The Secret Doctor

by Joanna Neil

  In the far distance, boats dipped on the blue sea, moving gently with the rise and fall of the waves. Closer to home, if she looked carefully, she could make out the sand and sea grass through the clear water.

  It was a view she would always delight in. In fact, with every day that passed she found something new to persuade her that this was where she belonged. She was growing used to the leisurely pace of life out here. It suited her frame of mind and in time might help to restore order out of the confusion that had preoccupied her of late. Of course, going out to work would dampen some of that holiday feeling and leave her little time to meditate, but it was probably for the best. She needed to keep busy.

  She spread a generous helping of preserve onto a slice of buttered toast and then bit into it, savouring the taste. It was strange that Jake didn’t appear to have to go out to work. He’d mentioned business meetings, but what kind of business was it where he never went to the office?

  She knew he was home based, because from time to time she would hear banging coming from the barn, muffled nowadays because he invariably kept the door shut. How did he stand the tropical heat? It must be like an oven in there, unless he was using a portable air-conditioner.

  On other days she would see him setting out in one of the boats, heading across the bay towards the ocean. That was the life, wasn’t it? Laid-back, lazy days, following whatever whim caught his fancy.

  Straightening up, she sighed and quickly brushed crumbs from her fingers. Enough of thinking about her intriguing neighbour…she didn’t have time to sit around here any longer dwelling on what he might or might not be up to. Her shift was due to start at the Bay View Hospital very shortly, and if she was to make a good impression on her first day, she had better look lively and get herself into gear.

  An hour later she was driving along the main highway that linked the islands to one another and continued on in a long ribbon towards mainland Florida. The hospital was just a twenty-minute drive away from where she lived, and travelling there was a refreshingly smooth experience after the congested roads she was used to back in the UK.

  ‘We’re really glad to have you on board, Lacey,’ Mike, the attending physician, greeted her as she walked through the doors of the emergency room. He ran a hand through his thick, dark hair and from the knot in his brow and by his general demeanour Lacey could see that he was harassed. ‘We’re rushed off our feet right now,’ he explained, ‘so after you’ve taken a few minutes to acclimatise yourself, we’d appreciate your help dealing with the walking wounded. Then later on in the day when Dr Mayfield, the intern, goes off duty, perhaps you could take over from him and look at the patients who’ve already been admitted for observation. I’ll show you around properly when the pace settles down a bit.’

  She smiled at his harried welcome. Not much difference there, then. It was much the same story back in London.

  ‘Just point me in the direction of the locker room and I’ll grab a lab coat,’ she told him. ‘I’m sure I’ll find my way around. If not, I’ll ask.’

  ‘That’s great,’ he said, a look of relief crossing his face. ‘Welcome to Bay View. You’ll find we’re a friendly bunch here, and we all support one another come what may. Rick Mayfield’s a good young doctor… I’m sure you’ll find he’ll be a great help to you. Anyway, if you have any problems at all, just shout.’

  ‘I’ll do that.’ She went to the locker room to stow away her bag and jacket, and within minutes she was back on the main floor of the emergency room, checking through the list of patients waiting to be seen.

  ‘There’s a wrist fracture in treatment room one,’ the assisting nurse said, ‘and a shoulder dislocation in room two. You might find it easier to deal with the wrist first, while I find someone to help you with the shoulder.’

  ‘Thanks, Emma.’ The nurse was a pretty girl, with clear hazel eyes and long, chestnut-coloured hair tied back in a ponytail. She was good at her job, confident, and a fountain of knowledge about the set up in the busy emergency room. Lacey worked with her throughout what was left of the morning, and on into the afternoon.

  Around teatime, when Dr Mayfield was preparing to go off duty, he came to find Lacey. He was a young man, fair haired, and, from what she had gathered, conscientious in the way he did his job.

  He studied her, a wave of fair hair falling across his brow. ‘How’s it going today? Have you managed to find your way around our system?’

  ‘More or less.’ She smiled. ‘Everyone’s been great, pointing me in the right direction when I was lost, or, best of all, showing me where you stash the pasties and cakes.’

  ‘Well, we have to get our priorities right, don’t we?’ He chuckled and then turned his attention to business, outlining the details of patients he had admitted for observation that day. He handed over the files. ‘Anyway, best of luck with these,’ he told her. ‘They’re mostly respiratory problems or cardiac queries.’

  He made brief comments as she checked each patient’s file, but Lacey hesitated at one in particular. The name and profile of the patient jumped out at her and alarm bells started to ring inside her head.

  ‘This man—Mr Callaghan,’ she murmured, scanning the text. ‘It says here that he was brought in suffering from dehydration and that he appeared to be in a confused state.’ She looked at the intern. ‘What happened to him?’

  ‘Apparently he was filming some alligators in the marshes and came unstuck. From what I can piece together, one of the alligators started to head towards him and he retreated, but twisted his ankle and then went off in the wrong direction instead of returning to his base. His ankle’s fine, just sprained, so I’ve applied a compress and put on a support bandage.’

  Rick ran his gaze fleetingly over the file. ‘It’s his general condition that’s giving us cause for concern. He passed out a couple of times, and he’s suffering from palpitations. According to his notes, he’s been receiving treatment for cardiac arrhythmia over the past year, so that probably needs more investigation. Anyway, he has been given fluids, and he’s had a bath and generally been made to feel more comfortable, but his vital signs are not too good at the moment.’

  ‘I’ll go and take a look at him straight away,’ Lacey said. ‘I’m sure I know him—he’s a friend. He went out to the Everglades recently and didn’t return.’

  ‘Sounds as though he’s had a lucky escape, then.’

  She nodded, and then glanced through her list of patients once more. There was no particular urgency to any of them that she could see, so went to seek out Rob Callaghan straight away.

  It was exactly as she had suspected. Rob was lying in bed, his light brown hair tousled against his pillows. He appeared to be dozing, but as she approached the bedside his eyelids flickered and he blinked, acknowledging her presence with a few mumbled words.

  ‘Lacey,’ he said in a low, cracked voice, ‘it’s good to see you. You’re a sight for sore eyes.’

  ‘I think I’ll take that literally,’ she murmured, noting the grey circles round his eyes and the general sunken appearance of his skin. ‘What have you been doing to yourself?’ She could see from the monitors that his blood pressure was high, and his heart rate was a lot faster than it ought to be.

  ‘I got lost,’ he said. ‘There was no water, and my phone battery failed. I feel so stupid.’ There was a breathless, weary quality to his voice, and she knew that she shouldn’t tire him by asking too many questions.

  ‘Well, at least you’re safe now,’ she murmured. ‘I’m a little concerned about some of your symptoms, though. You told me some time ago that you had been having palpitations, and your ECG shows that your heart is going at full tilt right now, even after the medication Dr Mayfield gave you. I think we need to find out what’s going on, so I’d like to run some tests.’

  After resting in bed for the last hour or so, his symptoms should have begun to subside by now, but that clearly wasn’t happening. She gave him a thoughtful, assessing glance. ‘Perhaps I ought to leave you t
o rest. You don’t look as though you’re in any fit state to be talking.’

  He frowned. ‘Stay awhile. Do you have time to sit with me for a bit? I know you must have other patients to see.’

  ‘Of course I can stay. There’s nothing urgent to drag me away for a while.’ She pulled up a chair beside his bed and placed her hand over his. ‘Do your parents know that you’re here? Do you want me to get in touch with anyone?’

  ‘They’re coming over. I think it took a while to contact them because they were out of town.’ He studied her fleetingly. ‘Florida suits you,’ he said. ‘I always thought you would do well out here.’ He took a deep breath in order to gather strength and then added, ‘How are you getting on with Jake? I’m assuming you’ve met?’

  ‘Oh, yes, we’ve met.’ Her lips made an odd shape. ‘I can’t quite make him out. He seems to enjoy a very relaxed way of life, and even though he talks about business meetings, I’ve no idea what he does for a living.’

  ‘Nothing, right now, I guess.’ Rob’s mouth made a cynical line. ‘He likes to party…and I mean parties…every month or so…big affairs, with his wealthy friends. He spends the rest of his time snorkelling, scubadiving, or sunbathing on board his yacht.’

  Lacey’s eyes widened. ‘All the time?’

  He nodded. ‘There are maybe one or two business meetings thrown in from time to time. Perhaps he just feels he doesn’t need to do anything more.’

  Lacey shook her head. ‘I imagine that could be fun for a while, but I’m not sure I could live like that all the time. My work’s important to me. I’d need to do something more fulfilling with my life than sit around endlessly soaking up the sun.’

  ‘I’m with you on that. Though, right now, lazing around sounds like the ideal occupation for me.’ He made an attempt to smile, and she knew he was battling extreme fatigue.

  She looked at him with concern. ‘I’ve tired you out…I knew I shouldn’t have sat down here and let you talk.’

  ‘No.’ Rob’s breathing was ragged. ‘I’m glad you agreed to stay. I’m only telling you these things because I know he’ll make a play for you—it’s the way he is—and I don’t want you to get hurt. He was asking a lot of questions about you even before you came down here.’

  ‘Thanks, Rob, but I’m all grown up now,’ she said with a smile. ‘And I’m more than cautious where men are concerned. You don’t need to worry about me.’

  He reached for her arm and gave her a cautionary squeeze. ‘Even so…you take care, Lacey. You’re a gentle soul, and you’ve been through the mill lately. You deserve better.’ His breathing became increasingly ragged, and Lacey saw that the heart monitor showed a rising, thundering rhythm.

  ‘Perhaps you shouldn’t talk any more,’ she told him, getting to her feet. ‘I’m going to give you an injection of something to slow your heart rate down, and then I’ll go and organise the tests. The consultant will come along and see you once we have the results.’

  ‘Okay.’ Rob closed his eyes momentarily, clearly worn out by sharing those revelations with her.

  Lacey went to prepare the injection, and once she had administered it she waited a while to gauge its effect. When Rob’s heart and blood pressure rate began to drop, she felt able to leave him in the care of the nurse.

  ‘I’ll go and order an echocardiograph,’ she told Emma. ‘I’ve a feeling we might need to implant a device to regulate his heartbeat, so I’ll ask the consultant to come and take a look at him.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘It’s probably too late to bring him here now, but first thing in the morning would be good.’

  Emma nodded. ‘I’ll take care of him in the meantime. Any changes and I’ll let you know.’

  ‘Thanks, Emma.’

  Lacey wrote up a form for the technician and made arrangements for Rob to undergo the testing of his heart activity. Only when all those wheels were in motion did she stop and give some thought to what she had learned about her new neighbour.

  No wonder Rob had his reservations about Jake. Rob had no time for the ‘idle rich’, as he called them, but Lacey’s curiosity had been piqued.

  Was Jake just out for a good time, taking life as he found it, and living it to the hilt?

  And why did it bother her so much to think that a man with such charisma might be just an empty shell?

  CHAPTER THREE

  LACEY stretched, trying to ease away the stiffness in her shoulders. Now that her first shift at the hospital had come to an end and she parked her car in the garage, she was left with mixed feelings about the experience. It had been an eventful day, overall, and perhaps not quite what she had expected.

  Meeting so many new colleagues had been a good thing. She had even managed to overcome the difficulties of working for a medical service that was different from anything she had known back home… But coming across one of her dearest friends lying ill in a hospital bed had been a huge shock.

  That was the worst part of the day, the one that left her troubled and out of sorts, so that by now the muscles in her neck were knotted with tension.

  She slid out of the car and went towards the front of the house. Darkness had fallen some time ago, and in the distance she could see that Jake’s house was ablaze with light—it was coming from the windows, the open doors, and even the patio areas were bathed in gold. Soft music floated on the air, a lilting Caribbean rhythm, and it sounded as though the music was live, coming from an authentic steel band. She heard the occasional burst of laughter—obviously his party was in full swing.

  She didn’t stop to listen for long, though. More than anything, she needed to unwind, and perhaps the best way to do that would be to soak in a scented bath for a while, and let the warm water soothe her aching body.

  She went upstairs, ran the water into the tub and added a silky essence that produced a satisfying blanket of foam.

  When she came out of the bathroom some half an hour later, she felt much more refreshed. She had put on soft cotton shorts and teamed them with a loose, button-through shirt that skimmed her hips and floated somewhere around mid-thigh. It wasn’t exactly night-wear, but the material was soft and comfortable and it felt good next to her skin.

  The music was still drifting on the night air, and she wandered restlessly about the kitchen. What was going on at Jake’s house—what were his friends like? Was there some woman there who was particularly close to him? She cut that thought off at the root. She didn’t care what Jake was up to…not really… It was just that her restless mind was busy mulling things over.

  The night was still warm, and even though she was tired, she knew she wouldn’t sleep. Instead, she poured herself a long glass of iced juice and wandered out to the dock area at the front of the house. It always calmed her to lean on the rail and look down at the water.

  A few minutes later, she was disturbed by a soft footfall, the faintest rasp of leather on paving, and a shadow loomed beside her. ‘You look sad,’ Jake murmured, coming to join her at the rail.

  ‘Oh!’ Lacey jumped. Where had he come from? He had appeared like a phantom out of nowhere. The iced clinked in her glass and she spilled some of the contents over the deck rail. She stared at him open-mouthed. ‘That’s the second time you’ve done that to me,’ she said crossly. ‘You have to stop sneaking up on me that way. One of these days you could give me a heart attack.’

  ‘Nah—you’re way too young for that,’ he said, giving her an apologetic but altogether insincere smile. ‘I didn’t mean to startle you, though. As to sneaking…I’m pleading not guilty. I saw you out on the dock and decided to pay you a visit. I walked along the path in full view of anyone who cared to look, but you were so deep in thought you obviously didn’t notice me.’ He studied her reaction. ‘Perhaps next time I’ll hum a few lines of, “Hey-ho, here I come again”.’

  She tried to glower at him, but his resolute cheerfulness had the better of her, and she grudgingly gave in, her face relaxing a fraction. ‘A warning would be great,’ she agreed, ‘but you r
eally don’t have to sing. I’m not sure I’m ready for that.’

  He chuckled. ‘It sounds as though you’re not in the best of moods.’ Sobering, he asked, ‘So how did your day go? Was it tough? We all know the emergency room can be hell on earth at times…and that’s not only as far as the patients are concerned.’

  ‘That’s true,’ she acknowledged, ‘but it wasn’t like that for me today. Everyone was doing their best to make me feel at home, and that helped to make it a really good experience. It’s just that I discovered what had happened to Rob—the reason why he didn’t come home. He was admitted to hospital earlier today.’

  Jake frowned, leaning against the rail beside her. ‘I’m sorry to hear that. What happened?’

  She told him the story, adding, ‘I spoke to the consultant briefly, and he said that he’ll come and have a look at him tomorrow and review all the tests. Because Rob has had several instances of collapse, he’s thinking of implanting a monitoring device in his chest. It’s very new technology—wireless, so that the consultant knows what’s going on with his heart at any time and can use the information downloaded to his computer system to diagnose what exactly is causing the problem. If the patient starts to show dangerous symptoms the monitoring device will alert him and allow him to start or change treatment accordingly.’

  Jake gave her a thoughtful look. ‘It seems that everything possible is being done for him. Doesn’t that make you feel any better?’

  ‘I suppose it should.’ Her mouth turned down at the corners. ‘It’s just that I’m not used to seeing Rob helpless like that. He’s always been an outdoors kind of man, for ever on the move, wanting to keep busy and get the most out of life.’

  Jake draped an arm lightly around her shoulders in a gesture of sympathy. ‘I’m sure he’s in good hands. They have an excellent treatment record at Bay View, and the consultant will do everything that’s necessary to turn his condition around.’