Meg smiled as she heard them laugh in response to whatever Kate had said. Obviously a good rapport was already building within the team and she felt her spirits lift. To heck with how Jack treated her—she intended to make the most of this trip and wouldn’t let him spoil it for her!
‘There’s a few points I need to run through with you, Meg, so you may as well travel with me in the first truck.’
Jack didn’t wait for her to reply as he strode towards the first of the three trucks which were lined up on the grass. Meg hesitated but there was no excuse she could think of to refuse his request, apart from one which was as unacceptable to her as it would be to him. To actually come out and tell Jack that she didn’t want to travel with him because he seemed intent on making her feel miserable sounded too pathetic for words.
She followed him to the truck, colouring when he stepped back to let her climb into the cab first. The memory of how Rory had helped Kate was all the incentive she needed to make the ascent in double-quick time! She scrambled on board then quickly slid along the bench seat as Jack climbed up behind her and slammed the door.
He leant forward, his arm brushing the side of her breast as he pointed towards the driver. ‘This is Moses. He’s the head driver,’ he explained, before settling back in his seat.
Meg smiled at the man beside her, trying her best to quell the sensations that were rippling through her. Although the touch of Jack’s arm against her breast had been purely accidental, that didn’t mean she wasn’t very much aware of it. It was a relief to focus on the introductions rather than let her mind go spinning off at tangents, wondering why it should have had such an effect.
‘Hello, Moses. It’s nice to meet you. My name is Meg.’
The man gave her a wide smile, his white teeth flashing against his black skin. ‘Pleased to meet you, Dr Meg.’
He started the engine, giving Meg no chance to correct him about her true status as the engine roared to life. The noise inside the truck was deafening for a few seconds before the gears engaged, and they set off with a shuddering lurch which pitched her sideways into Jack Trent.
Meg flushed as she quickly righted herself. ‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t worry about it.’ Jack placed a booted foot against the dashboard and braced himself as they jolted over another rut. His hand shot out and he grasped Meg’s arm as she bounced on the seat. ‘I know it isn’t very ladylike, but try bracing your feet against the dashboard. It’s the only way to keep yourself steady, I’m afraid.’
Meg did as he’d suggested and after a few moments found that he was right. It was easier to maintain her balance once she had something to brace herself against.
‘Thanks,’ she said with a grateful smile. ‘It’s a lot better like this.’
He shrugged dismissively, turning to stare out of the window as though, now that his duty was done, he intended to leave her to her own devices. Meg took a small breath, refusing to let slip the words she could feel welling up inside her. If he wanted to make it clear that he didn’t care about her comfort then that was up to him. She certainly didn’t intend to make a fuss if that was what he expected!
They travelled in silence for a couple of miles before Jack spoke again. Meg stiffened but, oddly, there was no hint of the expected hostility in his voice.
‘Working out here will be quite a revelation for you, I imagine. I remember the first time I went overseas to work, not long after I qualified. I felt as though I should go straight back to med school because I was constantly being assailed with things I’d never dreamed I would have to deal with.’
He turned to look at her and his grey eyes were warm with the memory as he smiled. ‘I used to lie in bed at night and pinch myself because I couldn’t believe the things I’d seen and done throughout the day!’
‘Then you’ve never regretted getting involved in aid work?’ she queried, emboldened to ask by the fact that he seemed to have dropped the air of aloofness for once.
‘Never.’ He shook his head, pushing back a lock of hair which had blown over his forehead. Both of the truck’s windows had been rolled down, although the breeze that flowed into the cab was almost as hot as the air inside it. Meg could see damp patches forming on the front of Jack’s shirt where the cotton was sticking to his chest and knew that her own clothes were sticking to her as well.
When they lurched over another pothole and her arm brushed his, she could feel the heat of his skin burning into her and knew that the warmth of her skin had flowed into him. It was a strangely disturbing thought that their bodies’ heat was mingling that way.
She cleared her throat, not wanting to think about it. Why should just the touch of this man’s arm seem so very intimate? It didn’t make sense. ‘So you don’t regret not devoting more time to your career, then?’
‘You mean that if I didn’t go on these aid trips then I could be at home, earning more money?’ He gave a dry laugh. ‘No, I don’t regret it. Money isn’t all that important to me, if you really want to know. I believe there are more important things in life than buying a bigger car or a more luxurious house, oddly enough!’
Meg frowned as she heard the acerbic note in his voice. Maybe he was just making sure that she understood he had higher ideals than that, yet there had seemed to be something more to that statement than had first appeared.
‘I don’t find it at all odd,’ she replied quietly. ‘I agree with you, in fact. Money isn’t everything. It certainly doesn’t buy true happiness. That comes from within yourself, from knowing that you are doing the things you want to do and that you are happy with the choices you’ve made.’
His brows rose steeply. ‘A very altruistic attitude, Meg. I didn’t realise that you felt that way.’
She shrugged, not sure that she liked the mocking note in his voice which seemed at odds with the searching look he gave her. ‘You don’t know anything about me, not about the sort of person I am, anyway. References and CVs aren’t very much to go on when judging someone’s character, are they?’
‘Maybe not. But then I doubt if anyone relies solely on what’s written on a piece of paper, even in a work situation. I think most people rely on their instincts when they meet someone new.’
And his instincts had told him that she wasn’t the sort of person he wanted to work with? It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him but she managed to contain the words. What was the point in asking him a question like that when she knew what the answer would be? It certainly wouldn’t make her feel better to hear him state bluntly that he’d taken an immediate dislike to her.
She turned away before he saw the hurt in her eyes. She’d never been faced with this sort of situation before because she’d always got on well with the people she’d worked with. However, it was different with Jack Trent. Maybe it was foolish to be so sensitive but she couldn’t help it.
‘Is something wrong, Meg?’
She shook her head, hating the fact that he seemed to have sensed that she was upset. ‘Of course not. I’m just hot, that’s all.’
She took a tissue out of her pocket and mopped her forehead. Jack sighed as he settled back in the seat.
‘It will get even hotter than this.’
‘Then I shall just have to get used to it, won’t I? I’m sure I’ll survive, Dr Trent.’
‘I’m sure you will.’
There was an odd note in his voice, which made her look at him. However, he wasn’t looking at her but staring straight ahead, his gaze locked on the road as it wended its way through the bush. How, then, did she know instinctively that what had happened had upset him?
She had no idea yet she sensed it was true. Jack was upset because she’d been upset, and the knot of pain which had settled in the pit of her stomach eased a little. Maybe his attitude towards her wasn’t set in stone after all, and she would be able to convince him that he’d been wrong to have doubts about her. The thought was enough to make her spirits lift.
He cleared his throat and she turned to look at him
again, feeling her heart immediately sink when she saw that the aloof mask was firmly in place once more. What a fool she was to have imagined that he might have had a change of heart so soon!
‘It will take a couple of days once we get under way to assess the kind of problems we’re going to be dealing with. As you know, my main area of interest is eye disorders, but I shall be doing my share of general surgery, as well as dealing with whatever medical problems we encounter.’
‘That was something I was going to ask you about,’ Meg put in quietly, deliberately confining her thoughts to work because it seemed wiser. She was there to do a job, not to make friends and influence people, and she would be better off remembering that. ‘I know a lot of these overseas aid trips specialise in various fields and I wasn’t sure if that was what we would be doing.’
‘Ideally it would be wonderful if we could specialise. Diseases of the eye, for instance, are a huge problem in a lot of developing countries. I would like nothing better than to spend the next three months devoting my time solely to that area. However, it just isn’t practical,’ he explained levelly. ‘Oncamba has been cut off from the rest of the world for so long that the people have had no access to any sort of medical help for a great many years.’
‘I see. So we are going to treat anyone and everyone we can—is that it?’ Meg asked, frowning as she thought what a huge undertaking it was going to be.
‘That’s right. Oh, I shall still focus as much as I can on treating cases of trachoma and Guy, the other surgeon who has travelled on ahead to get things ready, has a keen interest in the early detection of cervical cancer. But, basically, you’re right. We shall be seeing as many patients as we can fit into a day, no matter what type of problem they have.’
He frowned. ‘It means that the workload is going to be very intensive so it certainly won’t be the best introduction you could have had to this type of work.’
Meaning that he didn’t think she would cope with the pressure? She almost laughed out loud as she realised just how foolish she’d been to imagine he might care about hurting her feelings when he lost no opportunity to try and undermine her confidence!
‘Maybe not. But I’m sure I’ll cope, Dr Trent, despite the fact that you’re expecting me to fall flat on my face!’
She knew how unprofessional it was to speak to him like that and steeled herself for his reply. What she had never expected was that he would laugh.
‘I’m sure that falling flat on your face is something you rarely do, Meg Andrews! I’m certainly not expecting or hoping it will happen either.’
His amusement vanished as abruptly as it had appeared. ‘However, that doesn’t mean that I’ve changed my mind. This isn’t the sort of work for a woman like you.’
And what sort of a woman is that? Meg wanted to ask, only she didn’t. She didn’t need to because she already knew. Obviously, the sort of woman who didn’t impress Jack Trent!
It wasn’t a comforting thought when they would be working together for the next three months. Yet, if she was really honest, she would have been forced to admit that it wasn’t just the fact that he held her in such low esteem professionally which hurt, but the fact that his opinion of her as a person obviously wasn’t any better.
What a good job it was that she had no intention of being that honest!
It was getting dark by the time they reached the village where they would spend the night. Meg was as exhausted as everyone else as she scrambled stiffly down from the lorry. The last five miles of the journey had been a test of endurance and she was black and blue from being jolted around.
‘Why on earth do we volunteer for these trips? I mean, I could be sitting in front of the telly right now with a cup of tea, watching Coronation Street. Must be mad, mustn’t we?’
Lesley came to join her, rubbing her back as she tried to work the kinks out of it. Meg smiled sympathetically. ‘I know what you mean. I thought my teeth were going to drop out on that last stretch!’
She grimaced when Lesley laughed then coloured as she caught the I-told-you-so expression on Jack’s face as he strode past them to speak to Rory. Without stopping to think, she stuck out her tongue at his retreating back and heard Lesley stifle a snort of surprised laughter.
‘Do I get the impression that you and our esteemed leader don’t see eye to eye?’
Meg shrugged, wishing that she hadn’t behaved so childishly. She certainly didn’t want to cause problems within the team at this early stage. ‘Sort of. Anyway, what happens now?’
Lesley took the hint and didn’t pursue it, but Meg could tell that she was curious about what had gone wrong between her and Jack. What could she have said if Lesley had asked her what the problem was? Meg thought ruefully. That Jack didn’t like her for some reason?
It was the truth and yet it seemed such a feeble explanation that she doubted anyone would believe it. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Jack Trent didn’t strike her as a man who took an unreasoning dislike to people.
That thought didn’t help one bit—it simply served to make her feel even more perplexed. It was a relief when Jack announced that because of the lateness of the hour it might be better if they got straight to bed after they’d had something to eat.
It turned out that Moses lived in the village and his wife, Leah, had prepared a meal for them. Everyone sat round the fire while they ate the deliciously spicy stew the woman had made.
Meg hadn’t realised just how hungry she was until then and had a second helping when Leah shyly offered it to her. She was a beautiful young woman with smooth, ebony skin, her hair intricately beaded and braided. She was obviously heavily pregnant, her distended belly clearly visible beneath the flowing, brightly coloured robe which covered her from neck to ankle. However, she still managed to move gracefully as she served their meal.
She smiled shyly when Meg thanked her. ‘I am pleased that you enjoyed it, Doctor,’ she said in her lilting voice, before she moved away to offer Rory a second helping, which was eagerly accepted.
‘Why does she call us all ‘‘Doctor’’?’ Meg queried, spooning up another mouthful of the tasty concoction. ‘I noticed that Moses did the same before, calling me Dr Meg.’
‘Women come very low down in the pecking order in a lot of these African countries,’ Rory explained, then glanced at Jack who was sitting beside him. ‘Isn’t that right?’
‘Unfortunately, it is. We’ve found by trial and error that it’s better if all the staff are awarded doctor status as it cuts down on a lot of problems, particularly with the male patients,’ he explained, putting aside his empty plate. ‘They accept treatment from a female doctor far more readily than they would accept it from a nurse. On trips like this, our nurses are more nurse practitioners than anything else, responsible both for diagnosing and prescribing treatment in many cases.’
‘And you have no problem with that?’ Meg asked before she could think better of it. She shrugged when everyone looked at her, glad that the heat of the fire could be blamed for her suddenly heightened colour.
‘A lot of doctors don’t hold nurses in very high esteem,’ she muttered uncomfortably.
‘Not a sin that I’m guilty of, believe me. And especially not on an undertaking like this. Everyone’s input is equally important to the success of the operation, which is why everyone is expected to pull his or her weight.’
Was she the only one to feel the sting in the tail of that statement? Meg glanced round the assembled group but not one of them looked as though they suspected Jack had meant that as a warning. It was hardly surprising when it had been aimed at her, though, was it? Hadn’t he said much the same thing earlier, that she was expected to pull her weight? Maybe he was taking the opportunity to remind her?
Suddenly, Meg knew that she’d had enough for one day. She was sick and tired of being in the dog house when she hadn’t done anything to deserve it! She scrambled to her feet, avoiding Jack’s eyes as she smiled at the rest of the team.
‘I don’t know about you lot, but I’m worn out. I think I’ll call it a night if nobody minds.’
‘Well, I don’t for starters.’ Kate got up as well, groaning as she arched her aching back. She shot a wry look at Jack. ‘Yvonne was right to cry off at the last minute if you ask me. I bet she knew you were going to have us bouncing around over miles and miles of dirt tracks!’
Jack laughed deeply as he rose to his feet. In the flickering glow from the fire, his face looked almost saturnine until he smiled, and then there was such a transformation that Meg had to look away, because she didn’t like the way her heart had started to bounce up and down.
It was only a smile, for heaven’s sake! she told herself sternly. And it hadn’t even been directed at her. Yet her foolish heart was playing leap-frog with her ribs.
‘You could be right about that. I should have told her that we’d be travelling by limo and then she might have felt well enough to come along.’ He sighed as he looked at the others. ‘I’m sure we’re all going to miss her.’
Especially when he’d been saddled with a replacement he didn’t want!
Meg turned away, afraid that the hurt she felt would show on her face. Was he deliberately trying to be cruel? she wondered sickly as she hurried towards the hut she’d been allocated to sleep in.
‘Meg, wait a moment!’
She paused when she heard Jack calling her name, although she didn’t turn round because she wasn’t sure that she had her emotions in check sufficiently to face him. She kept her back towards him, staring at the inky blackness of the trees that surrounded the village, yet she knew to the second when he stopped behind her.
That inner radar again, working overtime, she thought with a surge of black humour. Maybe she should use it as an early warning system for whenever he was in the vicinity. She certainly could do with avoiding him from the look of it!
‘I didn’t mean that as it sounded.’ He got straight to the point without any preamble, surprising her enough so that she half turned. She saw the regret in his grey eyes and somehow that undid all her good work, setting free her carefully shored-up emotions. It had been a long, tiring day and Jack’s intransigent attitude hadn’t helped one bit!
Touched by Angels Page 3