The Registrar's Wedding Wish

by Lucy Clark

  She nodded, incapable of speech. He left her room and she slumped down into the chair, positive her legs wouldn’t hold her up any longer. How on earth was she supposed to get through the rest of the day? She’d have to ignore him as best she could, otherwise she’d be stirring up a hornets’ nest of gossip.

  She worked hard at ignoring Hayden while doing the ward round…which didn’t really work too well as she had to discuss the patients with him. She was polite and professional—anything else would have attracted attention and that was the last thing she wanted.

  Once ward round was done, she headed to the clinic, knowing she’d be bumping into him for the rest of the day and trying to figure out the best way to cope. His questions had confused her. Did he want to date her? Was he looking for a relationship? Did he just want to get to know her as a colleague? Why was he so interested to find out if there was another man in her life? Her head was spinning.

  After saying good morning to the clerical and nursing staff, Annie took the casenotes of a patient and called him in. She knew she was breaking protocol. As the senior registrar, it really was up to her to introduce Hayden but right now…right at this very moment she’d had enough of Hayden Robinson and the way the nurses and every other female he’d come into contact with so far that morning had fallen over him like lovesick schoolgirls.

  After she’d reviewed the X-rays of her patient’s fractured wrist and sent him off to have his cast removed, she wrote up the notes and headed back to the corridor.

  ‘Annie. There you are.’ It was Wesley, one of her fellow registrars and one of her least favourite people. His entire mindset was based on getting ahead by any possible means and if that meant jumping through a ring of fire into a cesspit of dog food, he would do it if his boss so ordered. ‘You were rather quick off the mark today,’ he remarked as he stood beside her, idly flicking through casenotes.

  ‘There’s a lot to get done.’

  ‘I agree. I’m just surprised you left it up to me to introduce Professor Robinson to the rest of the clinic staff when it was really your job.’

  ‘Surely you didn’t mind,’ Annie remarked. ‘After all, I know how you love to…ingratiate yourself with your superiors, Wesley.’ She smiled sweetly as she said the words. ‘No doubt Professor Robinson already counts you as a great asset.’

  Wesley preened, Annie’s sarcasm completely lost on him. ‘You think so? Excellent.’ He smiled and headed into a clinic room. Annie shook her head and called through another patient. She managed to see another four patients before someone knocked on her consulting-room door.

  Without waiting for her permission, the door opened and Hayden walked in. He nodded politely to her patient and took a look at the X-rays on the viewing box. She finished writing up her notes and spoke reassuringly to her patient before introducing Hayden. The patient seemed happy to know the new Professor was interested in all his patients and left on her crutches, a happy camper.

  ‘Is there something I can help you with, Professor?’ Annie pasted a smile onto her lips.

  ‘No need to put on an act here, Annie. It’s just the two of us.’

  ‘What do you want, Hayden?’

  ‘I have a patient in my consulting room who is asking to see you.’

  ‘Why didn’t you just send him up to me? Or call me to come and take a look?’

  ‘Now, where would be the fun in that?’

  ‘This is medicine, Professor. It’s not supposed to be fun.’

  ‘You sound like a med school lecturer.’

  ‘So who’s this patient you want me to see?’

  He opened her consulting-room door and together they marched down the corridor. ‘Tobias Andersen.’

  ‘Ah, yes. Mr Andersen. He always insists on seeing two doctors. Brian and I used to review him together as it saved time.’

  ‘Good. We’ll keep it that way.’ He pushed open his consulting-room door, waiting for Annie to precede him.

  ‘Actually, as you’re more qualified than I am,’ she said softly, ‘it’s protocol that you precede me.’

  ‘Just get in there,’ he grumbled good-naturedly. Annie smiled, delighted that a few minutes in Hayden’s presence had overpowered her earlier confusion. She loved teasing and flirting with him as it made her feel…special.

  ‘Good morning, Mr Andersen.’

  ‘There you are, Dr Beresford, and it’s about time, too.’

  ‘Sorry for the delay,’ Annie placated her patient. Mr Andersen was eighty-five years old, had broken almost every bone in his body at some point in his life and took great delight in recounting every single break at every appointment. He was now riddled with rheumatoid arthritis and had recently refractured his hip.

  ‘I was in the middle of telling your new professor here all about the time I broke all the toes on my left foot when he rudely left the room. Kids these days,’ Mr Andersen mumbled.

  Hayden’s eyebrows hit his hairline.

  ‘Now, I’m sure you’re exaggerating, Mr Andersen. Professor Robinson is a most polite man and I’m one hundred per cent positive he told you he was going to get me. Hadn’t you been asking to see me?’

  ‘Well, yes, when I got in here, but I was in the middle of a story.’

  ‘Why don’t you finish it now?’ Hayden suggested. ‘I’m sure Dr Beresford would love to hear it as well. While you’re talking, we’ll get you up onto the examination couch.’

  That was all the encouragement Mr Andersen required and after Hayden had tested the man’s range of hip movement as well as checking the wound site where Annie had performed the operation four weeks ago, they helped him off the couch.

  ‘The wheel on your walker is a little crooked, Mr Andersen,’ Annie noted, and picked up the phone. ‘Just have a seat while I organise a replacement for you.’

  With the phone cradled to her ear, she filled in the necessary paperwork for the new walker. Usually, it would take a few days for the request to be processed but, after working in this hospital for almost ten years, Annie knew the unofficial way to get things done.

  Hayden half listened to Mr Andersen’s story about how he’d received two fractures to his skull. The other half of him was overly conscious of Annie, her scent, her charm and, most of all, what she was saying on the phone. He knew how bad hospital red tape could be and he also knew how a crooked wheel on a walker could cause Mr Andersen to have yet another nasty fall.

  ‘Thanks, Buddy. The usual arrangement? I’ll make sure it’s with you before lunch. Bye.’ She rang off and tore off the top copy off the request she’d written out. ‘Here you are, Mr Andersen. If you take this down, they’ll swap your walker over immediately. Make sure you ask for Buddy.’

  ‘I wouldn’t have anyone else, Dr Beresford.’ He stood and shuffled his way to the door. Annie looked at his gait, happy with the way he was now walking. ‘I’ll see you both in two weeks’ time, then.’

  ‘Absolutely, and I’ll make sure the clinic staff schedule you to see us both.’

  ‘Good-oh,’ he replied, and shuffled through the door Annie held open for him. She closed it and headed back to Hayden’s desk, ripping off the second form from the request book and putting it into an internal mail envelope. The final copy remained in the request book.

  ‘Hospitals are the same the world over,’ Hayden remarked as he watched her. ‘Paperwork, red tape and long corridors.’

  ‘And patients.’

  ‘Really? Patients? Hmm. Yes, I guess so. Incidentally, what’s the “usual arrangement”?’

  Annie smiled. ‘Trade secret. If you’re good and prove your worth here as head of our unit, I might let you in on the secret.’

  His mouth curved into a slow smile. ‘If you don’t want to tell me, don’t. I’ll figure it out.’

  Annie laughed. ‘Good luck to you, Hayden. I’d better get back to—’ There was a knock at Hayden’s door and he quickly called for the person to come in. Wesley came through the door and stopped dead when he saw Annie.

  He gla
red at her before turning his gaze to Hayden. ‘I’m terribly sorry to disturb you, Professor Robinson.’

  ‘Not at all. Come right in.’ Hayden’s joviality made Wesley’s eyes narrow for a moment, as though he wasn’t quite sure what had been going on but that he didn’t like it one little bit.

  ‘Thanks, Prof,’ Annie called as she walked out the door, leaving Hayden to deal with Wesley. She saw a few more patients before telling the sister she had to step out for a minute. Racing down to the small shop at the front of the hospital, Annie bought some chocolate frogs and raced them around to Buddy.

  ‘Payment, as per usual.’

  ‘And delivered with that beautiful smile of yours. Thanks, Annie.’

  ‘No. Thank you, Buddy. Hey, how’s your aunt?’

  ‘She’s doing marvellously. She has no pain in her wrist any more, thanks to you.’

  ‘Hey, that’s what friends are for. I’d better get back to clinic.’ Annie raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time, almost colliding with Brenton at the top.

  ‘Steady on there, Annie. Where’s the fire?’

  ‘Have to get back to clinic. Just paying a chocky frog debt.’ She slowed her pace a little and walked quickly through the open stairwell door into the corridor.

  ‘Hey, you borrowed my car the other day. Why don’t I get chocolate frogs?’ Brenton called.

  Annie kept walking but turned to smile at him over her shoulder. ‘Wasn’t patient related, Monty,’ she called back. ‘Ugh.’ She’d walked into someone and looked up into Hayden’s blue eyes. His hands reached out to steady her and she felt the warmth of his nearness flood through her.

  ‘This is getting to become a habit,’ he drawled quietly.

  ‘Sorry,’ she mumbled, trying not to breathe deeply for fear she’d melt into his arms as her senses were overpowered by his delicious scent. Every nerve ending in her body zinged to life and she quickly stepped back.

  ‘Chocolate frogs, eh?’ The grin on his lips was triumphant.

  ‘The hospital revolves around chocolate frogs.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s the unofficial currency.’

  ‘I’ll remember that.’

  ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘Theatre. You’re coming, too.’

  ‘Me? No. It’s not my day. Wesley operates on Mondays so you should be doing the list with him.’

  ‘I’ve already spoken to him. I’ve changed it.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘You’re the senior registrar, Dr Beresford. It’s your duty to show me around on my first day.’

  ‘Yes, but—’

  ‘And you’ve already been negligent in your duties, not introducing me to staff here in Outpatients.’

  Annie put her hands on her hips. ‘Are you going to relent on this?’

  Hayden’s smile was smug. ‘No.’

  ‘Fine. Theatres are this way.’ As they walked, Annie thought of the way Wesley would have reacted to the news that Hayden had switched the responsibility for the elective list. Oh, well, the man didn’t like her so this was just one more reason.

  ‘How did Wesley take the news?’

  ‘He seemed fine with it. Why?’

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘Come on, Annie. I can tell you’re holding out on me.’

  ‘That all depends who I’m speaking to. My friend or my boss?’

  ‘Why can’t I be both?’

  Annie laughed. ‘Oh, Hayden, you really have a good sense of humour.’

  ‘All right. I’m your friend. Whatever you tell me, I promise it won’t affect our working relationship.’

  Annie shook her head but smiled at him. ‘It’s no great secret. Wesley resents me. I’m a woman.’

  ‘And you’re his superior.’ Hayden nodded. ‘When he’s annoyed, does he clench his jaw?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I’d say he was annoyed, then, but I made it clear it was only for today. Next week everything will be back to normal. I also told him he was more than welcome to join us in Theatre once he’d finished in Outpatients.’

  ‘How kind of you, oh, gracious and wise professor,’ Annie teased as they entered the theatre department, giving him no time to comment. She introduced him to the staff and showed him around before they changed and began to scrub.

  The theatre list wasn’t too hectic, with two knee arthroscopies, one fractured tarsus and a tibia which required external fixation. Annie performed the first arthroscopy, conscious of the fact that Hayden was watching her. Once she was finished she glanced up into his blue eyes and was relieved to find them twinkling with a smile.

  ‘Did I pass the test?’ she asked as she sat down to write up the operation notes. The theatre sister and another nurse were getting the theatre ready for the next patient.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘So you admit you were testing me.’

  ‘Of course.’ He walked a little closer to her, his voice dropping to a low murmur as he peered over her shoulder to the casenotes in front of her. ‘How am I supposed to know what to expect from you if I don’t take close notice of how you do things? Neat handwriting, too. Good to know.’

  The warmth generating from him passed through to her and for a moment her mind went completely blank. She glanced down at the words she’d been writing and everything blurred together. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to control her body’s instant reaction to his nearness. ‘Um…’ She thought hard for something to say. What had they been talking about? Oh, that’s right, handwriting. ‘How’s yours?’

  ‘Illegible.’

  He took a step away and she silently thanked him for it. ‘Ah, the standard requirement to become a doctor—illegible handwriting.’

  ‘Yes, I’m surprised they let you pass your final exams with such neat writing.’

  ‘But I used to be a nurse.’

  ‘Of course. Well, I guess they couldn’t blame you for that.’

  Annie turned and gave his shoulder a friendly punch. He laughed and took another step away. ‘Leave nurses alone. They’re wonderful people and under-appreciated by most doctors.’ She said her spiel with a smile and a lot of laughter in her voice.

  ‘Down, girl. I am not one of those doctors.’

  ‘You tell him, Annie,’ the theatre sister added.

  ‘Nurses are…’ Hayden paused, as though deep in thought. ‘Nurses are…’ he tried again, pretending he wasn’t quite sure what nurses really were!

  ‘Brilliant.’ Annie supplied.

  ‘Giving,’ the theatre sister contributed.

  ‘Always picking up after the doctors,’ another nurse said.

  ‘No. No. That’s not what I was going to say.’ Hayden looked at Annie, the teasing light dying from his eyes for a moment. ‘Nurses are…special,’ he finished with sincerity.

  Annie felt her throat go dry. Why did he have to be so cute and sincere like that? It only endeared him to her more and that was the last thing she wanted right now. She glanced at the two other nurses in the room and both were looking at him as though he’d hung the moon.

  ‘Which is probably why you needed to become a doctor, Annie. Nursing’s far too special for you.’

  ‘You rotten man.’ Anne took a swipe at him again. He laughed and moved quickly out of her range. The other nurses laughed as well and Annie joined in.

  ‘This looks…cosy,’ Wesley said as he swung through the theatre door. His gaze narrowed on Annie but she smiled sweetly at him before returning her attention to the notes in front of her.

  ‘You’re just in time for the next arthroscopy, Wesley,’ Hayden said. He turned to the theatre sister. ‘Almost ready?’

  ‘Yes, Prof.’

  ‘Excellent.’ Hayden walked over to Wesley. ‘Why don’t we go scrub because I’d like you to do the operation and I’ll assist.’

  ‘What? Right now?’

  Annie had finished writing in the casenotes and watched as Wesley started to pale.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘What about Dr Beresford? I thought she was
doing this list with you.’ There was the slightest hint of panic in his tone.

  ‘She is, and now that you’re here, you are, too. I’ve already watched Annie operate so now it’s your turn. It shows me how well you cope with the pressure of being watched. It will stand you in good stead as you continue with your training.’

  ‘Of course,’ Wesley replied, as though getting a hold of himself. Annie watched as the two men went out to the scrub room, Hayden firmly in control of the situation.

  ‘I thought all doctors liked to show off their skills?’ the nurse remarked.

  ‘They do. I think our new prof caught Wesley by surprise,’ the theatre sister responded.

  ‘But Annie was caught by surprise, too.’

  ‘True.’ Both women looked at Annie as she shut the casenotes and stood. ‘Annie’s not only an ex-nurse but a woman as well,’ the theatre sister remarked proudly. ‘We’re used to pressure.’

  Annie smiled. ‘Thanks for the vote of confidence.’

  ‘Speaking of confidence…’ The theatre sister came a little closer to Annie. ‘You and the new professor seem quite relaxed with each other. Have you worked with him before?’

  ‘No, but I wish I had.’

  ‘Why? Because he’s such a good-looking guy?’

  Annie laughed. ‘No. It’s because his reputation as a brilliant surgeon has preceded him. I’m looking forward to seeing him operate this afternoon.’

  ‘If he stops testing you,’ the nurse added.

  ‘Quite.’ Annie nodded her head and walked out the door before either woman could ask more questions. She wasn’t sure whether Hayden wanted her in Theatre while Wesley operated and hoped he’d say no. That way she could do a bit more paperwork and also take a break from being in his presence.

  She walked out to the scrub sink and Hayden’s gaze met hers. His eyes were mesmerising and Annie’s step faltered. She looked down, desperately trying to pull herself together as she continued over to him.

  ‘I’ll just go and do some paperwork.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Prof, you don’t need me in Theatre while Wesley operates. I’ll get Theatre Sister to give me a call when you’re ready to do the fixator.’

  ‘No. I’d like you to assist Wes so I can see how the two of you operate together.’