Reunion with His Surgeon Princess

by Karin Baine

  ‘Everything okay?’ Seth glanced over at her as he pulled on his shoes and began tying his laces. ‘You’re very quiet.’

  ‘I’m just wondering what we’ll be going back to.’ She was surprised to find her lip beginning to wobble as she spoke, the enormity of yesterday’s events in full force now they would have to face the aftermath.

  He shifted over beside her and helped her put her scrub top on, scooping her hair from inside the neckline to let it fall onto her shoulders. She leaned against him, gaining strength from simply having him taking care of her in such a small way. ‘Whatever it is we’ll face it together.’

  ‘Will we, or are we just fooling ourselves, Seth? As much as I want a relationship to be possible, sleeping together won’t magically make our problems disappear.’

  ‘No, but it’s a starting point. If we decide that’s what we both want, surely we can work to make it happen?’

  ‘It’ll mean big changes for all of us.’

  ‘Something I would be prepared to make as long as I know you’re in it for the long haul this time.’ He wasn’t making a jibe at her; she could see he was being totally serious and with good reason. The last time he’d been planning a future with her she’d taken off and left him to pick up the pieces. Kaja knew she’d made the wrong decision at the time but there was one thing she was still holding back from Seth that could affect them as a couple. She was hesitant to make that promise to him now without being completely honest with him. In doing that there was a chance he wouldn’t want to be with her at all and she wasn’t ready to end things before they’d really begun.

  ‘It’s a big decision for me to make. Not because I don’t want to be with you but there’s a lot of stuff I would have to sort out before that could happen.’ She knew it wasn’t the answer he wanted but it was all she could give him for now.

  He studied her quietly for a moment then said, ‘I’ll wait.’

  It was such a comfort knowing he intended to stay by her side until she dealt with the issue that could end their relationship once and for all. She hadn’t had that level of understanding for a long time, not since the day she’d left England. Now it was down to her to decide the next move.

  In the distance she thought she heard the sound of a car out on the road. ‘Seth, is that—’

  He was already on his feet and running towards the first sign that they weren’t out here alone. Kaja should’ve been elated but a heavy cloak of sadness settled around her shoulders, preventing her from getting up to follow. Once they left this place the fantasy was over and a selfish part of her wanted it to last for ever. The part of her who’d had this happy life with him once and thrown it all away. Only now did she truly realise how stupid she’d been.

  ‘It’s a police car,’ he yelled back, jumping up and down trying to attract its attention.

  ‘Great.’ Kaja had to psych herself up to go and join him rather than lying down and praying she’d remain undiscovered.

  If this was someone come to rescue them it was time to put her game face on. They were no longer two lovers stranded together enjoying some quality time, but a princess and her father’s transplant surgeon, who’d been displaced during the country’s worst earthquake in living history.

  She could see the flashing lights on the car roof as it pulled into the car park and her stomach rolled at the prospect of being recognised in her current state or, worse, having to explain it. Without a mirror she didn’t even know how bad she looked but she was guessing a day rescuing people trapped in the rubble of an earthquake and a night sleeping rough weren’t going to make a pretty picture.

  When she attempted to put her shoes on again it became apparent the swelling around her ankle would make that impossible. She had to limp barefoot towards the approaching police vehicle but held her head high, attempting to maintain some modicum of decorum.

  Seth was leaning in through the open window of the car when she got there, shaking hands with the officer in the driver’s seat.

  ‘Kaja, this is Constable Bailey, the white knight riding to our rescue.’

  She winced at the casual use of her name, which suggested an intimacy between them that, while true, was no business of this complete stranger or those he would later retell his tale to.

  ‘Good morning. Thank you for coming.’ She was always self-conscious meeting new people but she had more reason than usual to worry about being judged. Especially when the young officer was openly gawping at her. Too late, she wondered if she had any grass stuck in her hair after rolling about in a field with Seth for most of last night.

  ‘Oh, my goodness... I didn’t realise...we were so busy with calls last night...they just said there were people stuck out at Tobel. No one said it was you!’ He got out of the car and opened the door to the back seat, giving a little bow as he did so.

  He hadn’t known who he was coming to rescue. Whether he’d recognised her immediately or only when Seth had tossed her name into the conversation wasn’t clear, but he knew who she was now and that was what mattered. It was important for her to try and claw back some respectability when she was at her most vulnerable.

  ‘I’m sure you had more pressing matters to deal with last night. If you’d be kind enough to take us to the Royal Alderisi hospital we’d be very grateful. Mr Davenport, perhaps you’d like to ride up front with Constable Bailey here.’ She wanted to reduce the chance of further impropriety to gossip about by separating them but if Seth’s glower was anything to go by he wasn’t impressed by the idea.

  ‘Of course, Your Highness. I know my place.’

  Kaja had hoped he’d understand her need to keep up a front even in these circumstances, but as he gave her a mock bow and jumped in the passenger seat she realised she was asking too much. Even more so when they were all settled in the car and he put in a request to their driver.

  ‘If you don’t mind, could you drop me off at the palace first? My daughter is there. She’s all I have in the world and I want to make sure she’s safe.’ Seth’s words cut deep. She understood his need to see his daughter as she also wanted to check on the welfare of her own family, but he was making it clear to her that things said or implied last night had simply happened in the heat of the moment. She was no more a priority in his world than she had been yesterday.

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Do you know how the hospital and the palace fared in the earthquake?’ Kaja kept her voice measured although her heart was cracking open, those old wounds she believed healed now ripping apart the old scar tissue.

  The police officer spoke to her in the rear-view mirror. ‘Yes, ma’am. The palace, as far as I know, wasn’t too badly affected. All hospitals, as you’d imagine, are busy with the casualties, although no fatalities reported so far.’

  ‘Thank goodness.’ Despite all the reassurances she’d given herself and Seth, she exhaled all her fears for her loved ones in a long breath with the confirmation. She could see some of the tension released in Seth’s shoulders in the passenger seat though he remained facing away from her.

  ‘What about the people who reported our location? There was a man with serious crush injuries. Do you know anything about his condition?’ Seth kept the questions coming and while Kaja genuinely wanted a progress report on the family she was glad it was keeping the focus off what they had been doing all the way out here in the first place.

  ‘Sorry, I don’t know. I just got the call to do a welfare check. I’m sure if they’d known it was you they would’ve had someone out here sooner.’ He was twisting in his seat to apologise face to face but Kaja didn’t want to risk an accident on her behalf.

  ‘It’s fine. We can make some enquiries when we get to the hospital. I’m sure Mr Davenport can use his influence to get that sort of information.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know. I think Princess Kaja is pretty good at getting what she wants out of people.’

  Off
icer Bailey glanced at each of them in turn. Seth wasn’t exactly being discreet and neither was the heat steadily rising in her face. The atmosphere in the car was almost more unbearable than the one in the aftermath of the earthquake. She and Seth needed to talk, clear the air and lay down some ground rules. He couldn’t play around with her reputation like this. That was, if they were going to have any relationship at all. At the moment the vibe he was giving her certainly wasn’t all hearts and flowers.

  ‘We’re nearly at the palace. Perhaps I should get out here with you, Mr Davenport, and check things are all right at home?’

  He met her gaze in the mirror with a steely glare of his own. ‘No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You should go on to the hospital. After all, you’ve sustained an injury and I don’t think I’d be very popular if I prevented the country’s princess from getting the necessary treatment.’

  She couldn’t swear to it but she thought the young constable put his foot down on the accelerator when he heard that. Kaja knew there was no point in arguing that it was not likely to be anything more than a sprained ankle when Seth would come back with some other smart answer. He wanted to be with his family and that didn’t include her. She got the message loud and clear.

  Kaja slumped back into the seat. There was no point arguing. It wasn’t going to make her feel any better, only push Seth further away. If that were possible.

  As they drove through the city, the car bumping around craters in the road, the sight of now derelict buildings spouting pillars of smoke and fire made her chest ache for all those affected. The desolate wasteland replacing the once vibrant country was an accurate depiction of her emotions over the past twenty-four hours.

  Last night she’d been on top of the world thinking this was the beginning of a new life together for her and Seth. Now they were back to the real world where she didn’t have him by her side.

  She watched as the residents of the worst-affected houses set to work outside, banding together to clear away debris and salvage what was left of their lives here. If there was one thing she and the inhabitants had in common it was that survivor spirit. That ability to pick oneself up and get on with things though you’d lost everything dear to you was something she’d mastered. At least, she was good at pretending she had.

  When Seth got out of the car and slammed the door she knew what they’d had was over before it really began again. So why did it hurt so much more this time around?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  SETH STORMED UP to the house gates. If he’d been thinking clearly he would’ve let Kaja come on up as she’d suggested so he wouldn’t have to go through the security rigmarole.

  ‘I need some ID,’ today’s sentry demanded.

  He flashed his hospital pass. ‘You know who I am. You’ve seen me often enough. Now can you please let me in so I can see my daughter?’

  The guard waved him through and Seth uttered a begrudging thanks.

  This was typical of the nonsense in Kaja’s world and he was sick of being reminded he wasn’t part of it. Even in emergency situations they couldn’t give him a break. Regardless of the fact that he’d probably saved the grand duke’s life, he was never going to be accepted as Kaja’s equal. She’d made that very point herself when she’d segregated herself in the back seat of the police car from the lesser mortals.

  He hadn’t come out here with the intention of getting back together with Kaja but it had happened last night and it had been glorious. What he hadn’t been prepared for was the fallout of being rejected again.

  There had been no class distinction lying out there naked entwined in one another’s arms. They had just been two people who’d needed each other. That had changed the second they’d been in the public domain and she’d acted embarrassed to be seen with him, reminding him once again that their lives weren’t compatible and she could turn her back on him at any given moment.

  The only person he should be concentrating on spending time with was his daughter. Especially as he hadn’t been there at a time when she’d needed him most.

  The interior of the palace remained relatively the same. It did look a tad more minimalist than he recalled, devoid of a few of the ornate—and perhaps fragile—furnishings. It wasn’t immediately obvious if they’d been broken during the earthquake or hurriedly stored away but the place had been cleaned and tidied back to its original state. He could only guess by the absence of the huge chandelier in the hallway that they hadn’t got away totally unscathed. Things could be replaced, loved ones couldn’t. So when Amy came running at him he had to stifle a tear or two of relief.

  ‘Am I glad to see you.’ He crouched down so she ran straight into his arms and hugged her as tight as he could.

  ‘Daddy, you’re squishing me.’ She pushed him off, then came back for a second, less squishy hug.

  ‘Are you okay? Were you hurt?’ He brushed her curls away from her face, checking for any signs of injury.

  ‘It was scary, Daddy. The noise made me cry.’ Her bottom lip trembled and Seth could feel his going too. He’d been afraid so he could only imagine what had gone on in her head in a strange place, so far from home without her father.

  ‘I know, sweetheart. I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it back to you.’

  ‘She is fine. This was the safest place for her. A little noise, some shaking, but no one hurt. What about the princess? She is not with you?’ Fatima was frowning at him as she wiped her hands on the apron tied at her waist. The thought that they might have been baking again made his stomach growl and remind him he hadn’t had anything to eat other than the picnic leftovers last night.

  ‘Thank you for taking care of Amy. I took Kaja out for a walk to clear her head after seeing her father at the hospital. I didn’t know we’d get stuck out there all night. She’s gone back to the hospital to check in with him.’ Something he’d be sure to do too once he’d spent some time with Amy. As well as whatever upheaval had been caused by the earthquake at the hospital, they’d need a progress report on the grand duke’s recovery post-surgery. There was a good chance of Bruno getting released today too if he hadn’t had any complications overnight.

  ‘I hear on the news the hospital is very busy. A lot of people hurt yesterday. We were all very lucky.’ Fatima crossed herself and thanked the heavens they had all survived the experience.

  ‘I should probably head down there too and see if I can be of any assistance.’ It would be all hands on deck in the emergency department to get through the wave of casualties coming in. They probably didn’t have the staff numbers available with this kind of nationwide incident.

  ‘You can do that after you have a shower and I make you something to eat.’ Fatima steered him towards the staircase but it seemed selfish to be thinking only of himself during a crisis.

  ‘I don’t really have time—’

  ‘Nonsense. You will be no use to anyone if you die of hunger first. Go, get washed and changed. I’ll cook.’ Fatima wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

  ‘Yeah, Daddy, you stink.’

  ‘Charming,’ he mumbled as he trudged up the stairs, dejected and rejected all at once.

  ‘If you are going to be seen with the princess you really need to look the part. You don’t want to shame her.’ Fatima wasn’t to know Kaja was equally grimy and unkempt but he supposed that would only earn her some fans to be seen mucking in with the rest of the community.

  ‘No, Fatima, I would never want to shame her.’ He would never do anything intentional to hurt her. That was why it was so galling when she could be so cruel to him without seeming to give it a second thought.

  * * *

  As expected, the hospital was a hub of activity. There were people, staff and beds everywhere as Seth walked in—unimpeded this time, although he was sure there were still guards posted outside the royal hospital rooms.

  ‘Seth Davenport. I’m a surgeon. Ca
n I do anything to help?’ He’d been directed towards the co-ordinator in Reception, which was now serving as a triage area.

  ‘We need all the help we can get. It’s mostly stitches and broken limbs in here. The seriously injured were seen to first. You should have been here last night.’ She snorted a humourless laugh as she handed him a stack of files before calling her next patient.

  Seth could tell from her stained uniform and the bags under her eyes that she’d been here long past the end of her usual shift. ‘Sorry, I was...stuck out at Tobel.’

  She stopped shuffling files long enough to stare at him. ‘You weren’t the one who saved that family out there, were you?’

  He wasn’t sure he deserved praise next to someone who’d probably been on her feet since yesterday. ‘I didn’t do it alone and I’m sure the staff here did more than we did at the scene.’

  ‘I was here when they came in. That straw trick was a stroke of genius for the punctured lung. The father’s on the ward now if you want to go and see him?’ It was a magnanimous offer when she was clearly under a lot of pressure to attend to the waiting patients but Seth was keen to see for himself how the man was doing.

  ‘Would you mind? I swear I won’t be long, then I’ll come back here and get stuck into these.’

  She held out her arms for him to offload the patient files. ‘Don’t worry, they’ll still be here when you get back.’

  Seth thought he’d take a quick look at the man’s notes, maybe have a word with whoever was treating him, then he’d come back and set to work on that waiting list in the emergency department.

  He hadn’t counted on running into Kaja visiting at the same time.

  ‘Hello. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.’ He should have been. She was always going to check up on a patient as well as setting to work to help everyone else who needed it. It was a foregone conclusion they were going to meet up at some point in the same building.