Читать книгу Medical Romance December 2016 Books 1-6 - Sue MacKay, Carol Marinelli - Страница 20

CHAPTER TEN

‘CHARLIE, MAY I see you for a minute?’ Juliet asked at the same time as she knocked on his open door. She had excused herself from the pre-operative meeting with the medical team and followed him back to his office. ‘I need to ask your advice with regard to a question hanging over Friday’s procedure.’

‘What would that be at the eleventh hour?’

‘It’s hardly the eleventh hour.’

Charlie rolled his eyes as Juliet stepped inside his office and closed the door behind her. Normally she would have shown professional courtesy by involving him in her plans earlier but his initial reservations had ensured that did not happen. She stepped closer to his desk and looked him directly in the eyes. ‘I should have asked for your input around the team. I realise it may have come across as if I’ve gone behind your back and made arrangements with your Assistant Head of Obstetrics with no input from you as the quads’ consulting OBGYN.’

‘What’s done is done,’ he said as he continued rifling through the paperwork on his desk.

Juliet pulled out the chair opposite and sat down. ‘I am sorry about the way I’ve handled this. I’ve been a bit like a bulldozer.’

His gaze lifted from the paperwork and met hers. ‘Perhaps a mini dozer.’

She smiled. ‘I really do appreciate you agreeing to be there in the surgery with me. Not for protocol...just because I need you there.’ As the words slipped over her lips she surprised herself. Juliet never admitted needing anyone. And it wasn’t just to make up for what she had done. She meant it. She actually needed Charlie.

He said nothing for the longest moment, leaving Juliet wondering what he was thinking.

‘Let’s just hope the procedure doesn’t induce an early delivery because all four are too small for my liking.’

‘I agree, that’s why I need your advice around my contingency plan for that occurrence. Do I have everything in place? You’ve delivered more babies at this hospital than I’ve seen in my life and I’m not afraid to say that I feel a little like a fish out of water and I want your advice on how we can best prepare for the worst.’

Over the days since she had arrived, despite their disagreements, she knew Charlie was a great OBGYN. It was his passion for what he believed to be best for his patient that fuelled his stubbornness. Juliet knew he cared over and above and, while she conceded he was not one to take risks, perhaps that would make their collaboration perfect. He could temper her risks, mitigate the strategies and together they could find the best way forward.

‘What is it you want to know?’

‘I want to know if we have sufficient staff on board for starters. And if we don’t, I need you to tell me who’s missing. Oliver has left it up to me, and I would like your input.’

Finally he looked up and spoke earnestly. ‘I think you’re fine with the surgical team. Each and every one is the best that Teddy’s has to offer and I don’t think you want to further crowd the operating room. My concerns would be around the anaesthesia.’

‘Why would that be?’ she asked with her curiosity piqued as she shifted to the edge of her chair.

‘If the laser procedure was to be the catalyst for pre-term delivery of the quads you would be looking at a Caesarean if the babies were to have any chance of surviving. They would be barely twenty-nine weeks’ gestation, and babies that premature would not survive the birth canal. There would not be sufficient time for an epidural to be administered so you’d be forced to use a general.’

‘So we’ll have that option on hand?’

Charlie stood and walked around to the front of the desk, crossed his legs and looked directly at Juliet. ‘I think you should try to avoid general anaesthesia.’

With a frown, Juliet continued the questions. ‘How can we though? You just said yourself that our only option if labour was to commence as a result of the laser surgery was a GA.’

‘No, I said that it would be the only option if we weren’t fully prepared.’

‘So you think we should have an epidural in place for the procedure rather than the local anaesthetic and conscious sedation?’

‘Yes, that way we’ll have both bases covered. It would meet your needs during the fetoscopic procedure, but allow a Caesarean to be performed immediately any signs of distress were detected from any of the babies.’

‘It makes perfect sense.’

‘Glad you agree.’

‘Am I missing anything else?’

‘No, I think we’ve covered it all now.’

They both felt the other trying to meet halfway. It was almost as if the slate had been wiped clean in a very short time by them trying to understand the other. It was starting to resemble a collaboration of minds and skills. And each of them was pleasantly surprised.

Juliet wondered fleetingly if there was a chance it could possibly become a collaboration in another sense. Then just as quickly she pushed that from her mind. She didn’t need any complications in her life. And she knew Charlie Warren would be a very big complication. And if she fell for him, a very big heartache that she couldn’t risk.

‘I know we won’t agree on the procedure,’ she began with her mind back in appreciative colleague mode, ‘but I value your advice. I’ll meet with the anaesthetist tomorrow and brief him on the changes and then let the Abbiatis know. I’m glad we agree on this.’

‘I’m glad too,’ Charlie offered as he suddenly saw Juliet in a very different light. He had seen glimpses over the previous days but only in short bursts, before her need to bring home her opinion took over masking the woman he was seeing clearly again now. Suddenly he felt the defensive armour he had worn close to his chest for two years loosening a little. He had not meant to tell her about losing his wife but the words had just spilled out and he was not sorry. Letting Juliet know about his past seemed natural. In fact everything about being around Juliet suddenly seemed very natural.

‘It’s been a long morning,’ he suddenly announced. ‘And I’m quite hungry as I skipped breakfast. Would you like to join me for lunch?’ He felt as if he was getting to know the real Juliet and it had been a long time since he had wanted to get to know anyone. Her interest in seeking his opinion, despite their opposing stands on the procedure, made him feel as if his advice meant something to her. And she had not pried into his personal life. He had told her about losing his wife and she had left it alone. He appreciated that respect of his unspoken boundaries.

‘That would be lovely, Charlie, but I’m due to collect Bea. Would you mind if she joined us?’

‘Not at all.’

Charlie was already smitten by Bea. She was a tiny version of her mother. Just as bossy, just as beautiful...and just as endearing. Her innocent joy of everything festive was making him see Christmas through her eyes instead of a man who had lost his wife at that same time of the year. The distaste he had held for anything close to celebrating was losing ground under the spell of the tiny decorator with a love of tinsel.

* * *

‘Did you know that Charlie helped me with the tinthel on the windowth?’

‘Did he indeed?’ Juliet asked as she sipped her Earl Grey tea in the downstairs hospital tea room. Juliet did not want to let on she had witnessed Bea ordering Charlie around. It still brought a smile to her face as they sat together having a light lunch. Charlie had suggested they could head into town to have something to eat, but Juliet was well aware that he had a patient in labour and already beginning to dilate and thought better of taking him away. The roads were icy and she knew he would be taking his motorbike and the thought of him racing back in bad weather if the labour turned into a delivery without much notice did not sit well with her.

‘Yeth. He was a very good helper. And he carried the boxthes.’

‘Because you were a very good boss,’ he said, with his eyes laughing. ‘And you can’t carry boxes of tinsel with a broken arm.’

Juliet laughed and looked over at Charlie. He was the most complex man she had ever met. He had so many layers and she wasn’t sure why but when he lowered his guard around Bea in particular she could see how very special he was. Juliet watched him smiling down at her daughter. His affection for her was palpable. And it made Juliet happier than she could have imagined. Not that she was looking for a father for her child, but if she had been Charlie would definitely have been a good choice.

Even Bea knew it.

‘And how exactly did carting tinsel for a four-year-old became your role?’ Juliet asked as she watched Bea happily sipping on her oversized chocolate milkshake. She felt certain the ladies in the tea room had found the largest cup and filled it to the brim. Bea’s little legs were swinging back and forth as she gleefully watched the toy train, driven by a tiny Santa, circling a smaller Christmas tree in the corner of the tea room. Cotton wool covered the base of the tree like freshly fallen snow and it had been sprinkled with silver glitter. Juliet could see her daughter was in complete awe of it all. Juliet finally felt she could relax and exhale over her decision to bring Bea with her to the UK.

‘I wanted to check on Bea’s cast,’ Charlie continued. ‘I know you would have been keeping an eye on it, but I wanted see how my workmanship had stood up to the rigours of a four-year-old. Before I knew it I was recruited to decoration duty.’

‘Be careful, knowing my daughter, she’ll soon have grand plans of taking the tinsel to any part of the hospital that is not looking festive.’

‘Oh, she’s already scoped the entire floor and has plans of hospital-wide decorations!’

As they chatted over roast beef and mustard sandwiches all signs of animosity had abated, and for that Juliet was grateful. She could see that Charlie was a good man, a guarded, opinionated and stubborn one, with an overly cautious nature, but nevertheless a good man with a sad past. They spent a little while comparing the Australian landscape to the Cotswolds and then Charlie unexpectedly excused himself and made his way over to a very pregnant woman.

Juliet watched as he chatted with her for a moment and the two of them returned to the table.

The tall, ash-blonde woman was wearing a very tired smile and said, still chatting to Charlie, ‘I can’t join you but thank you for asking, Charlie. After they make my sandwich, I’ll be heading home. I just finished up a long surgical repair of anomalous pulmonary veins on a newborn. It went well but I need a good sleep. I’m exhausted.’

‘I’m not surprised. You’re pregnant and insist on keeping up a fairly heavy surgical roster. You’ll have to slow down soon,’ he told her. ‘But while you’re waiting for your food, let me introduce you to Dr Juliet Turner and her daughter, Bea. Juliet’s the in-utero specialist brought here from Australia to assist with the quadruplets.’

Sienna approached with her hand extended. ‘Welcome aboard, Juliet. I hope you enjoy your time here.’

‘Thank you,’ Juliet said as she met Sienna’s handshake, immediately liking the other woman.

‘Sienna is Teddy’s neonatal cardiothoracic surgeon,’ Charlie explained. ‘And one of the very best so we’re fortunate to have her.’

‘Said by Teddy’s best OBGYN,’ Charlie’s very tired, very pregnant colleague told Juliet. ‘But I should go... It’s nice to meet you, Juliet. Perhaps we could meet up for coffee soon.’

‘I’d like that, thanks, Sienna.’

‘Mummy, ith that a printh?’ Bea interrupted.

Juliet turned her attention to her daughter. ‘Is what a prince, sweetie?’

‘The man up there,’ Bea said, pointing at the large television screen in the corner of the tea room. ‘Ith he a printh?’

Juliet watched the news coverage and read the footnotes on the screen. ‘Yes, he is a prince. It’s Crown Prince Sebastian Falco of Montanari.’

‘Does he have a printheth?’

‘Not yet, sweetie, but he is engaged to be married and they’re making quite the fuss of him. I suppose if you’re a prince they will make a fuss of everything you do.’

‘Will I ever be a printheth?’

‘You’re already my princess,’ Juliet said as she kissed her cheek.

Sienna suddenly grabbed the seat that Charlie had offered. Juliet noticed she had also suddenly drained of colour.

‘Is everything all right?’ Juliet asked. ‘Would you like some water? You look terribly pale.’

Charlie rushed to the cooler and, taking a bottle of water, undid the cap and passed it to Sienna. ‘Get this into you.’

Juliet didn’t understand what had happened as she watched the woman stare at the screen as if she had seen a ghost. She said nothing as she sipped her drink and then looked away from the screen and into the distance.

Charlie’s pager abruptly beeped. ‘I’ve been summoned. Looks like there’s another baby about to enter the world. Will you be all right, Sienna? Should I get Oliver to take a look at you?’

Sienna shook her head. ‘No, I’ll be fine. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite. I really need to go home.’

Juliet walked Sienna to her car, and made sure the other woman was safely on her way. She thought that Charlie was right, that Sienna needed to look at slowing down as her pregnancy progressed. It was obviously taking its toll on her.

* * *

The next day, Juliet managed to meet with the anaesthetist to discuss the change of plans. He agreed that the dual purpose epidural would be the better option and that information would be passed on to the rest of the team. She then headed to Georgina’s room to let her know the change to the preferred anaesthetic and explain the benefits of Charlie’s suggestion of an epidural. The results of the daily scans were emailed through to both Juliet and Charlie and thankfully there had been no change to the TTTS status and Juliet wanted to pass this information on as well.

She checked in at the nurses’ station and was told that Leo had headed home to let the family know the latest update and have a good night’s sleep at Georgina’s insistence. He had spent a few nights at the hospital since his return from New York and she knew he would fuss over her if he stayed that night and not get any rest himself. Juliet knocked on the door and asked if Georgina would like company.

‘If you have time that would be lovely,’ the mother-to-be answered as she invited her to sit for a while. ‘I’ve been here less than a week and I’m going a little stir crazy. I can’t imagine how women confined to bed for months cope.’

‘You do what you have to do, and, believe me, if you were told bed rest for nine months to have healthy babies, you would do it. It’s just a mother’s natural instinct.’

‘I suppose I would,’ Georgina agreed. ‘But I would still be a little loopy by the end.’

Both women laughed before turning the subject to something a little more serious. Juliet wanted to know about the supports in place for when the babies finally went home. While it wasn’t her role, she was interested to know how much assistance would be available as she reinforced the fact that four babies would be an enormous workload for the next few years.

‘The babies’ grandparents live very close to us, and I have a housekeeper, so I won’t be struggling in terms of running the house,’ Georgina answered. ‘I’m very fortunate, and I know that Leo will be very hands-on too.’

‘Leo’s also running the family business, so he may not always be able to help, so please don’t try to be brave if you feel overwhelmed at times. Let those around you know if you are struggling,’ Juliet told her. ‘Get extra help and take some time for yourself, even if it’s just a ten-minute soak in a bubble bath. It will help you to re-energise, regroup and get right back to being a mother.’

‘That sounds like you’ve been through it.’

‘I have, believe me, but not with four babies. I only had one, she’s four years old now, but it was a full-time job for me for the first few months.’

‘Didn’t your husband help at all?’

Juliet paused before she answered, thinking back for a moment to when Bea was a baby and then to even before that, to how scared she was as the delivery date drew closer. The fear that engulfed her some days knowing that she would be bringing up Bea alone. And how some nights she lay awake worried that she would not be enough for her daughter. That she wouldn’t cope. But she did.

‘I wasn’t married. I’m a single mother.’

‘And a surgeon,’ Georgina responded. ‘That’s amazing. You’re bringing up your daughter alone and holding down a career.’

‘It’s not been that difficult. Bea’s almost at school now.’

‘But you’ve done it by yourself and flew all the way over here from Australia to help my babies. I think you’re the one who should take time out and have a bubble bath!’

Ella stepped into the room as the women were still happily chatting. She was there to take Georgina’s blood pressure.

‘I think I will head off and leave you in Ella’s care,’ Juliet said as she stood up to go. She wanted to go back to her office and confirm that everything was on track. ‘I will see you and Leo in the morning.’

With that Juliet walked back down to her office and as usual she looked into Charlie’s office as she passed by. It was a habit that had formed quickly but she was grateful he wasn’t always there or it might have seemed awkward. This time he was there, sitting on the sofa with his feet up reading. It looked like a report of sorts but she didn’t stop.

Not until she heard him call her name and she turned back to see him standing in the doorway.

‘How are Georgina and Leo holding up?’

‘Georgina’s doing very well and Leo’s gone home. She wanted him to rest for tomorrow,’ Juliet told him, still feeling warmed by the affection the parents-to-be shared. ‘They would have to be the sweetest couple, so in love and looking out for each other. Truly beautiful.’

Charlie didn’t comment and Juliet suddenly felt terrible for bringing up their marital happiness. She felt so insensitive and decided to change the subject rather than add to her verbal blunder.

‘What about you?’ she asked to break the uncomfortable silence. ‘Did the baby have an uneventful entry into the world? It must’ve been a quick labour for you to be back here already.’

‘It was her fourth,’ Charlie said, clearly keen to move away from discussing Georgina and Leo’s love story. ‘She was a pro. Her baby boy was delivered in forty-five minutes and she has three more at home to match. There will be no shortage of men to mow the lawns in that household.’

Juliet assumed the conversation would end there and made a mental promise to herself to be more sensitive but Charlie continued the conversation. ‘Is Georgina fine with the change to the anaesthesia, then?’

She paused mid step and turned back to him, elated that there was no damage from her inappropriate comment. ‘Yes, she understood why you thought it would be best. And I’m sure, because the suggestion has come from you, she feels very comfortable. I think she’s happy we’re working closely together—it makes her feel better about everything.’

Charlie had heard the overall details the day before but wanted some clarification around a few of the finer details. He invited her back into his office and they talked through everything from the preoperative medication to the post-operative care. He was impressed that Juliet was thorough, focused and left little to chance. It was how he liked to operate. He wasn’t one to ever take unnecessary risks.

They were winding up the conversation and Juliet mentioned heading down to collect Bea. ‘You apparently said you could look at staying here longer if needed to one of the midwives.’

‘That’s right. I’ll stay until the babies are born.’

‘And after that?’

‘I’m not sure. If there’s a position here, and the need for my skills, I may look at my options. But my family and friends all live in Perth, quite close by, which is a great support for both of us and of course my mother and father still keep watchful eyes on both of us. I’m fortunate but some may find it odd that they still fuss over me at my age.’

‘Helicopter parents?’

‘You could say that, but with all good intentions.’

Charlie nodded. ‘Well, they let you out of their sight to make this trip at least.’

Juliet laughed. ‘They actually pushed me onto the plane. I wasn’t convinced that I should come here but they insisted.’

‘Then they can’t be too overprotective. You and Bea have travelled a long way and you’re definitely not under their watchful eyes now.’

Juliet smiled. ‘What about you?’ she enquired. ‘Are your parents here in the Cotswolds?’

Charlie’s smile seemed to drop instantly. The cheery disposition Juliet had been enjoying seemed to slip away and she wished she hadn’t asked. She prayed they too hadn’t died. That would be a heavy burden for someone to bear. She watched as he stood up slowly and walked to the window, looking out into the distance. He didn’t appear to be focusing on anything in particular.

‘It’s none of my business, really you don’t have to answer.’

Charlie stared ahead, still saying nothing for a few moments. ‘No. My parents both passed while I was in medical school. They left me a sizable inheritance to ensure I could complete my studies but they left me alone. No brothers or sisters.’

‘I’m so sorry.’

‘It was a long time ago and it only hits home occasionally. Usually around holidays like Christmas when it’s all about family time.’ Charlie rested back into his chair. ‘On the subject of family, I overheard you tell the nurse in A&E that Bea only has one parent. And tell me if I’m overstepping the line but are you widowed like me...or divorced?’

Juliet reached into her bag for her bottle of water and took a large sip. She had known the subject could arise but she wished it had not been that day. She had no intention of blurting out to him details around her irresponsible one-night stand. She was a doctor and she slept with a man she didn’t know and fell pregnant. Juliet accepted that it wasn’t the eighteen-hundreds, as her father had often said, but the circumstance of Bea’s conception, in her eyes, still made her look fairly naive and irresponsible.

Charlie was so conservative in almost every way and to announce that, By the way I was reckless, slept with a man I barely knew, trusted him when he said he’d handled the contraception and as a result became a single mother, but the rest of the time I’m incredibly responsible...except of course for the day we met and Bea was alone in the playground and fell...and last week when I decided on a minute’s notice to drag a four-year-old halfway around the world.

Any way she looked at the situation, she felt that Charlie might judge her.

But then why did she care? His opinion shouldn’t matter. But it did. She had been silly enough to trust a man who didn’t deserve that trust the night Bea was conceived and naive enough to think there would be more than one night. Perhaps even forever.

She doubted that Charlie ever threw caution to the wind and for that reason she felt anxious about confessing her stupidity. But just as Charlie had told her about his wife and his parents she felt she should give him the same level of honesty.

‘Bea’s never met her father but he is alive and living somewhere in Western Australia.’ There it was said. Out in the open. And she knew the floodgates were also open to the barrage of questions that would follow. And she would answer all of them truthfully. Or not answer them at all.

‘May I ask why?’

‘It’s for the best,’ she mumbled. ‘It’s just that he’s not a good person. To be frank, he’s the worst type of bad.’

‘Really?’

‘Truly.’

‘Do you want to talk about it?’

She momentarily closed her eyes and took a shallow breath. It was a risk to tell such a man about her stupid night, very stupid night with a serial womaniser. It made her appear as young and naive as she knew she looked.

‘Then you don’t have to...’

‘No, I want to...’ She swallowed pensively. ‘The reason Bea’s father has never met her...is because we haven’t seen each other since I became pregnant.’

‘So he left you when he discovered you were having his baby?’

‘Not exactly. He left long before I knew.’

‘How long before?’ he asked.

‘He left the morning after I became pregnant and he’s married so there’s no point going there.’

‘Married?’

‘He wasn’t at the time...but he married a few weeks later. He was apparently engaged when we met but I had no idea. I discovered later, much later, he was a serial womaniser. He married before I had even known I was pregnant.’

‘But he should have been held accountable. A man can’t just walk away from the responsibility of his own child.’

That was what Juliet’s father had said despite not knowing the identity of the man. No one knew the identity of the father, not even her parents. It was Juliet’s secret. Perth was not a huge city and she did not want her father to confront Bea’s father and tell him what he thought. It would have opened a Pandora’s box and she thought that Bea might be the one to suffer the most.

‘It wasn’t long after the wedding I discovered he and his new bride were expecting triplets.’

‘How did you discover that?’

‘A cruel twist of fate had his wife’s OBGYN reach out to me when a complication arose during the pregnancy. I couldn’t bring myself to consult on the case so I deferred to another neonatal surgeon. How could I operate on the children of a man I despised so completely? If anything had gone wrong I feared that I’d have questioned myself for eternity and far more than anyone else ever would for sure, but it wasn’t worth the risk.’

Charlie sat shaking his head. ‘Still he should provide support for his daughter. It must be hard as a single mother, financially and emotionally.’

Juliet rested back into the generous padding on her high-backed chair. ‘It is but I wouldn’t change a thing. I adore Bea. She’s my world.’

‘She’s adorable...despite her father. That must be because she’s got more of you in her.’

Juliet smiled up at the man who was close to capturing her heart but she wasn’t ready to let him. She still couldn’t risk being hurt again.

‘Thank you.’

‘It’s definitely his loss,’ Charlie began before shifting the direction of the conversation slightly. ‘Will you ever let Bea reach out to him?’

Juliet felt a warm feeling rush over her with his words. She would never have expected Charlie to say something like that. He wasn’t judging her at all. He hadn’t reacted the way she had feared.

‘With three children under his belt and, from the gossip around Perth, more than a few post-honeymoon flings and another one or two since the birth of his children, I don’t want him in her life. He’s a real-estate developer with no conscience and both the means and opportunity to entertain other women and he’s been doing that for a very long time. I will be thinking long and hard about allowing Bea to be the fourth, and unwanted, child of the man who enjoyed a pre-wedding fling with me despite having a fiancée at home waiting for him.’

‘And if she asks about her father growing up?’

Juliet had not decided how she would respond when Bea asked about her daddy. And invariably she would one day.

‘I’m not sure how I’ll handle it. Despite my feelings about the man who fathered Bea, he’s after all half of Bea and I want my daughter to grow up proud of who she is, not doubting herself because of her father’s despicable behaviour. It’s a dilemma I’ll face later. Although I must admit recently I’m beginning to believe it will perhaps be sooner rather than later. Almost all of Bea’s little friends at playgroup have fathers and Bea’s beginning to talk about their daddies. She has a grandpa who had just retired but then... But that’s another story. Anyway, he is more than thrilled to be the male role model but I know it’s not the same as having a daddy.’

Charlie didn’t reply. Bea was a wonderful little girl and didn’t appear to be suffering from paternal neglect so obviously Juliet’s father was a great surrogate. She was a sweetheart and many men would be proud to call her their daughter and watch her grow up under their watchful eye. Be there to unwrap Christmas presents together, buy her first bike and then her first car and of course scrutinise boyfriends who would never be good enough for his daughter.

Suddenly Charlie began to suspect if he wasn’t careful he might just be one of those men. ‘Look at the time—it’s getting on and I have some paperwork to catch up on tonight at home,’ he said abruptly, collected his leather briefcase, said goodnight and left his office.

* * *

Bea was happily playing in her room with cartoons on television and Juliet had just folded the last of the towels from the dryer, all the while thinking about Charlie. She could think of little else as she stacked the towels in the airing cupboard. With the empty basket in her arms, Juliet made her way into the sitting room. She could see the front porch through the lace-covered bay window.

Her jaw dropped and she almost dropped the basket when she saw who was standing on her doorstep.