by Clark, Lucy
‘I thought you’d left me,’ the woman said, a quiver in her voice.
‘Not a chance,’ Bergan replied as she followed the instructions given by the crew to sit down and carefully slide and crawl her way closer to Wendy.
‘The last thing we want is for that pile to shift.’
‘Agreed.’
‘Wendy?’ Bergan spoke softly once she was in position.
‘You’re here?’ Wendy’s tone was filled with excited relief.
‘I am. I’m going to touch your free arm now.’ Bergan reached out a gloved hand and placed it on Wendy’s right arm. ‘I know this is going to be very difficult, given we’re so close to getting you out, but we still need to take everything very slowly, to take our time, to make sure nothing goes wrong. And to do that I need you to be as still as possible.’
She found the pulse at Wendy’s wrist and did a quick count of the beats. ‘Sphygmo,’ she said to Richard, who instantly nodded and located the portable sphygmomanometer in the medical kit.
Bergan shone the torchlight onto Wendy’s arm, hoping to find a decent vein, one that could easily house a needle, which would be connected to a bag of plasma. ‘I want to try and talk you through everything I’m doing so you’re not startled. The last thing we want right now is to startle you and cause you to move suddenly.’
‘Yes.’
‘I’m going to wind a cuff around your arm so I can take your blood pressure. All right?’
‘Yes,’ Wendy replied again.
‘After that, from what you’ve been telling me, with the way you’ve been feeling dizzy and sometimes zoning in and out, there’s a high probability that you’re bleeding internally. So what I want to do is first of all give you something for the pain and then I’ll put a needle into your arm. That will be attached to a bag of plasma, which will help keep your blood level more stable. The more we can do for you down here, the more stable you’ll be when you’re ready to go to Theatre.’
‘OK.’ Wendy was silent for a moment. ‘Is Richard near?’
‘I’m here, Wendy,’ he responded as he accepted the sphygmo back from Bergan. They’d been working alongside each other in the A and E for a couple of weeks now so she wasn’t surprised at the way he was able to pre-empt everything she required.
‘Of course you want him to talk to you.’ Bergan chuckled. ‘He has a much sexier voice than mine.’
‘I guess he does,’ Wendy agreed, and there was a clear hint of embarrassment along with appreciation in her tone. ‘But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear yours.’
‘Well, I appreciate that,’ Bergan said as she drew up an injection of methoxyflurane for pain relief. ‘I’m going to swab your arm and give you an injection. You may feel even more light-headed afterwards, but keep trying to talk to us, all right?’
‘I’ll try.’
‘Good.’ Bergan administered the injection, then explained to Wendy how she was going to set up the intravenous drip. Throughout it all the crews continued to work, Palmer kept calling down on the walkie-talkie for an update of the situation and little by little more of Wendy’s body was exposed.
Finally, they were able to see Wendy’s face, although the woman’s legs were still trapped beneath the beam.
‘We’ll need to hook it to the winch to lift it off. Over,’ one of the workers was telling Palmer. Things were definitely progressing but Bergan was more focused on Wendy’s physical and emotional health. She fitted an oxygen non-rebreather mask over Wendy’s mouth and nose, glad she and Richard were able to help the poor woman in whatever way they could. Although conditions were far from ideal, the fact they’d been able to get to Wendy as soon as possible could make a tremendous difference.
‘There’s a large gash on her abdomen,’ Richard said, as one of the workers removed another piece of rubble, allowing him further access to Wendy’s battered body. Richard shifted forward, carefully dragging the medical kit with him. He pulled on a fresh pair of gloves and reached for the heavy-duty scissors. He cut away Wendy’s bloodstained and filthy clothing before reaching for some gauze. Bergan helped Richard clean the area around the long gash, debriding it carefully.
Richard glanced up at the area where the workers were carefully removing the rubble from near Wendy’s face, pleased Bergan had already given her something for pain. ‘How are you doing there, Wendy?’
‘OK.’
‘Let us know if you have any additional pain, OK? That’s very important,’ Richard said, as he carefully packed a sterile dressing into the wound, soaking up some of the blood so he could take a better look. ‘I need someone to hold a torch for me,’ he called, and one of the rescue workers was there within a matter of seconds, shining a bright overhead light onto Wendy’s wound. ‘Bergan, retract and repack,’ he said, as she removed the bloodied packing and pulled the skin back with a retractor to afford Richard a better look.
‘See anything?’ she asked, also having a careful look.
‘Aha.’ He reached for a set of locking forceps and clamped the artery.
‘I’ll clean it up a little more,’ Bergan said, packing the wound once more with clean gauze in order to give them the opportunity of a better look. Then she assisted Richard with suturing the offending artery.
‘That should hold things for a while,’ he stated as he gathered up the rubbish bag they’d been using. Bergan thanked the rescue worker for holding the torch as she put a firm bandage over the gash.
‘How are you feeling now?’ she asked as Wendy lay there, her eyes closed, her breathing calm beneath the oxygen mask.
‘Floaty.’
Bergan smiled. ‘Pain level?’
‘OK.’
Bergan’s tone was clear but firm as she and Richard continued to monitor the intravenous drip as well as regularly performing neurological observations. They began cleaning and debriding other wounds as soon as they could get to them.
Bergan once more checked Wendy’s pupils, pleased things were progressing smoothly. Now, though, it was important Wendy understand the reality of her injuries, and while the information wouldn’t be easy to hear, Bergan had learnt of old that it was best to deliver bad news as straightforwardly and with as much compassion as possible.
‘Wendy, the damage to your legs is quite extensive.’ Bergan watched Wendy’s eyes and it was clear to see the anguish reflected there at the news. The poor woman. Bergan’s heart went out to her.
‘Yes,’ she responded, her words barely audible behind the oxygen mask.
Bergan glanced over at Richard, their gazes meeting and holding. She could see he was just as affected by the situation as she was and it made her relax a little. Usually she had no trouble engaging her professional self, keeping her emotional distance from her patients so that she could do her job effectively. This time, with the heightened circumstances, it was little wonder she was feeling more vulnerable.
Richard gave her an encouraging nod, urging her to continue explaining things to Wendy while he continued to monitor her vital signs. The winch was being lowered and soon they’d have the large beam off Wendy’s legs. Then things would move fast. They would need to assess, debride and possibly splint and bandage her legs as quickly as possible. It was clear the femoral artery hadn’t been severed, otherwise Wendy would have bled out quite a while ago. But the extent of her fractures…? At this stage, it was anyone’s guess.
‘Mackenzie is the name of the orthopaedic surgeon who will be treating you. She’ll discuss all the options with you once she knows what the damage is, but at this stage it doesn’t look good. You can trust her, Wendy. She and I have been friends since we were kids.’ Bergan shifted closer to Wendy and after removing her glove placed one hand on Wendy’s shoulder as the woman closed her eyes and let the tears quietly flow. Bergan had to bite her lip and look away, otherwise she was in grave danger of losing it herself.
‘Will I walk again?’ Wendy wanted to know.
Bergan shook her head. ‘It’s too soon to give a firm diagnosis
, but that is one possibility.’
‘Not much longer now.’ Richard’s smooth voice was quiet, intimate, and when Bergan looked across at him, she saw he’d shifted closer, too. He removed one of his gloves and placed his hand over hers, the two of them wanting to show Wendy they supported her, but at the same time Bergan knew it was Richard’s way of encouraging her. He was amazing.
Even as the thought passed through her mind, warning bells began to ring. He was amazing. He was supportive. He was handsome. He was kind. He was protective. He was giving. In short, Richard Allington was everything she’d ever allowed herself to dream about.
Naturally, these dreams had been carefully controlled and usually came out of the box she kept them in only when she was at her lowest of low points, wanting a knight in shining armour to ride up on his white horse and rescue her from her horrible life. Then, when she’d come to her senses, she’d push those dreams back into their box, telling herself sternly that no man like that even existed, let alone would come to rescue her.
Keeping people—and especially men—at a distance was one of her specialities, but somehow in a short time Richard had pushed through those barriers, broken them down little by little. In a way it was wonderful, liberating, but Bergan also knew it would end. Richard would leave her, return to Paris to his former life, and soon he would have forgotten all about her. The thought made her want to hold on tighter to him now, to never let him go—but she knew she must, and the sooner, the better.
He was her dream man. Very real and very difficult to resist. The fact that she was coming to rely on him, that she felt exposed and vulnerable around him, that she’d even contemplated spending the rest of her life with him, was enough to turn the warning bells into a full-blown air-raid siren inside her head.
Danger! Danger! She had to get away from him as quickly as possible, because if she didn’t, when he left her—as she knew he would—she’d be the one with the broken heart.
CHAPTER TEN
EVEN AFTER THEY’D managed to remove the beam from Wendy’s legs then stabilise her and move her carefully onto a stretcher, Bergan still hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that she was swimming in uncharted waters.
They handed Wendy’s care over to Reggie and Mackenzie, who both went with her in the ambulance.
‘What’s next?’ Bergan asked Palmer once she and Richard were up top again.
‘There’s not much else you can do here now. From the numbers the police have given us, we’ve managed to get everyone else out. Most have been sent to the community centre, although quite a few have been taken immediately to Sunshine General.’
‘OK, thanks, Palmer.’
Palmer looked from Richard back to Bergan and nodded. ‘You two make a good team.’ He held out his hand to Richard and shook it. ‘Take care of her.’
Richard shook Palmer’s hand, looking as though he had no clue what was happening. ‘Bergan takes pretty good care of herself.’
Bergan glanced up at Richard, pleased he’d championed her. He truly believed in her. The knowledge warmed her heart and at the same time only made it more difficult for her to distance herself from him.
‘What was that all about?’ Richard asked as they both walked away from the rubble.
Bergan shrugged. ‘Nothing much.’
‘Has he tried to date you in the past?’
‘He’s asked me out a few times.’
‘Ah. He wants to protect you, eh?’ Richard nodded. ‘That makes more sense.’
‘What do you mean?’
Richard pushed his hands through his hair a few times, glad the hard hat was off his head as he tried to shake out the dust, which no doubt made him look almost grey. ‘Most men want to protect the women they’re interested in, especially when they abseil into unstable caverns.’
Bergan frowned. ‘So you’re saying I shouldn’t have abseiled down to help you out?’ Her tone was clipped and instantly defensive.
Richard was astonished and placed a hand on her arm to stop her from walking. ‘No.’ He looked down into her face, wanting to make sure he conveyed his point as clearly as possible. ‘As I said to Palmer, you can take care of yourself. It’s quite evident you’ve been taking care of yourself for most of your life. All I meant was that a lot of men want to protect the women they care about. It’s been going on since caveman days.’
He smiled at her, that gorgeous heart-thumping smile that never failed to send Bergan’s insides into overdrive. How was it he could defuse her temper so easily? One moment she was hot under the collar and the next she was melting simply because he’d smiled!
She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head, and a small smattering of dust came loose. Richard coughed and she looked up at him. ‘Sorry,’ she murmured, as he reached out and brushed his fingers lightly over her hair. She’d wound the long plait into a bun at the nape of her neck when she’d changed into her retrieval overalls, but, even having worn the hard hat, there was still dust everywhere.
‘We look like an old grey-haired couple with all this dust.’ He coughed again then chuckled, resting his hands on her shoulders. Without another word he pulled her close into his arms and rested his chin on her head. Bergan found herself going willingly, wanting to be held by him, wanting to feel those big strong arms around her.
It was wonderful and she desperately wanted it to last for ever, to know that Richard would always be there, right by her side, but…that wasn’t her life and she knew it. She’d known it for as long as she could remember. She was not the sort of woman who was destined to live a normal life.
‘Richard?’ she said after a few moments.
‘Mmm?’
‘Do you want to protect me?’
He eased back and looked at her, his arms still firmly around her body. He stared into her eyes for a long moment and Bergan began to wonder if he was ever going to answer her. Finally, he cleared his throat. ‘Of course I do.’ More than she could possibly know, but the last thing he wanted was to scare her, to make her feel as though he was trying to change her. She’d opened up to him, she’d allowed him into her inner sanctum, but he could also sense there was something jittery about her. Whether that had anything to do with Wendy’s rescue or something Palmer might have said, he had no idea.
‘Don’t you want to protect me?’ he asked her, and for some reason she seemed surprised by the question.
‘Well, do you need protecting?’
His smile was slow, sensual and incredibly sexy. ‘Everyone needs protecting from something, Bergan.’
‘What do you need protecting from?’
‘Right now? I need protecting from moving too fast, from wanting to capture your perfect lips in a perfect kiss—a kiss that has been a long time coming.’ The last thing he wanted was to make a mistake, to do something that would spook Bergan, causing her to retreat.
‘Why do you say things like that?’ Bergan couldn’t believe the slight tremble in her voice.
‘Because I only want there to be truth between us.’ He rubbed his hands gently on the small of her back, the touch causing a tingling warmth to burst forth within her, flooding her body with need, with wanting, with desperation.
It was what she wanted, too, so why was she hesitating? They’d been about to kiss before they’d been interrupted with the retrieval, so why, now that things were under control, did she hesitate? She didn’t know. Sometimes she’d found it better to just jump into the deep end, to sink or swim.
Yes, she knew he would leave her and return to Paris. Yes, she knew he’d broken down far too many of her barriers. Yes, she knew she had to distance herself from him, and the sooner the better, but surely she couldn’t deny herself this? This moment? This kiss? This synchronising of their hearts? Hadn’t she earned it? All those bad relationships? That pain she’d lived through? Didn’t she deserve some sort of reward, even if it was a temporary one?
Breathing in slowly, she held his gaze, ensuring her words and intentions were crystal clear.
/>
‘Richard?’
‘Mmm?’
‘Kiss me,’ she whispered. ‘Please?’
‘You’ve said that to me once before, Bergan, and we ended up being interrupted by this emergency.’ He glanced around at the emergency crews, still doing their job, still needing to continue cleaning up the damage well into the night. The sun was setting but the work would continue, and while he knew the day was far from over for both himself and Bergan, having these few selfish moments would definitely help him recharge his batteries.
‘Then you should shut up and get on with it.’
Richard exhaled quickly at her words. ‘You never fail to surprise me,’ he murmured, his gaze dipping to take in her parted lips, ready, willing and waiting for him.
‘Enough talk,’ she grumbled impatiently as she laced her fingers into his hair and forced his head down, now almost bursting with need. She was happy that Richard hadn’t pushed her, that he’d let her set the pace. She appreciated his chivalry and admired his patience and particularly after they’d been in such a precarious position not too long ago, caring for Wendy and working harmoniously alongside each other. Even she had to admit that enough was enough.
Back in her office, when they’d been standing so close, the need between them so powerful, she could have sworn Richard had been about to kiss her with all the restraint and tenderness he could muster, determined not to scare her, determined to woo her, to show her he cared. Now, though, after everything they’d endured, and with the fact that Bergan herself had very little patience or restraint left, when their mouths finally met, the kiss was hungry, hot and hard.
It was clear that Richard wanted her just as much as she wanted him, and Bergan was unable to fathom how she’d lost control over her desire for him. Here was a man who had been nothing but sweet and considerate to her, especially during the past few weeks. He’d shared his thoughts with her, he’d cuddled her, holding her close and making her feel as though finally she’d found someone she could truly trust.