Читать книгу Six Sexy Doctors Part 2 - Joanna Neil - Страница 9
ОглавлениеCHAPTER THREE
STUNNED, Meagan looked at Cameron and then at the young boy. The resemblance was there in the dark hair and full lips, although the child had his mother’s eyes. So Cameron and Rachel were together—what on earth did he think he had been playing at a little while ago? Stroking her arm, mentioning their night together? Meagan felt her heart plummet. Somehow she had always thought herself still a little bit in love with Cameron’s memory and now it was sullied forever. With sickening clarity she realised he was just like Charlie.
‘Meagan, I’d like you to meet my son, Ian. Ian, this is Dr Galbraith.’
‘Happy to meet you,’ Ian said, holding out his hand to Meagan. His serious expression and behaviour was that of a much older child. She shook his hand gravely.
‘Nice to meet you,’ she said pleased her voice sounded steady, but inside her thoughts were whirling around. He was married? To Rachel? And a son. Why hadn’t he said anything? Had he been married back then? If so, what a fool she had been. No wonder he didn’t seem to want her here.
‘I am pleased to meet you too,’ the young boy said formally.
‘And you’ve met my ex-wife, Rachel?’
Rachel smiled enigmatically. ‘Oh, this is just a temporary blip, darling,’ she drawled. ‘As soon as you see sense and come back to London, everything will be back as it should be.’
Cameron frowned. He indicated Ian with a tip of his head. ‘Not now, Rachel,’ he said, his voice a river of steel. The tension between him and Rachel was palpable. He turned to the young boy, who was looking anxiously from one to the other. ‘I can’t play with you just now, mo ghaol, but I promise to after lunch. Deal?’
‘What about Dr Galbraith?’ Ian asked. ‘Is she going to stay for lunch? I could show her my den.’ He turned to Meagan, looking up at her with soulful brown eyes. ‘My daddy told me the new doctor is a good sailor. I love going out on boats. Can I go out with you?’
‘I would love to take you out sailing one day,’ Meagan replied, laughing. ‘And I would love to see your den. But I have to go right now, so maybe another time?’
The young boy nodded, satisfied, before running off to continue his game. As she looked after him, she felt her heart squeeze. At one time she’d thought she would be the mother of just such a little boy.
Her mind racing with the turn events had taken, all Meagan wanted was to put as much distance as possible between her and the couple in front of her. She needed time to think.
Rachel hooked her slim arm in Cameron’s with an easy familiarity. ‘Cameron,’ she said, smiling into his eyes, ‘I do hope you’ve invited Meagan to the ball. We could do with a new face to liven things up.’
‘Jessie did mention a ball earlier,’ Meagan said. ‘Thank you for the invitation, but I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. If Cameron is going—which I am sure he is—then I’ll be on call. Besides, I didn’t bring anything suitable to wear.’
‘Oh, don’t worry about dresses. I’ve got plenty. You’d be more than welcome to take your pick. Although—’ she eyed Meagan’s figure critically ‘—they might need some adjusting. Mrs MacLeod is pretty good with a needle.’
Cheek, Meagan thought furiously. Just because Rachel didn’t have an ounce of fat on her!
‘Don’t worry, Meagan, the whole practice will be there. Everyone is looking forward to it.’ Cameron spoke before Meagan could formulate another refusal.
But Rachel, considering the discussion closed, moved on. She smiled seductively up at Cameron. ‘Ian is so looking forward to spending some time with his daddy and mummy,’ Rachel said, reaching up to Cameron and touching his cheek with a long finger. ‘And so am I.’ Without waiting for a reply, she turned and sashayed back to the house.
Cameron watched her go, his expression inscrutable.
Meagan turned to Cameron. ‘I’m not really expected to go to this ball, am I?’
‘Yep, sorry. Doctor’s orders. It will give you the chance to mix with locals and dignitaries alike. Colin thinks it’s good public relations for everyone to attend—the whole practice will be there. Colin and his wife should be back for it, if it makes you feel better.’
Meagan felt annoyed at the cavalier manner with which he seemed to be arranging her social life. But was it just that? she wondered. She felt angry with him for not mentioning his marriage or child. But it wasn’t as if it was any of her business. Likewise, what she did in her spare time was her own affair.
‘What gives you the right to accept invitations on my behalf?’
‘I’m sorry. But I’m afraid you’ll just have to accept that on a small island such as this, to refuse an invitation is to give offence.’
Meagan bristled. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to go to hell, but she swallowed her annoyance. He was her boss after all.
‘Very well,’ she conceded. ‘If you put it like that, I suppose I can’t refuse.’
‘Good, that’s settled, then. Would you like to stay for lunch?’
‘No, if I am allowed to refuse any invitations at all, I’d rather not. I’ve still to unpack.’
‘Of course you don’t have to stay for lunch. It’s perfectly understandable that you have things to do. I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Eight-thirty? I can give you a quick tour and a rundown of the patients before surgery.’ He spoke calmly, politely, as if they were perfect strangers, which Meagan supposed they were.
Before she had a chance to reply, he turned on his heel and crossed over to his son. Laughing, he swooped him into his arms and tossed him into the air. With the sound of delighted childish giggles ringing in her ears, Meagan started walking back to her house, realising as she did so that she had left her medical bag and boots at the house. Loath to face Cameron or Rachel again until she had time to get her emotions under control, she decided that she would collect them later.
Stomping down the road to her cottage, she noticed an elderly female figure dressed in a tweed suit and headscarf coming towards her.
‘Good morning!’ the woman greeted her. ‘I thought I’d look in on you on my way to getting the church ready for evening service.’ A gnarled hand was offered. ‘I’m the housekeeper—Mrs McLeod, but call me Flora. We don’t hold much with ceremony here. Welcome to Uist—I hope you’ll be happy here.’
‘Oh, Mrs McLeod—Flora. Nice to meet you. Thank you for the fire and provisions you left last night. You’ve no idea how welcome they were.’
‘Aye, I heard you’d got yourself into a bit of difficulty on the road,’ Flora said, with a suspicious gleam in her eye.
‘Oh, no!’ Meagan said, dismayed. ‘Is it all round the island already?’ So much for making a good impression, she thought, her heart sinking a little.
‘I’m afraid that everyone will be interested in the new doctor from the mainland. Apart from summer visitors, we don’t get many new faces coming to live here. It’s bound to be the main topic of conversation after church today. How the new doctor tried to kill herself and half the island and then needed to be rescued.’ Flora gave a little chuckle, clearly highly amused by the previous day’s events.
‘Yes, I realise now that it was Dr Stuart—Lord Grimsay. Although at the time he looked more like a fisherman.’ Meagan remarked unsure how she was supposed to refer to Cameron.
Flora’s mouth tightened and a coolness entered her eyes.
‘You mean you thought he looked too ordinary? Well, we don’t keep with people giving themselves airs and graces here.’
Obviously the local population thought highly of Cameron, Meagan thought, remembering the easy teasing between him and the bystanders the day before.
Realising that she might have put her foot in it and anxious to make amends, Meagan offered Flora a cup of tea.
‘No, thanks, dear, not today. But I’ll pop by tomorrow to give things in the house a bit of going over. Dr MacDonald has arranged for me to come in for a couple of hours three days a week, if that suits you?’
Meagan really didn’t want someone in the house, tidying up after her, but it would be rude and churlish to refuse. They parted, agreeing that the arrangement would continue as agreed.
Meagan spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking and settling into her new home. As she found places for her clothes and books, her thoughts kept returning to Cameron. Had he already been married that night? If so, then he had behaved unforgivably and was no better than Charlie. How old was Ian? Meagan hadn’t had much experience with children but she thought he was about five or six. It was just over six years since that night, so Rachel must have been pregnant then or at least soon after. What was it about men? Meagan thought furiously. At least the men she seemed to fall for. If she’d thought that Cameron was different, she had been badly mistaken.
Still, it was better to find out sooner rather than later. Now she knew just exactly what sort of man she was dealing with, she’d be on her guard. She had to work with Cameron, and they had to get along as colleagues, but apart from that she’d keep her distance.
The next day dawned with a change in the weather. The wind had risen, bringing with it rain that hurled itself against the windows of Meagan’s car. As she drove to the surgery, she was glad of her vehicle’s efficient heater.
She had dressed carefully in a well-cut beige linen trouser suit, ruefully aware that it was probably a tad too dressy. Just before she left the house, she removed her wedding ring and placed it safely in a drawer. As she had told Cameron, she wanted this to be a new start. It was time to break her last, final link with Charlie.
She was scheduled to help Cameron with the morning clinic and then accompany him on visits in the afternoon. If she had time, she would include a return visit to the big house to see how Effie was getting on, although she was pretty certain Jessie would have called if there hadn’t been an improvement.
As she drove, her thoughts turned to Cameron and the feelings he had stirred up. She was still attracted to him, she couldn’t deny it, and her attraction unsettled her. But looking on the bright side, maybe it meant she was getting over Charlie. Yes, she was still vulnerable and raw. Thinking of his death still pained her but no longer in the way that it had once done. She was even able to accept that some of the blame attached to the deterioration of their marriage might lie with her.
She had been an exceptionally driven medical student and junior doctor. When she hadn’t been working the long hours demanded by her training, she had been studying hard for her exams. And that had left little time for her and Charlie. In the early years of their marriage he had often tried to arrange outings for them both: nights out to the theatre and restaurants—walking trips in the Scottish hills. Things that had initially drawn them together. But increasingly she had declined to go with him, pleading the pressures of work and study. And so eventually he had gone by himself and she guessed that that had been how he had eventually met and fallen in love with Catherine. And she had never even suspected. What was she? A trusting fool? Or too wrapped up in her own career? One thing was for sure, however, she may be attracted to Cameron and getting over Charlie, but that didn’t mean she was ready for a relationship. She smiled to herself. Wasn’t she getting a bit ahead of herself? There was nothing to indicate that Cameron wanted anything more from her than a professional relationship. Besides, he looked like a man who liked playing the field. And then there was Rachel. There was still something between them, that much was obvious.
She was still chewing over the problem when she arrived at the surgery. She was looking forward to getting started and hoped it would be a full day, the busier the better. Working hard left less time for brooding.
She found that most of the staff had arrived ahead of her. Cameron, dressed in a dark grey suit with a striped tie, welcomed her formally. If possible, he looked even more good-looking and her heart gave a traitorous flip.
‘I thought we’d start with a tour before morning surgery starts,’ he said. ‘You have a small number of patients to see. I thought we’d ease you in gently.’ He gave her a crooked smile.
Meagan had already seen the waiting area and the meeting room but Cameron showed her around the clinical areas. Apart from three examination rooms there was a separate treatment room for minor procedures.
‘We do all our own minor surgery here,’ Cameron explained. ‘As Colin said, anything complicated we either send to Stornoway or, if more serious, to Glasgow. There is an air ambulance for emergency transfers, but occasionally we have no choice but to operate at the small local hospital. It’s equipped for most emergencies. How are your surgical skills anyway?’
‘Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on which way you look at it, that was one area where I got a lot of experience while I was working abroad,’ Meagan replied with a smile.
‘I must impress on you, Meagan, that you should always seek to use the expert facilities whenever possible. If you have any doubt, please call me for advice. We do not want you thinking you are back in the field and able to perform inappropriate procedures on our patients.’
Stung by his remarks, Meagan felt her smile freeze and her temper rise. Where was the easygoing man from yesterday? It seemed he was keen to ensure that she knew that now they were working together, he was the boss.
‘I can assure you, Cameron, I have no intention of carrying out procedures for which I am neither as equipped nor as qualified as others close to hand. I was simply trying to reassure you that I can cope, if need be, in an emergency situation,’ she replied, her voice clipped with the effort of keeping it under control.
She couldn’t make head or tail of this man. One minute he was friendly, the next he was treating her as if she was a belligerent medical student.
‘Good,’ Cameron replied brusquely. ‘Just as long as you realise that top marks in examinations and a couple of years’ experience in a third-world situation is not enough to make a competent GP. Hands-on experience in the field of general practice is what counts.’
‘What exactly is bothering you about me being here?’ Meagan asked with an exasperated lift of her eyebrow. ‘The fact that I did very well in my exams or that I am not very experienced? May I remind you that I have completed several years of medical training and my full general practice rotation, and that neither the General Medical Council nor Dr MacDonald seem to have any reservations regarding my suitability to practise.’
‘I’m sure that you are eminently qualified Meagan.’ Cameron’s voice was soft. ‘Of your academic ability there can be no doubt. I am simply anxious that you don’t overreach yourself. Shall we leave it at that for the time being?’ He smiled his lovely smile which softened his face. ‘Come, I’ll show you the rest of the place. Then we’ll get going.’
As it turned out the day was as busy as Meagan had hoped. She had a large number of patients allocated to her, although she suspected that the more serious or complex cases had been sifted out by Cameron as all the patients were suffering from either minor viral illnesses or simply needed reassurance.
‘You will give me a shout if there is anything you’re not sure of?’ he had said at the start of the clinic. Meagan had bitten her tongue and had reassured him that she would. She would just have to let time take its course and he would eventually come to trust her medical skills.
After morning surgery, Cameron introduced her to the rest of the team. There was Sophie, a woman near retiring age, who was the practice nurse, and the health visitor, Dorothy, a kindly-looking woman in her early thirties. Both women welcomed Meagan warmly and she looked forward to working with them. Apart from the nursing staff there was a receptionist called Mary, who looked as if she had worked there for ever. Meagan suspected she ruled the place with a rod of iron.
They all had lunch together in the small staffroom at the back of the surgery. Dorothy told Meagan that they tried to have lunch together whenever possible. Dr MacDonald and Dr Stuart liked knowing that everyone was up to date with what was happening to their patients. Eventually the conversation turned to Meagan’s visit to Grimsay House.
‘So you met young Effie and her mum Jessie, then? And did you meet the glamorous Rachel?’ said Dorothy with a pointed glance at Cameron, which he studiously ignored. ‘Is everything OK with Effie? Would you like me to pop in and see them this afternoon?’
As well as being responsible, along with the medical staff, for the antenatal care of women on the island, Dorothy also had responsibility for the under fives as well as the elderly. Cameron had told her that small rural practices could rarely afford to employ more than one health visitor so, unlike their counterparts in the cities who tended to specialise in only one of these areas, health visitors like Dorothy had to combine the three roles.
‘That’s OK, but thanks anyway, Dorothy,’ said Meagan with a warm smile. ‘I’d prefer to go myself, as I promised Jessie that I would call. I’ll go after I finish visits with you, Cameron, if that suits you?’
Cameron nodded.
Dorothy looked a little relieved. ‘I’ve got a few other calls I want to make so one less would help. Actually, I got a call just before lunch from Katie White. She’s feeling a little anxious, Cameron. Thinks the baby hasn’t being moving as much as he has been. I said I would go and see her after lunch.’
Cameron looked thoughtful. ‘How many weeks pregnant is she?’ he asked Dorothy, holding his hand out for the notes that Dorothy held in her lap.
‘Thirty-six. Just. She’s due to be admitted to Stornoway in two weeks.’
Meagan looked enquiringly at Cameron.
‘Katie White is 33 and pregnant with her first child. Like almost all the mothers here, she’ll be sent either to Lewis or to Glasgow a couple of weeks in advance of delivery. Even earlier if it looks like there might be a problem. Obviously it’s not ideal, especially for women like Katie whose husband is a commercial diver and can’t afford to take time off work to stay with her in Stornoway, but it is believed to be safer for mother and child. We try to keep them at home as long as we safely can. Katie has had a normal pregnancy to date and I’m not anticipating any problems. It’s good that you’re going to see her, Dorothy. Meagan and I will be on visits ourselves but you can reach us on my mobile if you have any concerns. Speaking of which, we should be on our way. C’mon, Meagan. We’ll take my car. I’ll just get my bag and the notes.’
As they headed off towards their first visit, Meagan bit her lip, trying to find the right words. She needed to ask him about Rachel.
Taking a breath to steady her voice, she turned to him. ‘Cameron, that night—back then—were you married?’
He kept on driving, concentrating on the road. A muscle twitched in his cheek.
‘No,’ he said. ‘I’m not the sort of man who would be with another woman if I was married. No matter how strong the temptation.’ He slid a look in Meagan’s direction and she was annoyed to find herself blushing.
‘But,’ he said, ‘I had been seeing Rachel before I met you. We had broken up a couple of weeks before. And then, the day I returned to London, she came to see me. She was pregnant and there was no doubt the child was mine. I thought…’ He broke off, shaking his head. ‘It doesn’t matter now what I thought. We got married. We had a son, and now we are divorced.’ His tone was clipped. A spasm of pain crossed his features.
Meagan wanted to know more, but something in his expression warned her not to probe. His marriage and subsequent divorce clearly caused him pain. No doubt he was still in love with his ex-wife. How could he not be? She was so beautiful. She decided to let the matter drop. Let the past stay there. She and Cameron were different people now, work colleagues and perhaps in the future friends. That was all she wanted. Wasn’t it?
The first patient lived fairly close to the surgery. He was an elderly man suffering from shortness of breath. No doubt he could have managed to come to the surgery, albeit with difficulty. He and his wife apologised for the trouble they were putting the doctors to. And not just one but two! They shook their heads in amazement. Cameron was quick to reassure them.
‘It’s no trouble. That’s what we’re here for. There’s two of us as it’s Dr Galbraith’s first day and I wanted to show her where everyone lives. You know it’s not easy to find some of the houses here. And as for us coming to see you, I’ll not have you coming to see us on a wet and miserable day such as this. Particularly when you’re feeling low. And especially when I know that there’s every chance of tea and home baking,’ he said casting a hopeful eye at Mr Morrison’s wife.
‘As if we’d let you leave this house without your strupack,’ Mrs Morrison admonished, wagging a gnarled finger. ‘I’ll just get it ready while you’re seeing to John.’
As she bustled out of the bedroom Cameron explained the patient’s history.
‘Mr Morrison here is 75 years old. He was fit and well up until a couple of days ago when he developed shortness of breath.’ He stood back to allow Meagan to examine the older man who was sitting up in bed, looking drawn and flushed.
‘There’s nothing wrong with me,’ he protested a little grumpily. ‘It’s that wife of mine. She just fusses. I’ve got work to do, but she won’t let me out of bed long enough to see to it.’
Meagan caught Cameron’s eye and smiled briefly.
‘We’ll just give you a quick look-over, if that’s all right? Better to be safe than sorry, eh?’
She listened to his chest and examined his ankles for swelling. Then she took his temperature, which was elevated.
‘It looks like a chest infection, Mr Morrison. It’s not serious, but I’m surprised you’re even considering getting out of bed and going out on the croft. You must be feeling pretty lousy.’
‘I suppose I’m not feeling that great, but someone has to see to the animals. Anyway, a bit of flu never killed anyone.’
‘I’m afraid a chest infection at your age can turn nasty,’ Meagan said gently. ‘I do think you need to take it easy for a while, take plenty of fluids, and I’ll prescribe you some antibiotics. If you follow my advice we should have you back to your usual self in no time.’
‘If it’s the animals you’re worried about I can ask Donald from the estate to check them for you,’ Cameron interjected.
Mr Morrison looked at Meagan then at Cameron.
‘I can see that you two have ganged up on me. All right, then,’ he conceded. ‘If you can ask Donald to check the animals in the top field, I’ll do as you say.’
Meagan had some cause to regret that she had bothered with lunch when, after leaving John tucked up in bed, Mrs Morrison ushered them into the sitting room and handed them a plate full of food. There were tiny sandwiches, scones stuffed with cheese and home-made shortbread piled in heaps on the plates. And it was clear that they were expected to eat every bite from the way Mrs Morrison sat herself down in front of them with her arms folded and a satisfied expression on her face.
‘Are you not having any yourself?’ said Meagan hopefully, holding her plate out to Mrs Morrison.
‘Oh, I’m not long after having my lunch,’ replied the old lady, rubbing her ample frame. ‘And, besides, I have to watch my figure—unlike some,’ she added, eyeing Meagan’s slim frame disapprovingly. ‘We’ll need to get some fat on these bones, won’t we, Dr Cameron?’
‘Well, you know what young women are like these days, May,’ Cameron replied.
Dismayed at the turn the conversation was taking, Meagan was about to make a sharp rejoinder when she noticed that Cameron was having difficulty containing his mirth at her discomfort and, sure enough, when at last, stuffed to the gills, they were able to leave and get on their way to see the next patient, he burst out laughing.
When at last he could eventually speak he said to Meagan, ‘I should have warned you about the patients here before you had lunch, but I’m afraid I just couldn’t help myself. The same thing happened to me when I first started doing visits, and I knew to refuse hospitality is considered extremely rude, especially by the elderly patients. So I’m afraid it doesn’t matter how full you are, you just have to do your best to get it down.’
‘I can hardly move,’ groaned Meagan
‘Well, now you know,’ he said, ‘Be careful in future who you visit and when. But as a rule we visit all our elderly sick patients even without a callout. We feel it’s an important part of the service here.’ He went on, ‘And it has practical advantages too. It means that we can keep an eye on things and often prevent minor ailments turning into something more serious. I just hope you don’t find it all a little boring for you,’ he teased.
‘I really like the way you look after the patients here,’ Meagan assured him. ‘Even going as far as sorting his worries about the croft out for him. Where would you see that in an urban practice?’ She smiled at Cameron. ‘I know GPs in busy inner-city practices who hardly ever get to see the same patient twice. I much prefer to get to know my patients. What makes them tick, what worries them. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to work in a rural practice.’
‘On the downside, it means that we get very involved with them,’ Cameron said. ‘Sometimes it’s harder when you know them, but on the whole it’s what I like best about living and working here. I’ve known most of these people all my life.’
They made two other house calls—one to an elderly man with pulmonary oedema and the other to a child with chickenpox. Although both cases were straightforward, Cameron was impressed with the thoroughness with which Meagan examined her patients. She had listened carefully and sympathetically as they outlined her symptoms and she had a relaxed and friendly manner, which put the patients immediately at their ease. It was clear to Cameron that she was going to prove a popular member of the team and he felt himself beginning to relax.
Having diplomatically escaped the offer of refeshments from the harassed young mother, Meagan asked, ‘Who is next on our list?’
‘Robert McLean. He lives close to the Benbecula side. He’s our furthest-away call. The last two we’ll see on the way back to the surgery.’ Suddenly he slowed the car down to a crawl.
‘Hello, what’s this? Dorothy’s car is still at Katie White’s house. I would have expected her to have been on her way by now.’ A small frown creased his brow. ‘Let’s just pop in while we are passing.’
As he swung the car into the driveway a very anxious-looking Dorothy came out of the house.
‘Thank goodness you’re here. I tried your mobile a couple of times but you must have been in a dead spot as I couldn’t get a response.’
‘What is it, Dorothy? What’s wrong?’
‘I thought I’d listen to the foetal heart to reassure Katie, but her instincts seem right. The baby’s heartbeat is very slow. Around 50. I’ve also done a brief examination and there’s worse. Her waters have broken and I can see the cord. I’m afraid we are dealing with a cord prolapse and a very distressed baby.’
Meagan felt a flutter of anxiety. She knew from her obstetric experience that this was bad news for mother and baby. Particularly as they were so far away from a hospital with the specialist obstetric and paediatric facilities such a situation required. Despite Cameron having qualified as a paediatrician, the baby, if it survived, would need admission to a high-dependency unit.
‘When I couldn’t reach you, I took the liberty of phoning the air ambulance. They are on standby, awaiting your call,’ Dorothy went on, calmer now that her colleagues had arrived.
Pretty certain that Dorothy would be correct in her diagnosis, Cameron knew they would have to act quickly if the baby was to have any chance of survival. Putting his own anxieties aside at the thought of dealing with a premature distressed baby, he said, ‘It’ll take at least two hours to get mother and baby to Glasgow. We won’t have that long if we are to save the mother. We’ll need to get her delivered. Meagan, have you performed an emergency section before?’
‘Yes, many times. But always in a proper theatre. Are you suggesting we perform one here?’
‘There is a proper theatre in the local hospital which is ten minutes from here. It’s normally reserved for minor procedures but, as I told you this morning, it is fully equipped for emergencies such as this. Dr Lake, one of the Benbecula GPs, is qualified to act as an anaesthetist if we need one.’
Making up his mind, he turned to Dorothy and Meagan. ‘We don’t have time to wait for the air ambulance. If mother and baby are to stand a chance, we need to deliver the baby straight away. I’ll speak to Katie. Meagan, phone Ambulance Control and tell them what we are planning to do. They’ll need to come to evacuate mother and, hopefully, baby to Glasgow anyway. The surgery will patch you through. Dorothy, get hold of Dr Lake and get him to meet us at the hospital. Then phone the hospital and tell them to prepare the theatre. We’ll take Katie in my car. In the meantime, I’ll insert a catheter into Katie’s bladder to fill it. That’ll help keep the pressure off the cord and should buy us some time. Quickly, everyone. Time is critical.’ And before Meagan could say anything else, he disappeared inside the house.
Meagan and Dorothy looked at each other for one horror-struck moment before swinging into action. Tasks completed, they helped a terrified Katie into the car.
The young mother looked from Meagan to Cameron. She clutched at Meagan’s hand. ‘You’ve got to save my baby. I can’t lose this child. Promise me you’ll do everything you can. And, please, find Neil. I need him.’
By the time they arrived at the hospital Dr Lake had everything in place to perform the operation. Cameron and Meagan scrubbed up together while Dorothy kept an eye on the baby’s heartbeat.
‘Cameron, how many Caesareans have you carried out in the last two years?’ Meagan asked.
‘None,’ Cameron replied. ‘I did a few when I was a senior house officer. But I guess that was some time ago,’ he admitted.
‘I should do it, then,’ said Meagan firmly. ‘I’ve carried out tons in the last year and while I’d rather not be doing one here under these conditions, I think that I should do the procedure. Besides, you’re the one with paediatric experience and I have very little. You are going to have to work on that baby the moment it’s delivered.’
‘I can’t let you do it, Meagan. I made the decision to operate and if anything goes wrong, it will be my responsibility.’
‘Oh, for God’s sake, get off your high horse. The responsibility lies with both of us. Dangerous or not, I agree with you completely. If we are going to save them, we need to operate. And the best chance we have of pulling them through is for me to do the procedure and for you to stand by to resuscitate the baby if need be. Agreed?’
Cameron could tell when he was beaten. Besides, he could see that what Meagan was saying made perfect sense. He would have to trust her operating capabilities, just as she had trusted him enough to go along with his decision in the first place. And they didn’t have time to argue.
‘Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go,’ he said with a swift smile backing into the theatre.
Katie lay on the theatre table. Dr Lake bent over her, ready to administer the anaesthetic. She looked frightened and sought Cameron’s eyes for reassurance.
‘You and baby will be fine,’ he promised. ‘We’ll be transferring you both to Glasgow once we’ve finished here. I’ll travel with you and see you settled. We’ve managed to locate Neil and he’s on his way.’
Slowly Katie’s eyes closed as she succumbed to the anaesthetic. Meagan took a deep breath and in response to a quick nod from Cameron made a deep, sure incision across Katie’s abdomen. Within a matter of minutes she had cut through the protective sac that held the baby and gently lifted it into Cameron’s waiting arms. ‘A little girl,’ Cameron informed the room. ‘And not a bad size, considering she’s early.’
The baby looked blue and was unresponsive. Cameron quickly cleared the tiny girl’s mouth of any mucus that might be clogging her airway. Precious seconds ticked past but the baby’s heartbeat remained slow.
‘I’ll have to intubate,’ Cameron said quietly, and quickly inserted a small tube into the baby’s windpipe before attaching an ambu-bag to breathe air into the baby’s lungs. Dorothy rested her hand gently over the baby’s chest. ‘The heartbeat is improving and she’s pinking up nicely,’ she announced to everyone’s relief. ‘I think she’s going to be fine.’
Cameron removed the tube and moments later the welcome sound of a baby’s cry filled the theatre, causing a collective sigh of relief.
Meagan allowed herself a brief moment of pleasure before turning back to work on Katie. It was important as she sewed her up to ensure that all vessels that might be bleeding were securely tied off. In many ways this was the trickiest part of the procedure.
It was another thirty minutes before Meagan stood back, and peeling off her gloves, said with satisfaction, ‘Katie’ll be fine. She’s beginning to come round. Hopefully the air ambulance will be here by the time she wakes up so we can transfer her straight away. How’s the baby?’
‘She’s fine. But the sooner she gets to the special care baby unit in Glasgow the happier I’ll be. She’s going to need some intensive nursing for the next few days, but the biggest danger’s past. Nicely done, everyone.’ Cameron smiled his relief at Meagan. ‘Particularly you, Dr Galbraith. Welcome to the team.’
Katie, coming around from the anaesthetic, opened her eyes and, although still very sleepy, was alert enough to know that everything had gone well.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered, her eyes fixed on her baby
‘We’re not out of the woods yet,’ Cameron warned her, ‘but I suspect that in a short while we’ll be welcoming you and baby home. ‘
‘The air ambulance is here. And Neil has just arrived,’ called Dorothy, who had left theatre to investigate. Meagan felt the tension leave her body. The quicker mother and baby were safely in Glasgow, the better. As soon as the crew from the air ambulance were ready with their stretcher, they transferred Katie and wheeled her out to the waiting aircraft. Meagan followed them with the warmly wrapped newborn, who had been placed in an incubator. Cameron settled his patients, ensuring he had easy access to them both should they require help during the short flight. Within minutes the plane was making its final preparations for take-off.
‘Meagan, you’ll have to take the on-call tonight until I get back. In the meantime, if there are any problems, give one of the GPs in the other practice a shout. They’ll be glad to help. Won’t they, Dr Lake?’ he said over his shoulder. ‘I should be back in a few hours.’
And with a flurry of activity the plane took off with the small family for its return journey to Glasgow.
Once Meagan had written up her notes, she left the hospital. Before he left, Cameron had suggested that she leave the remaining visits until the next day as there wasn’t anything that couldn’t wait and it was now well after five o’clock.
However, Meagan thought that she would call on Effie as she knew that Jessie would be expecting her. After all, Grimsay House was on her way home. She would pop in on her way back from the surgery after she’d written up the notes on the other patients they’d seen that afternoon.
Jessie had heeded Meagan’s advice and kept Effie in bed for a second day, although, judging by the child’s high spirits, she was going to be up and about as soon as she could. Like the day before, Jessie insisted that Meagan follow her to the kitchen for tea and ‘a wee bite to eat’. It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse, but she remembered what Cameron had said earlier in the day. Besides, she enjoyed Jessie’s easy company.
‘Well, Meagan—Dr Galbraith—you’ve certainly made an impact on your first few days on our island!’ Jessie said as she buttered pancakes. ‘First your near miss on the road and then saving the life of Katie White’s new baby. The phone lines were hot when the air ambulance was spotted arriving. We haven’t had this much excitement on the island since Donald Bhan’s bull chased a hapless tourist last year. I think I’m going to like having you around,’ Jessie chuckled.
Meagan smiled ruefully. ‘I keep forgetting how quickly news spreads on the island. Yes, we were lucky with Mrs White’s baby but that’s our job. It shouldn’t be made more of than that.’
‘Oh, don’t be so modest. Everyone says you and Cameron made a fantastic team. We are very lucky to have you here.’
‘Thanks Jessie,’ Meagan replied, deciding to accept the praise with good grace. ‘But, please, call me Meagan. And, besides, you are right—it was a team effort. Cameron really is an excellent doctor. The island is lucky to have someone with his level of experience with children here.’
‘And good-looking, too,’ Jessie added with a teasing look at Meagan.
‘Is he? I can’t say I noticed,’ Meagan lied, hoping that a tell-tale blush wasn’t staining her cheeks. The last thing she needed or wanted was speculation about her and Cameron.
‘Please, don’t get any ideas Jessie,’ she continued, more sharply than she had intended. ‘Cameron and I are colleagues and apart from the fact that I’m not looking for romance, I happen to think it’s a bad idea for colleagues to get involved. Anyway, I very much doubt if I am the kind of woman to interest Dr Stuart,’ she finished with a fleeting smile. ‘And what’s more, he and Rachel still seem involved.’
‘Ah, Cameron and Rachel. I guess you know that they were married. And that Ian’s their son?’
‘They still seem to be a couple. Doesn’t she still live here?’ Meagan tried hard to keep the curiosity from her voice.
‘Rachel lives in London most of the time. Ian lives here, with his father. Rachel comes back every couple of weeks to see Ian and naturally she stays here. There is no shortage of space after all.’
‘Why doesn’t Ian live with his mother?’ Meagan asked. ‘Wouldn’t that be the usual arrangement?’
‘Cameron feels he can provide a more stable environment for him here. Mrs MacLeod and I help look after him when Cameron’s at work. And, besides, all this will be Ian’s one day. It’s right that he’s brought up here. And anyway…’ She bit her lip as if she had started to say something and then changed her mind. ‘Hey, I thought you weren’t interested in Cameron.’ She grinned at Meagan.
‘I’m not,’ Meagan protested. Then, feeling as if she had been too forceful, she added, ‘Or at any rate, only to the extent anyone is interested in the people they work with. But, yes, let’s talk about something else. You, for instance.’
Apart from a perceptive look at Meagan, Jessie wisely changed the subject.
As they chatted like old friends, they arranged to meet up for a bar supper one evening. Jessie would get her mother to look after Effie so that she could enjoy a rare night out.
Meagan eventually returned home around eight that evening. She had wanted to ensure that all the notes were up to date and that the nurses had an opportunity to tell her about any patients who might call her out that night. Despite Cameron telling her that he’d take over the on-call when he returned from Glasgow, Meagan was sure he’d be too tired and had instructed the staff to direct all emergencies to her. She had also had to make a call on a young woman who had a suspected fracture. Meagan had dispatched her by road to the hospital for an X-ray and the cast that Meagan was confident she’d require.
She had just finished stoking up the fire and warming up the pan of stew with dumplings that Mrs Macleod had left for her when there was a knock on the door. Meagan opened it to find Cameron leaning against the doorframe. As she had suspected he was exhausted. Lines of tiredness etched his face.
Noticing her anxious appraisal of him and thinking it related to Katie, Cameron was quick to reassure Meagan. ‘I thought I’d call on my way home to let you know that mother and baby are doing well,’ he said, smiling his lopsided grin, ‘and to pick up the on-call report.’ He sniffed the air appreciatively. ‘Let me guess. Mrs MacLeod’s famous stew and dumplings?’
‘You guessed right. Please, won’t you join me? You couldn’t have had anything to eat for hours,’ Meagan offered, keen to build on the camaraderie that they appeared to be establishing.
‘Now, that’s an offer I can’t refuse,’ said Cameron, stepping through to the tiny kitchen. His broad frame seemed to fill the room. ‘Knowing Flora, she’ll have made enough to feed an army. And I am ravenous.’
As they sat and ate, they chatted comfortably about the day’s events. Having informed him she would remain on call for the night, Meagan brought him up to date on the evening surgery and the patient that she had sent to hospital.
As they drank their coffee they chatted companionably about work and Meagan found herself telling him about her experiences with Médecins Sans Frontières.
‘Of course,’ she admitted, ‘it wasn’t all success stories. We lost many patients we shouldn’t have, either through lack equipment or through lack of proper experience.’ Memories of the patients’ they had lost caused her eyes to fill momentarily with tears and she missed the look of compassion in Cameron’s eyes.
Cameron was finding the mixture of enthusiasm and sadness in the young woman who sat across from him aroused feelings that he hadn’t known for a long time. She was unaware that the passion she felt for her work showed in her face and gestures as she talked animatedly about her time abroad.
He also knew what it was like to lose a patient to inexperience. Even if that inexperience hadn’t been his, he had still felt responsible.
Almost without knowing what he was doing, he leant across and gently brushed a tear from her face. He’d like to banish the sadness from this woman’s eyes.
Cameron watched as the conflicting emotions chased themselves across Meagan’s face. Despite himself, he was still powerfully attracted to her. Mesmerised, he reached over to her and pulled her up and against him. For a long moment they gazed deeply into each other’s eyes before Cameron stood up and, muttering something in Gaelic, pulled her towards him, cupping her chin in one hand while tracing the contours of her mouth with the slender fingers of his other hand. Suddenly with a groan he covered her mouth with his, gently at first then, as he felt her response, more urgently. She felt his body grow hard with desire and she moulded her body to his. Time seem to stand still as they explored each other’s bodies with their mouths and hands. Cameron let his hands travel over her breasts down to encircle her narrow waist before they came to rest on her hips, pulling her ever closer. The part of Meagan’s mind that was still rational was shocked, but the other part had long ago thrown caution to the wind. All she wanted at that moment was for Cameron not to stop but to possess her completely, extinguishing the last shred of the hurt of Charlie’s betrayal.
Just then the shrill sound of the telephone cut through the air. Cameron released her reluctantly and for a moment they stood looking at each other and breathing deeply. Cameron’s eyes glowed almost black with passion
‘You better get that,’ Cameron suggested. ‘It could be someone looking for the on-call doctor.’
Still a little dazed, Meagan answered the phone.
It was a patient, complaining of a sore foot. Meagan offered to visit but the patient, a man in his early forties, was adamant that she wasn’t to put herself out. He’d be happy, he reassured her, if he could come and see her the next day at the surgery. And really he wouldn’t have called at all if his wife hadn’t made him.
Satisfied that she had done all she could, Meagan advised some painkillers to help him sleep. ‘Come and see me at the surgery tomorrow,’ she said, then ended the call.
When Meagan returned to the sitting room Cameron was standing, hands deep in his pockets, looking distant.
‘Who was it?’ he asked, his voice cool.
‘Someone complaining of a sore foot. I’ve arranged to see him at the surgery tomorrow. A Mr McLean.’ Meagan was puzzled by the change in Cameron.
‘Robert McLean?’ Cameron asked sharply. ‘From Howbeg?’
‘Yes,’ Meagan replied. ‘Do you know him?’
Cameron looked thoughtful. ‘Robert MacLean. The patient we didn’t make it to today. He has a long history of unstable diabetes. He rarely calls the doctor out but when he does it usually means that it’s something quite serious.’ He frowned. ‘Really, Meagan, you should have taken a more detailed history over the phone or at the very least passed the call to me.’
Meagan was dismayed and hurt by his attitude. OK, she probably should have taken a more detailed history, but the patient had seemed reluctant for her to visit and had seemed satisfied to see her the next morning. Cameron’s annoyance seemed out of proportion to the situation.
‘If I had known he had a history of diabetes, of course I would have gone to see him. In fact,’ she said ‘I’ll go and see him now.’
‘No, I’ll go. I think its better—don’t you? And in future please take the time to read the notes of patients before making a decision whether or not to visit.’
Meagan could hardly believe that the man in front of her was the same man who only a short time ago had been making love to her. What on earth had got into her? Hadn’t she only hours before promised herself that she would keep him at a distance? And, as far as she knew, there was still something between him and Rachel. She had let this man tramp all over her feelings once before, and it seemed as if he was quite prepared to do so again—if she let him.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said stiffly. ‘It won’t happen again.’ She knew that he knew she wasn’t just referring to the patient.
‘And, Meagan—’ he turned towards her as he made to leave ‘—I think it would be better if we both forgot about what just happened here. Please, forgive me—I had no right.’
Meagan felt herself grow warm with humiliation. Clearly he regretted his lapse in self-control as well as continuing to harbour reservations about her medical abilities.
Well, more fool her for believing that he was different. She wouldn’t make that mistake again in a hurry. She would never let him, or any man, catch her off guard again, she vowed silently.
She held the door open. ‘At least we agree on something. It most certainly was a mistake—I can’t imagine what either of us was thinking.’ She laughed but it was a mirthless sound. ‘Don’t worry, I have no intention of repeating tonight so you can relax.’
Cameron hesitated. He could see the hurt reflected in her green eyes. Damn the woman. He wondered if she knew how little she was able to disguise her emotions. He resisted the impulse to reach out and pull her back into his arms. It was better this way. Although he felt more attracted to Meagan than he would have thought possible, she was still vulnerable, and the last thing he wanted to do was take advantage of her susceptibility. If she were any other woman he’d consider having an affair, but she wasn’t just any other woman. She had been hurt and he wouldn’t be responsible for hurting her again. And he would hurt her. He knew that for certain. Rachel had made it very clear that she wouldn’t tolerate him marrying again. She had made it perfectly clear that she would seek custody of Ian if there was even a hint he was interested in another woman. She knew him well enough to know he would never risk losing his son. No, it was far better that Meagan thought him weak and selfish and that they kept their relationship strictly professional.
‘Goodnight, then,’ he said. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’ As Meagan closed the door behind him, he cursed under his breath. How could he have made such a mess of his life?
