Nurse in a Million

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘Tell me something I don’t know!’

  Helen rolled expressive dark eyes as she linked her arm through Natalie’s and led her into the office. There was a pot of coffee on the hob so she filled a couple of mugs and plonked them on the desk. ‘Come on—sit down and tell your Auntie Helen all about it.’

  ‘You don’t want to know.’ Natalie subsided into a chair. She took a gulp of coffee and grimaced. ‘That’s disgusting! How long has it been stewing in the pot?’

  ‘I’ve no idea. Stop complaining and just get it down you,’ Helen replied unsympathetically. ‘Now, you were saying about the gorgeous Dr Rafferty…?’

  ‘Handsome is as handsome does.’ Natalie glowered, burying her nose in the mug. ‘He is the most pig-headed, the most infuriating, the most…most…’

  ‘Mmm, but you love him, don’t you?’ Helen said smugly.

  ‘Yes, I do. More’s the pity!’ She abandoned the mug and stood up, too on edge to sit still while her emotions were in such a turmoil. ‘Rafferty has a problem with my family, you see, or, more specifically, the fact that they are so wealthy. He can’t seem to get past that fact and that’s why we’ve always argued so much.’

  ‘And is it still the major issue?’ Helen asked astutely.

  ‘It’s never been an issue as far as I’m concerned,’ Natalie replied loftily, then sighed because it was pointless taking the moral high ground. ‘Not really. I’m just not sure if he loves me as much as I love him. If he did then the money or our backgrounds wouldn’t matter. It also wouldn’t matter that I’m working at Palmer’s instead of nursing full-time. Real love should be able to transcend silly and irrelevant things like that.’

  ‘If only.’ Helen’s tone was tinged with sadness and Natalie looked at her in surprise.

  ‘You’ve been in the same situation?’

  ‘Similar.’ Helen made a brave attempt to smile. ‘Not that it was my family’s wealth that got in the way, you understand. We’re just your average middle-class family so that was never an issue. However, the colour of my skin was. I was engaged, you see, only my fiancé’s parents couldn’t accept the fact that my mother is black. In the end we split up because of the problems it was causing between us.’

  ‘I am so sorry!’ Natalie sat down again, wishing there was something more she could say.

  ‘Oh, I’m over it now, but it’s made me very wary about getting involved with anyone else.’

  ‘I’ve always been wary of relationships,’ Natalie confessed. ‘I was never sure if a man was interested in me or my family’s money.’

  ‘But Rafferty doesn’t give a damn about your money,’ Helen protested.

  ‘No, he doesn’t. But does he really love me for myself? That’s something I just don’t know for sure.’

  ‘Then you should ask him, make him tell you how he feels and be honest about your fears.’ Helen leant forward. ‘You love the guy, Natalie, so are you going to behave like a wimp and just throw in the towel?’

  ‘No. You’re right. I should talk to him…’ She broke off and sighed. ‘Although talking has never been our strong suit, I have to say.’

  ‘I’m not even going to ask what was,’ Helen replied drolly. ‘But I’m sure there’s a way around this, if you can only find it and if you want it enough.’

  ‘Yet there wasn’t a way round your problem,’ Natalie pointed out, and Helen shrugged.

  ‘No, because Jack—that was his name—didn’t love me enough to stand his ground. That’s why I called off the engagement—because he simply didn’t love me enough to fight for me.’

  ‘And what if it’s the same for me?’ Natalie asked huskily. ‘What if Rafferty doesn’t love me enough to overcome his prejudices?’

  ‘I don’t know, love. But surely it would be better to find out, one way or the other, wouldn’t it?’

  Helen gave her a hug then left the office. A few moments later Natalie heard a commotion outside. It seemed that a gang of drunks had decided to invade the clinic so she went out to help clear the place. By the time that was done, the last-minute rush had started and there wasn’t time to draw breath as they attended to their patients. It was well past midnight when they finally shut for the night.

  Piers was going on to a club to meet some friends and didn’t need a lift, so Natalie was on her own in the taxi. She was halfway home when it struck her that she wouldn’t be able to rest with the memory of what had happened between her and Rafferty hanging over her. She tapped on the glass and asked the driver to take her to the hospital, then spent the rest of the journey perched on the edge of her seat, wondering what she was going to say when she saw him. Helen was right. She did need to ask him how he felt about her—but she was scared of what he might say.

  By the time the cab drew up outside the hospital, she had worked herself into a real panic. She paid the fare and went inside, explaining to the receptionist that she needed to see Dr Rafferty. The woman made several phone calls and finally tracked him down to the surgical ward, so Natalie made her way up to the third floor.

  She stepped out of the lift and paused to get her bearings, glancing round when she heard voices coming from further along the corridor. She didn’t want to disturb the patients by going into the ward so she followed the sound and stopped when she came to the office. The door was open so it wasn’t as though she was deliberately eavesdropping because she couldn’t help overhearing what was being said.

  ‘Kids like the Kennedy boy bring trouble on themselves,’ a male voice said witheringly. ‘If he’d stayed at home with his family, this wouldn’t have happened and we wouldn’t be having to waste valuable time and resources treating him.’

  Natalie gasped at the insensitivity of the comment. However, before she could say anything in Danny’s defence, someone else spoke and she froze when she recognised Rafferty’s voice.

  ‘So you don’t reckon that kids like Danny Kennedy deserve the same standard of care that everyone else receives in this hospital?’

  Natalie shivered when she heard the icy note in his voice. She could tell that he was furiously angry and the other man must have realised it, too, because he sounded far less assured this time when he replied.

  ‘I…ah…I just think it would be easier if the authorities rounded up these kids who live rough and sent them back to their parents. It would certainly make life easier for us.’

  ‘And that’s your main concern is it, Dr Jeffries—to have an easy life? It doesn’t bother you that kids like Danny Kennedy could be sent back to homes where they were being abused? So long as we get them out of our hair, then who cares what happens to them?’

  ‘N-no. N-not when you put it like that, sir,’ the younger man stammered.

  ‘What other way is there to put it? Let’s not beat about the bush, Dr Jeffries. These kids are a nuisance, aren’t they? They clutter up our wards and cause chaos when it comes to our statistics. After all, they aren’t on any of our lists, so why should we waste our time on them when we could use it to treat more worthy patients?’

  ‘Oh, I wouldn’t go that far, sir!’ The younger doctor affected a nervous laugh, obviously hoping to defuse the situation. However, Rafferty was relentless as he continued. Natalie shivered. Despite their many disagreements, she’d never heard him speak to anyone that way before. Once again she was struck by the thought that there was a side to him she knew nothing about.

  ‘Wouldn’t you? That’s good to hear. But let me make myself perfectly clear, Dr Jeffries. Every single patient in this ward will be treated with the respect they deserve, and that includes Danny Kennedy or any other youngster who has been living on the streets. It might surprise you to learn that I’ve witnessed at first hand what happens to kids like Danny, and it isn’t pleasant. So the next time you feel it necessary to prove your superiority by talking down to a patient, I suggest you think about whether or not you wish to remain a member of this team.’

  ‘Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. Thank you.’

  Natalie stepped aside as
the younger doctor came rushing out of the office. He was so intent on making his escape that he didn’t notice her standing there. Despite what he’d said about poor Danny, she could sympathise with him in a way, because she wouldn’t have wanted to be on the receiving end of that dressing-down either.

  She looked up when Rafferty suddenly appeared. He stopped when he saw her and she watched a dozen different emotions cross his face in swift succession. She had no idea if he was pleased to see her or not, but she knew that one of them had to try and resolve this problem otherwise it would only get worse.

  ‘Sounded as though you were laying down the law,’ she said lightly, feeling her way with care.

  ‘I will not tolerate members of my staff patronising any patient on this ward,’ he said sharply, closing the door.

  ‘So I gathered.’ She cleared her throat. ‘How’s Danny doing?’

  ‘As well as can be expected in the circumstances.’ He turned to look at her. ‘So did you come here just to ask after Danny or was there another reason for your visit?’

  ‘I wanted to talk to you, Rafferty. We need to sort out a few things—’ She broke off when a nurse suddenly appeared.

  Rafferty waited until the woman had passed them before he said brusquely, ‘I think we said everything that needed saying before.’

  ‘No, we didn’t. We never do because we always end up at cross purposes—’

  Once again she had to break off when the same nurse reappeared, carrying a bundle of sheets this time. Rafferty shook his head when she attempted to carry on after the nurse had gone back inside the ward.

  ‘We can’t talk here. There’s people coming and going along this corridor all the time and I, for one, don’t want my private life to become the latest topic of gossip.’ Digging in his pocket, he took out his car keys and handed them to her. ‘Wait in the car for me. I just need a word with the ward sister then I’m going home. We can talk back at my flat.’

  Natalie took the keys without demur and headed for the lift. There was no point refusing to go back to his flat, because they needed to sort this out sooner rather than later. Within a few minutes she was in the underground parking lot and heading for Rafferty’s car, which was parked in a consultant’s bay.

  Unlocking the door, she got in, feeling her heart pounding as she settled down to wait for him. Even though she knew they needed to talk about their problems, she wasn’t confident about the outcome—even less so after what she’d overheard just now. It wasn’t just Rafferty’s reaction that bothered her, however. It was what he’d said about having witnessed the harm that could befall youngsters like Danny Kennedy. If she added that to what he’d told her earlier that night about his own childhood, it made her see just how different his life had been to hers, and how hard it would be to convince him that it didn’t matter.

  Would they be able to find some common ground to talk about the problems it seemed to be causing between them? she wondered anxiously, but it was a question she couldn’t answer. It would all depend on how receptive Rafferty was to what she had to say. All she could do was hope that she could convince him that his past didn’t matter. If she couldn’t, she didn’t know what they were going to do.

  Panic suddenly rushed through her and her hands clenched as she realised she simply couldn’t imagine living the rest of her life without him.

  CHAPTER SIX

  RAFFERTY unlocked the front door of his flat and stepped aside so Natalie could precede him inside. He had no idea what she’d hoped to achieve by coming to see him that night. By tacit consent neither of them had said anything on the drive home. However, he knew that no matter how difficult this meeting might turn out to be, he couldn’t have sent her away. He loved her too much and if she needed him in any way, shape or form, he would always be there for her.

  ‘I hope you weren’t planning on going straight to bed when you got in.’

  He looked round when she spoke, feeling the same mixture of pain and pleasure he always seemed to feel of late whenever they were together. She was so precious to him that he longed to take her in his arms and hold her—just hold her—until all their problems disappeared. Unfortunately, life wasn’t that simple and these problems they faced weren’t just going to magically vanish.

  ‘Actually, I was going to have a drink before I turn in for the night.’ He led the way to the kitchen and took a bottle of white wine out of the refrigerator. ‘Care to join me?’

  ‘Why not?’

  Natalie took a couple of glasses off the shelf and followed him into the sitting room. She put them on the table then sat down on the couch and waited while he opened the bottle. Rafferty filled the glasses with wine and handed her one before he sat down in the chair opposite her.

  ‘Mmm, this is rather nice.’ She took another sip of the wine then reached for the bottle and studied the label. ‘I wonder if it’s the same one Dad ordered from his wine merchant last month. It tastes very similar, I must say.’

  ‘I doubt it.’ Rafferty laughed shortly as he swung his feet onto the coffee-table. ‘As it cost a mere four pounds ninety-nine from the local supermarket, I doubt if it’s the same ex-halted vintage.’

  Her face closed up as she put the bottle back on the table. ‘You never miss an opportunity, do you, Rafferty? You’re determined to keep highlighting the differences between us, even if it’s only through the cost of a bottle of wine. If it weren’t so petty, it would be laughable!’

  Rafferty took a sip of wine, not that he could taste it properly. Sour grapes had their own particular flavour and his comment had smacked very strongly of that. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said brusquely. It seemed as though he’d done nothing but apologise that night.

  Natalie shrugged, not even deigning to say whether or not she’d forgiven him, although probably she hadn’t. The thought stung and he glowered as he raised the glass to his lips once more. He was willing to meet her halfway but he wasn’t willing to fall at her feet and beg her forgiveness if that’s what she expected from him.

  They sat in silence while the minutes ticked past. Rafferty knew it was ridiculous to play this kind of childish game but he refused to give in. When she plonked her glass on the table and stood up, he just looked at her.

  ‘There’s no point in me being here if we aren’t going to talk.’

  ‘I’m happy to listen to anything you have to say,’ he stated coolly, swirling the wine around his glass.

  ‘That’s very good of you. You’re willing to listen but you’re not willing to make the first move?’

  He shrugged, wondering if she realised how beautiful she looked when she got all steamed up like that. His body made a sudden very positive statement to let him know that it had noticed how lovely she was, and he hastily crossed his legs. The last thing he wanted was for her to know the power she had over him. So maybe he did want to drag her off to bed and make mad, passionate love to her but he wasn’t going to give in to the urge…

  Just yet.

  The thought of sexual fulfillment was just too much and he shot to his feet. Picking up the bottle, he refilled their glasses then gestured to the sofa. ‘Why don’t you sit down and we can start again? Then you can tell me why you wanted to see me.’

  Her eyes narrowed as she weighed up his invitation, obviously testing it out to see if it had been a genuine attempt to resolve the issue. It must have passed muster because she suddenly sat down again and picked up her glass.

  Rafferty resumed his own seat, although he left his glass on the table. He didn’t intend to cloud his head with alcohol until he found out exactly what she wanted from him.

  ‘Were there any problems about Danny being admitted?’

  It was Natalie who made the opening gambit and he responded in kind, his pawn meeting hers on neutral ground.

  ‘No. As I have no idea where he used to live, there was no way that I could have informed his mother that he was in hospital. The social worker will visit him tomorrow but I’ve left a note on his file to ask her to contac
t me before she does anything.’

  ‘Good. The last thing poor Danny needs is to start worrying about his stepfather finding him.’

  She took another sip of her wine then fell silent, apparently having exhausted the only safe topic of conversation she could think of. Despite his earlier reluctance to take the lead, Rafferty realised that he wanted to keep the lines of communication open. They would get nowhere if they didn’t talk to one another and it was up to him to do his bit now.

  ‘So how did you get on at the clinic after I left?’ he asked, opting for another safe topic. He sighed under his breath. It was ridiculous to keep skirting around the reason why she’d come to see him that night. He should just ask her, point-blank, why she’d needed to speak to him so urgently, although he couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t worried about what she might say. Maybe it would be safer to wait until she was ready to broach the subject rather than press her. ‘Was it very busy?’

  ‘Bedlam. Mind you, it didn’t help when we were invaded by some drunken yobs whose sole aim, it seemed, was to cause as much mayhem as possible. By the time we’d got rid of them, there was a queue of people all round Reception, waiting to be seen.’

  ‘Did you call the police to deal with the drunks?’ he demanded, hating to think of her having to deal with a situation like that.

  ‘No. We don’t call in the police as a rule because they only scare away the very people we’re trying to help. A lot of the kids we treat at the clinic have been in trouble with the police and they’re terrified of being locked up again.’

  ‘But surely it’s dangerous to work there without any kind of back-up. Couldn’t you at least hire a private security firm to guard the clinic and prevent that kind of thing happening?’

  ‘There simply isn’t enough money in the budget to pay for it. We have a hard enough time covering our costs as it is.’ She shrugged. ‘We manage, Rafferty. OK, so it can get a bit hairy at times but there’s not been a really serious incident there since the clinic opened last year.’

  ‘I’d still feel happier if I knew there was somebody around you could call on in case of any trouble,’ he persisted.