pony,’ and ‘This is Reg on his first day at school’ and ‘See how much taller Reg was than our father…’
By the time he could charitably leave it was five o’clock and evening surgery patients were already queuing. Still he couldn’t return to visit Henry. He made a fast phone call to Bill back at the hospital.
‘Henry’s awake and doing fine,’ Bill told him. ‘Tessa’s finally agreed to have some sleep. I’m going off duty now. If you like, I’ll feed Strop for you before I go so there’s no urgent reason why you should race back to the hospital.’
No. Mike had to agree-especially since Tessa was now asleep.
That was stupid, he told himself, but even so it made the hours spent seeing his evening surgery patients pass faster than if he’d thought Tess was sitting by Henry’s side, waiting.
Was it his imagination, or were there more patients than normal? At eight o’clock Mike finally finished. He came out to find his receptionist replacing the telephone. She sighed as she saw him.
‘For heaven’s sake, Mike, there’re rumours flying all over the valley that there’s a new doctor starting work. I’ve had more than ten patients ring to ask if they can have an appointment with the new doctor. When I say she’s not working here they’re disappointed, but then they can’t admit they don’t really need to see a doctor so they make a time to see you.’ She gave an apologetic smile. ‘I’m sorry, Mike, but you’ll have sore throats and pap smears all tomorrow morning.’
‘Great.’ Mike groaned. ‘Just what I need.’ And then he frowned. ‘Why the hell does everyone think we’re getting a new doctor?’
‘Well, because of Tess, of course.’
‘Tess…?’
‘Don’t act daft.’ Maureen, his receptionist, was fifty years old and up to every trick in the book. There was no way patients could pull the wool over her eyes, and neither could Mike. ‘If you’re not thinking of Tessa Westcott then there’s something wrong with you. Every male nurse in the place…every orderly…the ambulance boys…they’re all talking about her, and if any valley male hasn’t seen her yet then they’re busy trying to. Are you thinking of offering her a job?’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘Maureen, Tess works in the States. She’s a US citizen. For heaven’s sake, she won’t even have Australian registration.’
‘Well, I could fix that in a flash,’ Maureen told him. ‘Just say the word. You know we qualify as a remote district. If anyone’s stupid enough to want to work here, and their medical diploma isn’t paid for in Timbuctoo petrodollars, the medical board says thank you very much and welcome. And if Tess hasn’t Australian citizenship I could fix that, too. Her dad’s Australian.’
‘This is ridiculous,’ Mike said flatly. ‘She doesn’t want to come here to work. She’s here to visit her grandfather. That’s all. We’re fine on our own.’
‘No, we’re not fine,’ Maureen said frankly. ‘Not now. When you first started here you could handle the work, but that was because most patients took themselves to the city for treatment. Now they know they can get hospital care and superb medical treatment right here so they’re staying. More and more, they’re staying. Which leaves you, Mike Llewellyn, working your socks off.’
‘Hard work doesn’t hurt me.’
‘Not for the short term, maybe. But for the long term… You need some social life.’
‘I have a social life.’
‘Oh, yeah…’ Maureen jeered gently and her motherly face creased into lecture mode. ‘You know you haven’t had time to have one serious girlfriend since you returned to the valley, and at your age…’
‘Maureen, I don’t need a girlfriend.’
‘Of course you do.’ She smiled. ‘And, of course, you need another doctor. And here is this Tessa. I haven’t met her yet, but if Bill’s report is anything to go on… Well, you may be able to kill two birds with one stone. Girlfriend and workmate all in one.’
‘Maureen…’
‘Yes?’ She dimpled up at him.
‘Butt out.’
‘Yes, sir.’ She put her hand up in a mock salute. ‘So I can’t ring the medical board, then?’
‘No.’
‘Rats. And it’s the weekend now, too. Still…’ Her smile deepened. ‘I guess it can wait until Monday.’
‘It won’t be happening on Monday.’
‘We’ll see.’ Her twinkle refused to be suppressed. ‘Bill says this Tessa’s a very determined young lady. Like a bulldozer, he says. Oh, and by the way…’ With difficulty she forced herself back to business.
‘Yes?’
‘Speaking of love life, there was a call for you from Liz Hayes. She’s been trying to ring you all week.’
‘Liz.’ He frowned, trying to concentrate on something other than Tessa. Liz was the local shire engineer. ‘What does Liz want?’
‘She wants you to take her to the shire ball tomorrow night.’
‘The ball…’
‘You need to go,’ Barbara said patiently. ‘Everyone does. I put it in your diary a month ago.’
‘Yeah. Right.’
‘Liz knows you’ll be there in name only,’ Barbara told her. ‘She says she’ll meet you there and your name will be beside hers on the supper table. It’s the same table as the shire president. Oh, and she says if you can squeeze in time for a couple of dances, she’d be grateful.’
Maureen sighed as she watched him think this through. The valley girls knew what to expect from Mike now. It gave them a certain amount of social cachet to be his date for the evening, but if a girl expected him to pick her up, she’d be two hours late every time-if he came at all. There was always a medical imperative. And even if he came, there was a risk of one lumbering basset-hound in the passenger seat.
But still they tried. He was a great dancing partner and if they were lucky enough for the phone to stay silent and for him to be dogless, there was the ride home in his gorgeous Aston Martin, and maybe a kiss…
But nothing more.
‘Yeah, you’re right,’ he said abstractedly. ‘The council supports the hospital so I need to go to the ball. Tell Liz it’s fine. I’ll meet her there.’
‘You wouldn’t like to ring her and tell her yourself?’ Maureen asked, but she asked as if it was a forlorn hope.
‘Why?’ He frowned, lifting his list of house calls and leafing through the pile.
‘Because one of these days you won’t want your secretary organising your love life,’ she retorted.
‘Why would I change now?’ He grinned and pocketed his list. ‘You do a fantastic job. My love life is entirely satisfactory, thanks to you, Maureen.’ He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the top of the head, then took himself out to his Aston Martin, which-apart from Strop-was the love of his life and the
It was ten that night before he returned to the hospital and he was starting to feel the strain. In fact, he was dead beat.
Strop was already asleep and not the least bit interested in asking how his day had gone.
‘Half your luck,’ he told the dog, but Strop didn’t stir.
He did a cursory ward round in the darkened hospital, checking obs and organising changes of treatment with night staff. He left Henry till last, as he wasn’t worried. He’d been assured at each of his phone checks that Henry was going well.
He opened the ward door softly, and found Louise, one of the night nurses, sitting beside the bed. Until Henry’s pulse settled to a strong beat-until the chest infection was under control and the fluids were completely restored- Mike had requested he be special-led.
But… He’d sort of hoped Tessa might be here.
She wasn’t, and he had to swallow a lurch of disappointment.
Louise looked up in query as he entered. She smiled and handed him the obs chart.
