by Joanna Neil
She swiftly checked the patient and made certain that all was as well as could be. ‘You saved him,’ she said huskily. ‘He went right to the brink and you made sure that he stayed with us.’
He made no reply and she stared at him for a second or two. ‘You haven’t been yourself since we set out this afternoon,’ she said. ‘Is there something wrong—something special about this trip?’
Craig replied. ‘I have been here before.’ He gave a deep sigh, a kind of hoarse rumble that started in the back of his throat. ‘There was another accident a couple of years ago at that same bend in the road. It was a horrible winter’s evening, and the road conditions were icy. Cars had piled up. I was called out to attend to the accident, and I went along, thinking that it would be business as usual.’
He gave a shudder. ‘These things are never easy, but this was the worst. I found that my best friend was in one of the vehicles. His car had overturned, just like the one back there.’
He pulled in a deep breath to steady himself. ‘I worked with him for more than an hour while we waited for the fire crew to free him. I did everything I could to try to save him, but it simply wasn’t enough. He died, and somehow I’ve had to try to live with that ever since. They told me that no one could have brought him back, that his injuries were too severe, but I had to try.’
She placed her hand over his. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said huskily. ‘That must have been terrible for you. Going back there today must have brought it all back.’ She looked at him. He appeared haggard, as though he was devastated by events. ‘You look shattered. Will you be all right? I can take over here for you. It’s getting very late. Perhaps you would be better off at home.’
His mouth made an odd shape. ‘You should know me better than that by now. I’m not going home. I’m going to see this through. This man is going to survive, and I’m going to be there to see to it.’
Rebecca let go of his hand as the ambulance drew up into the bay by the hospital. The trauma team came out to receive the patient, and she went along with them, filling them in on the details of his condition.
Craig was walking by the side of the trolley, his attention fixed on the monitors, and she knew that he would not leave the man’s side. They would have to prise him away, and she knew enough of the way this unit worked to know that no one would attempt any such thing.
She waited at the hospital until the patient came down from Theatre some hours later. She watched as he was wheeled away into a recovery ward, and she stepped out from an isolated side ward to follow Craig’s progress as he walked towards her. He was wearing full theatre garb, and she guessed that they had let him scrub in to watch proceedings.
She let her gaze trail over him. ‘How is he doing?’ she asked.
His face broke into a tired smile. ‘He’s OK. I think he’s going to pull through.’
‘I’m so glad.’ She looked up at him. ‘I checked up on the woman I helped as well and she’s also come through surgery OK.’
He nodded and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. ‘It’s been a long day,’ he said. ‘Let’s go home.’
‘Home.’ She echoed the word softly. ‘That sounds wonderful, but I have to say you look as though you could tumble into bed and fall straight to sleep.’
‘You’re right, I could.’ He looked down at her and smiled. ‘Maybe you should get a good night’s rest, too. We have a date tomorrow, remember?’
A date? A line indented her brow. For a moment she had to think what he meant, and then she realised that tomorrow was Saturday. ‘Connor…and Loch Lomond. I hadn’t given it a thought since this morning. Do you think he’ll still want to go?’
‘I am absolutely sure of it. He enjoyed his trip to the park when we went, and he’s talked of nothing else since. We had better be on our toes tomorrow, because he’ll be fidgeting to get out and about again. Sick as he is, that boy has a lot of drive.’
‘Then I guess it’s a case of Loch Lomond, here we come,’ she said with a grin.
Saturday dawned, a bright and beautiful day, and Rebecca was glad of that. It had been a long time since she’d been to the shores of Loch Lomond, and she was looking forward to it, all the more so because Craig would be there with her. Would it be such a dreadful thing if she were to throw caution to the wind for a short time?
Craig was up with the lark, fit and energised and ready to go. Rebecca walked into the kitchen, yawning as she tried to shake off the aftermath of sleep, but she stopped suddenly in the doorway, looking him over.
He was dressed in black denims that fitted him to perfection and a sports shirt that was open at the neck to reveal a glimpse of his lightly bronzed skin. His hair gleamed, jet black with iridescent highlights, still damp from the shower.
‘I can see that you’re ready to go,’ she said. ‘You’ll have to give me a minute to grab some toast. I’m running a bit late.’
He ran his gaze over her from head to toe. ‘I’d say it was worth it,’ he said, a smile playing around his lips. ‘You fit those jeans as though you’ve been poured into them, and as for the top you’re wearing…’
‘Perhaps we shouldn’t go there,’ she murmured, stopping him in his tracks. ‘This is a kind of family outing we’re preparing for.’ Even so, she was pleased that he liked the way she looked. She flicked back the burnished mass of her hair and helped herself to toast and apricot preserve.
‘Is that all you’re having?’ he asked, raising a dark brow.
She nodded. ‘It’ll do me for now. I don’t want to keep Connor waiting.’
She was still buoyed up by the fact that they were going to spend a good few hours together. It wasn’t really a date, of course, but she could pretend, couldn’t she? And even though they weren’t going to be alone, she was fizzing happily with the thought of walking along the shores of the loch with him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
‘THIS is so cool!’ Connor exclaimed. He was peering through the deck rail out over Loch Lomond, while Rebecca pointed out the mountains in the distance. He smiled happily. ‘I love being out here.’
‘That’s the general idea,’ Craig told him, his tone cheerful. ‘We thought you might appreciate a boat trip across the loch. It’s calm and clear today, so you can look out at all the scenery.’
‘I like the islands,’ Connor remarked, his eyes shining. ‘They’re beautiful, and you can see for miles around.’ He shifted in his wheelchair, tilting his head to look up at Craig. ‘Do we have to go straight back to the hospital when we come off the boat? I don’t want to go back yet.’
Craig shook his head. ‘We can look around the village for a while, if you like. I don’t want to keep you out too long in case it’s tiring for you, but there are some quaint little gift shops and pretty stone-built houses, and an ice-cream parlour—I know you like ice cream.’
‘I do. Especially toffee ice cream.’ Connor was thoughtful for a moment. ‘I could get my mum a present,’ he said. ‘I brought some money with me. She likes crystals…do you think I’d be able to find one for her?’
‘We’ll have a look,’ Rebecca told him. ‘I’m sure we’ll be able to find something that she’ll like.’
‘Good.’ Connor sat back in his chair, satisfied for the moment.
Rebecca laid a hand on the deck rail, loving the way the light breeze gently lifted her hair as she looked out towards the approaching shoreline. Best of all, she loved the way Craig had moved to stand by her side, so that they were close to one another, their bodies touching. He was in a relaxed mood today, happy to be taking time out, and it felt good to be with him.
When the boat docked, Craig carefully wheeled Connor along the ramp to the quayside, and they started off for the village. ‘There’s a beach,’ Connor pointed out a few minutes later. ‘Do you think we could go there?’
Rebecca glanced at Craig. ‘I don’t see why not, do you? The sand’s firm enough around here, and we could lift the wheelchair down there between us, couldn’t we?’
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bsp; He nodded. ‘OK. Just for half an hour or so, because we need to keep an eye on the time.’ He looked at Connor after they had manoeuvred the wheelchair down onto the beach. ‘I’ve a feeling this young man would stay out all day…anything to avoid going back to hospital.’ He was smiling as he said it, and the boy wrinkled his nose.
‘I’m fed up with being in the ward. My mum and dad will be going home soon, and I want to go with them. We’re all better now, so I don’t see why we can’t.’
‘That’s true, you are very much better,’ Rebecca said, sitting down on the sand beside him. ‘I expect it won’t be too long now before you’re free of us. About a week, I should think.’
‘Really?’ Connor’s eyes lit up. ‘Do you think so?’
She nodded. ‘I had a word with Sister, and she said the doctor was very pleased with how you well you were all doing. You’re able to be up and about more, and you soon won’t need to be in the wheelchair so much. He’s not making any promises, but a week should just about do it.’
‘Oh, wow, that’s brilliant.’ He beamed with pleasure and then looked around him with interest. ‘Can we collect some pebbles? My dad likes the coloured ones. He saves them and tumbles them in a machine to make jewellery.’
‘If you like.’ She glanced at Craig. ‘For someone in a wheelchair, he has a lot of energy, doesn’t he?’
‘You said it…’ His mouth made a wry shape. ‘We’ll collect the pebbles and he can save them in his pockets.’
It was at least an hour later when they finally set off for the hospital once more. The drive went smoothly, and Connor was content because he was full of ice cream and he had gifts for both his parents. ‘They’ll love these,’ he said, inspecting the beach treasures and the amethyst crystals he had bought from the shop. Craig drove into the hospital car park.
‘Yes, I’m sure they will.’ Rebecca gave him an encouraging smile.
A few minutes later they went through the main doors into the hospital and took the lift up to the ward.
A nurse greeted them at the entrance door. ‘His parents are waiting for him,’ she said. ‘As soon as they received your phone message to say that you were on your way back, they got us to bring them over.’
She ruffled Connor’s hair. ‘Come on, sonny, let’s get you reunited with them.’ She relieved Rebecca of the wheelchair and led the way along the corridor. ‘They’re longing to hear about how you got on.’
‘I had a great time,’ he said, his voice brimming over with enthusiasm, and then he became thoughtful. ‘And I’m hungry, as well. Is it teatime yet?’
Craig laughed. ‘I can see where his priorities lie.’ He glanced at Rebecca. ‘Perhaps we should say hello to his mum and dad, and then be on our way. I thought we might buy a take-away supper and enjoy a few hours of solitude back at the house. It was good to have some time to ourselves today…it seems to have been a long time since we’ve been able to simply relax.’
‘You’re right, it has. That sounds good to me.’
Before they had a chance to leave the building, though, one of the nurses from A and E came in search of Craig. She was in a hurry, a little flustered, and she seemed to be out of breath from her exertions.
‘I’m glad I’ve managed to catch up with you,’ she said. ‘The receptionist told me you were up on the paediatric ward, but I was afraid you might have gone home already.’
Craig studied her. ‘It’s OK, calm down. What’s the problem?’ He frowned. ‘Is it the baby from the neonatal unit? Has something happened to her?’
The nurse shook her head. ‘No, it’s nothing like that. As far as I know, the little girl is still in Intensive Care.’ She pulled in a quick breath. ‘It’s just that Cheryl is down in A and E. She came in a few minutes ago and she brought her toddler with her. He’s not well, and it looks as though he has an infection of some sort. She said she tried to ring you, but you must have switched your phone off.’
Craig frowned. ‘I was driving,’ he said. ‘I thought it best not to be distracted.’
‘Ah, that explains it.’
‘What’s wrong with Declan? Do you think that it’s anything serious?’
‘We don’t know yet. The poor little chap is very flushed and irritable and his skin looks a bit mottled. Until we’ve done tests, we won’t know. Of course, she’s worried about meningitis, and the first thing she thought of was to get in touch with you.’
‘I’ll come and see her right away. Thanks for telling me.’ He started off in the direction of A and E and then suddenly stopped and turned to look at Rebecca. ‘I’m sorry about this. Obviously I need to find out what’s wrong, and I don’t know how long I’ll be. Perhaps you should take the car keys and drive yourself home. I’ll get a lift back, or a taxi maybe.’ He dug into his pocket and handed her the keys.
‘Don’t you want me to wait with you?’ she said. ‘I don’t mind at all.’
He shook his head. ‘No, there’s no need for you to do that. I’ll deal with this.’ He was moving along the corridor as he spoke, and she realised that he wanted to be left alone to deal with this new situation.
Even so, she followed Craig and the nurse, her stomach clenched in a knot of uncertainty. She had to go in the direction of A and E in order to leave the hospital, and she couldn’t help but be curious about this woman and her child. He appeared to be very concerned, as anyone would be where a small child was involved. But was there more to it than that? What was this woman to him?
Clearly she must be someone very special in his life, and of course he would drop everything to go and help her child.
Cheryl was waiting for him in the main area of A and E. She was a slender young woman, very pretty, with soft fair hair and troubled blue eyes, and as soon as she saw Craig approach, she ran over and flung her arms about him.
‘Oh, I’m so glad that you’re here,’ she said in a choked voice. ‘I didn’t know what to do. I knew you would make everything all right. Will you take a look at him for me—or at least, talk to the doctors and make sure that they don’t miss anything? He looks so poorly. I can’t lose him, I can’t.’
Craig drew her to him and stroked her hair. He spoke very gently to her, words that Rebecca couldn’t hear. Then he put an arm around her and led her away. ‘Tell me what happened,’ he said softly. ‘Whatever is wrong, we’ll do everything that we can for him. Trust me.’
‘I do. You were the only one I thought of.’
They were walking towards a side bay, and Rebecca found herself following them. She stopped at the doorway, and through the glass partition she saw a small child lying on a bed. He was about three years old, she guessed. His hair was black, but even at that age his features were clearly defined, with an angular bone structure and a perfectly shaped nose and beautifully shaped lips.
‘He’s a gorgeous little boy, isn’t he?’ Helen said, coming to stand beside her. ‘Craig loves him to bits, and he always spoils him whenever Cheryl brings him here to see us.’
‘He’s beautiful,’ Rebecca agreed. Her heart felt as though it was breaking. If ever Craig were to have a child, he would surely look like this.
‘They’re going to do some tests to see what the infection might be, but Dr Bradshaw ordered antibiotic treatment in the meantime. Let’s hope it’s nothing too bad.’
Rebecca nodded. ‘I’d better go. I don’t want to intrude in any way, and I need to go and look in on my aunt before I go home.’ She glanced at Helen. ‘Will you let me know if there’s any news? You have my number, don’t you?’
‘Yes, of course.’
Rebecca turned away, a feeling of nausea swamping her. Was Declan Craig’s son? It was no wonder that he had such affection for this woman and her child. Had they been a couple at one time, and had something gone wrong between them?
Obviously, he still cared for her. He spoke to her in such a gentle manner, he had helped her to move into her new place, and now he was tending to her child. What was she to make of it?
She would hav
e liked to say something to him, to have him hold her and tell her that her fears were unfounded, but why would he do that? He hadn’t made any declaration of love towards her or promised her that she would be the one woman he would forever want in his life. She had no place here with him, and if he was hoping that he could make something of his relationship with this other woman, who was she to get in the way of that? There was a child involved, and that changed everything.
She walked out to the car park, and did as he had suggested, taking the car and driving it back to his house. Once there, she wandered about the rooms, trying to make up her mind what she ought to do. Then she pulled out a holdall and started to bundle her few belongings into it. She had the key to Heather’s cottage in her bag, and it seemed to her that she would be better off staying there.
If Craig brought Cheryl back here to comfort her, it would be better if they were alone.
She left him a brief note, and laid the car keys on top of the scrap of paper. ‘I hope Cheryl and the little boy are all right,’ she wrote. ‘I can see that you have a lot to deal with just now, and I think it’s probably best if I give you some space. Thanks for helping me out and for giving me this lovely day out. It’s given me a chance to think things through, and I’ve come to realise that it’s best for me to stand on my own feet. My aunt has given me the key to my grandparents’ old cottage, and I’m going to be staying there for a while. It isn’t too far from the hospital. Bye, Craig. I’ll probably see you back at work next week.’
She had a qualm of indecision that made her hesitate as she left his house half an hour later, but she squashed it quickly. No matter what he said to the contrary, his priority had to be Cheryl and the little boy, and she would only be in the way if he found that she was still here when he came back home.
The cottage, she discovered, was in a completely rundown state. It smelt of damp and disuse, and that first night that Rebecca stayed there she wondered if she had perhaps made a mistake. Maybe she would have been better to book a room in a hotel.