Daring to Date Her Boss

by Joanna Neil

  He released her and she sat down carefully. She cleared her throat. ‘I must apologise for being so late,’ she said, looking from one to another. How much should she tell them? ‘I had a few unavoidable domestic issues to contend with this morning—and then the dog was sick just as I was leaving the house. Um...on top of that, I didn’t realise quite how long it would take me to walk to the hospital.’ She winced inwardly. She was babbling, wasn’t she, saying too much? They didn’t need to know all that. ‘It was my mistake, but I’ll be certain to make better arrangements from now on.’

  ‘I’m sure you will.’ Dr Gregson picked up a folder and leafed through it, saying after a while, ‘Would you like to tell us a bit about your last post? You worked at a hospital in Cornwall, I believe?’

  ‘That’s right.’ She was on much safer ground with this. ‘I started off there as a senior house officer in the A and E department. I had to deal with all kinds of emergencies, both traumatic and general. A good percentage of my patients were youngsters.’

  ‘That’s valuable experience. Good...good...’ Dr Gregson riffled through his papers. ‘Your references are all in order from what I can see, and your qualifications are impeccable. You’ve specialised in emergency medicine and paediatrics, as well as spending some time in general practice—that’s excellent, exactly what we’re looking for.’ He glanced at her. ‘It’s a little unusual, though, to mix hospital work with general practice, isn’t it?’

  She faltered briefly, caught on the back foot. ‘Ah...that’s true, of course...but...initially I wasn’t sure which specialty appealed to me the most.’ She squirmed a little. Tyler Beckett would never be unsure of himself, would he? ‘I enjoyed working in a GP’s surgery for a year, but after attending several emergency cases during that time I realised that’s what I wanted to do more than anything.’

  Dr Gregson nodded. ‘I see.’ He turned to his colleagues. ‘Do you have any questions you’d like to put to Dr Reynolds?’

  Tyler nodded. ‘I do have one query,’ he said, his tone sober. ‘Ah...about these references...’ He was sifting through his copy of the paperwork, and she glanced at him, sitting stiffly upright, suddenly on alert.

  ‘Is there a problem?’

  ‘Not a problem as such... I’m just a little concerned about one aspect of your work that hasn’t been mentioned here...’

  She frowned. ‘I can’t think of anything I might have left out.’

  He gave her a direct look. ‘No, except—there was an occasion when you lost a patient, I believe. Would you like to tell us about that incident...about what happened?’

  Saskia sucked in a sharp breath. ‘But how did you...? I thought—’ She broke off, uncertain where this line of questioning was coming from.

  Noah frowned, sending Tyler a questioning, disbelieving look, as though he couldn’t fathom why his colleague would want to upturn the apple cart this way.

  ‘It’s just something your previous consultant mentioned.’ Tyler used a soothing voice, as though he wanted to put her at ease. ‘I didn’t fully understand the implications and I thought you might be able to clear it up for us.’

  ‘M-my consultant?’ She gazed at him in consternation, her green eyes troubled.

  ‘Yes. It just happened that I rang the hospital in Truro this morning,’ he explained, ‘to enquire about a patient of mine who was recently admitted, and I was put on to Michael Drew. He was your consultant, wasn’t he?’

  Michael. The breath left her body in a soft gasp and her stomach began to churn. She might have known this would come up to bite her. She’d made a mistake, getting involved with Michael. In the end he’d been more than just her consultant, and that’s when things had started to go downhill, hadn’t they?

  It had been fine at first. They’d dated for a time, and she’d enjoyed his company, but eventually, when she’d realised he was becoming too controlling, she’d called a halt to things between them. Michael hadn’t taken it well, and eventually the situation between them had deteriorated to a point where life at work had become intolerable. That was partly why she’d made up her mind it was time to look around for another job.

  And now this... It looked as though Michael had thrown a spanner into the works at the worst possible time. She hadn’t been able to avoid giving his name for a reference, and he’d assured her that she had nothing to worry about. But now—what could he have said to Tyler? Clearly their break-up still rankled with him, and although she’d hoped he would be adult about things, she really wouldn’t put it past him to try to make life difficult for her.

  Tyler watched the variety of expressions flit across her face. He said quietly, ‘When I realised who he was, that you and he had worked together, we got to chatting, and that’s when he mentioned your patient. He only brought it up as a humorous anecdote.’

  Her mouth made a wry twist at that and he paused momentarily. ‘He said you’d lost her and there was a big hue and cry until she was found again. But by then she needed treatment for another condition.’

  He rested his hands on top of the file, lacing his fingers together. ‘It might have seemed slightly amusing afterwards, when the worry was over, but I’m sure you can see why this has to be cleared up, can’t you? We need to be reassured that our patients are going to be in the best possible hands.’

  ‘Yes, of course, I understand perfectly.’ Saskia moistened her lips, unhappily aware that Noah and Dr Gregson had both straightened and were paying her close attention. ‘The truth is I didn’t find anything at all humorous about the situation at any time, when it was going on or afterwards. And I didn’t lose her—not exactly.’

  ‘So, what happened?’

  ‘She was a woman in her sixties suffering from what appeared to be dementia. A passer-by had brought her into the hospital because she’d had a fall and hurt her arm.’

  She was silent for a moment, remembering the hectic activity in the emergency unit that day. ‘We were very busy in A and E that morning, and we were short-staffed. Some of the nurses were off sick with a bug that was going around. I didn’t have anyone to assist me, but I was keen to do further tests on my patient—alongside my concerns over her arm I wasn’t absolutely convinced she had dementia. Anyway, I asked her to stay in the treatment cubicle while I went to find a porter to take the blood samples over to Pathology. But when I came back to see her a couple of minutes later, she’d gone walkabout.’

  ‘That was tough luck,’ Noah sympathised.

  She nodded. ‘It was worrying. We couldn’t find her anywhere nearby. Then it occurred to me that she might have wandered outside into the hospital grounds so I followed the stairs to the exit. I found her sitting on the bottom step, nursing a swollen ankle. Apparently she’d missed her footing.’

  Tyler’s mouth made a wry shape. ‘It just wasn’t her day, was it?’

  ‘No, unfortunately, it wasn’t.’

  ‘So, what was the final diagnosis?’ he asked. His expression was thoughtful, his blue gaze skimming her features as though he was trying to weigh her up.

  ‘She had a thyroid problem—her body was producing too little of the hormone, causing symptoms that mimicked dementia. And to add to her troubles she had a cracked bone in her forearm from the earlier fall, along with a sprained ankle from taking the stairs.’

  Dr Gregson gave her a reassuring smile. ‘Well, I think you’ve cleared that up for us nicely, Dr Reynolds. Thank you for that.’ He looked at her over his glasses. ‘And it’s good to know that you weren’t prepared to accept things at face value.’

  She inclined her head briefly and tried to breathe slowly and steadily. That had been a deeply uncomfortable few moments. Tyler was clearly a stickler for getting things right, but she might have hoped he’d be less thorough in following up every detail arising from her application. Did he have to dot every i and cross every t? Michael could very easily have
ruined things for her.

  ‘You’ll certainly need to be on the ball in this job,’ Dr Gregson remarked. ‘It isn’t quite the same as being on the mainland where you have all manner of resources to hand. Those patients who are too ill to be managed in our small hospital have to be flown over to Cornwall for treatment.’

  ‘I’m sure I’ll be able to handle whatever’s asked of me, Dr Gregson. I’ve had to cope with a huge change of circumstances recently but I think I’m dealing with it.’

  Noah was clearly interested in this. ‘Do you want to tell us more about that?’

  She closed her eyes fleetingly, wishing she could take back the words and steeling herself against the pain. ‘My brother and his wife were involved in a nasty road accident.’ She took a deep breath. ‘They’re both in hospital in Truro at the moment—and it’s beginning to look as though they’ll be there for some time.’

  Tyler frowned, leaning forward in his seat. ‘You didn’t mention this to me before, at the house.’

  ‘No—perhaps I should have, but it was painful for me to talk about it. I was still getting over the shock. I still am.’ She hesitated, then went on, ‘They were preparing to move over here for Sam’s job—he works for the wildlife trust and they wanted him as part of their team in the Isles of Scilly. Sam was bringing his family over that day so that they could see the house—they were going to rent before they decided where to make a permanent home. They wanted to spend some time looking around the island, but before they could get here they were in collision with a lorry that took a bend too wide. Luckily, the children escaped relatively unhurt, though they were traumatised, of course.’

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Tyler was genuinely concerned. ‘That must have been devastating for you. And I suppose you’ve taken over caring for the children in the meantime?’

  ‘That’s right. That’s why I came over here, and it’s the reason I’m looking for work.’

  ‘Is there no one else who can care for them?’ Noah was full of compassion and understanding, although at the same time it seemed he sensed there was an opportunity to be explored here. ‘Is there no one to support you—you’ve no ties?’

  Tyler sent him a sharp look and Noah checked himself, drawing back.

  Saskia shook her head. ‘Not right now...at least, not close by.’ She guessed Noah was never one to let the grass grow under his feet. With his looks and easygoing manner he’d probably left behind a string of female conquests who’d fallen for his charms.

  ‘I admire your sense of loyalty,’ Tyler said, frowning as he glanced through the paperwork once more, ‘and I can see why finding work here must be important to you...but hadn’t you handed in your notice before your brother’s accident?’

  Saskia’s shoulders lifted awkwardly. Didn’t he ever miss anything? ‘I’d already decided I wanted a change.’

  ‘Wasn’t that a little irresponsible—to leave your job on a whim?’

  She flattened her lips briefly. She wasn’t about to go into detail about her failed relationship. ‘Perhaps it was,’ she conceded, ‘but the way I saw it there’s pretty much always a need for emergency doctors in the UK.’

  He nodded. ‘On the mainland, maybe. I think you’ll find there’s not quite the same demand out here, though.’

  ‘Yes, I’m starting to realise that.’ Her heart sank. This wasn’t going at all the way she’d hoped. From the doubts he was expressing it looked very much as though he didn’t want her for this job, and she could hardly blame him.

  For someone as thorough and organised as Tyler Beckett it would go against the grain to take on a young woman who appeared to work on impulse and followed wherever her heart led.

  She didn’t know how many people they had interviewed for this post, but she guessed she wasn’t the only candidate. There had been at least three names on the receptionist’s tick sheet.

  ‘I did have another job in mind in Cornwall at the time,’ she ventured, ‘and I was about to be interviewed for it, but all my plans had to change after the accident.’

  Dr Gregson decided it was time to intervene. ‘With regard to the post you’re applying for here, you should understand that our work isn’t just centred on the hospital. We often travel to the islands to visit patients in emergency situations. In those circumstances, we use the ambulance boat to reach them.’

  ‘Oh, I see.’ She swallowed carefully. She’d said she’d be able to cope with the demands of the job, but going by boat wasn’t something she had bargained for. And yet it should have been fairly obvious to her that travelling between the islands was a necessity. Perhaps she’d simply tried not to think about it.

  The trouble was, ever since she was a child she’d been plagued by seasickness—how could she possibly tell them that? If she owned up, there was absolutely no way she’d get the job.

  ‘Does that bother you?’ Tyler was watching her, a small frown indenting his brow. ‘You seem distracted somehow.’

  She tried what she hoped was a convincing smile. ‘No, not at all. I’d be quite all right with that.’

  Dr Gregson appeared satisfied. ‘Well, then, Dr Reynolds, my colleagues and I have one more person to interview before we get together to talk things through. We should be able to let you know our decision before the end of the morning, though. In the meantime, perhaps you’d like to look around our hospital—Janine, my secretary, will be happy to give you the grand tour. You might want to spend some time in the minor injuries unit to see how we do things there, and then familiarise yourself with the A and E department.’

  She nodded. ‘Yes, thank you. I would. That’s a good idea.’ At least she could stay around until they were ready to announce their decision.

  His secretary showed her around the different areas of the hospital, pointing out the new cardiovascular wing and the obstetrics department. They made light conversation along the way, but Saskia felt weighed down inside with defeat. In her imaginings things would have gone very differently.

  ‘We have a few inpatient beds here,’ Janine told her, ‘but we’re probably not at all like the hospitals you’ve been used to. Everything here is on a much smaller scale.’

  Saskia nodded. ‘I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen so far. It’s all exceptionally clean and efficient-looking.’

  Finally, they arrived at the A and E department. There were a couple of resuscitation rooms, several treatment bays and an area where doctors could go to type up their notes or access computers.

  ‘I love the way this small area has been set apart for the younger patients,’ Saskia commented. ‘That mural must help to take their minds off their troubles, for a start.’

  Janine smiled. ‘It’s great, isn’t it? Dr Beckett commissioned it from a relative of one of his patients. The children love trying to find the chicks hiding in the farmyard. And, of course, the ceiling mural helps distract them when they have to lie down.’

  ‘Yes, I imagine it does.’ It had been made to look like a vivid blue sky, with cotton-wool clouds, a mixed assembly of birds and colourful box kites to keep the children amused.

  If only she could be so easily distracted. She sighed inwardly, thinking about the members of the interview panel who were most likely deciding her fate at that very moment. Her stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch.

  A nurse came over to them as they walked towards the nurses’ station. ‘Janine, I’ve been paging Dr Beckett—do you know if he’s in the hospital today? I haven’t seen him all morning and we’ve had a patient come in with an injury to his wrist. We need him to come and take a look at it.’

  ‘He’s definitely here. He’s been doing interviews since first thing, but they should be finished by now. I expect he’ll be along in a minute or two.’

  ‘Okay, thanks.’

  Janine glanced at Saskia. ‘You might want to be in on this—see how we do things here.’r />
  ‘Are you sure?’ Saskia frowned. ‘I don’t want to get in the way.’

  Janine shook her head. ‘I’m sure it won’t be a problem. We’re all very friendly and informal around here.’

  ‘You have a patient for me?’ Dr Beckett strode into the A and E unit, his manner brisk and ready for action. Saskia stiffened. Had the interview panel finished their discussion and come to a conclusion?

  ‘He’s in here,’ the triage nurse told him, pointing out one of the treatment rooms. ‘We’ve done X-rays and given him painkillers.’ She handed him the patient’s file.

  ‘Thanks.’ He glanced at the notes in the file, and then went over to the computer and studied the films. Frowning, he said, ‘I’ll need someone to assist. Who’s free?’

  The nurse shook her head. ‘No one right now. I’m needed in several places at once, and as for the rest—we’re busy with an influx of patients just now. There was a minor explosion at a building site and we’ve had a number of casualties...something to do with a propane gas cylinder. Nothing dreadfully serious regarding casualties, thankfully, but some quite nasty burns.’

  He inclined his head in acknowledgement. ‘Okay, I suppose I’ll just have to wait until you can spare someone.’

  Saskia said quickly, ‘I could help, if you want.’

  He glanced at her. ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Of course. If there’s anything at all I can do...’ She frowned. ‘I understand this man has a broken wrist. Was that something to do with the explosion?’

  He shook his head. ‘Totally different, apparently. He came off his motorcycle while taking a bend too sharply.’

  ‘Oh, dear.’

  They went into the treatment room, where they found a young man in his early twenties nursing a badly deformed wrist.