The Rebel Who Loved Her

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘I thought he worked in orthopaedics,’ Ewan said, frowning. In his experience it was rare for a consultant in that field to be called into work. Normally, one of the registrars would be expected to cover, unless it was some sort of life-threatening emergency, and they didn’t happen very often.

  ‘That’s right.’ She took another sip of her coffee and he sensed that she was playing for time. ‘Steve was...well, he was very committed. He never minded being called back into work.’

  ‘Highly commendable,’ Ewan observed, wondering why he didn’t believe her. Why on earth would Becky make such a claim if it weren’t true? After all, it didn’t matter to him how Steve had conducted his life. However, the fact that she had felt it necessary to lie piqued his interest. ‘Did he get called in a lot?’

  ‘Quite a bit.’ She grimaced. ‘You know what it’s like—something crops up and the staff don’t want to take responsibility so they call in the boss.’

  It was so far removed from his own experiences that Ewan was stuck for an answer. Mercifully, he was saved from having to reply when Becky’s parents appeared. They had another couple with them plus a little boy, slightly older than Millie, and they greeted him in delight.

  ‘Ewan! How lovely to see you.’ Ros kissed him on the cheek. ‘Becky didn’t mention you were coming. I wish she had done. Simon and I wouldn’t have gone for our weekly constitutional if we’d known you were planning to visit. It would have been the perfect excuse to enjoy a lazy Sunday morning!’

  Ewan laughed as he stood up. ‘Becky had no idea, I’m afraid. I’m having lunch with my parents so I decided to drop in on my way over there.’

  ‘Well, I’m very glad that you did.’ Ros turned to the other couple. ‘You won’t have met Ewan. His family live in Denton’s Cove so he and Becky have known each other for years. He’s a doctor too, although he’s been working overseas for the past few years. Ewan, I’d like you to meet Tom and Hannah. They both work at the surgery. Oh, and this little fellow is Charlie.’

  ‘Good to meet you.’ Ewan shook hands, taking an immediate liking to the other couple. He smiled at Charlie, taking note of the braces on his feet. He’d seen them before and guessed the little boy had been born with club feet. ‘And you too, Charlie.’

  The child solemnly shook his hand then hurried away, heading straight for the apple tree. Hannah laughed as she dropped her bag onto the table. ‘I wondered how long it would be before he made for the swing. He loves it!’

  Everyone laughed as she raced after him. Ewan remained standing as the others sat down. ‘It’s time I was on my way. Good to see you all again, and to meet you and Hannah,’ he added, smiling at Tom.

  ‘Ditto,’ Tom said, returning his smile. ‘I don’t know if Becky has mentioned it, but Charlie is being christened next Sunday. We’re having everyone back to ours for lunch afterwards and it would be great if you could join us, Ewan.’

  ‘Oh, but...’

  ‘I don’t think...’ Ewan stopped when he and Becky both spoke at once. He shrugged when he saw the surprise on Tom’s face. ‘What we’re trying to say is that Becky and I aren’t an item, if that’s what you thought.’

  ‘Sorry.’ Tom laughed. ‘My mistake. Still, it makes no difference. I know Hannah would love you to come along if you’re free.’

  ‘Thanks. I’m not sure what hours I’m working next week but I appreciate it.’

  It wasn’t strictly true. Ewan had seen the coming week’s roster and although he couldn’t remember all his hours, he knew that he had Sunday off. However, it seemed politic not to accept the invitation when he sensed that Becky wouldn’t approve. He adopted a deliberately neutral expression as he turned to her. Maybe they would be friends and maybe they wouldn’t, but one thing was certain—they would never be lovers.

  The thought was far too unsettling. Ewan blocked it from his mind as he smiled at her. ‘Thanks again for the coffee, Becky. I’ll see you around.’

  ‘I expect so.’

  She returned his smile but there was no real warmth in it. Ewan guessed that she was merely going through the motions because the others were watching. He sighed as he headed up the path and got into his car. He may as well accept that Becky wasn’t interested in him and stop worrying about it.

  * * *

  The next week flew past. Although Becky had agreed to work only mornings while Brenda was still there, she found herself doing extra hours most days. A couple of practices in the area had closed in the past few years and their patients had transferred to Bride’s Bay’s list. It meant that everyone was under a lot of pressure but Becky was glad, even if it did mean her spending less time than she would have liked with Millie. At least while she was working, she wasn’t thinking about Ewan, and that had to be a blessing.

  She had found it increasingly difficult to put him out of her mind since Sunday morning. Although she knew it was stupid, she couldn’t help wishing that she hadn’t lied to him about Steve’s reasons for living in the city. She felt guilty about what she’d done and confused as to why she’d felt it necessary. After all, what difference would it make to Ewan if he found out that her marriage had been less than perfect?

  By the time Friday arrived, Becky was worn out from worrying about it. When Mrs Rose arrived to have her dressing changed, she had to make a determined effort to appear upbeat.

  ‘Come in, Mrs Rose,’ she said, ushering the old lady over to a chair. ‘How are you today?’

  ‘Fine, thank you, dear.’ Edith Rose winced as she sank down onto the seat and Becky frowned.

  ‘Is your leg troubling you?’

  ‘No, no, it’s fine. I just get the odd twinge in my hip from time to time.’ Mrs Rose adjusted her position and smiled. ‘There. That’s better.’

  ‘Good.’ Becky went to fetch the tray she’d prepared, making a mental note to ask her father to take a look at Mrs Rose. Although the old lady had made light of it, she suspected that her hip was causing her some discomfort. She carried the tray over to the desk and then donned a pair of gloves. ‘I’ll just remove the old dressing and see how the cut is doing. It may be a little uncomfortable, I’m afraid.’

  ‘You just do what you have to, my dear,’ Mrs Rose told her, stoically.

  Becky peeled away the dressing, pleased to see that there was no sign of infection. Although the cut was deep, it was already starting to heal. ‘That looks fine. Using a non-adherent dressing means that the new tissue that’s formed hasn’t been disturbed.’

  ‘That nice young doctor I saw at the hospital insisted the nurse should use one of those special dressings,’ Mrs Rose told her. ‘She was going to put a gauze pad on my leg but he told her to fetch something else.’

  ‘He was quite right,’ Becky agreed, feeling a small rush of pleasure run through her. Although she knew it was silly, it was good to hear Ewan receiving praise. ‘The last thing we want is delicate new tissue being disturbed because the wrong type of dressing has been used.’

  ‘That’s what he said.’ The old lady laughed. ‘You two would get on very well, my dear. You obviously have a lot in common!’

  Becky smiled although she didn’t say anything. It was unsettling to realise that she and Ewan held such similar views. She gently cleaned the area around the cut and then placed a fresh dressing over it.

  ‘There, that’s all done. If it carries on healing as well as it’s been doing then it won’t be long before you don’t need any more dressings.’ She straightened Mrs Rose’s skirt then helped her to her feet, frowning when she heard the old lady suck in her breath. ‘Is your hip bothering you again?’

  ‘Just another twinge,’ Mrs Rose assured her. However, Becky could tell that she was making light of how painful it really was.

  ‘Would you like me to ask one of the doctors to take a look at it, seeing as you’re here?’ she suggested.

  Mrs Rose shook her head. ‘Oh, no, dear. There’s no need. It’s just a twinge, as I said.’ The old lady smiled brightly. ‘It’s all part and parcel of get
ting old, I’m afraid.’

  Becky laughed dutifully although she couldn’t help feeling concerned as she saw Mrs Rose out. She found herself wondering if Mrs Rose’s reluctance to have her hip examined had something to do with what Ewan had told her. If the old lady was worried that her son would have her admitted to a nursing home if he could prove she couldn’t manage on her own, then she would be wary of admitting that she had a problem.

  Becky decided that she would mention her concerns to the rest of the team. They held a weekly team meeting each Monday when everyone had the chance to talk over any problems that had arisen. She made a note to bring it up the following Monday, thinking idly that it would have been even better if she could have discussed it with Ewan. He always had such a clear view of any problems and she was sure that he would have come up with a solution.

  She sighed. That was the fourth time she’d thought about Ewan in under half an hour. He seemed to be taking over her life and it had to stop. Ewan was history; whatever might have been between them was over and done with. If she said it often enough, hopefully her brain would get the message.

  * * *

  Although Ewan was used to hard work, he had to admit that he had never worked as hard as he did at Pinscombe General. The fact that they were carrying several vacancies meant there was extra pressure on the staff. He arrived early and left late, usually so exhausted that he could barely summon the energy to make himself a drink let alone a meal when he got home.

  As for his social life, it was non-existent. Although several of the nurses had made it clear that they would welcome his attentions, he was far too busy to think about dating, or that’s what he told himself. It was easier than admitting that he wasn’t interested in them now that he’d met Becky again.

  Saturday rolled around and he was working the two-to-ten shift. The other registrar had called in sick on Friday so Ewan made a point of arriving early. He was glad that he had when he saw the queue in Reception.

  ‘What’s happened?’ he asked, looping his stethoscope around his neck. ‘Has war been declared in Devon or something?’

  ‘It seems like it.’ Cathy Morrison, the senior sister, rolled her eyes. ‘It’s been non-stop ever since I got here at six this morning.’ She plonked a case file on the counter. ‘Can you take a look at this one first? She’s been here almost three hours now and you know what’ll happen if the bean-counters flag up that we’ve kept a patient waiting for that length of time.’

  ‘We’ll be marched outside and shot at dawn?’ Ewan suggested, drolly.

  ‘Worse. We’ll be sent on a time management course!’

  ‘Fate worse than death,’ Ewan concurred, grinning. He headed to the cubicles and didn’t leave them again for the next six hours. Cuts, bruises, fractures, burns: he dealt with the lot. By the time he was able to snatch a break, he had lost track of the cases he’d seen. As he made his way to the canteen, he found himself thinking that it was a good job he hadn’t accepted Tom’s invitation to the christening. After an evening like this, all he wanted to do tomorrow was sleep!

  His heart gave an unruly little hiccup as he found himself tagging on a codicil. All he wanted to do was sleep...with Becky.

  * * *

  Becky took Millie to the beach on Saturday afternoon. Although it was rather dull and cloudy, at least it was dry. She helped Millie make some sand pies and then they went looking for crabs. There were several other families there and Becky couldn’t help feeling a little wistful as she watched them. Although she intended to do everything possible to make sure Millie enjoyed a happy childhood, the fact was that she was a single mother and it would never be the same as Millie having two parents to love and care for her.

  The thought immediately made her think about Ewan for some reason and she sighed because it was stupid to place Ewan in this context. Ewan had never made any secret of the fact that he wasn’t interested in settling down. At least he’d known what he’d wanted, unlike Steve. Although Steve had professed to want a family, he hadn’t been a good father. He’d been too self-centred, put his own needs before anyone else’s, including Millie’s. Even if the accident hadn’t happened, it was doubtful if he would have stayed around long enough to watch Millie growing up.

  In a strange way, Becky felt better for having faced the truth at last. In the past year, she had skirted around it, mainly because she’d known how upset her parents would be if they found out that her marriage had been a disaster. Although she still didn’t intend to tell them, at least she had come to terms with it and that had to be a good thing. If only she could get over her guilt about the accident, maybe she could move on.

  She took Millie home, feeling more at ease than she had felt for a while. Her parents were going out to dinner that night so she made Millie’s tea. Although it was the little girl’s favourite, she didn’t eat very much and she refused the yoghurt that Becky offered her for dessert. She seemed tired and rather listless so Becky decided to put her to bed as soon as she’d had her bath.

  She settled Millie in her cot, leaving the door ajar so she could hear her if she woke, then went downstairs and made herself some supper. As soon as she’d finished, she ran upstairs to check on the little girl, her heart turning over when she saw Millie lying stiff and rigid in the cot. Millie’s lips were rimmed with blue, her breathing was laboured and when Becky felt her forehead, it was burning hot. Millie had suffered a febrile convulsion the previous year and Becky realised in horror that she was having another one.

  Becky ran downstairs and tried to phone her father but the call went straight to voice mail. She bit her lip, wondering who she could ask for help. She needed to get Millie to hospital and she couldn’t drive as well as look after her. After a moment’s thought, she phoned Tom and Hannah. Hannah answered.

  ‘Hannah, it’s Becky.’ Becky didn’t waste time on pleasantries. ‘Millie’s having a febrile convulsion. Mum and Dad are out and I need someone to run us to the hospital. It will be faster than calling an ambulance.’

  ‘I’ll be straight there,’ Hannah said immediately. ‘Try to keep her cool in the meantime. You know the drill.’

  ‘Will do.’

  Becky left the door on the latch then ran upstairs, grabbing a facecloth off the rack in the bathroom on the way. She soaked it in lukewarm water then went into the nursery and sponged Millie’s hands and face. The little girl was wearing only a cotton sleep suit but Becky slid it off and sponged her body as well. By the time Hannah arrived, Millie felt a little cooler and the rigidity in her limbs was starting to ease.

  ‘How long has she been like this?’ Hannah asked, slipping a thermometer under the child’s arm.

  ‘Ten, possibly fifteen minutes.’ Becky bit her lip. ‘It’s all my fault. She seemed very listless when I put her to bed. I should have stayed and checked if anything was wrong with her.’

  ‘You weren’t to know this would happen,’ Hannah said soothingly. She checked Millie’s temperature and frowned. ‘It’s still very high. We need to bring her temperature down and as we can’t administer any drugs orally, it will have to be done via an IV drip. Can you wet a sheet and wrap her in it? That will help to keep her cool while we get her to hospital.’

  Becky soaked a sheet in warm water and wrapped Millie in it. Hannah had the engine running when she carried the little girl outside. The drive to the hospital seemed endless even though Becky knew that Hannah was going as fast as she could. Millie kept drifting in and out of consciousness although, thankfully, she didn’t suffer another convulsion.

  Hannah drew up outside ED. ‘You take her in while I park the car. I’ll be with you as soon as I can.’

  Becky slid out of the car and ran inside. She looked round, trying to get her bearings. Reception. Triage. Treatment rooms...

  ‘Becky? What is it? What’s happened?’

  All of a sudden Ewan was there and Becky felt a rush of relief hit her. ‘It’s Millie. She’s had a convulsion,’ she began then couldn’t go on as the shock of wha
t had happened caught up with her.

  Ewan put his hand under her elbow. ‘Through here.’ He steered her into a treatment room, gently taking Millie off her and laying her on the couch. Pressing the bell, he summoned one of the nurses. ‘I need a fan in here, please, and a fine bore cannula.’

  He rattled off a list of what he needed, his tone so calm and controlled that Becky felt some of her fear start to ease. Drawing up a chair beside the bed, he sat her down next to Millie. ‘She’s going to be fine, Becky. I promise you.’

  He squeezed her shoulder, his fingers biting gently into her flesh, and she shuddered. ‘I was so scared, Ewan.’

  ‘I know.’ Bending, he looked into her eyes. ‘I know you’re scared but I won’t let anything bad happen to her. Trust me.’

  He straightened up as the nurse came back with a fan and the rest of the items he’d requested. Becky took a deep breath as she watched him. Cannulating veins as tiny as Millie’s wasn’t easy, as she knew from experience, but Ewan didn’t hesitate; within seconds the line was in and Millie was receiving the drugs she needed to lower her temperature. Ewan knew what he was doing and she trusted him to do everything necessary to help Millie. He would be exactly the same with any other child but she knew this was different. Ewan would do everything possible to help Millie because he cared about her. And he cared about Millie because Millie was her daughter.

  Becky’s heart filled with warmth. Knowing that Ewan cared made such a difference.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  EWAN CHECKED THE monitor, nodding when he saw that Millie’s temperature had dropped. Although it certainly wasn’t the first time he had treated a child who had suffered a febrile convulsion, there was no point pretending that he hadn’t been worried.

  He sighed. Although he knew it was ridiculous to feel personally involved, he couldn’t help it. Millie was Becky’s daughter and that made a world of difference. Turning, he smiled at her, his heart aching when he saw the worry on her face. Becky had been through enough without having to contend with this as well.