‘If you’d tried being a bit more reasonable and listened to what I had to say then I wouldn’t have needed to follow you. I only wanted a couple of minutes of your time but, oh, no, you couldn’t even spare me that.’
‘Why should I do what you want? You don’t own me, Ben Carlisle. You can’t give me orders or demand that I listen to you, and the sooner you get that into your head, the better it will be for both of us!’
‘I don’t believe I’m hearing this.’ He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. ‘Although heaven knows why I’m surprised. You were always the same. Once you got yourself all fired up, logic flew straight out of the window. You have to be the most unreasonable woman I’ve ever met!’
‘Thank you very much. I shall take that as a compliment. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I did come in here for a reason.’
‘And I followed you for an even better one!’
Ben knew he was making a mess of things but it was hard to remain calm when Holly seemed determined to behave so irrationally. Surely she must know that he would never have followed her if it hadn’t been important that he speak to her?
Buoyed up by a feeling of self-righteousness, he fixed her with a steely-eyed glare which wavered when he saw what looked suspiciously like tears in her eyes. It was an effort to remember what he’d wanted to say because the thought that he’d upset her had thrown him off track.
‘I would prefer it if people didn’t find out about our relationship, Holly. I have my reasons, of course, but suffice to say that I don’t think it would be in either of our interests to have everyone gossiping about us.’
‘They won’t hear about it from me, I assure you.’
Her voice sounded decidedly husky and Ben frowned because he didn’t know whether to apologise for upsetting her or pretend he hadn’t noticed. He sighed because dealing with Holly seemed to be fraught with problems and he couldn’t help comparing what was happening now to how it had been in the past. Then they had spent hours talking to each other. They hadn’t always agreed, of course, but even their arguments had been fun, especially when they’d made up afterwards…
He quickly erased that thought before it could cause even more problems. ‘Thanks. I appreciate that.’
‘Don’t mention it. Is that it, then? There’s nothing else you want to say to me?’
‘No.’ He shrugged. ‘I just thought it best to make my position clear.’
‘And you have. Don’t worry, Ben, I understand perfectly.’
The catch in her voice was almost his undoing. Ben didn’t say anything else as he quickly left. Knowing that Holly was upset and that it was his fault was more than he could bear and he was terrified that he would do something stupid. There was just no point wishing he could take her in his arms and promise her that he would take care of her because he wasn’t in a position to make promises like that. It was the reason why he had let her go two years ago and it still applied even now. It hadn’t been a lack of love that had made him end their affair—just the opposite. He had loved her too much to ruin her life and the worst thing of all was knowing that he could never tell her that.
Holly went straight to the assessment ward as soon as she got back to A and E. Adrienne Marshall’s lab results had arrived while she’d been at lunch and she wanted to speak to Adrienne herself rather than leave it to someone else. It also meant that she could avoid seeing Ben for a while which was a definite bonus.
Holly sighed as she pushed open the door to the ward. It was silly to get so upset but she couldn’t help it. Ben had seemed so anxious to prevent anyone finding out about their relationship that she couldn’t help wondering if he was ashamed of what had happened. The thought that he might be embarrassed because they’d had an affair hurt. She had loved him with all her heart and yet he thought of her now as nothing more than a mistake.
‘Do you know what’s wrong with me yet, Dr Daniels?’
Holly put aside her own problems as she stopped beside Adrienne’s bed. Adrienne was looking much better now thanks to the antibiotics and analgesics she’d received. However, Holly knew the test results would probably upset her and chose her words with care.
‘It seems that it’s what I suspected, Adrienne. Your white-cell count is very high which indicates that you have an infection and that’s caused salpingitis—inflammation of one of your Fallopian tubes.’
‘Oh, dear! How on earth has that happened?’ Adrienne exclaimed in dismay.
‘There are a number of causes,’ Holly said carefully. ‘Salpingitis can be caused by an infection caught during childbirth, miscarriage or termination. However, we ruled out all of those before, didn’t we? The most common cause is a sexually transmitted disease such as a chlamydial infection or gonorrhoea.’
‘But that’s ridiculous! I can’t have caught something like that. I’ve only ever slept with my boyfriend, Paul. You must have got it wrong!’
‘The lab is doing a culture from the vaginal swab I took from you earlier and that will confirm it, one way or the other,’ Holly said quietly. ‘I know how difficult this must be for you, Adrienne. However, if it does turn out that the infection is the result of a sexually transmitted disease then you must have caught it from someone.’
‘Then I must have caught it off Paul. So that means he’s been sleeping with someone else, doesn’t it?’ the girl said slowly. Her eyes suddenly welled with tears. ‘He said that he loved me and I believed him, too!’
‘Some STDs can remain undetected for quite a while so it’s important not to jump to any hasty conclusions. However, if the lab results do prove that it’s gonorrhoea or a chlamydial infection then your boyfriend will need treatment as well. And so will any other person he may have been in contact with recently,’ she added diplomatically.
‘What did Paul say when you told him I was in hospital?’ Adrienne asked brokenly.
‘I didn’t actually speak to him. I phoned the hotel but he wasn’t in his room,’ Holly explained gently. ‘Would you like me to try again?’
‘Please.’ Adrienne rubbed her hands over her face. ‘I did wonder when he said that he had to go away on business again this week. It’s the third time it’s happened in the past month. D’you think he’s been seeing someone else and he’s just used that as an excuse?’
‘I really don’t know. That’s something you will need to ask him, I’m afraid.’
Holly sighed as she left the ward. It sounded as though Adrienne might be right in her suspicions but who was she to say for certain? She’d had no idea that Ben had been seeing someone else because he’d never spent any nights away from her—apart from when he’d been working, of course.
She frowned as she went to make the phone call because that thought, naturally, had led to another. When had Ben found the time to see someone else? He’d worked the same ridiculously long hours that she’d worked so free time had been at a premium. When he’d been out at night, working, that’s exactly what he had been doing, as the rosters would prove. She could account for almost every single minute of the time they’d been together so when had he had the chance to carry on an affair?
It was a question she’d never asked herself before yet all of a sudden Holly knew that it needed answering.
The afternoon was every bit as busy as the morning had been so she didn’t have a chance to speak to Ben about it. There were two calls for the rapid response team in quick succession. Josh and Nicky had only just left, in fact, when the second call came through. Sean was in a meeting that afternoon so Holly hurried to the office when she heard the phone ringing but Ben was already there.
‘What have we got?’ she asked as she went in.
‘Serious RTA just outside town,’ he explained, tapping notes into the computer. Each call they received had to be logged into the system the minute it arrived. It was vital that a record was kept of which members of staff were responding and what vehicles they were using so that Ambulance Control always knew what services were available. Holly waited patiently
while he finished inputting the necessary information, smiling wryly as she watched him hunting around the keyboard for every letter. Ben might have many skills to his credit but typing wasn’t one of them.
‘That’s that done,’ he announced in obvious relief, looking up. He must have seen the amusement on her face because he frowned. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘Nothing. I was just admiring your expertise on the keyboard. You have a very distinctive style, if I may say so.’
‘It’s called the one-fingered hunt and peck method.’ He flexed his right index finger. ‘Sheer poetry in motion, isn’t it?’
He grinned at her and Holly felt her spirits suddenly lift. It felt good to be able to laugh with Ben about something so ridiculous after the frosty exchange they’d had earlier. She realised with a jolt how much she’d missed his quirky sense of humour so that it was an effort to concentrate as he led the way from the office. She didn’t want to remember all his good points when it would only serve to confuse her even more.
‘Do we have any details about who’s been injured?’ she asked, purposely confining her thoughts to the current situation.
‘An eight-year-old boy.’ He grabbed a safety helmet off the shelf and tossed it to her. ‘Apparently, there was a demonstration being held today about some new landfill site that’s been opened on the outskirts of the town. The people who are opposed to the site had put up barriers to stop the lorries going in and out. One guy tried to drive around them and somehow managed to knock down a child in the process.’
‘Why have they asked us to respond?’ Holly queried, slipping on a protective suit over her clothes. She popped and zipped then glanced at him. ‘Surely the regular paramedics could have dealt with this?’
‘The kid is trapped under the lorry and it could be a while before they get him out so they decided it would be best if there was a doctor present.’ He zipped the front of his own suit. ‘Plus there’s a massive traffic jam building up because of all the lorries that were using the landfill site. It will take a while for an ambulance to get there but we’ll be able to take the back route over Dalverston moor.’
‘Oh, I see.’
Holly didn’t ask anything else as she quickly led the way to the garage. Time was of the essence in dealing with this type of situation and she was just glad they were able to respond now she knew how serious it was. The four-wheel-drive was all ready and waiting for them so she slid into the passenger seat while Ben took the wheel. The landfill site was just a ten-minute drive from the hospital normally but they had to take a circuitous route to avoid the traffic. They still made good time, however, so it wasn’t long before they arrived.
Ben parked the vehicle then forged a way through the crowd and headed straight for the lorry. The driver was sitting on the grass verge with a policeman standing beside him. He seemed dazed when Holly knelt down beside him. Ben had gone to speak to the officer in charge so she concentrated on the driver’s injuries.
‘I’m a doctor from Dalverston General Hospital,’ she explained. She tipped back the man’s head and studied the gash on his left temple. ‘You’ve had a bit of bump from the look of things. Did you black out at all?’
‘No. I’m fine. It’s the little lad you need to worry about.’ The man took a gulping breath. ‘I didn’t see him. I just didn’t see him!’
‘Just try to stay calm,’ Holly told him, taking a dressing out of her bag and taping it over the wound. She found a torch and checked his eyes but there were no obvious signs of head trauma so she left him with the policeman. Another police officer called her over to his car and asked her to take a look at the boy’s mother. Holly quickly introduced herself but the woman was too upset to respond. She clutched Holly’s hand, her eyes brimming with tears.
‘I should never have brought Ryan here! It’s all my fault, isn’t it? If I hadn’t brought him then he wouldn’t have got hurt…’
She couldn’t go on and Holly gently squeezed her hand. ‘We’re going to do everything we can to help your son. I promise you that. Now, did the lorry hit you as well?’
The woman shook her head. ‘No, I’m all right. It’s Ryan who needs you, Doctor.’
‘Then I’ll go and see what I can do to help.’ Holly left her in the police car and went to find Ben. He’d finished speaking to the officer in charge and her heart sank when she saw how grim he looked.
‘How’s the child?’ she asked, glancing towards the lorry. Its front wheels were suspended over a deep drainage ditch which ran alongside the road and she could see that the fire crew were placing blocks against its rear wheels to stop it rolling forwards.
‘I can’t tell. He’s trapped under the front axle from what I can gather. They’re going to use air bags to raise the cab so they can get him out but I’ve no idea how long that’s going to take. I need to get underneath the lorry to check how badly injured he is.’
‘That sounds very risky!’ she exclaimed. She glanced at the lorry again and shivered as she imagined what would happen if it slid further into the ditch. Anyone underneath it at the time would be crushed.
‘It’s the only way. I certainly can’t hang around here until they pull him out.’
Ben didn’t waste any more time debating the point as he strode back to the lorry. Holly saw him confer with one of the firemen and could tell the man was warning him how dangerous it would be to crawl beneath the lorry while it was so precariously balanced. The warning had little effect, however, so her heart was in her mouth as she watched Ben drop into the ditch and wriggle his way beneath the massive vehicle.
She ran over and knelt down beside the cab, wanting to be ready in case he needed her help. The child was lying partly in the ditch so that all she could see was the back of his head. There was barely enough room for Ben to move but she saw him reach out and touch the child, obviously checking for a pulse. He looked round and spotted her peering under the side of the cab.
‘Pulse is thready. His left femur is broken and he’s lost a lot of blood so he’s probably in shock.’
‘Can we get a drip into him?’ she suggested, although she’d already guessed what the answer would be.
‘No chance. I’d never be able to get a line into him. There’s not enough room to manoeuvre under here—’
He broke off when the lorry suddenly shuddered. Holly gasped in dismay when she realised that part of the ditch wall had given way under its weight. ‘Are you all right?’ she called, frantically peering into the appreciably smaller gap beneath the cab. ’Ben?’
‘I’m OK,’ he called back, his voice slightly muffled. ‘I’ll feel a lot better once I’m out of here, though.’
‘You and me both,’ she muttered in relief, quickly moving out of the way so the firemen could get on with fitting the airbags beneath the cab. The next ten minutes were extremely tense. Ben insisted on staying with the child and all she could do was to stand and watch while the lorry was raised one excruciatingly slow inch at a time. Her nerves were positively screaming by the time the boy was freed and Ben scrambled out of the ditch. She hurriedly turned away because she couldn’t take the risk of him seeing how scared she’d been. If Ben realised how worried she’d been about him then he’d be bound to wonder why and she wasn’t sure she could explain it to him.
Fortunately, there was no time to dwell on how she felt as they prepared the child for the journey to hospital. He’d suffered a compound fracture of his left femur so Ben covered the area with a dressing to minimise the risk of infection then placed the limb in a splint while she set up a drip.
‘We’ll just do the basics here,’ he instructed, fastening the Velcro straps on the splint. ‘There’s no point wasting time. The sooner we get him to Resus the better.’
‘Fine, whatever you say,’ she agreed, happy for once to let him take charge. There was no way that she was going to argue with him about issuing orders when it was in the child’s best interests. Anyway, he’d earned the right to call the shots after putting his own life at ris
k like that, she thought, trying to quell the shudder that ran through her at the thought of the danger he’d been in.
An ambulance arrived just as they finished strapping Ryan to a spinal board so they helped the paramedics load him into the back. The police were providing an escort through the traffic and they set off with sirens wailing and lights flashing. Ben hastily gathered up their equipment and stuffed it back into the bag then ran to their vehicle. Holly was hard on his heels but even so she only just had time to scramble inside before he started the engine.
‘D’you think he’ll make it?’ she asked, shooting him a sidelong glance as he turned the car round in a tight circle.
‘I hope so,’ he replied grimly.
He didn’t say anything else as they drove back to the hospital but she could see the determination on his face and knew that he would do everything in his power to save the child. The ambulance arrived just a few minutes after them so they rushed Ryan straight through to Resus where Ben started rattling out orders.
‘I want his sats done a.s.a.p. He’s lost a lot of blood so we’ll need samples for cross-matching, stat! And page Alison and tell her that we’ll need X-rays. Right, everyone, on my count—one, two, three.’
They quickly shifted the boy onto a bed and Holly began to examine him. Ben was taking off his filthy overalls before scrubbing his hands and she knew he’d want an initial report as soon as he’d finished. The boy was still unconscious but his eyes responded when she shone a light into them so she ruled out any major head trauma for the moment.
‘Head OK?’ Ben asked, snapping on a fresh pair of gloves as he came to the bed.
‘Seems to be,’ Holly replied just as briefly, sliding her hand under the child’s back so she could check his spine. This initial assessment was vital if they were to give the boy the best chance possible of recovering. She knew how easy it was to miss a life-threatening injury in the heat of the moment and was determined that wasn’t going to happen after Ben’s recent heroic efforts. She carefully felt her way along the vertebrae and shook her head. ‘Spine feels OK but we’ll need an X-ray to be on the safe side.’
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