‘Your wish is my command, master,’ she said cheerily, and he rolled his eyes.
‘I don’t think! Being at the beck and call of any man definitely isn’t you, Marilyn.’
‘Sadly, it isn’t.’ She grinned at him, although he was surprised to see a hint of concern in her eyes. ‘I just thought it might give you a bit of a boost if I was suitably obsequious.’
‘Oh, and why should I need a boost, pray?’ he retorted, gloving up. He ran a quick mental checklist of his options and decided that the most likely source of the bleeding was the bladder. And if the bladder had been ruptured then not only would it need to be stitched up but both the abdominal and pelvic cavities would need to be flushed out to stave off infection caused by the leaked urine. Talk about one thing leading to another!
‘Because you’re looking a bit down in the mouth this evening.’ Marilyn’s voice was muffled as she pulled a fresh plastic apron over her head. However, he could see the curiosity in her eyes when she emerged. ‘Did you know your wife was coming up for a visit?’ she asked with seeming innocence.
Seb wasn’t fooled by it. He knew that Libby’s arrival had caused a stir. Although he liked and admired his team, considered them as friends even, he couldn’t bring himself to discuss his private life with them. Not yet. Not until the Ts were crossed and the Is were dotted and divorce was spelled out in the letter which would arrive shortly from Libby’s solicitor…
‘No. It was a complete surprise to me.’ He caught himself up short. There was no need to get too far ahead, was there?
‘A pleasant one, I assume,’ Marilyn said lightly, stripping open a sterile pack of surgical instruments and laying them on the trolley.
‘I’m always pleased to see Libby,’ he said, relieved that he didn’t have to pretend to tell the truth. Marilyn was far too sharp to try and fool her with a pack of lies—she would have seen through them in an instant. And said so, too, because she wasn’t someone who minced her words either. It was a double relief when he saw from her expression that he’d managed to convince her that everything was fine between him and Libby.
Of course, the time would come when he would have to tell people what had really happened, but not yet. For now he could carry on as though everything was normal and that he wasn’t about to face the most horrendous experience of his life. He could talk about Libby as his wife, be with her, share this night with her, and maybe in some small way it would help to prepare him for what was to come.
He took a deep breath and forced the feeling of despair right to the very pit of his stomach. He just had to get through this night and in the morning he would deal with whatever happened the best way he could.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Friday: 9 p.m.
‘DR BRIDGES is in Resus. Can I ask him to phone you back?’ Libby had been passing the office when she’d heard the telephone ringing. The flow of casualties had increased to a flood in the last hour and the trauma unit was starting to look like a war zone. There were injured people lying on trolleys and slumped in chairs. She’d been working in the treatment room since she’d come back inside—stitching cuts, covering burns and generally making herself useful. They had run out of dressings so she’d been on her way to fetch a fresh supply when she’d stopped to answer the phone. Now she frowned when she heard what the caller was saying.
‘Can you hold on?’ she said quickly, knowing that Seb would want to deal with this himself. ‘I’ll see if Dr Bridges can speak to you now.’
She hurried out of the office and went straight to Resus. Seb was standing by the bed nearest to the door, and her heart ached when she saw how tired he looked. There were deep lines pulling down the corners of his mouth and heavy shadows under his eyes. Was it just the strain of keeping on top of the job that was taking its toll? Or the fact that he’d guessed why she had come to see him?
‘Problems?’ he asked, turning towards her.
‘Could be.’ She forced the thought to the very back of her mind. She’d spent months wondering what she should do and now she needed to resolve the issue and move on. Maybe Seb would be hurt but he would get over it in time. She would, too. People got divorced every day of the year and they survived. She and Seb were no different to them.
‘The coastguard’s on the phone. It turns out that the captain of the tanker had his wife and his son on board with him. One of the local fishermen picked them up but now he’s got problems—his engine has packed up. He’s had to drop anchor while he tries to repair it and he’s just radioed through to say that the boy is ill. He thinks it might be appendicitis.’
‘Can’t someone else bring the child ashore?’ Seb queried, frowning.
‘No. The helicopters are still ferrying the injured from the rig. The storm is getting worse and they don’t think they’ll be able to fly for very much longer.’
‘What about the other boats in the area? Can’t they help?’
‘The fishing boat drifted off course when its engine failed and the coastguard doesn’t want to send another boat out to it. Apparently, the rig is so unstable that they think it might collapse so their main priority is to get the crew off before that happens.’
‘Hell!’
Seb ran a weary hand over his face. Libby could tell that he was working through the problem, trying to find a solution. She wasn’t surprised when he suddenly strode to the door. If anyone could come up with an answer to this dilemma, it would be Seb, she thought proudly.
‘I’ll have a word with the coastguard and find out what options we have—if any.’
‘Thanks.’
Libby followed him out of Resus, feeling her heart beating in jerky little thuds. She knew that she shouldn’t feel like this about him, shouldn’t feel proud or impressed, but she couldn’t help it. She did admire him and always had. He would go to any lengths if it meant he could help someone in need and never gave any thought to himself. Although in the beginning the attraction she’d felt for him had been very physical, it had soon deepened into something more. She’d loved his spirit as well as his body, loved everything he was and strove to be. Nobody who loved Seb could love just one side of him; they had to love the whole.
Tears glistened in her eyes as she made her way to the office. She didn’t want to have to face facts like that but she couldn’t ignore them. Maybe they had grown apart but on some deeper level she knew that part of her would always belong to him.
‘Is there any chance that you could patch me through to the fishing boat? I need to decide how urgent the situation really is.’ Seb beckoned her into the room when she hesitated in the doorway. He put the receiver back onto its base and switched on the speaker so that she could listen to the conversation as well.
Libby went and sat down beside the desk, clasping her hands tightly together in her lap to stop them trembling. She mustn’t think about herself any more. She must focus on what was happening—someone else’s tragedy.
‘My name is Sebastian Bridges and I’m a trauma specialist at the Grace Darling Hospital. Am I speaking to the captain?’ Seb said clearly, once the connection had been made. He carried on once the man had confirmed his identity. ‘Good evening, Captain. Can you update me on the boy’s condition?’
Libby leant forward as she struggled to hear what the captain was saying. It was a very bad line and his voice kept fading but from what she could gather, the child was in a bad way. She glanced at Seb and could tell how worried he was.
‘How long ago did he stop complaining about the pain?’ he asked when the captain paused. He looked very grim when the man explained that it had been over an hour since the child had told them that his tummy didn’t hurt any more. ‘I don’t like the sound of that. It’s more than likely the appendix has perforated, in which case he needs urgent medical treatment. Do you have any idea when your engines will be fixed?’
Libby held her breath as she waited for the captain to reply. If the appendix had perforated then the boy could be in grave danger. Once the contents of the a
ppendix were released into the abdomen, peritonitis would soon set in, so her heart sank when the captain explained that it would be several hours before he was able to get the engines working again.
‘We can’t delay that long,’ Seb said bluntly. ‘The boy needs to be treated sooner rather than later if he’s to survive. Is there any way of getting me out to the boat?’
The coastguard came back on the line at that point and they spent a couple of minutes discussing the problem. When Seb hung up everything was arranged. The off-shore lifeboat would ferry him out to the fishing boat then it would bring him and the boy back to port. However, the thought of him going out in the storm was more than Libby could bear and she jumped to her feet as he hurried to the door.
‘I’m coming with you!’ She saw him stop and knew he was going to refuse to let her go with him so quickly forestalled him. ‘You’ll need someone to assist you and it would be easier if I went along instead of one of the others. They’re far more use here.’
‘I really don’t think it’s good idea,’ Seb began, thinking that had to be the biggest understatement of all time. The thought of Libby putting herself at risk by going with him made him feel positively queasy, but he could tell from the look she gave him that she wasn’t going to be deterred.
‘Nonsense! It’s the only sensible solution. You know it is!’
Her beautiful mouth pursed with annoyance and he had to swallow his groan of dismay. He didn’t want to have a stand-up fight with her but he knew how tenacious she could be once she made up her mind.
He shook his head, equally determined to get his own way. ‘I’m sorry but the answer is still no. You aren’t on the staff here, Libby, and it would be totally unethical to allow you to accompany me.’
‘I never took you for a coward, Seb,’ she said quietly, her blue eyes meeting his in a look that made heat unfurl in his stomach. On the surface, they might be arguing over whether or not she should be allowed to go with him, but underneath the argument was raging on a wholly different level. Did she really see him as a coward? Did she think he was too scared to admit that he was to blame for ruining their marriage?
He swung round, not wanting her to know how much the suggestion hurt him. ‘I’ll be leaving in five minutes’ time. If you want to come, meet me at the main entrance. If you’re not there, I’ll go without you.’
She didn’t say a word as he left the office and he was grateful for that. He didn’t need his nose rubbed into the mess he’d made of his life. Once upon a time he’d had everything a man could wish for: Libby and a job he loved, a future that combined the two. After tonight was over, he’d just have his job and it could never compensate for all that he’d lost.
His love for Libby had been the bedrock on which he had founded all his dreams. Every dream he’d had had been more special, more wonderful, because she had shared it with him. Now she would have her own dreams, separate to his, her own life in which he wouldn’t play any part. There would no longer be that unique bond between them, that invisible link that had made him feel so special. Without Libby’s love, he was just a man. With it, he was someone out of the ordinary. He didn’t know how he was going to live without her but he would have to learn. It was too late to do anything about it…
Wasn’t it?
Seb’s heart began to pound with renewed vigour. Was there a way to change her mind? He had no idea, quite frankly. It all depended on how Libby felt about him and he had no idea about that either any more. At one time he could have confidently claimed that she adored him, but they had moved so far beyond that point now that it was like looking back through the wrong end of a telescope. Those idyllic days were mere pinpricks on the horizon of his memory, although they hadn’t disappeared completely from sight.
He could still remember how it had felt to love and be loved with such intensity, and it seemed inconceivable that all that feeling could have disappeared completely. Surely there must be something left, even a smidgen? A tiny flicker of that love which he could nurture and help to grow strong again? If he could persuade Libby to give them a second chance, they might they be able to recapture what they’d had in the past.
Seb drew himself up. He knew there was no guarantee that she would be willing to try again but it was worth considering the idea. Somehow, during the next few hours, he had to find the time to fan those flames and rekindle her love for him. Come the morning, Libby was going to leave him for good, unless he found a way to stop her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Friday: 10 p.m.
‘THERE it is—over there!’
Libby pointed through the windscreen as she spotted the sign for the lifeboat station. She could feel her tension rising as Seb headed towards it. The weather was atrocious and the thought of going out to sea in such appalling conditions wasn’t a pleasant one, but she’d come this far and she had no intention of backing out at this stage. When Seb parked the Land Rover and jumped out, she quickly followed suit, gasping when a gust of wind almost blew her off her feet.
‘Careful!’ Seb grasped hold of her arm and held onto it as they made their way to the boat. They had to walk along quite a narrow stretch of the harbour wall so she didn’t try to pull away. One glance at the churning black water below them was enough to deter her from reclaiming her independence. Anyway, it was reassuring to have him there beside her. She always felt so much safer when he was around.
She sighed softly. Totting up all the reasons why she liked being with Seb certainly wouldn’t help when the time came to tell him that she wanted a divorce. She slipped out of his grasp as they reached the lifeboat and was relieved when he didn’t appear to notice. There was no point making herself any more vulnerable than she already was.
‘Hi! I’m Seb Bridges and this is Libby.’ Seb kept the introductions brief. ‘The coastguard should have told you we were coming.’
‘They did indeed.’ The coxswain shook their hands then glanced behind him at the boat. ‘We’re ready whenever you are, Doc, so climb aboard.’
Libby’s eyes widened as she got her first real look at the lifeboat. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting but it was definitely something more substantial than this bright orange craft.
‘Don’t judge the little lady by her looks, Libby.’ The coxswain grinned when he saw the shock on her face. ‘She’s a lot more stable than she might appear to the untrained eye.’
‘I certainly hope so.’ Libby summoned a smile as she made her way on board. Another member of the crew led her aft of the wheelhouse and helped her to put on a life-jacket. There were seats in there so once she was kitted up she sat down. From this position she had a good view of the wheelhouse and she could feel her stomach churning with apprehension as she watched the coxswain and another crewman start the engines.
‘These guys are experts, Libby—they know exactly what they’re doing.’ Seb finished fastening his life-jacket and sat down beside her. Reaching over, he squeezed her hand. ‘It will be fine—you’ll see.’
‘Tell me that again when we’re back on dry land,’ she replied pithily, and he laughed.
‘You’re not a scaredy cat, are you?’
‘Yes, I am.’ She looked past him at the view out of the porthole and shuddered. ‘I never was all that fond of the sea even on a good day.’
‘It’s not too late to change your mind.’ Seb leant forward so that she was forced to look at him and she could see real concern in his eyes. ‘Nobody will blame you if you decide not to go, sweetheart.’
‘Maybe they won’t, but I’ll blame myself.’
She removed her hand from his grasp and gripped the edge of her seat instead. She didn’t look at him again as the boat set off because she knew it would be a mistake. It had been a long time since he’d called her by that tender endearment and she didn’t want him to know how much it had affected her. Once upon a time she had been his sweetheart, the person he’d loved most in the world. How tragic it was that all that love had amounted to nothing.
&nbs
p; Despite the turbulent seas, the lifeboat made excellent time. In a remarkably short time, Seb could see the lights of the stranded fishing boat up ahead. The coxswain turned to him, raising his voice to make himself heard over the throbbing of the engines.
‘I’ll bring her alongside then we can transfer you to the fishing boat. Are you both going, or is Libby staying here?’
‘It’s up to you, Libby. Do you want to go or not?’
Seb deliberately opted for a bland tone, although he knew that it might be too late for that. He hadn’t meant that endearment to slip out and certainly didn’t intend to compound his error by repeating it. He might still think of her as his sweetheart but it had been obvious from her reaction that she didn’t consider him in the same light.
‘I’ve come this far so I may as well go the whole way.’ She gave him an equally bland smile in return. ‘I don’t want anyone thinking that I’m too scared to finish the job.’
‘Fine.’ Seb didn’t argue with her. It was up to her what she did, as she was making perfectly clear.
He stood up as the crew brought the lifeboat alongside the fishing boat. There was a heavy swell running and the two boats were bobbing up and down like corks on water. He had no idea how they intended to transfer them from one vessel to the other until one of the crew went to the forward cabin where all the rescue and maintenance equipment was stored and reappeared with a rope and pulley.
He and Libby followed the men on deck and waited while they attempted to pass one end of the rope to the crew on the fishing boat. It took a couple of tries but once the line had been secured at both ends, they were ready to go.
‘Right, Doc. You and Libby are going to be transferred via this harness.’ The coxswain showed them a padded harness which was attached to the line by a series of metal buckles. ‘It’s quite simple really—we strap you both into this then haul you across the gap. There’s a stretcher which we’ll send across once you’re safely on board—the kid can be transported back on that.’
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