Reunited with Her Secret Prince

by Susanne Hampton

  ‘Georgie is fluent in French and Italian, Stacey in Spanish, and I also speak a little Greek so we should be able to assist Sir Walter’s international guests according to the information I was provided. Oh, and Steve is fluent in golden retriever but we won’t be needing that on this trip.’

  The team laughed, except for Libby. She stood staring into space, not capable of reacting, and Daniel understood why. She was feeling trapped and, while it wasn’t his fault, Daniel felt guilty. Her distaste at being in the same space as him was understandable.

  He watched as Georgie leaned over and gave her a hug. There was a very real bond between Libby and Georgie and one that, it appeared, had not diminished despite their years apart. He was not surprised because Libby was hard to forget. She was genuine and compassionate and so much more he didn’t want to remember, but all of it was coming back to him at lightning speed.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ‘SIR WALTER AND his remaining guests are due to arrive shortly. His grandson and guest arrived early and have already boarded and are in their stateroom. We are scheduled to set sail at fifteen hundred hours,’ the Captain announced. ‘So please take this time to get to know your way around your home away from home and meet the rest of the crew who have been on board for quite a few hours, some since yesterday, in preparation for the voyage.’

  Daniel was still coming to terms with the situation. It was surreal seeing Libby and he had to keep reminding himself that after this week he would never see her again. Their paths would never cross. There was nothing to bind them together and everything to keep them apart. He had to make sure he did not let old feelings creep into the present. He could not truly make amends and he did not want to lie or hurt her further. She had made it clear she wanted their time together to pass quickly and she was only here because she had no other option. How he wanted it to be different but that wasn’t in the stars for them.

  The senior crew were dispersing but Daniel needed to speak with Libby about Walter’s condition and in general about her role on the yacht, and after that he would keep his word and restrict all interactions to a professional minimum.

  ‘Libby, can you please stay back?’ Daniel asked. ‘I would like to clarify a few things as this is your first time as a ship’s nurse.’

  Libby paused in mid-step and turned back. Daniel could see by her expression her distaste of the idea.

  ‘Do you want me to stay too?’ Georgie asked in a lowered voice.

  ‘I’m good, Georgie, thank you,’ she said softly. ‘I’m sure this won’t take long and then I’ll head back to my cabin.’

  ‘Five minutes, tops,’ Daniel responded, making it clear he had heard both of them.

  Georgie walked away, leaving Daniel and Libby alone for the second time that day. Libby crossed her arms and glared in silence at him. Her hostile body language told him everything he already knew.

  ‘Libby,’ he began. ‘I will keep this very brief, but I do need to explain what we do and don’t have access to on the yacht in regard to providing treatment to Walter and any other passengers.’

  ‘I’m quite happy to go and find that out for myself,’ she retorted as she paced the deck.

  ‘I’m sure you could do that but it might be more efficient if I was to give you a brief overview because we don’t know what the next few days might hold in terms of Walter’s health. What we do know is that we have an almost eighty-year-old man who has undergone a triple coronary artery bypass graft and insists on behaving as if he has never seen the inside of an operating theatre. You and I are both aware that he is not fully recovered and he is as stubborn as the next billionaire and believes he knows best in every aspect of his life...’ Daniel’s words were cut short by the arrival of a uniformed young man.

  ‘I’m Stan, one of the stewards, and I need you to come quickly. There’s a young woman on the top deck. She gashed her head and one of the stewardesses is sitting with her. There’s a load of blood.’

  ‘Let’s go,’ Daniel said, immediately following the young man.

  ‘I’m coming too,’ Libby answered.

  Within moments, the three of them climbed the circular staircase leading to the top deck to find a young woman dressed in shorts and a bikini top sitting in a deck chair. A stewardess stood beside her, holding a blood-soaked white hand-towel against the young woman’s forehead. She had visible injuries, including grazes and cuts to the exposed skin on her shoulders, upper arms and face. There was a first-aid kit lying nearby.

  ‘Do you know what happened... Rose?’ Daniel asked as scanned the stewardess’s name tag.

  ‘Natalie had a tumble on the top deck,’ Rose replied matter-of-factly. ‘One of the engineers found her. It looks like she fell from the climbing wall, which had been cordoned off as it was unattended, and she had been on it without a harness. I asked her not to move; I thought she might have neck injuries. I’ve done first aid and knew she should remain still and wait for you as she might need a neck brace but she ignored my instructions.

  ‘She climbed to her feet and then collapsed back down in the chair. I brought the first-aid kit up with me when I was called.’

  ‘Do you know if she was conscious when she was found?’

  ‘No, they said she was unresponsive. The engineer initially thought she had hit her head and been killed in the fall,’ Rose told him. ‘Poor man, he was quite shaken up by it.’

  Daniel took a pair of disposable gloves from the open first-aid kit and Libby followed suit, slipping on a pair and moving closer to the young woman.

  ‘I can take over and give your hand a rest,’ she told Rose as her gloved hand replaced the stewardess’s and held the bloodied towel in place.

  ‘Natalie,’ Daniel began, looking directly at the young patient. ‘I’m a doctor, my name is Daniel and this is Libby, the ship’s nurse. We need to take a closer look at your injuries.’

  ‘It’s not that bad,’ the young woman mumbled. ‘I just need to wash up and have some painkillers for my head...and I’ll be fine. Honest I will.’

  ‘I think you’ll need a bit more than that, Natalie,’ Daniel said firmly before turning to the stewardess. ‘Thank you, Rose. Libby and I have got this. We can take it from here.’

  Her reaction to hearing the words from Daniel took Libby by surprise. They reminded her of how Daniel would say that in ER. ‘Libby and I have got this,’ he’d said more times than she could remember...or cared to remember at this time. They had been such a great team. Everyone had recognised how well they’d meshed on the job. They thought the same way, Libby pre-empting what Daniel would need. There had been an unspoken trust. They had worked like a hand and glove... Libby just wished it had been the same in their personal lives.

  ‘We haven’t even set sail yet, so it’s not a good omen for the rest of the trip,’ Rose commented before leaving the area. The young woman was still sitting upright but swaying a little. On closer inspection, Libby could see there were deep grazes to her elbows and knees with trickles of blood on her left leg. Her right slip-on-style shoe was missing but as Libby’s eyes darted around, there was no sign of it close by.

  ‘I’m going to carefully take the towel away from your head so we can look at the wound,’ Libby told her softly to allay any fear. Libby had stepped into medical mode and made a conscious decision to leave their personal issues behind.

  The young woman remained very still as Libby released the towel. She knew immediately it was a deep wound and would require stitches or else there would be an unattractive scar running across the victim’s forehead above her left eye. Some of Natalie’s blonde hair was matted into the bloodied area. The length of time between the fall and being found might have been more than first thought.

  ‘It appears the bleeding has ceased for the time being at least,’ Daniel told Libby as he leaned in and examined the wound very closely. The scent of his musky cologne filled her senses and her
immediate reaction was to pull away but she couldn’t. She was still supporting the young woman so she had to stay closer to Daniel than she’d ever thought she would again. She swallowed and tried to calm her racing heart. It wasn’t anger surging through her veins. It was something she had forgotten how to feel.

  ‘She will need stitches,’ Libby remarked in a tone that gave away nothing of how she was feeling.

  ‘I agree,’ Daniel responded. ‘However, I would suggest that since it’s in a prominent place on your face, a plastic surgeon would be your best option.’

  The young woman nodded but appeared unperturbed with the news about her face.

  ‘I’m just going to check your pulse,’ Libby cut in.

  ‘I need to ask you some questions while Nurse McDonald takes your observations.

  ‘What is your name and date of birth?’ Daniel went on.

  ‘Natalie.’ The young woman paused and looked up, her eyes darting about as if searching for the words. ‘Natalie, Natalie... Martin.’

  ‘And how old are you?’ Daniel asked, not taking his eyes away from his young patient as he observed her reactions.

  ‘I’m eighteen...no, no, I’m nineteen,’ she told him as she reached up to the wound area with her blood-stained fingers.

  Gently but firmly Daniel directed her hand away from the wound. ‘Your hands are contaminated. You need to refrain from touching the wound until it’s dressed.’

  ‘Can you please tell me today’s date and the day of the week?’ Libby asked.

  ‘Monday, June tenth.’

  Libby looked at Daniel. It was Sunday, June eleventh. The woman was lucid but still a little disoriented.

  ‘Natalie, are you in significant pain anywhere other than your forehead and the scratches on your legs?’ Daniel asked as he reached for a stethoscope.

  ‘It kind of hurts all over but if you can clean me up and give me some strong painkillers I’ll be okay.’

  ‘Pulse is seventy,’ Libby announced.

  ‘Is that good or bad?’

  ‘Your observations are good, Natalie, but it’s not as simple as a strong pulse and a few painkillers. I need to better understand how you’re feeling as there can be underlying issues from a significant fall. Is there any significant targeted pain or generally a battered and bruised feeling?’ Daniel continued the line of questioning. Libby was aware he was not convinced that the injuries from the fall were as clear cut as they could see.

  Natalie’s loss of consciousness for a still undetermined period of time and a fall from a height were concerning him. He was a thorough doctor and not one to compromise a patient’s health care so he was taking his time and remaining calm. He always had.

  ‘The back of my head is the worst,’ she said very slowly, purposely rolling her head in a circular motion. ‘But a shot or two tonight and I’ll be fine.’

  ‘Best not to move your head that way, and I might remind you that at nineteen you’re underage and would not be served alcohol on this ship. Please stay as still as possible and let me look at the back of your head,’ Daniel said as he walked to the other side of the examination table and carefully checked the posterior skull region.

  ‘As I suspected, there is an area of your skull that is somewhat depressed. For a conclusive prognosis we will need to do X-rays and you’re going to need to be in hospital under observation.’

  ‘For how long?’

  ‘Overnight at least. I’m not sure how far you fell and for how long you were unconscious. Both are concerning me.’

  Libby began to clean the wound. Careful not to dislodge the blood clot, she freed some of the matted hair and applied an antiseptic solution and sterile gauze dressing. Daniel reached over and his hand brushed hers lightly as he held the dressing in place while she reached for a soft wrap bandage.

  ‘I’ll wrap the wound,’ she began, trying to steady her breathing. Even through the gloves she had felt the warmth of his hand on hers and she was surprised at her reaction. ‘I don’t want to use anything adhesive on her skin.’

  ‘Good call,’ Daniel replied.

  The young woman was agitated but staying still enough to allow Libby to dress the wound.

  ‘Can the plastic surgeon come on board to see me?’

  ‘No, Natalie, the only course of action now is to clean up the wound, give you a temporary dressing and then arrange for you to disembark and transfer immediately to the local hospital. I would prefer that you are transported in an ambulance so I will make a call now and arrange for that. They may have a plastic surgeon on staff at the hospital or refer you to one. I’m not conversant with the local hospital’s scope.’

  ‘I’m not leaving,’ she announced loudly. ‘I’m going to the engagement party with my boyfriend, Ernest. You know, Walter’s his great-uncle and he owns this yacht. You can’t force me to leave.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Natalie, but that’s exactly what I’m doing and I can guarantee you that Sir Walter will not argue the point,’ Daniel responded. His voice was firm but not at the volume of hers. ‘It’s not in your best interest to remain on board with your injuries. You need to get to the nearest hospital as soon as possible for a complete assessment...and I mean as soon as possible.

  ‘Head injuries are not to be taken lightly—the extent of your injuries from the fall may not become obvious immediately and the damage to your skull is concerning me. There’s a risk of internal bleeding. You need a CAT scan and may be admitted to the intensive care unit dependent upon the results. While you feel fine now, don’t be cavalier about the seriousness of the fall.’

  ‘Cava what?’

  ‘Cavalier. It means don’t dismiss how serious the injury could be,’ Libby explained.

  ‘But Ernest can watch me and tell you if there’s anything wrong.’

  Daniel reached for the ship’s phone. ‘We might well be out at sea when either of you notice a problem. And that would be too late.’

  ‘There’s a helipad. I can get taken back to shore anytime.’

  ‘While there is a helipad, there’s not a helicopter on board. You could lapse into a coma without warning and it would be too late to call for the coastguard and I’m not prepared to take that chance with your life.’

  ‘Are you serious? A coma?’

  ‘Yes, there’s always a risk, however slight, with a severe blow to the head of what we call extradural blueing from the middle meningeal artery or one of its branches and as a result a haemorrhage inside your skull. I understand it’s all medical jargon to you, but I’m letting you know that it has the potential to be serious. Your well-being is my priority, Natalie, not your social life. Take another trip with Ernest, but next time don’t climb an unattended rock wall.’

  * * *

  Ten minutes later Libby watched as paramedics arrived and secured Natalie on the barouche in preparation for the ambulance trip to the Western Miami General Hospital. Daniel provided them with the background and a copy of the medical notes that Libby had taken during the examination.

  Ernest had come to say goodbye but he had chosen to remain on board. He told her not to worry and that she would be fine. He’d have shots in her honour at the party and send selfies to her. Libby could see the young woman’s disappointment and anxiety about being transported to hospital was heightened by the sadness of doing it alone. Her boyfriend had chosen partying with his family over her and that had to hurt. Particularly at nineteen.

  * * *

  ‘Thank you for your assistance, Libby.’

  Libby nodded to Daniel and turned to leave. Her work was done. Now she knew she needed distance more than ever.

  ‘I will be suggesting tighter controls over the management of the climbing wall. I might suggest it’s closed altogether unless there’s someone experienced managing it twenty-four seven. Perhaps I’ll speak to the chief stewardess and ascertain the number of young people on
board who may be tempted to do something similar. I don’t think there’re any others but I’d rather be safe than sorry.’

  ‘That’s a sensible idea,’ she said, not wanting to remain near him even a moment longer. She admired him immensely as a doctor and she worried that might somehow influence how she felt about him as a man. It had once before. From the first day Daniel had stepped into the Northern Bay General Hospital A&E where Libby had been nursing, she had been drawn to him, and history was at risk of repeating itself.

  He was a skilled and knowledgeable doctor and she had adored working with him as she’d felt that every moment she did so she learned more and became a better nurse. He had taken the time to explain procedures and the reason for his diagnoses, prognoses and treatment plans, however unconventional or, at times, unpopular they might have seemed. He was thorough and methodical, leaving nothing to chance. He was also very handsome and charismatic and none of that had changed.

  An empathetic bedside manner was not at the forefront on this occasion but it was understandable. Daniel wanted what was best for the young woman, and wasn’t about to be swayed by her pleas. He didn’t mind being the bad guy in her opinion if it meant saving her life—or at the very least keeping her pretty face from being disfigured by ugly scarring.

  But Libby had to save herself from being drawn back in. She had to get away as quickly as she could because she could not afford to be swept away by her feelings.

  Forgetting the past was not an option and she could not let his professional abilities overshadow the ruin he had left in his wake and the decision that still weighed heavily on her mind. She walked away from Daniel without another word.