‘This is an operating theatre, Staff, not kindergarten. I suggest you try remembering that.’ He turned cold eyes on Rory. ‘That goes for you too, Dr O’Donnell.’
‘Sir!’
They both snapped out the word in unison and Meg saw Jack stiffen before he made an obvious effort to focus on what he was doing. However, that didn’t mean she believed he was going to overlook her lapses, either those of the previous night or those of that day. She had committed the ultimate sin by making Jack admit that he’d wanted her, and she would pay for it, one way…or another!
A frisson ran down her spine and she bit her lip, glad that the concealing mask hid her expression. At some point during her sleep she’d found herself dreaming about him and the memory was infinitely disturbing as it came sharply back to her. It was an effort to keep her mind on what they were doing rather than let it go spinning off again along that erotic path. However, she was too much of a professional to put a patient at risk by not giving one hundred per cent concentration to her work. Maybe Jack should put that in his plus column?
The operation went well and, at the end of it Meg knew that Jack was as pleased as he could be with what he’d achieved. He’d been operating on the man they’d seen the previous day, Benjamin Asadu, and although it hadn’t been possible to restore the sight in his right eye at least he would retain the sight in his left.
Jack put the last delicate stitch into the patient’s eyelid then stepped away from the operating table. ‘That’s it, then. Not too bad a job, all things considered.’
Meg carefully covered the man’s eye with sterile gauze and gently bandaged it in place, her movements deft and precise as she worked. Rory was busily reversing the anaesthetic, constantly monitoring the readings from the bank of equipment beside him.
He unhooked the patient from the monitors at last then wheeled the trolley Benjamin was lying on to the door. Kate would be ready to receive him as she was acting as post-op nurse that day, caring for the patients Jack and Guy sent to the recovery bay. Most would be free to go home after a few hours, although some, like Benjamin, would be given repeat appointments and be seen on their return journey through the area in a few weeks’ time.
Meg knew that it would have been better if they could have kept closer tabs on each patient they operated on, but it was impossible to do that in the circumstances. There were teams of volunteers from various aid agencies working throughout Oncamba and Jack had arranged for some of them to supervise their patients’ care.
It was far from ideal but the best they could do, and it seemed to be working well enough from the reports they’d had back. Where work was concerned, Jack had everything sewn up. It was only his personal life that seemed to have great big holes in it…
‘Drat!’ Meg swore softly as she dropped the kidney dish containing the instruments that needed sterilising. She cursed the fact that she hadn’t been concentrating properly as she bent to pick them up. She knew that Jack was watching her but she ignored him. However, it was hard to disregard the biting note in his voice as he berated her for her clumsiness.
‘You seem to be having trouble focusing on work today, Staff. Either get yourself together or ask Lesley to swop with you.’
He elbowed the swing door to the scrub room open, pausing to add a rider to the less-than-friendly piece of advice. ‘There’s no room on this trip for those who aren’t totally committed to the job.’
The doors snapped shut and Meg straightened at a rush. She had the kidney dish in her hand and for one second actually considered hurling it after him. Her fingers tightened around the metal container as she took a steadying breath.
It would be an unforgivable breech of protocol to do that. Jack would be quite within his rights to send her back to England. Was that what he was hoping for, by any chance? That he could rid himself of her annoying presence and still come up smelling of roses? No way!
Meg took the instruments to the autoclave to be sterilised then set about cleaning up the operating theatre. It had been decided that they would do the cleaning in the theatres themselves to be absolutely certain that sterile conditions were adhered to. She worked quickly but carefully, making sure that everything was ready for their next patient, although, as far as she knew, Jack didn’t have another operation scheduled that day.
She frowned as she left the theatre, wondering what his plans were and if he intended to see more patients that afternoon. He hadn’t mentioned anything about their schedule for that day but, then, he’d been too busy taking pot-shots at her all morning to hold a civilised conversation!
Meg sighed as she stripped off her gown and dumped it in the basket. Would Jack ever forgive her for what she’d done the night before? Maybe he could have overlooked her nosiness in digging into his private life but what about the way she’d acted afterwards by kissing him like that?
Her heart performed a couple of forward flips then tried an equal number in the opposite direction…or that was what it felt like, anyway. Suddenly she could remember in exquisite detail the cool, firm touch of his lips, the way they’d grown warmer and more pliant when she’d persisted…
She took a deep breath but the memory wouldn’t go away no matter how hard she willed it to. Why? She’d been kissed many times in the past, yet she doubted that she could have summoned up the memory of even one of those kisses even if she’d tried to. However, it was almost too easy to recall how Jack’s mouth had felt—
‘Are you going to stand there all day, admiring yourself, Staff? I want to leave in half an hour so I suggest you get something to eat, otherwise you’ll find yourself going hungry!’
Jack had disappeared again before she’d turned around but the very air seemed to vibrate with the echo of his presence. Meg felt the tremors flow across the room and hit her squarely in the chest so that she shivered. He’d come and gone in less than three seconds but, a bit like the swell a boat made in water, she could feel where he’d been.
Meg’s eyes were dark with sudden fear as she caught sight of herself in the mirror which, despite what he believed, she hadn’t noticed before. Last night she’d wanted to stir up some sort of emotional response inside Jack, but had she given any thought to what she might be letting herself in for? By unleashing his emotions, had she given free rein to her own? Yet what did she feel? Hurt, anger, admiration, pain? All or none of those?
She sighed as she turned away from her reflection. She was beginning to wish that she’d left Jack, his disastrous marriage and his feelings well alone!
‘I needed that! What a morning.’
Lesley pulled over a stool and plonked her feet onto it. She and Meg had just finished their lunch, a hastily made sandwich. Meg picked up the big metal pot which seemed to be always at the ready and refilled their mugs with dark brown tea.
‘Thanks!’ Lesley downed half the mugful then let her head drop back with a weary sigh. ‘I’m getting too old for this malarkey! This is going to be my last trip.’
‘You said that last time and the time before if I remember rightly.’ Rory stuffed a huge chunk of corned-beef sandwich into his mouth and swallowed it without bothering to chew it. He always ate at a rate of knots, downing his meals as though he hadn’t seen food for months. But it didn’t seem to trouble his digestion one iota, Meg thought, offering him her last sandwich to finish off.
‘Sure you don’t want it?’ Rory barely paused before he wolfed it down. A full mug of tea acted as a chaser before he went to fetch the biscuit tin. Lesley exchanged an amused glance with Meg but it was obvious that she was very fond of Rory.
‘I know I did. I say it every time we come on one of these jaunts, and I mean it, too. However, once I get back to civilisation, things never seem to be as bad with the advent of hindsight.’ She grinned, her cheerful face full of self-mockery. ‘Must have a screw loose is all I can think!’
Meg laughed softly. ‘I very much doubt that. I think it would be funny if you didn’t regret coming at some point or other.’
‘Uh-oh, sounds like the shine is rubbing off fast for our newest recruit. Don’t tell me you’re already wondering why you volunteered for this when you could have been at home, enjoying yourself?’
The teasing note in Lesley’s voice didn’t quite hide her concern. Meg grimaced because she hadn’t realised how that might have sounded. ‘Of course not. I’m really enjoying it.’
‘Must be a masochist, then.’ Rory popped a digestive biscuit into his mouth and swallowed it whole. ‘What’s up with our revered boss today? He hasn’t given you a minute’s peace, has he? Have you two had some sort of falling out?’
‘We never had a falling in!’ Meg declared a shade too pointedly. She saw two sets of eyebrows rise and wished she’d kept her own counsel.
‘I thought you and Jack were starting to get on better,’ Lesley observed quietly. ‘After all, he seemed keen to have you work with him.’
‘Mmm. And talking about work, I’d better see what he’s got planned for this afternoon.’ Meg got to her feet and took her dishes to the sink to rinse them, not wanting to be drawn into talking about Jack and the problems they seemed to have, working together.
She dried her hands on a towel then inched past Rory to get to the door. The kitchen-cum-dining area was tiny and there wasn’t much room to move around. In fitting out the train, its use as a hospital had been the main consideration and everything else had been slotted in around that.
She stepped over Rory’s sprawled legs and reached for the doorhandle, pausing when Lesley laughed. ‘Don’t tell me he’s kept it a secret. Maybe he thought you’d chicken out if he gave you prior warning.’
‘Prior warning about what?’ Meg stopped dead as a mental traffic light switched from green to red. There was an uncomfortable fizzing in the pit of her stomach which, she realised, was a severe attack of nerves setting in. Exactly what had Jack got planned for her?
‘About this little trip you two are going on?’ Lesley sighed. ‘Honestly, I can’t believe he hasn’t told you about it!’
Meg smiled but the taut curl of her lips was a travesty. ‘Well, take it from me that he hasn’t! So, come on…give!’
‘You and Jack are going to one of the villages about ten…fifteen miles from here. Evidently, they’ve had a lot of cases of trachoma there and he’s keen to do something about it…Are you sure he hasn’t mentioned it?’
Lesley sighed even harder when Meg shook her head. ‘Drat! I know he said he was going to have a word with you last night when you were outside, talking to Guy and Alison. I can’t imagine why he didn’t tell you then.’
Meg’s smile felt as though it were riveted in place. She had a pretty good idea why Jack had overlooked telling her and she couldn’t blame him for it! ‘No. We…we sort of got sidetracked,’ she muttered.
‘Oh, well. Not to worry, eh? You’ll probably enjoy it. It will give you a chance to see a bit more of the country.’ Lesley collected her dishes and nudged Rory out of the way as she went to the sink. ‘And you’ll only be away the one night, I expect.’
‘Away? You mean that Jack and I will have to stay over at this village?’
Meg’s voice had risen, sounding decidedly squeaky as she tried to absorb that thought. It made Jack’s voice sound all the deeper in contrast when he suddenly spoke from the corridor behind her.
‘Yes. I want to instigate a hygiene routine in the village and I need time to convince the people that it’s the answer to their problems.’
He shrugged when she turned to face him but she could tell that he was nowhere near as nonchalant as he tried to appear. ‘We’ll stay there definitely one night but it may be two, so make sure you take whatever you need with you. I take it that you don’t have a problem with that, Meg?’
Then he took it wrong! Of course she had a problem, a very big one, in fact. Six feet two of problem, no less!
Meg gulped but the words couldn’t be said because she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of hearing them. ‘No. I don’t have a problem with that,’ she declared, then waited to be struck down by a thunderbolt for telling such a gigantic lie.
It didn’t happen, of course. Instead, Jack treated her to a cool smile which gave her little clue as to whether or not he believed her. ‘In that case, I’ll see you outside in five minutes’ time.’
Meg looked at her watch as he disappeared, watching the second hand ticking its way around the dial. She felt like a prisoner on death row must feel, counting off the seconds until she met her fate. She and Jack were going to spend the next twenty-four hours on their own together—how would she cope?
Thirty seconds passed and then a minute before she managed to get herself moving. Hurrying to her cabin, she dragged her holdall from under the bunk and crammed clothes into it all higgledy-piggledy. T-shirt, shorts, socks—what else would she need?
She frantically looked round the tiny compartment but she couldn’t seem to think straight so in the end she just zipped the bag shut. She was standing beside the train when Jack drew the Land Rover to a halt. He leant over and thrust open the door for her.
‘Throw your bag in the back,’ he ordered, ‘and let’s get moving.’
Meg did as she was told because it was easier than arguing, but a ‘please’ would have been nice. She slammed the door, then clung hold of the seat as Jack set off up the steep incline. The car’s wheels spun on the loose gravel, its engine whining before the tyres found a purchase.
Meg’s teeth snapped together as they rocketed up the slope and surged over the top in a shower of dust, then began the equally steep descent down the other side. Jack chanced a glance at her, busily working wheel and brake as they negotiated the scree-covered escarpment.
‘OK?’ he shouted above the roar of the engine.
‘Fine,’ she shouted back, refusing to shut her eyes and give him the satisfaction of knowing how scared she was as they slithered and bounced their way down to mercifully flat ground. He didn’t say anything else and she didn’t attempt to break the silence as they drove to the village. Maybe it was for the best. Look what had happened the last time they’d had a heart-to-heart. Better not to risk a repeat performance…wasn’t it?
Meg closed her eyes, not caring what he thought. It was undoubtedly foolish but she couldn’t resist letting her mind take her back to that moment when Jack had responded to her kiss. A small smile curved her lips. Despite everything, she didn’t regret it!
CHAPTER SIX
‘THAT’S sixteen so far. How many have you seen?’
Jack looked worn out as he plonked himself down on the log Meg was sitting on. It was late afternoon and the sun was riding low in the sky. They’d worked steadily as they’d examined the villagers for signs of trachoma, and the figures weren’t good.
Now Meg sighed as she glanced at her list. ‘Fifteen definite and several more who look as though they could be in the early stages of the disease.’
‘So that’s over a third of the villagers suffering from it. Worse than I hoped but about what I expected,’ Jack said flatly. ‘Poor sanitation and an inadequate water supply are the two main contributing factors, and both apply here.’
They both fell silent as they looked around. Meg had been shocked by the poverty that had met them when they’d arrived at the village. It was obvious that the people who lived there were barely scratching a living and the main reason for that was a shortage of water. Crops were dying in the fields and yielding just a tiny proportion of the food the villagers needed to exist on.
‘Can’t something be done to help them?’ she asked worriedly, pushing back her damp hair. It had been intensely hot all afternoon long and she would have given a small fortune for a cool shower, but there was no chance of that. She dug a handkerchief out of her pocket and wiped the perspiration off her face and neck then swatted at the cloud of flies which constantly plagued everyone.
‘Richard has it in hand, I’m glad to say. Evidently, one of the volunteer groups believe there’s fresh water just a quarter of a mile t
o the east of the village so they’re going to bore a well. Richard has managed to beg, borrow or steal some trucks to transport the equipment out here so that they can get started.’
‘That’s great!’ Meg couldn’t hide her delight as she smiled at Jack. She saw an odd expression cross his face before he abruptly turned away. His tone was flat when he replied, making a mockery out of the actual words.
‘Yes, it’s wonderful news. Once they have sufficient water, life will soon improve for these people. That’s why I’m so keen to get across to them at this stage how important hygiene is.’
‘I see.’ Meg’s heart sank because she did understand, and not just about the problems the villagers were facing either. Jack had treated her with all the reserve he might have afforded a brand-new acquaintance, but they were hardly that…not after last night! It stung to realise that he could act this way but she wasn’t sure why it should do so.
Would it really have been better if he’d continued in the same vein as that morning, blaming her for everything that went wrong?
Funnily enough, Meg decided that it would. At least while he was taking her to task he was showing some sort of emotion, whereas when he acted like this he may as well have been dead from the neck up and down!
She jumped to her feet, suddenly impatient both with Jack and herself. They should talk about what had happened, instead of trying to gloss over it the way they’d been doing all day long. Yet neither of them seemed to have the courage or the sense to make the first move.
‘Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. I’m going to make myself something to eat.’
Jack uncoiled his long legs and stood up. ‘I’ll give you a hand to set up the Primus stove. It can be a bit awkward to get it going.’
‘There’s no need to bother.’ Meg shrugged dismissively, still smarting from the fact that the pair of them seemed in capable of sorting things out like two responsible adults. ‘I’m sure I can manage, thank you.’
‘Fine. You carry on, then. I’ll go and have a word with Benjamin’s family to let them know how he’s doing.’ He didn’t insist when she turned down his offer, making his way instead to one of the huts and rapping on the doorframe.
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