It was considerate of Luke to include Nikki in his assessment of what had been done, but the work had been Luke’s. Nikki’s job as anaesthetist had been relatively easy, keeping a fit and healthy nineteenyear-old asleep for the time it had taken.
‘Well done,’ she said softly to Luke, signalling one of the nurses to assist him with his gown. He looked exhausted, and Nikki suddenly remembered that the man had been ill himself. Was he completely recovered?
‘Is Mr Payne here yet?’ she asked the charge sister. Jim Payne had given permission for himself to be operated on-at nineteen he was able to do so-and in response to their enquiries he had replied that his dad didn’t give a stuff anyway. Beneath her hands the boy stirred as he took over his own breathing.
‘Not as far as I know,’ Andrea told Nikki. ‘We telephoned home but no one answered. I guess his dad will still be at sea.’
Luke frowned down at the boy. ‘Does he have any other family?’ He had been scrubbing while Nikki had questioned the boy earlier.
‘Only his father here,’ Nikki said grimly. ‘His father owns the boat Jim works on. He would have been the one to put Jim off last night.’
‘With instructions to walk to hospital.’ Luke stared down at their still sleeping patient. The boy was pale beneath his weathered complexion. At nineteen he still looked very young-and very vulnerable. ‘Some people don’t deserve to have children,’ he said softly.
‘No.’ Nikki shook her head. ‘There are some cases where parents can’t seem to help mistreating their children- like Sandra Mears. It’s just the build-up of hardship that proves too much for them. But Bert Payne’s different…He’s always been rough and uncaring. Jim’s mum took off when Bert’s roughness finally got too much for her, and since then Jim’s had to cope with it alone.’
Luke’s mouth twisted into a grimace, ‘Poor bloody kid,’ he said softly. ‘I’ve given him back his thumb, but what sort of chance does he have?’
‘He’ll survive,’ the nurse told them. ‘The Paynes are tough.’
‘Yeah. And toughness breeds toughness. Next generation…’
‘Well, maybe he’ll marry a nice girl who gives him all the cuddles he’s missed out on,’ Nikki said roundly.
‘Ah, yes. The happy ending.’ There was no mistaking the derision behind Luke’s words and Nikki flushed.
‘I’ll finish up here,’ she said tightly. ‘You’re tired.’
‘Feeling sorry for me, Dr Russell?’
Nikki’s eyes flew up to his and flashed fire.
‘No,’ she said between her teeth. ‘I just want to get rid of you.’
CHAPTER NINE
THE days that followed were endless. Somehow Nikki managed to study but afterwards she never knew how. It was a defence mechanism, she thought dully. Immersed in her texts, telling herself they were important, somehow she could block out Luke’s presence in the house.
Not that he was there often. He worked longer hours than he needed to, and Nikki suspected that many house calls were simply an excuse to be away from Whispering Palms. Away from her…
‘I don’t know what’s eating the man,’ Beattie puzzled one day as they ate yet another dinner without him. ‘He was so darned cheerful when he came-like a breath of fresh air through the place-and now…’
‘He’s like a bear with a sore head,’ Amy announced. ‘Isn’t he, Karen?’
Karen nodded solemnly and then carefully replaced her knife and fork on the plate. ‘Mummy says she’d like me to come home on Saturday,’ she announced. ‘She says…she says the house is ready. She says it’s really pretty and we’ve got a nice garden I can help look after and…’
‘What else will she let you help with?’ Beattie said darkly and Karen flushed, hearing the implied criticism.
‘I like gardening,’ she said in a small voice. ‘I want to grow carrots. And…and flowers. And Mummy says I can…’
‘I’ll drop in tomorrow and see your new house,’ Nikki intervened, sending her housekeeper a dark look. ‘And if your mum’s really ready, then I don’t see any reason why you can’t go home.’
It was yet another way of blocking her thoughts from Luke-and no way was entirely successful. After lunch the next day Nikki walked around the river to Sandra’s new home. It was quite a distance and by the time she arrived Nikki was regretting her impulse to leave the car at home. Especially as she rounded the corner and saw her own second vehicle parked outside. Luke…
Oh, no! She stood irresolute in the sun as she tried to decide what to do. The last thing she wanted was to walk in on Luke…
Then the door opened and Sandra saw her. Before she could move, Sandra lifted an arm and waved. ‘Dr Russell. Hi! Come and see.’
So there was nothing for it but to cross the road and enter the sparkling clean home. Luke had obviously just been leaving. He was standing in the hall as Nikki entered.
‘Two doctors,’ Sandra said, smiling nervously. ‘Do I get charged for two house calls?’
‘Of course not.’ Nikki tried desperately to ignore Luke as she smiled reassuringly at Sandra. ‘I just thought I’d drop in for a look.’
‘Let me show you-’ Sandra started eagerly, but
Luke interrupted.
‘I have to be getting back for afternoon surgery,’ he told them. He didn’t look at Nikki. ‘I’ll leave you two alone.’
Sandra nodded. She looked up at him and then suddenly stretched out her hands to take his. ‘I don’t know how to thank you,’ she told him. She turned to Nikki. ‘Did you know Dr Luke has located my husband?’ She whirled suddenly into the kitchen and returned carrying a slip of paper. ‘And look! I don’t know how he did it but it’s a cheque. For child maintenance. And they say…they say there’ll be more coming.’
‘It wasn’t me that found him,’ Luke told her. ‘It was the Department of Social Security.’
‘I’ve been to them before,’ Sandra said darkly. ‘And nothing’s happened. And then you two move in and…’
‘And your husband gets to shoulder his responsibilities,’ Nikki said warmly. ‘I’m so glad.’
Sandra smiled. For the first time in years she seemed young. ‘This will mean-oh, everything. We’ll have enough to eat for a change, and there’ll be money left over. I’ll be able to buy them new clothes, and take them to the pictures sometimes.’ She giggled. ‘And my husband…he’s not going to have all that great a time with his new girlfriend now,’ she chuckled. ‘Not with his wages being garnished for maintenance for the kids. Plus,’ she ended triumphantly, ‘all the stuff he bought on credit cards and I’ve been paying off. Some of it he’s still got and the rest he’s sold. His girlfriend was there when the social welfare people came around and she told them without thinking, “Oh, yeah, he bought that…That old stereo,” she said, “he sold it,” and things like that. And they told the credit people and the credit people transferred the debt. I don’t get to use the credit cards any more but I never did anyway. So now…so now he’s got to pay for the lot and I don’t have a single debt. I feel…I feel fantastic.’
‘Ready for Karen?’ Nikki said quietly.
Sandra’s smile faded. She met Nikki’s look without flinching. ‘I’m ready for Karen,’ she said. ‘I think…I think I’ve come to terms with what I’ve been doing with her. I just felt so darned useless…And Karen’s so like me. So when I felt like punishing myself I took everything out on her.’ She took a deep breath. ‘But it won’t happen any more, I promise you that. Karen… well, Karen’s going to be a little girl again. And I’m going to be a proper mother.’
‘You know there won’t be any more chances,’ Luke said heavily. ‘You know that, don’t you, Sandra?’
Sandra nodded. ‘I know you two have given me a second chance,’ she agreed. ‘I know that and I’ll be grateful forever. And I won’t mess it up.’
‘Karen can come back to Whispering Palms at any time,’ Nikki promised. ‘Use us as a safety-valve. If you feel the tension’s mounting then send her to us.’
‘To us’…Because she was standing beside Luke it sounded as if the invitation was from both of them and
