‘And why not? I need help, Molly needs to slow down. It’s a win-win situation.’
‘And what about your child?’
‘It wins as well because it will be smothered with love.’ CJ shook her hair free in the wind, running her hands through the locks. He glanced across, instantly mesmerised by the way her hair was flowing gently in the breeze, the golden locks glinting in the sun, her long neck exposed in the autumn sunshine. Had she no idea how incredibly beautiful she was?
‘Shall we go in?’ Without waiting for him to answer, she walked up the front path and knocked on the door. It was flung open almost immediately by a woman dressed in a casual suit with her dark hair immaculate and her make-up perfect.
‘Come in, CJ. Oh, and you’ve brought the new Dr Janeway, too. Toby told me about meeting you.’ Molly ushered them both inside. ‘Tea? Coffee? I’ve made some fresh scones.’
‘That would be lovely,’ CJ responded at the same time Ethan refused. ‘Now, Ethan, you must try one of Molly’s scones, especially when they’re fresh from the oven. They are mouthwatering.’
She’d turned to face him as she spoke, so her back was to Molly. Her eyes conveyed an urgency that she wanted him to accept Molly’s offer. He smiled at their patient. ‘In that case, how could I possibly say no?’
Molly literally beamed. CJ hadn’t seen her smile like that in a very long time. As Molly headed to the kitchen, Ethan spread his hands wide, as though silently asking why she’d made him accept. ‘Cooking is the only thing that seems to be taking Molly’s mind off the fact that she’s not working. Besides, part of the reason for house calls is to provide a holistic approach to general practice medicine. Everywhere we go today, we’ll be force-fed food and drink, which...’ she rubbed her belly ‘...is good for the baby but bad for my bladder.’ CJ chuckled at her own joke but as Molly came back into the room, carrying a tray of scones and drinks, she quickly stopped.
They sat in the ‘good’ lounge room on plastic-covered sofa chairs, CJ willing Molly to relax. Molly’s recent tests had shown her mouth wasn’t the only place where an ulcer might be brewing.
‘Have all my test results come back?’ Molly asked, getting straight to the point.
‘Not yet but I’m fairly certain you do have an ulcer in your stomach.’
‘Might the manuka honey help that, too? After all, it’s worked extremely well for my mouth ulcers.’
‘Yes, so Toby was telling me. That’s great news.’
‘When can I go back to work? I’ve baked all the recipes in one book and am about to start on the next book. Toby’s complaining he’s starting to put on too much weight.’
‘I’m sorry, Molly, but if you return to work too soon, it might cause more problems. The last thing we want is for the ulcer to perforate. First, we need to start treatment for the ulcer and I can’t do that until the tests are confirmed.’
Molly crossed her arms and sighed huffily, clenching her jaw and shaking her head. Every muscle seemed to be clenched and CJ’s concern for the other woman’s blood pressure increased.
‘CJ, you were right.’ Ethan’s deep voice broke through the tension of Molly’s demeanour. ‘These scones are incredible. Molly, you’re a marvel in the kitchen.’ He smiled at their patient and CJ watched as the other woman instantly relaxed, a slight blush colouring her cheeks. Did he have this effect on all women?
‘Right. Let’s take your blood pressure and have a look at your mouth and throat. I’ll ring the path lab in Sydney to see how much longer those results will be.’
‘I can do that,’ Ethan offered. ‘I have contacts at the lab and might be able to put a rush on the results.’
Molly looked at him as though he’d hung the moon and when CJ took Molly’s blood pressure, she was pleasantly surprised at the lower BP rate. ‘Good. Much, much better. Whatever you’re doing is working.’
‘Looks as though I’ll be starting on savoury baking treats tomorrow,’ Molly sighed.
‘Well, if you ever find you have too many treats...’ CJ rubbed her belly ‘...the baby’s been quite famished of late so send them my way.’
Molly nodded. ‘I’ll make sure I do that.’
It wasn’t much longer before they took their leave and once they were back in the car and CJ had given Ethan directions, she thanked him for his help.
‘You were like a de-stressing machine for her. I think it’s mainly thanks to you that we’ll be getting delicious food from Molly.’ She put her scarf and sunglasses back on but as the clouds above were starting to darken a little, Ethan decided to put the soft top up just in case.
‘It’s good to see you still have a healthy appetite,’ he remarked. ‘Many women don’t eat that much during their last few weeks of pregnancy.’
CJ chuckled. ‘No such luck with me. Baby is definitely hungry all the time.’
He smiled. ‘Every pregnancy is different.’ He turned the key in the ignition and the engine purred to life. ‘Where to next?’ CJ gave him directions to the next house call, which was a good fifteen-minute drive away. ‘I don’t mind,’ he stated as he started the engine once more. This time, with the soft top up, it was easier for them to hear each other speak. ‘Getting to drive around these roads with the incredible scenery is one perk of the job I’m definitely enjoying.’
‘I’m pleased to hear it,’ she responded, now curious to discover what he thought might be other perks of the job. Was kissing her one of them? She cleared her thoughts and focused on their next patient. ‘This next case is concerning but also interesting. Margaret is thirty-two weeks pregnant and, from the tests I’ve run, I’m fairly sure the baby has foetal alcohol syndrome.’
‘Really?’ The tone in his voice instantly changed, and as he spoke, his words were
