by Sarah Morgan
It was Emma’s mother who spoke this time. ‘Do what you have to do, Mr Blackwood,’ she urged. ‘She’s suffered enough. We just want her to be without pain.’
But what about without mobility? Ben thought as he looked into that concerned maternal gaze that so reminded him of his mother’s when Hannah’s life had hung in the balance all those years ago. The same haunted shadows were in Glenda Stanley’s eyes and those of her husband’s. How could he possibly prepare them adequately for what was ahead?
He pulled himself into line with an effort and continued, addressing just Emma this time. ‘Emma, we have a huge task in front of us but I’m thinking that with your experience at track and field training you’re no slouch when it comes to hard work. Am I right?’
Emma smiled a tentative smile. ‘Yep,’ she said. ‘I like a challenge.’
‘Good, because that’s what this is going to be,’ he said, ‘and quite possibly the biggest challenge of your life so far. I can’t promise you miracles, you’re old enough to understand that, but I can promise you I will do my best to remove that tumour and relieve the pressure on your spinal nerves, but you need to be aware of the risks.’
‘Go on,’ Emma said, when he paused momentarily.
Ben glanced at the parents, who were now leaning forward slightly in their chairs. His heart contracted in pain for them.
No parent wanted to watch their child’s dreams be snatched away from them but he had a responsibility to inform them of the possible outcomes of such invasive surgery. He took a deep breath and sat forward in his own chair, his forearms leaning on the desk. ‘I cannot promise you a hundred per cent return to full function,’ he said. ‘Emma’s nerves may already be permanently damaged.’
‘You mean …?’ It was Glenda who spoke but Ben could see that both Emma and her father knew exactly what she was referring to.
‘Yes,’ he said heavily. ‘There’s a chance Emma will never walk again.’
The silence was so heavy he could have reached out and touched it. He waited for the fallout. It always happened. It usually took about five to ten seconds.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
‘B-but I’m an athlete …’ Emma’s thin voice cracked the silence. ‘Running is my life. I’ve got sponsors queuing up.’
Ben ached for her. She was the same age as Hannah. He knew all about teenage passion and how focussed they could be on one thing and one thing only, be it boyfriends or fashion or sport. ‘I know, Emma,’ he said gently. ‘I will do the best I can, but you need to know the risks. You have a rare condition. You did nothing to cause it—it’s just there and has to be taken care of. That’s my job. Your job is to trust me to do what I can to give you a good outcome, but as I said there are no guarantees.’
He waited for a moment to add, ‘I always advise patients to get a second opinion in cases such as these. It doesn’t reflect on my judgement so, please, don’t think I would be in the least offended by you seeking someone else’s opinion. In fact, I would prefer it.’
‘No,’ the father said after exchanging another quick glance with his wife and daughter. ‘We’ve heard you are the best and we want you to look after Emma. You were the one who diagnosed the tumour in the first place after she’d been shuffled from doctor to doctor for months.’
Precious, precious months, Ben thought with anguish as he opened his drawer for the necessary consent and admission forms. God, there were times when he really hated his job.
‘So what do you think of my big brother?’ Hannah asked as they finished their coffee. ‘Isn’t he gorgeous?’
‘Er … yes …’ Georgie said. ‘But I don’t want you to think that there’s anything going—’
‘A thousand bucks, huh?’ Hannah cut her off musingly. ‘Don’t you think he’s worth the payout of your bet?’
Very definitely, Georgie thought, but she wasn’t going to admit it to Ben’s sister. She was only starting to admit to herself that the attraction she felt for him was moving fast beyond the physical.
Hannah didn’t wait for an answer and plunged in again. ‘He got terribly hurt by Leila Ingram. She was sleeping around behind his back. I was glad when they broke up because I never liked her in the first place, but I feel bad for him as he’s not dated since. He’s nearly thirty-five. He should be married with a baby on the way by now. I’m dying for a niece or nephew and Mum and Dad would love a bunch of grandkids.’
Georgie blinked at her helplessly, not sure she was supposed to contribute to the conversation or simply be a sounding-board. In the end Hannah took the matter out of her hands and rattled on some more.
‘I’m not sure if you know this but my dad is not Ben’s real father. His dad died when he was six in a tractor accident.’ She gave a little shudder and continued, ‘I still can’t look at the bank of that dam without thinking of how dreadful it must have been for Ben to have his father ruffle his hair at breakfast that morning, only to be killed half an hour later.’
Georgie swallowed a thick lump of empathy in her throat for what Ben and his mother had been through. Life was so fragile sometimes—she saw it all the time at work. It was one of the things that challenged her and frustrated her at the same time. Fate laid a heavy hand on some people and a lighter one on others.
‘My dad was the owner of the neighbouring property,’ Hannah went on. ‘He had secretly loved my mum for years. He helped Mum get back on her feet; he did all the farm labour and helped pay for feed, just like Ben is doing now, on account of the drought. My parents would have lost the farm without his help.’
Georgie recalled the pile of invoices she’d seen in his utility that night after the gym and grimaced again at how rude she had been towards him. ‘Your brother is a very nice man,’ she said. ‘It’s no wonder you adore him.’
Hannah grinned. ‘So you like him a little bit, then, do you?’ she asked.
‘He’s my boss, Hannah,’ she said, more to remind herself more than the young girl. ‘We have to work together for the next twelve months. Things can get tricky when workplace romances run off the rails. We have to deal with life-and-death situations—there’s no room for ill feeling and resentment as it could compromise patient care.’
‘Well, I think he likes you,’ Hannah said with sisterly authority. ‘He keeps looking at you all the time. Haven’t you noticed?’
Georgie was beginning to think Ben’s kid sister was a little too observant. If Hannah had already perceived Ben’s interest, what on earth was she making of her pathetic attempt to disguise hers? ‘Um … sort of,’ she said at last. ‘But it’s just because we got off to a bad start. Did he tell you what I did to him?’
‘No,’ Hannah said, leaning forward. ‘Tell me what happened.’
Georgie told her the details of that fateful morning, watching as the young teenager’s blue-green eyes went wide at first, and then her face falling as reality began to sink home.
‘No wonder he didn’t tell me or Mum,’ Hannah said, nibbling her bottom lip. ‘He might have been killed.’
‘I’m so sorry. I feel so bad about it. I’m normally so careful but I was nervous about my first day at the hospital …’
A frown was still wrinkling Hannah’s forehead. ‘I had a terrible accident on my bike when I was seven,’ she said in a subdued tone. ‘I nearly died. I had to be resuscitated three times on the way to hospital in the ambulance. We don’t talk about it much at home. It upsets everyone too much.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘It’s why Ben chose to do neurosurgery,’ Hannah continued. ‘He hadn’t long qualified as a doctor when I was hit by a car on the road leading to our property. When I came out of a three-week coma with all my faculties working normally, he decided to specialise in neurosurgery.’
‘There are lots of patients who are very glad he did,’ Georgie put in.
‘Yes, I know,’ Hannah said. ‘So I guess you could say something good came out of something bad. I nearly
lost my life but it gave the world a wonderful neurosurgeon as a result.’
‘Do you remember anything about the accident?’ Georgie asked.
‘No, and to tell you the truth I’m kind of glad,’ Hannah said. ‘All I know is they never caught the driver.’
‘Does that make it harder for you?’
‘No, not really,’ Hannah replied. ‘What’s the point in being bitter? I have a shunt in my head and a few titanium screws but, hey, I’m alive. I kind of figure the person who knocked me down has suffered more in the long run. Every day he or she has to live with the fact they were too cowardly to stop and help. I couldn’t live with myself if it was me.’
Georgie captured her lip again. ‘No, neither could I.’
‘I’m sure Ben won’t hold it against you,’ Hannah said at Georgie’s worried frown. ‘He’s not the sort to hold a grudge.’
‘Except when it comes to my father,’ Georgie said with a rueful twist to her mouth.
‘Your father?’ Hannah looked at her blankly. ‘What’s your father got to do with any of this?’
Georgie blew out a little sigh. ‘I’m Professor Willoughby’s daughter. I’m sure Ben’s told you about him.’
‘Oh, that Professor Willoughby,’ Hannah said. ‘I’ve only seen Ben truly angry twice in my life. The first time was when I woke up from the coma. He threatened to tear limb from limb the person who had run me down, and the second was when he failed his fellowship. He’d worked three jobs to get himself through medical school. He was doing extra shifts prior to the exam to pay off the rest of the debt, so it was a bit of a blow when he failed. He hadn’t had a holiday or even a night off in years. He was so ready to toss it all in but somehow he pulled himself back into line and went for it with even more determination. But, hey, success is the best revenge, right?’
‘I guess so,’ Georgie said, frowning slightly.
No wonder Ben had been a bit prickly over dinner the other night, she thought. Her life couldn’t have been more different from his. She had been brought up with designer clothing; her very expensive education and holidays had been paid for without lifting a single one of her fingers.
Ben, on the other hand, had lost his father at a young age and had had to grow up rather quickly as a result, taking on more and more responsibility for his family. It would have been a truly devastating blow to fail his fellowship but she couldn’t for the life of her agree with him that her father had done it out of spite or prejudice.
The waiter came over to collect their empty cups which gave Georgie an opportunity to divert her conversation with Hannah to safer ground. She reached for her bag and slipped it over one shoulder as she got to her feet. ‘We’d better get a move on,’ she said with a smile. ‘What would you like to look at first?’
Hannah was delightful company, Georgie decided an hour or so later when they had both tried on shoes and separates in various boutiques. She talked about her life on the farm and how she wanted to become a kindergarten teacher once she left school. She also talked almost constantly about her big brother, making it even harder for Georgie to control her snowballing feelings towards him.
He wasn’t shallow and selfish, like most of the men she had dated in the past, and his core values resonated with her in a way no one else’s had done before. He was dedicated and treated his patients as if they were important, not just names on a waiting list. He was devoted to his family and his colleagues adored him. What was not to like about him?
‘Do you think my bottom looks big in these jeans?’ Hannah asked her at one point, swivelling her head around to check out her rear in the change-room mirror.
‘You look fantastic in them,’ Georgie said. ‘And I think that top we bought earlier will go with them beautifully.’
Hannah put her hands on her on hips and tilted her head from side to side as she looked at her reflection. ‘I wish I was a bit taller,’ she said. ‘It’s not fair that Ben’s six foot four and a half and I’m only five two. He could have spared a couple of inches for me, don’t you think?’
‘I know what you mean,’ Georgie commented wryly as she hitched up the legs of her jeans to show Hannah the height of her heels. ‘I’m probably doing irreparable damage to my ankles and knees in an attempt to look him in the eye occasionally.’
Hannah’s eyes twinkled. ‘As long as you can reach his mouth to kiss him, that’s the main thing.’
Georgie had no way of hiding the red-hot flush that stole over her features.
‘Oh, my God!’ Hannah crowed. ‘You’ve already done it! I knew it! Wait till I tell Mum. She’ll be over the moon.’
‘Hannah, please.’
‘There’s no point in denying it,’ Hannah said, as she unzipped the jeans and busied herself with getting back into her old ones. ‘I could see it the moment I saw you together. It’s kismet or destiny or something. What’s your star sign?’
Georgie mentally rolled her eyes. ‘It’s not my birthday for months.’
‘That reminds me,’ Hannah said turning to face her. ‘It’s Ben’s birthday in a couple of weeks. I’ve already got something in my bag that I made for him especially, but I’d like to get him some new aftershave. Want to help me choose it?’
What could she say? Georgie thought as she was dragged by the hand out of the boutique a short time later and led to the nearest department store.
Hannah was like her brother—totally irresistible.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
BEN called Hannah on her mobile to arrange a meeting place and half an hour later caught sight of her and Georgie sitting on the grass near the Hyde Park fountain, a pair of ibis coming closer and closer for the crumbs Georgie was tempting them with.
‘Even the animal kingdom isn’t safe from her natural beauty and charm,’ he muttered under his breath as he made his way towards them.
‘Hi, Ben, look what I bought,’ Hannah said, leaping to her feet and showing him her jeans and top inside the boutique bags she had in her possession.
‘Mmm, very nice,’ he said. Swinging his gaze to Georgie, who was still sitting cross-legged on the grass, he asked, ‘What did you get?’
‘Sore feet,’ Georgie said wryly, as she made to get up.
He smiled and offered her a hand, pulling her up so strongly she tumbled forward into his arms.
‘Ooh!’ she said breathlessly, her hands flat against the hard wall of his chest.
‘That’ll teach you to wear those ridiculously high heels all the time,’ he admonished her playfully, his hands sliding down the length of her arms as she found her balance.
‘She only does it so she can reach your—’ ‘Hannah!’ Georgie gasped, her face exploding with colour. Ben chuckled as he tugged on his sister’s ponytail. ‘What have you been up to? Teasing my poor little registrar?’ Hannah just smiled.
The heat of the afternoon lured Ben’s little sister away from the shops and off to the beach.
‘Why don’t you come with us, Georgie?’ she asked.
Georgie glanced self-consciously at Ben and began, ‘I don’t think I—’
‘Oh, come on,’ Hannah pleaded. ‘It will be no fun by myself. Ben will go off surfing for hours and I’ll probably drown under the first tiny wave.’
‘Don’t listen to her, Georgie,’ Ben interjected. ‘She can swim like a fish and I haven’t been on my board since before Christmas, but, please, feel free to join us. It’s turning out to be a scorcher and at least you can always head home when you’ve had enough of us.’
I don’t think I could ever have enough of you. Georgie heard that little voice in her head again. ‘I was thinking about going for a swim anyway,’ she said before she could stop herself. ‘I’d be glad of some company.’
A little while later she joined Hannah on the stretched-out beach towels on the sand on Bondi Beach as Ben headed for the rolling waves.
‘Can you surf?’ Hannah asked as she handed Georgie the sunscreen she’d borrowed from her earlier.
‘I’ve never
tried,’ she answered. ‘I’ve thought of having lessons but I never seem to find the time.’
‘Ben could teach you,’ Hannah said. ‘Look at him.’ She pointed to his tanned, muscular body paddling out to where the waves were forming. ‘There he goes. That’s not bad for a boy born and bred in the bush, now, is it? Isn’t he cool?’
I don’t know about cool but he’s certainly hot, Georgie thought as she watched him carving his way through and along the wave until it finally crashed. He picked up the board and paddled out strongly again, his rippling muscles glistening and his black hair gleaming in the bright summer sunshine.
‘How about a swim?’ she asked, hoping to skirt away from the subject of Ben for a while to give her heart rate a chance to settle back to somewhere near normal.
Hannah jumped to her feet. ‘Race you to the water!’
Georgie let her win but by only the narrowest margin. The water was refreshingly cool after the heat of the sun and she swam out beyond the breakers, reassured once she had checked that, like Ben had said, his sister could swim very well indeed.
They body-surfed among the other swimmers, which was difficult at times as the section between the flags was crowded, but when Hannah suggested they move outside the patrolled area, Georgie insisted they stay.
‘It’s not worth it, Hannah,’ she said. ‘I know you’re a great swimmer but the rips can be treacherous at times and there are sometimes sandbars. I saw a patient with a permanent neck injury at my last hospital. He dived under a wave and broke two of his vertebrae on a sandbar. He was supposed to be getting married the following week. His fiancée eventually left him. It was so sad.’
Hannah brushed her wet hair out of her eyes as they waded through the shallows back to their towels. ‘How do you cope with all the unhappy endings, Georgie?’ she asked. ‘Mum is always worrying about Ben and what he has to face each day. I guess because of my accident she is more aware of what the doctors and nurses go through, as well as the patients and their families.’