe take a few days off work.’
She jumped off the table and stalked across to him, pausing less than a foot away. ‘That would suit you, wouldn’t it? Because then you wouldn’t have to face me every day.’
He shrugged one shoulder, once again fighting the urge to pull her against him and kiss that sassy mouth into silence. It went against every bone in his body to act so coldly towards her, but he couldn’t afford to let her see how much she meant to him.
Lauren’s bottom lip quivered but she kept her chin held high. ‘Well, don’t worry, Dr Lewis, I’ll be gone soon. Unless you change your mind and give me a reason to stay.’
With that promise, she shoved past him and wrenched open the door. Her shoes click-clacked down the corridor, each slap against the linoleum like a machete hacking at his heart. Yet no matter the pain and sadness that washed over him, he told himself this was for the best.
She might hurt for a little while, mourn the loss of their almost-relationship, but then she’d be free to get on with her life. And he’d have to do his best to make the most of his.
Lauren stalked to her waiting car, holding her head high and clutching onto her bravado until she was safely inside. Her hand shook as she tried to shove the key into the ignition. It didn’t help that tears were bubbling at the corner of her eyelids—tears she didn’t want to cry here in case someone saw her.
She’d been strong and kept it together in Tom’s office—even Ellie would have been proud of that performance—but alone now she could feel her fight draining away. He was like a concrete wall, impossible to penetrate. Maybe she needed to accept that Tom didn’t feel as strongly about her as she did about him. No matter how much it broke her heart, there came a time in a woman’s life when she had to admit defeat.
Finally, she struck gold with the key and her little car roared to life. With a quick glance in the rear view mirror, she put the stick into reverse and hit the juice with one destination in mind.
Having already left work under the illusion of being sick, she headed home, pausing on her way to bed only long enough to retrieve the tub of cookies and cream ice-cream she had stowed in the freezer for emergencies. If ever anything qualified as an emergency it was this. Ginger, happy to see her home but made even happier at the sight of ice-cream, followed close at her heels and Lauren had no energy to fight him off. She peeled back the covers, climbed into bed and then scooped a dollop of cookies and cream onto the lid and laid it down beside her for the cat. As she shovelled spoonfuls into her mouth like she’d never tasted ice-cream before, Ginger lapped up his portion in much the same manner.
When he’d finished, he snuggled right up next to her and purred. Sighing, she put the near-empty tub down on her bedside table and then curled up around the cat, her hand reaching out to seek comfort in his warm, soft fur as they both fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty-six
‘You’re free to go.’ Tom forced a smile the next afternoon as he stood in the doorway to Nancy’s bedroom. Alf was sitting in a chair by the bed.
‘Really?’ A grin lit the old man’s face as he looked from Tom to his daughter-in-law beside him.
‘Yep.’ He nodded. ‘Kym and I have been talking about your care and we’ve worked out some ground rules. If you promise to behave at home and stick to these rules, then I’ll discharge you.’
‘Anything, Doc.’
They spent the next half hour discussing the care plan, and then Tom signed the release papers. As he escorted Kym and Alf outside and helped her settle him into the car, Alf asked, ‘Can you bring Ginger home tonight?’
Damn. He’d all but forgotten about Psycho Cat. At the thought of calling Lauren to make arrangements, his chest tightened. After yesterday’s episode in his office, the last thing he wanted to do was confront her.
‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea,’ he said, stalling. ‘Ginger has a tendency to dart between your feet. He might cause you to trip again.’
‘I promise I’ll be extra careful.’ Alf sounded like a child begging for more time on the iPad.
Tom realised he couldn’t come between an old man and his cat simply because he didn’t have the courage to face Lauren. ‘Okay,’ he relented. ‘I’ll give Lauren a call.’
‘Aren’t you staying with her?’ Kym asked, once again proving how gossip spread like wildfire in a small town.
‘Um…not anymore. I’ll be in touch.’ He ended the conversation before she or Alf could pry and went back into the hospital to check the nursing roster.
‘Can I help you, Dr Lewis?’ Steve asked, coming into the room.
‘I was just checking when Lauren is working next. She’s been looking after Alf’s cat but now he’s headed home and he wants it back.’
‘I see. She called in sick today.’ Steve frowned. ‘Didn’t she come see you yesterday?’
‘That’s right… I forgot.’
‘I hope she’s going to be better for her going away party. You’ll be there, won’t you?’
Although he’d heard the buzz about the do Steve had arranged for Lauren’s goodbye, Tom hadn’t planned on attending. After the way they had left things yesterday, he’d be the last person she wanted to see there. Probably also the last person she wanted turning up on her doorstep to take back the cat, but he couldn’t palm the task off like a coward.
‘Maybe,’ he told Steve as he dug his phone out of his pocket.
Calling her would be like ripping off a bandaid—best to get it over as quickly as possible.
*
Lauren groaned as her mobile vibrated on her bedside table. She’d barely moved for the last twenty-four hours except to go to the toilet and see to Ginger’s needs. Guessing it to be Whitney and knowing that if she didn’t pick up, her friend might come right on over and see just how bad things were, she angled it a little so she could read the caller ID.
Tom? She sat up straight, disturbing Ginger, who’d been slumbering at her feet, and looked warily at the phone. Her instinct was to snatch it up—a tiny part of her hoping he was calling to tell her he’d seen the error of her ways—but her heart clenched, advising her to ignore him. Did she really need any more pain?
Finally she took a breath and answered, her conscience telling her that he could be calling about something to do with the hospital. ‘Hello?’
‘Hi Lauren.’
She sighed and flopped back against her pillows at the familiar sound of his voice. ‘Hi.’
‘Listen, I’ve just released Alf into the care of his daughter-in-law.’
She frowned at his matter-of-fact tone.
‘I need to come and get Ginger and take him back to Alf’s. Is now a good time?’
‘What?’ The pleasant warmth that had spread through her body at the sound of his voice went cold. Ice cold. How stupid she’d been to hope for a miracle. Not only had Tom stolen her heart and stomped all over it, now he wanted to take her cat. Instinctively, she reached out and placed her hand protectively over Ginger.
‘Can I come get him?’ Tom said, his tone impatient.
‘Fine. Whatever.’ She refused to succumb to tears over him again, but found her throat choking up at the thought of losing the cat. A small rational part of her knew this day had been coming ever since Tom had brought Ginger home, but a lot had changed since then. She’d come to welcome Ginger’s snuggles at the end of a long day, and had found a small amount of solace in his persistent catty ways. Who would listen to her woes
if not him?
‘I’m sorry Lauren, but you’ll be going next week anyway and Alf loves that cat for some crazy reason.’
‘I said okay,’ she snapped. ‘Give me half an hour and he’ll be ready.’
She disconnected the call before Tom could say anything more and hurled the phone to the floor. Everything was going back to normal. Ginger was going back to Alf where he belonged. And soon Lauren would be on her own again.
Where she apparently belonged.
Forcing herself out of bed, she threw a robe over her cotton pyjamas and stomped out to the kitchen where she began to gather Ginger’s things. She dropped his box of dry biscuits into a plastic bag, picked up his litter tray and cat toys and carried them all out onto the front step.
‘Here puss puss puss.’ She stretched out her hand and Ginger came to her, only to hiss and lash out with his claws when she wrangled him into the cat box. She picked up the cage and peered at him through the little white bars. ‘It was sweet while it lasted. You look after Alf, big boy.’
Choking back tears, she opened the front door again and dumped Ginger’s box down next to his things before going back inside to call her brother. She’d been thinking about what exactly to do when she left Hope Junction for a while now, and the idea of joining Frank appealed more and more. Nepal was about as far away as she could get and maybe helping others who were in situations far worse than her own would remind her to be grateful for what she did have.
‘Hey sis, what’s up?’ Frank said, after the third ring.
Having expected voicemail, she’d had her message all planned out, so she blinked in surprise. ‘Uh, not much. I was actually wondering if you’re in need of a nurse over there?’
‘You know someone looking?’
‘Me.’ She sighed, ignoring the sound of Tom’s ute pulling up in the driveway. ‘I’ve given Steve my notice.’
‘You’ve what? I thought the only way they’d take you out of Hope was in a box.’
‘Very funny,’ she said, not even cracking a smile. ‘Just shows how much you know about me, big brother. You’re not the only one who wants to spread their wings. I thought maybe I should take a leaf out of your book and help the less fortunate.’
‘In that case, yes, we’re always looking for nurses.’
Ten minutes later, Lauren had two pages of notes about what she needed to do to apply to work overseas on the aid program, and all traces of Ginger were gone from her doorstep. Her life might not have taken the direction she’d hoped, but it felt empowering to have a plan.
First thing the next morning, she went to see Steve.
‘You feeling better today?’ he asked as she knocked on his open office door. ‘I don’t want you coming back unless you’re a hundred percent.’
‘I am, yes.’ She’d even managed some sleep last night after spending hours researching travel plans on the internet. If she kept busy, maybe she’d forget about her heartache. ‘But I’ve come to ask a favour.’
Steve linked his hands together on the desk in front of him and leaned forward. ‘Sounds ominous.’
‘I know I said I’d stay till New Year, but something’s come up and I need to leave today. I hope you’ll understand.’
He frowned. ‘What about your going away party?’
She shrugged and gave him an apologetic smile. ‘I think everyone’s a little over celebrating at the moment, don’t you? I’ll work my shift today and say my goodbyes here, and then anyone who wants to can come down to the pub tonight for a drink.’
‘All right.’ Steve shook his head and huffed out some air. ‘It won’t be the same around here without you, but I appreciate you staying as long as you did.’
‘Oh, Steve.’ She choked back tears and blinked away the emotion that pooled in her eyes. Leaving Hope Junction, leaving the hospital, was going to be even harder than she’d anticipated. ‘Thanks. It’s been great working with you.’
He waved a hand in front of his face. ‘Be off with you, we’ll save the tears for tonight. I’m buying the first round.’
‘I’ll hold you to that,’ Lauren promised as she left his office and headed for the lockers. With a few minutes left to spare until she officially started her shift, she took the time to send Whitney and a few other friends messages about tonight. She hadn’t felt up to a big fuss and had thought her plan to slip away before her official party was ingenious, but when she’d seen the disappointment in Steve’s eyes, she’d realised that would be a selfish thing to do.
And Whitney would never forgive her if she snuck away without saying goodbye.
A&E and the rest of the hospital were quiet for most of the day, and Lauren never strayed far from her old friends. She stripped back May and Barbara’s Christmas manicures and gave them both a fresh coat of polish, trying not to think about whether anyone else would make the effort once she’d gone. She played cards with Ned and spent some time with Nancy, brushing her long, fine white hair as she rocked her doll and hummed a hymn Lauren vaguely recognised from her Sunday school days.
The hardest thing about leaving Hope Junction would be saying goodbye to her patients, who’d become like surrogate grandparents over the last few years. She knew she’d keep in touch with Whitney and even Ellie—one day she’d return to visit and spoil their children with presents from afar—but by the time she felt ready to do that, these lovely people might no longer be here. It hurt to think about that, and she didn’t know how to break the news of her departure to them.
She watched the clock, the minutes ticking away on her shift, knowing she had to find the courage soon. Afternoon tea time rolled around and Lauren vowed that once the residents were settled with their lukewarm drinks and chocolate cake, she’d do it. But then the phone rang and thirty seconds later the receptionist came thundering down the hallway.
‘There’s been a horse-riding accident,’ she rushed, panting as she delivered the news to Lauren and Mandy. ‘Major head trauma. The ambulance is on its way.’
‘Do we have a patient name?’ Lauren asked, she and Mandy already jumping to their feet.
‘Yep. It’s Jordan O’Donnell.’
Chapter Twenty-seven
As Lauren grappled with the news that Rats was their patient, Tom strode purposefully into the tiny Accident and Emergency department and headed straight for her. The terrifying sound of the ambulance siren wasn’t far behind, but he stopped and placed his hands on her shoulders. Despite the urgency and seriousness of the situation, her heart fluttered at his touch, every part of her body aware of his closeness.
‘Lauren?’ His intense gaze met hers. ‘Are you going to be okay? This one doesn’t sound good and it’s close to home for you. I need to know that you can handle it.’
‘Yes,’ she breathed, nodding and silently praying her answer to be true. One of the problems with working in the small town where you’d grown up and knew almost everyone was that you sometimes had to look after one of your own. She’d been there before a number of times, but the patient who would soon be wheeled through the door wasn’t just a local, he’d been like a brother to her for as long as she could remember. He was her best friend’s husband.
The imminent arrival of the ambulance meant Tom didn’t have the chance to grill her any further. He rushed to the sink, washed his hands and snapped on gloves in record time and as Lauren watched, she knew that whatever problems she had with him, he’d do his best to save her friend. She needed to get past her feelings—for Tom and for Rats—and assist.
‘They’re here,’ Mandy called from the open doors, already on her way out to the ambulance car park, which adjoined the emergency room.
Tom rushed after her and somehow Lauren followed, holding her breath as Carol, the volunteer ambulance driver, peeled back the doors. Her face was grim and pale, suggesting the seriousness of Rats’ injuries hadn’t been over-exaggerated. Tom leapt into the van, already assessing him as they wheeled the stretcher out.
‘Thirty year old male,’ stated Trent, the
ambulance officer who’d been in the back and happened to play football with Rats. His voice shook and Lauren could see his eyes were watery as he rattled off his handover. ‘Injury is blunt trauma to the skull. He fell from his horse and got kicked in the side of his head with the hoof. He’s been unconscious since before we got to him, pulse thready, pupils sluggish, regular breathing but we haven’t been able to rouse him.’
Lauren’s hand shot to her mouth as they pushed the stretcher past her and she got her first good look. The patient lying prostrate on the stretcher didn’t look anything like Rats. He bore no resemblance to the man who’d stood proudly to marry her best friend earlier that year, or the boy who’d gone from being the class clown to the life of every B&S ball. It wasn’t just that the ambulance crew had dressed him in a neck collar when he normally wouldn’t even be seen dead in a dress tie. He was deathly pale, and although his eyes were closed he didn’t look restful at all.
‘Mandy, check his BP,’ Tom ordered, glancing quickly at Mandy and then to her. ‘Lauren, insert a catheter and set up an IV line. You with me?’
She nodded, grateful to finally have something to do. It already felt like they’d been in A&E forever and in a situation as dire as this, every second counted. They were following standard procedure—trauma ABCDE—and thankfully it was second nature to her. The medevac helicopter, which had been summoned the moment the ambulance crew had identified the seriousness of the head injury, had already been dispatched from Perth. If Rats made the journey, he’d be in the best possible hands in ICU at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. But until then it was up to Tom, with their assistance, to keep him alive.
Lauren couldn’t bear to think about the alternative as she wrapped the tourniquet around his upper arm and tried to locate a vein. It would be easier if she pretended he were a stranger, like the many patients that came to them after accidents on the Albany Highway.
As she slid the needle into the vein and connected the saline, she heard Tom’s sharp intake of breath.
‘What?’
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