Faith warmed to him when he said this, he was obviously sincere. But she thought there was a touch of a warning there too. Chris was not going to be diverted from what he saw as the most important thing in his life – diverted by a relationship with a woman, for example. A woman such as herself. Well, that suited her fine. In fact, it was a relief.
‘Shouldn’t be a problem,’ she said more briskly than she intended. ‘I believe a minibus goes round the local schools bringing children to the play scheme here for the after-school session. The crèche is open all night with a skeleton staff. Or if you prefer it, with Abbey Kirk living in the village, you won’t be short of a sitter in the evenings if you need one. If not Abbey, then there will be other people she can recommend.’
‘That sounds good. Thank you. So have you got time to show me around the O & G section? Just a quick, informal visit? I’d like to have someone with me so I don’t have to introduce myself. Of course, if you’ve got other things to do ...’
‘I’ve always got things to do,’ she said, ‘but yes, there’s time before my clinic.’ And then she couldn’t help herself. She cleared her throat. ‘Quite a lot of the ... arrangements here have been my suggestions. But you might have your own way of doing things.’
For a moment she caught a glimpse of Chris the professional. The man who cared about his work. ‘I’ll not alter anything that is working well, no matter who arranged it. If I think anything has to be changed – then it will be – though after consultation.’ Then he smiled that smile at her and said, ‘but I’ll bet there’s not a thing you arranged that I want to interfere with.’
Why did she get such a glow from that little compliment? ...
‘Let’s go then,’ she said.
They walked through the hospital corridors, Faith noticing the turned heads and curious expressions. Who was this handsome stranger? They’d find out soon enough. A couple of times they passed senior figures in other departments, and she introduced Chris to them. This should be Freddie’s job. As so often before, Faith was doing it for him.
Chris said, ‘As soon as I start properly I’d like to call a couple of department meetings and meet as many of the staff as possible. I want to tell them the kind of work I expect and what they can expect from me. Then over the next few weeks I’ll talk to everybody individually. They need to know that we are a team, that everyone’s work is important, from the consultant to the ward clerk. I believe in the personal touch.’
‘Sounds good,’ said Faith reluctantly. Despite herself, she was impressed by his enthusiasm and sincerity. How different he was from the retiring head of department. Freddie Myers was old school, he believed in a rigid medical hierarchy with him firmly at the top. She was the only person in the department entitled to call him Freddie. And that only when they were alone. For the rest of the time, or the rest of the department, it was Mr Myers or sir.
They arrived at the door of the Delivery Suite, the place where much of her work was carried out. Faith tapped in the code to unlock it. Once inside, they both rinsed their hands with the alcohol rub. Clean hands were all-important here. Then along the corridor for a white coat each.
This was Faith’s empire and she felt it wrap itself around her, soothing her. She walked past Reception, the assessment area, the equipment room, the High Dependency rooms, the theatre and the wards. She nodded and smiled at the staff she knew so well. They greeted her, openly curious about the tall man by her side.
As they walked, her eyes skimmed everywhere. She needed to be certain that all was as it should be. It generally was. She had excellent staff. But she felt a pang. They were not her staff any more. They were to be Chris’s. She doubted that he would give her as much responsibility as Freddie had. Her step faltered. She had enjoyed that responsibility.
Protocol indicated that they call in to see the staff nurse on duty. Beth Kitson smiled as Faith pushed open her door. ‘No problems here, important person. We’re all happy and settled and ... oh!’
Faith knew what had happened, knew even without the disturbance in the air that had caused her white coat to brush her legs. Chris had entered the room behind her and Beth had seen him, presumably for the first time. Faith could hardly fault her friend’s reaction. Chris was an impressive man. For a moment Faith had a worrying vision of what it was going to be like to have a young, sexually attractive man as head of a department that was very largely staffed by women. And when they found out he was single, it could cause havoc!
She took a deep breath. The staff would take their tone from her. Another reason to be cool and clinical. ‘I’d like you to meet Mr Ford, the new consultant and head of department,’ she said. ‘Mr Ford, this is Staff Nurse Beth Kitson. She’s our most experienced midwife and is going to be one of your right hands.’
‘Mr Ford?’ Beth’s welcoming smile died. ‘I’m pleased to meet you, sir.’
Faith didn’t dare look at Chris, but he must have felt the suddenly chilly atmosphere. Beth was her friend, of course, and had been furious when Faith had been passed over for head of department. But still ...
‘I’m looking forward to working with you, Beth,’ said Chris with a smile. ‘I’ve not officially started yet, and this is your section. Do you mind if I tag along with Faith here and look round a bit?’
He was good, Faith thought. What’s more, the request had been sincere. Technically a midwife was in charge of the room where a birth was taking place. Only when the midwife asked was a doctor allowed to take over. And Beth was both midwife and staff nurse.
So Chris was recognising Beth’s importance and Faith saw that Beth appreciated it. ‘You’re very welcome,’ she said, a small blush on her cheeks. ‘I’ll be here if you want to come back to ask any questions.’
Faith led Chris round, showing him the key areas, introducing him to the staff on duty. Everywhere they went, people grew cool as soon as they learned who Chris was. He couldn’t fail to notice. Faith could sense him working extra hard to deploy that smile to show he was approachable.
After a while he said, ‘This hospital is so different from my last one. It’s quite startling. The friendliness, above all. You seem to know most of the staff here really well.’
Faith hadn’t really thought about it like that. But it was true. ‘Yes, I suppose I do,’ she said.
He was silent as they paced along the corridor back to her room. She wondered what he was thinking. ‘I really must get back to my paperwork.’
‘And I must collect Molly.’ He looked at her, a crease on his forehead and his glorious green eyes sombre. ‘Faith, thanks for putting up with me this afternoon, but I get the feeling that there’s lot to be worked out between us.’
‘I don’t think so. Not when we are both concerned with the good of the department.’
Chris shook his head. ‘I’m learning that this hospital is vastly different from the one I was in before. It isn’t a workplace, it’s a family. Families are partisan. And they also feud.’
‘I think you’re exaggerating,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry, I must dash.’
He put his hand on her arm. ‘I’m not having feuding in my department. I need to talk to you, but on neutral ground. When are you coming back to Little Allaby?’
Talk? What sort of talk? She moistened her lips. ‘I was only away for the night. My sister lives on an emotional roller-coaster. She’s back to normal now.’
‘Then would you come round and have supper with me after work? I’d suggest taking you out for a meal but there’s no way I can leave Molly. Come after she’s gone to bed. If she knows you’re downstairs she’ll play up.’
She met his eyes, trying to ignore the colour and the way the wry question in them made her heart beat faster. ‘Is my coming round to your house a good idea?’ She didn’t say why it might not be so clever and she was glad that he didn’t ask. But they both knew why. There was something between them, something that made the air crackle when they got too close. That was something else that had to be sorted out.
She thought of the way her department had closed ranks against him, warming her with their loyalty even as they’d embarrassed her. He deserved an explanation. ‘Yes, I suppose I do.’
What was happening to her? She was used to medical emergencies, staff problems, administrative disputes – and she knew they had to be dealt with calmly. There was never any point getting agitated over them, it was always counter-productive. Clear, calm logic was her way. That was why she had thought she was so good at running the department. But now she felt her pulse racing. She hadn’t been so moved by proximity to a man since Mike had last–...–no, she wasn’t going to think of Mike now. She was over it.
Her way meant dealing with problems head on. Working with Chris, she sensed, would be different. That smile of his made you lose sight of grievances for a start. So, yes, she would meet him away from this department which she felt was hers and he was determined would be his. She looked at him. He was intent, now. Perhaps troubled too.
‘So you’ll come?’ he asked.
‘Yes, OK. Say nine o’clock? But just for a coffee. No food and no alcohol. I’m on call tonight.’
‘As you wish. I think that we ’
Nothing was ever certain in an Obs and Gynie department. They were just about to let themselves out when there was an anxious call from behind them. ‘Faith! Mr Ford! Wait!’
They turned, there was Beth moving rapidly towards them, concern on her face. She reached them before she spoke, you don’t shout medical details down corridors. ‘We’ve got an emergency. Birth seemed to be going fine, midwife quite happy, no trouble, but now – there’s a prolapsed cord.’
Instantly Chris’s demeanour changed. He became alert in a second, hurrying alongside Faith as she strode back. ‘What are you going to do?’
‘Examine the patient. Perform an emergency Caesarean if necessary.’
He nodded. ‘I’ll observe. Be your second.’
Faith was shocked. He hadn’t even started work here yet! She would have preferred to have her junior registrar as second. But for the good of the department and the sake of working with him in the future, there was nothing she could say.
Chapter Three
‘I’ve sent for the anaesthetist and the paediatrician,’ Beth said. ‘The theatre will be ready as soon as you are.’
Faith nodded. She knew how speedy and efficient Beth was. She ran through the details in her head. A prolapsed cord; it could lead to the baby’s early death. The membranes had ruptured and the umbilical cord had slipped below the presenting part of the baby There was no way of foretelling a prolapsed cord, sometimes, fortunately rarely, it just happened. The baby must be stopped from being born.
Rapidly, they walked into the delivery room and Faith took in the details at once. The mother on her hands and knees on the delivery couch, the midwife – an older, experienced nurse, using her fingers to carefully hold the presenting part of the head away from the cord.
Chris whispered to her. ‘Quick examination then you go and scrub up first. I’ll talk to the mother and the father, explain things and try to calm them a little.’
‘Good idea,’ Faith said, just a bit miffed at not thinking of this herself.
As she made her lightning examination, she heard Chris say to the panicking mother, ‘It’s Mary, isn’t it? Well, Mary, we have a bit of a problem here but we think we can deal with it. Your baby doesn’t want to be born in the usual way so you’re going to need a Caesarean section. Try not to worry, OK? We’ll have you in the theatre in a couple of minutes.’
It was his voice that did it. It was calm, confident, relaxing. Faith watched the worry on the parents’ faces easing, then left and went to the theatre scrub room.
After a moment Chris joined her, began to scrub up himself. The anaesthetist was dealing with Mary; they had a couple of minutes to themselves.
‘Sorry I jumped in, but I like to be familiar with the skills of my staff and this seems a good opportunity for me to observe you.’
Faith’s lips tightened. Freddie had done little staff assessment recently – what had been done had been done by her. Oddly, this was even more cause for irritation.
Chris persisted. ‘Do you have any objections to my being here?’
Yes, she did have objections! She didn’t want to be observed, perhaps criticised, by the man who had taken her job. She should have been the one observing. The logical part of her mind told her that this was not an unreasonable suggestion. But her professional pride wasn’t always logical and she would also liked to have been asked first! ‘You’re the head of department,’ she said crisply, ‘or you will be soon. It’s not for me to have objections. Now let’s get this baby born.’
Chris looked at her thoughtfully. ‘Faith, you are lead in this operation. Unless you ask me to, I’ll do nothing but watch, just forget I am here. Of course, if you want any suggestions ...’
Her voice was cold. ‘I feel quite capable of performing this operation. I have performed it before.’
He ignored the chill in her voice, though she was sure he had recognised it. Instead he smiled. ‘And now you are thinking that whatever happens, you will never ask for my advice.’
Who did he think he was! She shook her head crossly. ‘That would be sheer stupidity. You are half right. I desperately want not to have you assist me. But if it is necessary for the patient’s well-being, then I will ask for help without a second thought.’
His smile disappeared, to be replaced by a look of what she could only think was respect. ‘Faith, I was making fun of you and you gave me the perfect professional response. This is a serious time and I am sorry for my juvenile words.’
Damn the man! It had been a gracious apology. Now she had no reason to dislike him.
‘Let’s get started,’ she said.
* * *
Now she was scrubbed, gowned, masked. Her patient was wheeled in, lifted onto the table. Faith looked at the woman’s abdomen, surrounded by green sheets. She glanced around: anaesthetist, scrub nurse, Chris by her side, waiting for her lead. The paediatrician waited. The moment the baby was born it would be handed over, no longer Faith’s concern. Her concern would be solely the mother. All was prepared.
As ever, she took the few seconds she always gave herself before the first cut. Three deep breaths. And then began.
Sometimes it was surprising how little time an operation took. Faith cut down carefully, reached in and then – there was the magic moment when they heard the baby’s first tiny cry. The paediatrician took her – it was a little girl – and Faith continued with the delivery of the placenta. She looked at Chris. ‘Would you like to close?’ she asked. After all, if he was observing her, why couldn’t she observe him?
‘If you don’t mind.’ Chris stepped forward, bent over the patient. Of course he was masked, there was no way she could see if he was smiling. But his eyes crinkled slightly and she knew he had guessed what she had been thinking.
She watched, him, hands deft as he sutured. And she had to admit it to herself. He was good!
He finished, they nodded at each other. The patient was taken to recovery, for the moment she was the anaesthetist’s responsibility. In time she would be taken down to the ward where they would see her again.
There was that feeling of satisfaction as they both stripped off their scrubs, threw them into the bin.
Faith looked at Chris. ‘Did I pass?’
He sighed. ‘You’re not going to let me off easily, are you? Yes, of course you passed – not that it was an exam. You knew you would, otherwise you wouldn’t be a senior registrar. And I’ll offer a bit extra, your skill with a scalpel goes beyond mere competence, it was superlative. I’m lucky having someone like you on my team.’
It was a generous response and she felt ashamed of her waspishness even if the words my team rankled. There was something she knew she had to say, although it
hurt a little. ‘I liked working with you too. We’re a ... we’re a good team.’
‘So we are. Faith, I was already pretty certain that you’d be a more than competent surgeon. But now I’ve observed you, I’m completely sure. Don’t make this hard. Isn’t it a fair thing for a team leader to try to find out?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Yes, naturally it is.’ She didn’t say that if she had been a team leader, she’d have wanted to watch the work of a new second in command. But she felt it. And was unsettled because of it.
He looked at his watch. ‘About our meeting tonight ...’
‘It’s all right,’ she interrupted. ‘It’s not necessary. There won’t be any more trouble with the staff, Chris.’
And there wouldn’t. She would go round tomorrow telling her people not to give him a hard time. Yes, this was her department, but he was doing exactly what she would have done in his place. She couldn’t fault him for that. When she left, she would leave knowing Dale Head O&G was in a safe pair of hands.
‘But I wanted to ...’
He was looking at her, puzzled.
She managed a bright smile. ‘Shoo,’ she said. ‘Go and find Molly, she’ll be wondering where you are. We’ll be neighbours at home and colleagues here. It’ll be fine. It’ll be for the best.’
He made a small helpless gesture, the sort that said men simply didn’t understand women. Then he disappeared.
* * *
Chris had collected Molly and had gone home. Faith still had several hours work to do. As always, she found immersion in the business side of the department stopped her thinking of – of things that worried her.
Mysteriously, when it was time to leave, she dallied. She visited the patients, had a coffee with the ward staff, knew she was wasting time. Why did she not want to go home? Fell View cottage had always been her haven, her refuge. But now it held Chris at the other end of the garden. She didn’t want to think about him. He attracted her, and that frightened her. She was never again going to put her heart in anyone else’s power. It hurt too much when they dropped it.
The Lakeland Doctor's Decision Page 4