by Joanna Neil
‘Yes, it is, and I’ve given him a strong analgesic and anti-inflammatory medication, as well as something to bring his temperature down and an anti-emetic to stop him being sick.’
‘What about antibiotics? Do you have them in your kit?’ It looked a pretty comprehensive set-up, the kind that emergency doctors carried around with them when they were working on immediate care away from the hospital.
‘I do. I’m going to give him an intravenous antibiotic now—I think he’s looking dehydrated, though, so we need to get a fluid line in.’
‘I can do that for you.’ She was already pulling on surgical gloves ready for the procedure. ‘Take a break. You haven’t stopped since you set out across the strait, have you? Drink your coffee. I’ll take care of Jack.’
‘Thanks.’ He took a quick swallow of the hot liquid then put down his cup and stood up. ‘I’m going to see if I can start a fire outside. The police will probably be getting up a helicopter to help with the search and they might see it and put two and two together.’
‘That’s a good idea. There’s plenty of kindling by the stove. Here, take your jacket. I’m warm enough now, and you’ll need it outside.’
‘Okay.’ He shrugged it on and went to gather up an armful of firewood before leaving the cottage.
Katie quickly put a cannula in Jack’s arm, securing it in place and setting up a fluid line. Then she gave him the antibiotic he needed to counteract the infection from the appendicitis. If only they could get him to hospital, he could undergo emergency surgery. If not, there was the risk that the appendix could rupture, spreading dangerous infection throughout his body, leading to life-threatening septicaemia.
A waft of cold air hit her as the door opened and Ross came into the bothy once more. ‘How did you get on?’ she asked, stripping off her gloves.
‘All right, I think. It’s a pretty good blaze—as long as the rain holds off, we stand a chance that it will be seen. I’ll go and look at it again in a while to make sure it’s still burning.’
He came over to her and looked down at Jack. ‘He’s asleep,’ he said, his expression softening. ‘That’s a blessing.’
‘Yes, it is. It’s hard to believe he went through all that pain and daren’t tell his parents—he thought he’d brought it on himself, and they would be cross with him. Poor little thing...the world must seem a strange place for a seven-year-old.’
‘I guess so. At least he’s comfortable for now.’
She nodded and stood up. ‘Why don’t you come over to the stove and try to get warm? There’s some food here, too. I hadn’t realised it until now, but I’m absolutely starving. I haven’t eaten anything since lunch.’
‘Neither have I.’ He joined her, basking in the heat from the stove for a minute or two, and then he went to inspect the cupboard where the food was stored. ‘Biscuits, packets of dried soup, tinned fruit. That’s a feast. Whoever stocked this cabin deserves a medal. I brought chocolate with me, too, so we’re well set up.’
‘Chocolate?’ She said the word in an almost reverent tone and slid her arms around him. ‘You’re my most favourite person in all the world,’ she said with a wide, mischievous smile. ‘Did I ever tell you how much I love chocolate?’
‘Well, now, I don’t think you did.’ A devilish gleam came into his eyes. ‘So, exactly how much do you like it? What’s it worth to you?’
She smiled. ‘Depends what you’re asking.’
‘Mmm. Let me see, I’ll have to think about that.’ His eyes darkened, and his arms circled her waist so that he had her captured in a warm embrace. ‘Maybe a kiss will do...just for starters...’
‘For starters?’ She lifted her face to him in teasing expectation. ‘What comes afterwards?’
‘I haven’t worked that out yet.’ His mouth curved. ‘Let’s start with a kiss and we’ll see where we go from there, shall we?’
She didn’t need any persuading. In the space of a few hours her emotions had rocketed through the whole range from desolation to delight, and having him here with her after the trauma of finding herself stranded was everything she’d dreamed of.
So, when he swooped down and tenderly claimed her lips, she was right there with him, eager for his kisses and desperate to feel his hard body next to hers.
She reached up to him, letting her fingers explore the strong sinews of his neck and shoulders and running her fingers through his hair. She loved the way his arms tightened around her, the way his muscular thighs tangled with hers. Their bodies meshed, her soft, feminine curves melding with his powerful masculine frame, and she clung to him, wanting this moment to go on for ever.
It couldn’t, of course, not with a sick little boy lying just a few feet away from them. Ross knew it, too, and after a few moments of bliss they both came back down to earth with a shared look of regret.
‘Think of that as a down payment,’ he murmured huskily, letting his hand rest lightly on her hip as though he couldn’t bear to drag himself away from her.
‘You’re saying I’m in your debt?’ she said with a lift of a finely shaped brow. ‘Hmm. We’ll see. Maybe after you taste my chicken soup you might find that you owe me.’
He chuckled. ‘Interesting,’ he commented. ‘Either way, I’m up for it.’
She sent him a look from under her lashes. ‘Somehow I thought you might be.’ It was just banter, but she loved being with him this way, feeling at ease with one another and keeping the outside world at bay. She took a packet of soup down from the cupboard and hunted out a saucepan. ‘I’ll rehydrate this,’ she said, adding water to the pan. ‘Supper will be ready in about five minutes.’
At the mention of supper Baz’s ears pricked up and he trotted over to her to see if there was any food to be had.
Ross smiled, playfully tickling the dog’s ears. ‘Time enough for me to go and check the fire,’ he said. ‘I haven’t heard any aircraft flying overhead, but there’s still a chance they might widen the search. I hope they do, for Jack’s sake.’ He grimaced. ‘Appendixes rupture when they reach a certain point, and from the amount of pain he was in, I think he’s almost there.’
She nodded. It didn’t bear thinking about. Jack needed to be in hospital, in Theatre, having his appendix removed.
Jack mumbled in his sleep, and she went over to him. His face was hot, and when she took his temperature she realised that his fever was running out of control, despite the medication.
She found a clean cloth in Ross’s backpack and soaked it in cold water. Then she carefully wrung it out and laid it on the boy’s forehead. It should help a little.
‘Is there a problem?’ Ross said, coming back into the room. ‘Has he taken a turn for the worse?’
‘He’s burning up,’ she answered softly. ‘We need to cool him down.’ She filled a bowl with cool water and placed it on the sleeping platform next to the child.
‘I’ll see to it,’ Ross told her, finding another cloth and moistening it so that he could bathe the boy’s neck and chest. ‘You can concentrate on the food, if you like.’
‘Okay.’
She served up the meal a few minutes later, and they took it in turns to look after Jack, while eating the simple fare. It was surprisingly good, wholesome soup that warmed them through and through, and an apricot dessert provided a sweet, delicious finish.
Jack was still sleeping while Katie cleared away the dishes and washed them at the sink. He was slightly less flushed now, and that was a relief to her. Ross kept an eye on him, checking the fluid bag to make sure he was being adequately hydrated.
‘When this is over, we’ll have to come back here to restock the supplies we’ve used,’ Katie murmured, coming to sit beside him on the platform.
Ross nodded. ‘I can see to that. They order in a good supply of kindling at McAskie’s for their own wood-burning stoves, so I expect
the landlord will let me buy some from him. I doubt I’ll have time to gather any locally.’
‘I expect you’ll be leaving there before too long, won’t you? Are you ready to move into your new house yet?’
‘Just about. Another day or so and the furniture should pretty much be in place by then.’
‘So this will be your last weekend at McAskie’s?’ Katie frowned. ‘I heard they’re holding a barbecue. That sounds like fun. I know Jessie’s looking forward to it.’
He grinned. ‘Yes, she said she doesn’t have to work this weekend and she’s planning on letting her hair down and having a really good time.’
‘You and she get on well, don’t you? She’s always talking about you.’
‘Is she? Yes, I like Jessie a lot. I’ve always liked her. She’s been to the pub quite a lot lately, so we’ve had a chance to catch up on old times.’
‘And you’ll be there, at the barbecue, too, will you?’
‘Of course. I have to be there. We’re holding a charity fair in the grounds to raise money for the new nurse-led minor injuries unit.’ He raised a dark brow. ‘Didn’t you read the memo? I sent it to everyone. We want as many of the staff who can make it to be there, and we’ve advertised it locally. There should be a good turnout.’
‘Oh, I see. No, I didn’t see the memo. It must have passed me by.’ She pressed her lips together briefly. ‘You’re determined to go ahead with the unit, then? I wondered if you’d put your plans on hold for a while.’
‘I don’t believe in delaying tactics. You know me better than that, don’t you?’ He gave her a searching look. ‘So, will you be there?’
She thought about it. Now that she’d had time to come down from the high of being in his arms, she wasn’t so sure it was such a good idea to be so involved with him out of work. Wasn’t she treading on thin ice and setting herself up for a tragic fall? He’d made it clear enough that all he wanted was a light-hearted relationship, for them to have some fun together, as he’d put it. The problem was, she wanted much more than that.
‘Maybe.’ The idea of spending the day with him was more than tempting, but she simply didn’t trust herself around him. Look what had happened here just a short time ago. Before she knew it, things could spiral out of control.
He seemed perplexed. ‘You can’t still be annoyed with me for wanting to change things, can you? I know I took the job you wanted, Katie, but you’re my right-hand woman, you know that, don’t you? I thought we could work together on this. I want you to be there.’
Did he want her there to help out or to be with him? She wasn’t sure, and suddenly she was afraid to ask in case he gave the wrong answer. She was torn by so many conflicting emotions.
He must have taken her silence to mean that she needed more persuading, because he said with a gleam in his eyes, ‘And, besides, you owe me. After all, you did eat the chocolate, didn’t you?’
She sucked in her breath and then relaxed. ‘Just a teensy bit,’ she said, making a minuscule show of the amount with her fingers. ‘Don’t imagine you can hold me to that.’
He chuckled, but just then Jack moaned in pain and they both went to him, any hint of amusement dissolving rapidly into thin air.
‘It’s all right, Jack, we’re here.’ She took his pulse and turned to Ross with a worried look. ‘His heart’s racing,’ she said in a whisper. ‘We’re losing the battle here. It’s too soon to give him any more anti-inflammatory medication, and the antibiotics will have barely kicked in...’
‘I can give him more pain medication. That should reduce the stress a bit.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘I’d have thought they’d be over here looking for him by now.’
As he spoke, the drone of an aircraft sounded overhead, and Ross hurried outside, taking with him a white towel to wave as a flag. Katie sat beside Jack and waited, hoping it was the rescue team. They had to have come for him...
Some ten minutes later Jack was safely secured inside the helicopter. Katie was relieved to see that there was basic medical equipment on board, and she quickly placed pads on Jack’s chest and connected him to the monitors.
The pilot sent a message over the radio to let the search party know that the child had been found, and Katie heard the gasps of relief as the news was conveyed to the waiting parents.
Baz wasn’t at all sure what was going on, but it must have seemed like a new adventure to him because he sniffed everything and everyone until he eventually settled himself contentedly by Ross’s feet. Very shortly after that they were airborne and heading for the hospital, where a surgical team would be ready and waiting for them.
Katie looked out of the window, watching as the white-painted building gradually faded from view. She was almost sorry to be leaving the cottage behind. For a short time back there she’d been intensely happy, wrapped up in Ross’s arms, and this surely had to be more than just an infatuation or a fleeting obsession.
She cared about him deeply, was desperate to have him near, and now she was wondering how she would live without him. Somehow, over these last few weeks, she had grown to love him, but she had no real idea whether he felt the same way about her. Was it possible that he could love her, or was she just another girl to him, another light-hearted fling as far as he was concerned?
She had no idea what the future held for her. Would Ross be part of it?
At last the helicopter started the descent to the hospital’s helipad. By now, it was the early hours of the morning, and except for the landing lights there was darkness all around.
Jack moaned softly, his face contorted with pain, and Katie quickly checked the monitors. Ross exchanged glances with her, his expression grim.
‘I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this,’ he said. ‘His vital signs are getting worse, and that can only mean one thing.’
‘The appendix has ruptured.’ Katie spoke in a soft undertone, not wanting to alarm the boy in any way, and Ross nodded.
‘The surgical team are ready and waiting for him. I want to scrub in and follow through with him in Theatre,’ he said as they made their way to the medics waiting for them.
‘I guessed you might want to do that.’ She knew he wanted to be with Jack right to the end. They were both intensely concerned that the boy should come through this episode safely.
The medics quickly transferred Jack to a trolley and hurried away with him to Theatre. Ross followed, giving an up-to-date account of Jack’s medical history along the way.
‘The boy’s parents are in the waiting room,’ a nurse told Katie. ‘They’re extremely anxious about him.’
‘That’s understandable. I’ll go and talk to them,’ she said. She wasn’t looking forward to that meeting—how could she tell her neighbours that their little boy was very ill, in pain, and in danger of his life? Peritonitis was an infection of the tissue that lined the abdomen and the abdominal organs, and if it ran out of control it could lead to septicaemia and organ failure.
Jack’s condition was deteriorating with every minute that passed. Once the appendix burst, the infection, which had been relatively contained up to this point, would spread rapidly through the child’s body. It was an extremely worrying situation, but Katie forced herself to stay calm and did her best to reassure Freya and her husband that everything possible was being done.
‘The surgeon will take out the appendix and put a tube in his abdomen to drain the infection,’ she told them. ‘When Jack’s out of Theatre, if they have managed to catch it in time, he’ll return to the ward and be put on antibiotics. However there is a chance that the appendix has burst, which means that he’ll go straight to the intensive care unit.’
‘Katie, thank you so much for finding him and looking after him,’ Freya said, grasping her hands in a warm embrace. ‘We’ve been so worried. All sorts of things were going through our minds—but we never dreamed he
was so ill.’
‘I know. It must have been a terrible time for you, and I’m so sorry I couldn’t get in touch with you sooner.’ Katie gently squeezed her hands in return. ‘But it was actually Baz that found him. He knew exactly where to go and he kept on following the trail until we reached him.’
Her mouth curved as she recalled the puppy’s eagerness. Finn had come over to take care of Baz as soon as she had rung him, which meant that she could stay at the hospital until Jack was safely out of surgery. She wasn’t going anywhere until she knew that was over.
‘He’s a great dog, isn’t he, Katie?’ Finn had said, his eyes shining with pride. ‘I knew he was special.’
‘You’re right, Finn. He’s the best.’ Katie had smiled, and had watched Finn walk off with the puppy, who had eagerly watched Finn’s every move, his tail wagging non-stop. He knew he had done something good because of all the fuss he was getting.
Jack was in Theatre for over an hour, but eventually Ross came to find her, taking her to one side while the surgeon showed the boy’s parents into his office where they could talk for a while.
Ross looked pleased to see her. ‘I’m glad you’re here,’ he said quietly. ‘I wondered if you might have gone home by now. It’s very late, and you’ve had a long, difficult day, one way and another.’
She shook her head. ‘So have you. I couldn’t leave, not until I knew he’d come through this all right. How did it go?’ She studied him. He looked weary, his face reflecting the strain of the last few hours, and for a moment or two, she feared the worst.
‘The appendix had ruptured. It didn’t look too good to begin with, but we managed to clean out most of the infected matter. I’m hoping that with a strong antibiotic regime and good nursing care, he should start to recover. In the meantime, he’s sedated and we’re keeping a close eye on him. We can only wait and see what happens now.’