The Secret Between Them

by Clark, Lucy

  He’d taken a chance, he’d followed his gut instinct and he’d kissed Sunainah, and if the kiss had been any indication, it had been the right chance to take with the right woman.

  His children adored her. Her patients adored her. Her staff respected her and her friends loved her. All in all, she was an amazing woman. She might be incredibly shy and introverted when it came to her private life but she was so strong and confident at the hospital. To say he was intrigued, that he was far more emotionally involved with Sunainah than he’d perhaps realised, was an understatement.

  He’d leave it for now but he would also warn her that simply telling him she was married and then running away wasn’t the end of the situation. If she was indeed married—and why would she lie about such a thing?—it was clear she wasn’t happily married, or she wouldn’t have kissed him the way she had.

  No. This situation definitely required a bit more thought, a bit more care and a lot of finesse on his part not to spook or worry Sunainah. He wanted her to open up to him, to tell him the story of her past, to trust him. He wouldn’t achieve that goal if he marched up to her door and demanded answers.

  He would need to be patient, to let her know he was her friend first and foremost, and if she insisted on them maintaining a professional relationship then that’s what he would do until she was comfortable.

  Elliot eased back on his heels and crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to stare at her town house. Yes, he would show her he was a gentleman, that he would not rush her, but neither was he going to desert her, to ignore this frighteningly natural chemistry between them.

  He blew a kiss to her darkened house then turned on his heel and slowly walked back towards his own home, deep in contemplation. He checked on both his children, pleased they were still sleeping soundly, unaware that their father’s life had just taken a dramatic turn, but he knew in his heart it was a turn towards a positive future—a future he now wanted to share with Sunainah.

  * * *

  The next day, with his car now fixed, he was eager to get the children sorted out and dropped off at Grandma Liz’s daycare centre so he’d have time before ward round to put the first step of his plan into action. By seven o’clock, fifteen minutes after he was supposed to have left his house, he was on his hands and knees, crawling under Daphne’s bed looking for her favourite pair of sandals, which she was insisting on wearing. Stubborn and unwilling to compromise.

  ‘You are such a girl, Daphne Marie,’ he remarked once they’d eventually found the shoes at the bottom of the toy box. He picked her up and tickled her tummy with his nose, and Daphne squealed with delight. ‘Some days, you really remind me of your mother. Determined but grateful.’ He kissed her cheek before strapping her into her car seat.

  At Grandma Liz’s, he was delayed once more, trying not to let his impatience show when she asked him to check on two of the other children who were there. Elliot wanted to get to the hospital, he wanted to see Sunainah, he wanted to put his new plan into action, but he quickly reminded himself this was not a race he was running—it was a future direction that needed careful tweaking. He switched off his personal thoughts and pulled on his professional persona.

  ‘They both felt quite hot to the touch,’ Grandma Liz told him. ‘Then again, they were both running around when they arrived, almost hyperactive, but in the last half an hour both of them seem to have had all their energy zapped out of them.’

  ‘Are they from the same family?’

  ‘No. Different families but they’re friends and play together a lot.’

  Elliot nodded dutifully, took the children into Liz’s office and took their temperatures with the tympanic thermometer before looking at their throats and making them say, ‘Ahh’. He went through the normal checks and when he was finished, he frowned. ‘They’re definitely not one hundred per cent. Both have a slight fever and redness in the throat. Noses aren’t runny. Eyes aren’t glassy in appearance. Ears aren’t red either.’

  ‘Could it be a cold?’ she asked.

  Elliot continued to frown. ‘Yes and no. I’d suggest calling their parents and having them sent home to rest. I know that’s probably not what you wanted to hear but—’

  ‘In places like this, germs spread easily.’ Liz nodded. ‘No. It’s our policy to attempt to keep the spread of infection to a minimum. I’ll do as you’ve prescribed and until their parents come to pick them up, I’ll put them into a different room to separate them from the other children. Thank you, Elliot.’

  ‘It’s fine.’

  ‘And yet you’re still frowning,’ Liz pointed out.

  Elliot shook his head. ‘It’s just that Joshua wasn’t well when we first moved here, which means his immune system is already susceptible to picking up whatever this might be.’

  ‘Do you want to take him home today? I completely understand if that’s the case.’

  Elliot thought quickly. If he did take his children out of the daycare centre today, what was he supposed to do with them? He couldn’t very well take them to the hospital with him and he had no other family he could drop them with. Neither could he take the day off work to stay with them.

  ‘It should be fine. Just call me if Joshua—’

  ‘I’ll keep a close eye on him today.’

  ‘Thank you. I’d appreciate that.’ After kissing both of his children goodbye, and also putting his hand on Joshua’s forehead just to check his son really was all right, Elliot left the daycare and finally headed towards the hospital, realising he’d already missed most of ward round.

  As he walked past the A and E department, he heard someone call his name. It was Bergan. Trying not to roll his eyes, trying not to let his impatience show, trying to curb his need to see Sunainah’s beautiful face once more, Elliot followed her.

  ‘I’m glad I saw you walking in from the car park. Busy morning?’

  ‘One of those that just doesn’t want to let me get to the ward,’ he replied as they headed to treatment room one.

  ‘I know those days. Anyway, here’s the patient I’d like you to see,’ she said, pulling back a curtain to reveal a small boy in the large bed, his mother standing by the boy’s bedside, a worried expression on her face. Elliot did a quick visual examination of the boy, whose name was Pedro, as Bergan rattled off that the child had been complaining of headache, sore throat, earache and sore legs.

  ‘Any vomiting?’

  ‘No, but he feels hot,’ Pedro’s mother said. Even though the nurse had only recently taken the patient’s temperature, Elliot took it again, noting it had risen in the last five minutes.

  ‘Let me guess.’ Sunainah’s beautifully, modulated tones flooded the small treatment room as she glided in. ‘High fever, sore ears, nose and throat and sore legs?’

  Elliot tried not to stare, tried not to process the information that she was wearing another of her long professional skirts, which came to just below the knee. That her knit top was the most stunning shade of blue, that her hair, pulled back into its usual bun, looked incredibly sexy. Was it because he’d kissed her last night that she now looked completely different to him? He’d seen her dressed similarly before but now...

  ‘Is that the case?’ she asked, breaking into his wayward thoughts and thankfully returning his focus. What was it about this woman that enticed him so much? He was finding it difficult to remain professional.

  ‘Yes.’ Elliot looked back at Pedro, introducing him to Sunainah. ‘It’s the sore legs that concerns me most,’ he said.

  ‘Me as well,’ she added, carefully feeling Pedro’s legs for any sign of oedema. She glanced across at Elliot, watching as he reread the patient’s notes, a small frown creasing his brow. ‘Have you seen something like this before?’

  Elliot shook his head. ‘No, but it does remind me of something a colleague told me a few months ago.’ He closed the
case notes, trying to remember what he’d heard. ‘What I’d suggest is admitting Pedro to the paediatric ward but in isolation.’

  Pedro’s eyes widened at this news but Elliot smiled reassuringly. ‘It’s all right, and it’s just until we know exactly why you’re in pain, we need to keep you separate from the other children. It’s just a precaution.’ He opened the notes again and took a pen from his top pocket.

  ‘To begin with, I’d like scans of your legs, Pedro, to ensure there are no clots. We’ll give you something to reduce the fever and you’ll have a drip going into your arm to help keep your fluids up.’

  Sunainah and Elliot spent a bit more time with Pedro and his mother, explaining what was going to happen, but after they left the treatment room Sunainah noticed Elliot was still frowning. Was this anything to do with her? About what she had said to him last night? About her marriage? Or was this solely about the patient?

  She had not slept at all well and had woken with a headache. What must he think of her? She had not meant to kiss him last night, especially in such a wanton way. In fact, she had firmly decided to keep her emotional distance from him, to view him as a friend and colleague and nothing more, but the way his mouth had felt pressed against hers...the way she had felt his need for her and the way it had flattered her feminine senses were all things she should put right out of her mind—for ever.

  She was not a free woman and although her marital situation was not of a typical nature, in the eyes of the law she was not permitted to kiss other men.

  She had been dreading seeing Elliot this morning, knowing it was indeed inevitable, and when he had not turned up for ward round she had thought it something to do with her. As they walked back to the nurses’ station so he could finish writing up his instructions for Pedro’s treatment, she realised his mind was clearly on the problem of exactly what might be wrong with their patient.

  ‘Sunainah.’ Elliot stopped so suddenly in his tracks that she ploughed right into him. The immediate contact, the heat, the tingles, the sensory overload of accidentally touching him, one hand pressed flat against the firmness of his back as she quickly steadied herself, sent her senses into overload. She immediately looked up, directly into his wonderful blue eyes. His hand came around her waist, steadying her so they didn’t topple over. He blinked once, glancing, oh, so briefly down at her mouth, the world around them completely slowing down.

  ‘Er...sorry.’ His lips barely moved as he spoke and within another second, after ensuring she wasn’t going to fall, he dropped his hand back to his side, forcing himself to pull away. Slowly, slowly. First he had to earn Sunainah’s trust, to let her see he was her friend. He walked to a chair and sat down, opening Pedro’s notes.

  Sunainah was surprised. Elliot was so calm and in control. Had he not felt that burning need that had roared to life between them the instant they had touched? Or was it simply the fact that now she had told him she was a married woman, that she was not free to indulge in a romantic relationship with him, he simply respected that fact and was behaving as a professional colleague should? If it was the latter, she should be pleased and yet... She closed her eyes, desperately trying to ignore the pang of pain that pierced her heart. Elliot had let her go. He didn’t want her and she couldn’t blame him.

  He cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to the situation at hand. ‘Sunainah, are there any other children in the ward with similar symptoms to Pedro’s?’

  Sunainah tried to clear her mind, tried not to focus on the warmth at her hip where she still felt the imprint of his hand. How could one simple, accidental touch wipe her mind completely blank? She stared at Elliot for one moment more, as though completely perplexed as to why she could not immediately recall the information he wanted.

  ‘I know it’s difficult to concentrate, Sunainah.’ His words were soft, intimate, the way two doctors would often speak when not wanting their words to be overheard by others. There were nurses and radiographers and interns and clerical staff all around them and yet she felt certain no one else had heard his words to her. It was as though they really were in their own little world. ‘I understand. I’m fighting, too, but we must...at least until we have time to sort out exactly what you said to me last night.’

  ‘Oh!’ So he was not going to let it go. He did want to know more but he was also correct that they needed to focus all their attention on Pedro and his symptoms, to ensure this wasn’t the start of some new sort of epidemic.

  ‘You rattled off Pedro’s symptoms the instant you entered the treatment room. I take it there are others in the ward who are presenting with the same symptoms?’

  ‘Yes. I did ask Nicole to move them all into the same ward room but I did not consider it might be some sort of epidemic...not until I saw that frown on your brow.’

  Elliot nodded and quickly wrote up the treatment for Pedro. Then he asked one of the clerical officers if he could borrow her computer for a moment. He quickly searched for the name of the colleague who had told him about these odd symptoms.

  ‘Ah...here it is. Daniel Tarvon.’

  Sunainah looked at the image of Elliot’s friend on the computer screen. ‘Where does he work?’

  ‘Mainly in Tarparnii.’

  ‘That is one of the Pacific Islands, right? I have heard of it.’

  ‘I worked with Daniel many years ago in Tarparnii.’

  ‘Ah, yes. Pacific Medical Aid is the organisation that assists by sending medical teams over to help out.’

  ‘Exactly. While I was there there was an outbreak of a disease called Yellom Cigru fever. The symptoms were similar...’ Elliot continued click on different websites, looking through the lists of various medical research papers written by Daniel Tarvon and his wife, Melora.’ He scrolled down through a list of symptoms, pointing them out. ‘See?’

  ‘But it says nothing about the sore legs. Why would everything be more ear, nose and throat related, symptoms of the common cold, but then adding sore and aching legs into the mix?’

  ‘Exactly.’ Elliot shook his head in frustration. ‘I can’t find what I’m looking for. I’ll give Daniel a call and ask him my questions directly.’

  ‘Is he still in Tarparnii?’

  ‘I’m not sure. Possibly.’ Elliot pulled out his cell phone, which was presently switched off as he was in A and E. ‘Let’s head up to the ward, examine the other patients more thoroughly, order more tests to figure out what we’re really dealing with. The more information we can give Daniel, the better he’ll be able to help us.’

  ‘Good idea.’ Sunainah nodded and as she walked alongside Elliot towards the paediatric ward he tried calling Daniel Tarvon but received only voice mail. He left a message. ‘I’ll call PMA as well. If Daniel’s off in some remote jungle village, perhaps the only way to contact him will be via satellite phone.’

  ‘Good idea. Thank you, Elliot.’ As they turned the corner that led to the ward, she glanced up at him. ‘I confess to being perplexed during ward round at the confusing symptoms being reported.’

  ‘Sorry I missed it. Nothing seemed to go right this morning.’

  Sunainah looked at him with concern as she opened the door to the ward. ‘Daphne and Joshua? They are all right?’

  ‘They’re fine, but when I dropped them at daycare there were a few other children Liz wanted me to have a look at.’

  ‘Did they show signs of these confusing symptoms?’

  At Sunainah’s words, Elliot stopped still in the middle of the ward. ‘Actually, they did.’

  Sunainah nodded. ‘We should contact other hospitals and check. It might be nothing...’

  ‘Or it might be something.’

  ‘If these children at Grandma Liz’s have these symptoms, what about Daphne and Joshua?’ Sunainah was instantly worried about his gorgeous children. He could see it in her eyes and it warmed his heart to kno
w she cared so much for them.

  ‘Liz said she’d isolate the two children until their parents came to pick them up.’

  ‘Do you want to go and get your children? Are you sure they will be OK? Joshua was sick only last week.’

  ‘True. I would need to leave here and stay at home with the children.’

  ‘Then that is what you do.’

  ‘This whole single-parenting thing can sometimes be difficult to juggle.’

  ‘Especially when children might be sick. I do understand but they are your first priority. I can always call in extra staff. Meanwhile, you can keep trying to track down your friend in Tarparnii and scour the internet for any information that might be helpful.’

  He stepped closer to Sunainah, holding her gaze. ‘I feel as though I’m leaving you in the lurch.’

  ‘Everything will be fine.’ Her words were soft, mainly due to his close proximity. Would she ever be able to stand near him without having her mind going blank and her body sparking to life with desire? ‘Er...’ She swallowed. ‘We can talk on the phone and keep each other updated on progress.’

  ‘OK.’ He looked at her lips then back to her eyes, as though he wanted to seal the deal with a kiss, but knew it would definitely be the wrong thing to do. He eased back, putting distance between them. ‘First, let’s take a look at these other patients and order some tests. Then I’ll call Liz and tell her what might be happening.’ He paused. ‘I just don’t want to panic her unnecessarily.’

  ‘Grandma Liz is a wise woman. She does not have the “Grandma” in front of her name because it is an honorary title. She is a grandmother and she would prefer to err on the side of caution.’