To the Doctor: A Daughter

As long as they could keep her alive.

‘What sort of long-term therapies are you trying?’ she asked, and Nate shook his head.

‘She’s on steroids and bronchodilators as a matter of course. I daren’t increase the dosage.’

It was a hard call, Gemma knew. Long-term steroid use had its problems, a major one at this age being that it tended to stunt growth. Milly’s parents weren’t exactly huge. She’d need every inch of growth she could get.

So move sideways.

‘Can Milly swim?’

That caught their attention and suddenly Gemma had them all staring at her. Milly’s parents seemed like farmers. They were still dressed for the nightly milking, in stained jeans and work shirts. Their faces were haggard with shock and they held onto each other like they were drowning.

‘I… Swim?’ Her father was a gruff voiced man in his forties. ‘No. Why should she swim? She’s only five.’

‘It’d be the best thing for her.’ She smiled at all of them, Nate included, trying to lessen the tension. ‘Exercise builds lung capacity-and swimming’s the best form of exercise asthmatics can do.’

‘But…she’s only five years old.’

‘I can teach her.’

‘You…’ Nate sounded stunned.

‘You have an indoor swimming pool,’ she said serenely. ‘I checked it out this morning when I was exploring and it’s wonderful. And I thought what a waste-a swimming pool that’s hardly used.’

‘I use it.’

‘And I imagine Graham does, too. Which means it gets-what? An hour’s use a day?’

‘Sometimes less,’ he conceded, and she grinned.

‘Well… That means we have twenty-three hours of available pool time, and me a trained swimming teacher and lifeguard.’ She twinkled up at him. ‘Teaching swimming was the way I paid my way through university.’

‘I see.’ But he didn’t.

‘If I’m here for two weeks I could get Milly started. If we give her a few days to get over the worst of this episode I could give her a week’s intensive lessons. I bet I could get her swimming before I leave.’ If she left. She was starting to think… Maybe. Maybe this could work.

‘You’d really do that?’

‘I would.’ Gemma’s eyes met Nate’s, direct and slightly challenging. ‘The community here is providing the hospital that takes care of Cady and I intend to put as much into the community as I take out.’

‘You’ll teach our Milly to swim?’ Milly’s mother was breathless, clearly finding it hard to take herself away from the drama of the last few minutes and project herself into an unknown future. But she must. A future was what she desperately needed to believe in.

‘If it’s OK with Dr Ethan.’

‘It’s more than OK,’ Nate declared. ‘It’s fantastic.’

‘Then we have a plan.’ Gemma smiled happily at Milly’s parents and then she looked back at Nate. ‘I’ll take Milly through to kids’ ward and stay with her until I’m sure she’s stable. You ring for the extra nurse and then go back through to the house.’

‘But-’

‘Your daughter’s home alone.’

Home alone. His daughter. Right. He’d forgotten.

From where they stood they’d hear her yell if she woke, he thought, but Gemma was right. His responsibility was to his daughter.

And Gemma’s was to Milly.

The thought was so novel he was having trouble taking it in. But Gemma was calmly watching, waiting for him to go-so she could take over his responsibilities.

‘I’ll go, then.’

‘You do that, Dr Ethan,’ Gemma said calmly. ‘I’ll contact you if you’re needed.’

It seemed that he’d been dismissed.

CHAPTER SIX

IT WAS two hours before Gemma felt confident enough of Milly to leave. Then Cady woke and she had to explain why there was a little girl in the next bed. There were introductions all round-Milly was so sedated that she wasn’t aware of what was happening, but her parents were there and they’d lost enough of their terror to find some interest in another child.

Cady was bright-eyed and fascinated. He seemed to be improving by the minute and it took Gemma a while to get him back to sleep. Finally she was able to leave, with Milly’s parents and the charge nurse maintaining watch.

She was so looking forward to bed, but as she walked through the connecting door into the darkened house beyond, she glanced into the sitting room. And there was Nate sitting in front of their Scrabble fire.

She hesitated. They’d had fun, she thought, and the lingering traces of their evening together still made her smile. So she stopped. There was one part of her that was screaming, Go right to bed. Do not pause. But the biggest part of her wanted to share the moment. Make him look at her rather than at the dying embers of the fire.

‘Still pondering the rights and wrongs of “flowery”?’

He looked up and he smiled and she thought, Yep, I know why I stopped. For that smile, well, any girl would pause.

‘I know the wrongs of “flowery”,’ he told her darkly, and she chuckled.

‘You’re a sore loser.’

‘Right.’ He pushed himself to his feet and tilted the Scrabble board so that the letters landed in a scrambled heap. ‘OK. I concede that I’ve lost. Rematch tomorrow. Meanwhile how goes it?’

‘She’s good. As good as she can be for the attack she’s had. She’ll make it.’

‘This time.’

‘I’ll teach her to swim. Starting as soon as she’s over this scare. It’s amazing how much difference it can make.’

It’s amazing how much difference it can make. Nate thought that through. He knew what was making the difference. One slip of a girl. More and more the thought of her staying on seemed a really exciting prospect.

Medically exciting, he told himself. Hell, with her skills and expertise the possibilities were endless. She had to stay for more than two weeks. He had to persuade her.

But meanwhile she was watching him from the doorway, her head tilted slightly to one side in a look he was starting to know. And he knew suddenly that he wanted to detain her. Stretch out this moment-somehow. ‘Can I make us some tea?’

‘Nope. I need my bed.’

Nate was aware of a stab of disappointment. ‘You don’t want a rematch right now?’

‘At one in the morning? No, thank you very much.’

But it wasn’t just the time she was worried about, he thought. Her eyes were wary. She was holding herself apart.

‘Hey, there’s no need to look like that. I’m not going to jump you.’

‘I never thought you would.’

But something was definitely bothering her. ‘You know, I didn’t jump your sister.’

Gemma sighed. ‘I didn’t think that either. I’m sure Fiona made the running. But…’

‘But?’

‘You did take her to bed. As I’m sure you’ve been taking Donna to bed-and I’m sure you’ve taken other women.’