The Surgeon's Secret

by Lucy Clark

  ‘Tell me what’s wrong,’ he demanded.

  ‘It’s nothing.’

  ‘Come on, Jordanne,’ he cajoled. ‘You can tell me. I’m your brother.’

  ‘Ha.’ She laughed without humour and sighed. He was right, though, and she was annoyed with herself for feeling weak. She raised her gaze to meet his. ‘Where are you and Teagan going tonight? She seems determined to let everyone in the hospital know that you’re seeing each other after hours.’

  Alex raised his eyebrows questioningly. ‘Just like you were eager to let the hospital know we’re almost “family”?’

  Jordanne nodded. ‘Touché.’

  Alex placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. Jordanne commanded her knees to stop weakening and to hold her up. She wished Alex would give her warning when he was going to touch her—at least then she could prepare her senses against the onslaught of emotions that coursed through her body every time he came close.

  ‘Teagan and I are going to a dinner meeting tonight with two of the teaching staff from the med school. She wants to start her Ph.D. now and has asked me to discuss it with her old lecturers, one of whom has volunteered to be her supervisor.’

  ‘That’s a lot of extra work she’ll be taking on,’ Jordanne pointed out with a frown.

  ‘I’ll be raising that point tonight. She has three years left on the orthopaedic rotation and the work level is going to quadruple.’

  Jordanne nodded, clearly remembering her own final year.

  Alex squeezed her shoulder lightly. ‘There’s nothing more going on between us.’ He looked down into her upturned face and slowly, ever so agonisingly slowly, his head began to close the distance towards her own.

  Jordanne’s eyelids fluttered closed and her lips parted slightly in anticipation as she tried desperately to control the rapid increase of her heart rate. Finally, with a softness that tipped her over the edge, Alex’s lips brushed against her own.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  AT THE sound of someone clearing their throat, Jordanne and Alex sprang apart like two guilty teenagers caught kissing behind the school shed.

  Jordanne’s wild eyes focused on Colleen, the sister in charge of ESS.

  ‘I think I’ll get changed,’ Alex said, and pushed open the door to the male changing rooms. He was gone in a flash. Jordanne followed his example and went into the female changing rooms. She was at her assigned locker, hoping that Colleen wouldn’t follow her but knowing the theatre sister would.

  ‘So you two are like brother and sister?’ Colleen said with a wide smile on her face.

  Jordanne concentrated hard on taking her clothes out of the locker. ‘Brothers and sisters kiss,’ she pointed out.

  ‘Not like that,’ Colleen said with a chuckle. ‘Look, Jordanne, I promise I won’t say anything. What you and Alex do is your business. If it’s easier for the two of you to be seen together around the hospital pretending to be brother and sister, that’s fine by me.’

  Jordanne started changing, glad that Colleen wasn’t going to spill the beans.

  ‘Although,’ she added thoughtfully, and Jordanne quickly looked up at her, ‘I might charge you a fee for my silence.’

  ‘You’re going to blackmail me?’ Jordanne asked incredulously.

  Colleen’s smile increased and she nodded. ‘I want to know exactly how long this has been going on.’

  Jordanne frowned. ‘That’s it? That’s your fee? I have to answer a question?’

  ‘That’s it, but be careful where you kiss next time. So? Answer the question.’

  ‘I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed. There is something between Alex and myself and we’ve acknowledged that, but as for being a couple—no. That was the very first time he’s ever kissed me.’

  ‘And I interrupted it. Sorry.’

  Jordanne could tell that Colleen was truly sorry. She put her shoes on. ‘Never mind. We’re having dinner on Sunday night—’

  ‘Great.’

  ‘With three other people,’ Jordanne finished.

  ‘Not so great.’ Colleen grimaced.

  ‘No, it’s fine, but thanks to the suggestion from my brilliant sister-in-law-to-be, Alex will be driving me and picking me up.’

  ‘More time alone and in a more private place than a hospital corridor.’

  Jordanne took the pins out of her hair and shook it free. Reaching for her brush, she worked the knots out.

  ‘Wow! Your hair is gorgeous. Has Alex seen you like this?’

  Jordanne smiled. ‘A few times. It’s starting to become one of my greatest assets.’

  ‘Use it,’ Colleen agreed. ‘Leave your hair down and perhaps he’ll take you out to dinner tonight.’

  ‘He has a meeting,’ Jordanne explained as she closed the locker door and picked up her bag. She put her theatre clothes in the basket beside the door. ‘Thanks for being so nice about this, Colleen.’

  ‘My lips are sealed,’ she promised. The two women walked out of the changing rooms together and down to the ESS doors. There was Alex, leaning against the wall, waiting patiently for her.

  Jordanne had half expected Colleen to make some sort of comment or a wisecrack, but instead she waved to Alex and called, ‘See you later.’ Then she turned and headed back to her office.

  ‘Everything OK?’ he asked as he straightened up. His gaze rested on her loose hair before returning to meet her eyes.

  ‘Fine.’ She nodded for emphasis, glad she’d left her hair down. ‘I thought you might have left already.’

  Alex shook his head. ‘I’ll walk you to your car. It’s dark now,’ he added by way of explaining his presence.

  They walked out of the hospital in silence, the wind teasing the ends of her hair.

  ‘Busy day,’ Alex said after a while.

  ‘Hectic,’ she agreed. She wasn’t sure what to say to him and although she was happy that he’d finally kissed her, Jordanne now felt a little uneasy.

  That was all they said until they reached the doctors’ car park. He walked her to her car and waited while she unlocked it. The wind once more breezed through her hair and Alex reached out to smooth it back from her face.

  ‘Beautiful,’ he murmured as he ran his fingers through its length. He looked down into her eyes. ‘Jordanne, we need to talk.’

  All Jordanne could do was nod.

  ‘I wish I didn’t have this meeting tonight, but if I cancel I’ll just have to reschedule.’

  She nodded again. ‘Better to get it over and done with.’

  They looked into each other’s eyes for a few more seconds before Alex took a small step away. Jordanne belatedly realised she’d been holding her breath, willing him to kiss her once more, but it wasn’t to be.

  ‘Drive carefully,’ he said, and turned to walk towards his own car.

  Jordanne climbed behind the wheel of her car and went through the motions of driving. When she arrived home, she sat down and thought over everything that had happened. Usually, when some minor breakthrough had happened with Alex, she’d be on the phone to Kirsten like a shot. Tonight, however, Jordanne didn’t really want to discuss it with anyone. She wasn’t sure how Alex would react now, after their kiss—extremely brief though it had been. He’d said he wanted to talk and Jordanne dreaded it. She was positive he’d say it had been a mistake.

  The only thread she had to hold onto was that he had been the one to instigate the kiss. She sighed and clung to that knowledge for dear life.

  The rest of the week proved to be more hectic than Jordanne had anticipated as they both had extra work from Tuesday that they had to catch up on.

  By late Friday morning, as they completed the clinic at Alex’s private practice, Jordanne was ready for a holiday. She massaged her temples, hoping her headache would go away but there was only one way for that to happen—by finding some time to talk to Alex. She’d hardly slept a wink since that kiss three days ago and as his attitude towards her had been overly polite, coupled with monosyllables, Jordanne
was almost positive that when they did find the time to talk, he’d tell her it could never happen again.

  The only bright spark in her week so far had been Louise Kellerman’s recovery. Thankfully, she’d not had any further complications after her pelvic fracture surgery. The reports from the physiotherapist and occupational therapist, as well as the social worker, on her condition had all been quite satisfactory. Her drains had been removed and the bruising from the accident had reduced dramatically. When Jordanne had seen her this morning, Louise had been in quite optimistic spirits.

  When the last patient had gone, Jordanne typed up the notes, saved her documents and switched the computer off.

  She took her empty coffee-cup back to the kitchen and was in the process of rinsing it when she felt rather than heard Alex come in. She kept her back to him and made sure the cup was really clean. Jordanne knew that if she turned around, she’d either throw herself into his arms or rush out of there in tears. Her emotions were strung taut like a drum, her shoulders knotted with tension.

  ‘All done?’ he asked.

  The smooth silkiness of his voice washed over her and Jordanne momentarily closed her eyes. The cup was squeaky clean now and she could tell he was waiting for her to face him.

  Jordanne reached for the teatowel and slowly turned to look at Alex. She leaned against the bench for extra support.

  ‘Yes.’ Her tone was slightly clipped.

  He held out a piece of paper. ‘This is a letter from Roberto Portatello’s rheumatologist. He said he’s fine for surgery so everything can proceed as planned.’

  ‘Good.’ Jordanne forced a smile. She looked down at the cup she was drying.

  ‘You know, Jordanne,’ he said in that, oh, so sexy voice of his that made her want to melt into his arms, ‘if you rub that cup any harder, the pattern will come off.’

  Jordanne didn’t smile. He was trying to lighten the mood but just the sound of his voice and the way it made her feel was starting to exhaust her.

  ‘Have you got some time now?’ he asked, putting the letter on the table. Their gazes met and locked. Jordanne’s heartbeat increased rapidly and she leaned further against the bench as her knees began to buckle. The deep blue of his gaze was something she should be used to by now but Jordanne was certain that even if she could look into those eyes every day for the rest of her life they’d still affect her in the same way.

  She knew in that split second that she was definitely in love with the man. He was everything she’d ever dreamed of, he complemented her in every way and he’d captured her heart for ever. Alex Page was her Mr. Right.

  The thought that she’d actually found him astounded her. In this wide world of people, her soul mate was standing right in front of her. He’d been her brother’s best friend for over a decade and here he was, asking her if she had some time to talk.

  With the revelation of her true feelings towards Alex, Jordanne wasn’t at all sure what to do. She was positive Alex would say the brief but incredible feel of his lips brushing against hers had been a mistake. That they shouldn’t pursue the attraction that almost erupted like a volcano whenever they were near each other. If he’d thought otherwise, why hadn’t he just grabbed her and kissed her every day since it had happened? After all, it was all she’d wanted.

  Her lips parted but she found that she couldn’t speak any words. She knew he was watching her carefully, trying to decipher her expressions.

  ‘Jordanne.’ The word was said softly, almost a caress, and for one fleeting millisecond Jordanne thought she might have a chance.

  The ringing of her mobile phone startled her so much that Jordanne dropped her coffee-cup. Crash! She looked down at the pieces of porcelain that had shattered all over the kitchen floor before snatching the phone from her waistband.

  Turning to face the sink, she spoke harshly into the receiver. ‘Yes?’ She listened intently to the person at the other end. ‘Right. I’ll be there soon. Thank you.’ She disconnected the call and hung her head. Taking a deep breath, she tried to relax her body. It didn’t work.

  ‘That was the IAS. Apparently Dylan Foster has turned up early for his appointment with me this afternoon.’ Jordanne spun around only to find Alex crouching on the floor, cleaning up the mess with a dustpan and brush.

  ‘I’ll take care of this,’ he told her. ‘You’d better go start your afternoon research session.’

  Jordanne felt worse than she had before. One single action from him would wipe away all the stress within her. With one little reassuring kiss, no words would be necessary. He inclined his head towards the door when she didn’t move.

  ‘Right. Thanks,’ she said, remembering her manners as she walked past him and out of the room. Why did it feel as though she were walking out of his life?

  Jordanne forced herself to concentrate on the traffic during the short drive to the IAS. When she arrived, she was glad to see that Dylan Foster’s wife had accompanied him. Jordanne was in no mood to be evasive and polite if Dylan Foster tried any of his pick-up lines on her.

  ‘These X-rays look good,’ she told him after she’d reviewed the new set of films he’d had taken a few hours ago. It was part of the study to take check X-rays of the fractures to see precisely how they were healing.

  ‘Now I need to take a small sample of blood for testing and then I’ll explain again about the medication you’ll be taking.’

  Jordanne tried not to smile as Dylan paled at the sight of the needle. ‘Perhaps you should lie down,’ she suggested. When he was lying on the examination couch, Jordanne motioned for his wife to come over, too. ‘Would you mind talking to your husband, Mrs Foster?’ she asked softly. ‘Distract him a little?’

  ‘Sure.’

  Everything was going fine. Jordanne swabbed his arm and rechecked that the tourniquet was tight. She’d inserted the needle and was almost finished when Dylan turned his head to see what she was doing and promptly passed out.

  Jordanne withdrew the needle and quickly dealt with the blood before washing her hands. ‘Dylan?’ Jordanne called, and he slowly roused. ‘Just as well he was lying down,’ she said softly to his wife, who smiled.

  ‘He hates the sight of blood,’ Mrs Foster stated. ‘He’s hopeless when the kids cut themselves. I don’t know why he looked.’

  ‘Never mind. Just lie there for a while, Dylan, and you’ll soon be feeling as right as rain.’ She gave him a drink of water which he sipped with his wife’s help.

  When he was feeling better, Jordanne checked his blood pressure and pulse before allowing him to get off the couch. He hobbled over to the chair and sat holding onto his wife’s hand as though his life depended on it.

  ‘Right, now I’ll just go through the medication with you again.’ She handed his wife a small plastic bottle that had one hundred tablets in it. ‘You need to take one tablet per day, preferably around the same time of day and after food.’

  ‘So it doesn’t matter when, just the same time,’ Mrs Foster clarified.

  ‘Yes. As I explained before, the tablets are a new non-steroidal, non-performance-enhancing medication. The study has two sections, people who have recent fractures, that is, less than six months old, and people who fractured their legs more than six months ago.

  ‘What the medication does is to repair small fractures, stress fractures, hairline fractures—that sort of thing—without requiring surgical intervention. When a bone is fractured, bone-building cells called osteoblasts help to remodel the bone. This medication assists the formation of not only the osteoblasts but other cells involved in bone regeneration, thereby helping the smaller fractures to repair themselves more quickly.’

  ‘Why?’ Mrs Foster asked.

  ‘Once the smaller fractures are healed, the bone becomes stronger, thereby allowing better health to the patient and faster regeneration of larger fractures.’

  ‘So the aim of this research study is to test whether this medication really works in the way you’ve just told me?’ she asked. Dylan
was still fairly white and wasn’t up to asking questions.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You said previously that your research was mainly on athletes.’

  ‘That’s right. Athletes have a higher rate of injury and re-fractures are more common, but to round the study out we wanted to test not only professional athletes but amateur athletes and non-athletic people. Most of the athletes I’m seeing have old fractures so we’re hoping to prove that the medication helps strengthen the bone and guard against refracturing. With Dylan’s history of being an amateur athlete, as well as refracturing the same bone as he’s done, it makes him a unique candidate for this study.’

  ‘There you are, dear.’ His wife patted his hand. ‘Someone thinks you’re unique.’

  Jordanne tried not to smile at her words. She handed Mrs Foster a card. ‘Here are my details. This is my answering service and if I’m not available, leave a message with them and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Remember, no question is too silly. As I said when we first discussed Dylan participating in this study, if there are any side-effects such as nausea, irritation to the skin, loss of appetite—anything like that—stop taking the medication instantly and call me.’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘You have the charts for the daily report of general health?’ Jordanne confirmed.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good. I’ll need to see Dylan in one month’s time with a new set of X-rays—do you have the request form?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Have the X-rays like you did today, bring the daily reports, come here and see me. I’ll need to do another blood test so perhaps next time we’ll put a blindfold on him.’

  Mrs Foster chuckled and nodded.

  ‘And we’ll take it from there.’

  ‘Thanks, Doctor,’ Dylan said, and his wife reiterated it.

  ‘No. Thank you. Your participation in this study is greatly appreciated.’ Jordanne checked his vital signs again, pleased that everything was back to normal. She helped Dylan to his feet while his wife handed him his crutches, and together they left.

  Jordanne saw three more athletes who had agreed to take part in the study. The pharmaceutical company who was funding the research had also sent her X-rays and patient information on some of the athletes training at the IAS, whom the company sponsored.