in the trendy suburb of Paddington.
He nodded. ‘Why don’t you come over this weekend? She’s dying to see you.’
Lou swallowed. She’d do anything for that little girl. But this? So soon? ‘I’m kind of busy.’ She fobbed him off. ‘I’ll see how things pan out.’
There was another awkward silence. He looked so good. A year had been too long. The things she’d wanted to do with this man … to be with this man. Her tiredness was making her sentimental and emotional. She suddenly felt like crawling into his lap and bawling all over his chest. She’d missed him. Curse hormones! I’m over you, damn it.
‘Anyway, I’d better get back. Peter’s out there causing havoc, no doubt,’ she said, rising and crossing to the door like a spooked filly. She’d worked too hard to put him behind her to falter at the first real challenge. I will not cry.
‘Wait. Lou …’
Lou stopped at the door, her hand on the knob. ‘Yes?’ she said, a tremble husking her voice, refusing to look back at him.
‘I’m sorry about before,’ he said, joining her at the door. Her body was so close, and his burned hot with memories of how good it had felt to hold her.
‘It’s fine,’ she said briskly, turning the knob and pulling before she gave in to the urge to lean back into him.
‘No,’ he said, pushing the door shut with his hand up high on the frame, keeping it there, his other hand automatically reaching for her hip. He could feel the unfamiliar flare of her abdomen where once had been the jut of bone. ‘It’s not. I was shocked. I acted like a Neanderthal.’
‘Yes, you did.’
There was a moment of silence, of stillness, full of things unsaid. His hand at what used to be her waist was burning a hole in her side.
‘Lou …’
‘Don’t,’ she begged him quietly.
Her hair smelt fantastic, as always, and he wanted to touch it so badly his fingers itched. ‘I missed you,’ he whispered. ‘I missed this,’ he said, removing his hand from her hip and giving in to the urge to feel her hair.
The skin at the nape of her neck broke out in goosebumps as his fingers lingered there a little, before moving down the length of her plait.
‘I’ve dreamt about touching it again. I’d forgotten how heavy it is. How glorious.’
She couldn’t do this. She was going to have a baby in a couple of months. It was no longer just about her. The baby deserved a stable home life. Not some male figure who had too much of his own baggage to commit to them. She had to think even harder about who she let in.
‘Let me out,’ she said, holding on to the last shred of her sanity.
Will sighed, releasing her hair, and stepped away from her.
‘Thank you,’ she said, opening the door hastily and walking out into the cool air outside.
Her office was suddenly hot. Stuffy. She couldn’t breathe. Lydia was hovering outside, and looked relieved when Lou appeared intact. Will took a moment to collect himself, and then stepped out of Lou’s office.
‘Help! I need help in here!’ came a raised voice from one of the bays.
The voice held just the right note of panic, and they ran. Lou, Lydia, Peter and Will, with Lou reaching the bedside first. ‘What’s wrong, Kristy?’
‘I think she’s having an allergic reaction to the penicillin,’ said Kristy, her face pale.
‘Stop it,’ Will ordered as he looked down at the very frightened-looking child in question. The little girl was naked but for a nappy, and had large red welts forming all over her body before their eyes. Her lips were looking very puffy, and Will didn’t need a stethoscope to hear the wheezes coming from the lungs. Anaphylaxis.
‘I’ll get the resus trolley,’ said Peter.
‘Oxygen, adrenaline, phenergan, hydrocortisone and some ventolin,’ Will directed, as everyone sprang into action around him.
Lou drew up and administered the drugs, Lydia attached a sats probe, Peter assembled the ventolin and Kristy took care of the oxygen.
‘How old is she? What’s her diagnosis?’ Will asked.
‘Erica’s eighteen months,’ Lou told him. ‘Cellulitis from a possum bite.’
‘Is this Erica’s first dose?’
‘Second,’ said Kristy.
He nodded. That made sense. Often anaphylactic reactions weren’t seen until the second or subsequent exposure to the particular allergen. Will looked around for a stethoscope and found one being thrust into his hand by Lou. Efficient. He smiled at her gratefully.
The wheezes had reduced markedly, and Will breathed a sigh of relief that they had halted the rapid progress of a condition that could have been fatal in minutes.
‘Let’s get her into the high dependency bay. We’ll special her for the next little while,’ said Lou.
Her hands shook slightly as she helped push the cot to the bay opposite the nurse’s station. Thank God Will had been here. Having an experienced paediatrician in an emergency on Ward Two was a definite bonus.
Will hung around while the nursing team got the little girl settled in her temporary locale.
‘Possum bite?’ he asked as they trooped back into the nurses’ station.
‘Camping with the family,’ explained Peter. ‘Tried to pat one of the friendly possums. It bit her arm.’
‘Ouch.’ Will winced.
‘Hey, Pete,’ said Lydia casually. ‘I’ve an idea. Why don’t you ask our new colleague about the shave?’ She nodded towards Will.
Pete’s eyes lit up. ‘Good idea, Lydia. Brilliant. Just brilliant.’
Pete smiled at Will and rubbed his hands together.
Lydia gave him a baleful smile. ‘What?’ Will said warily.
‘Dr Galligher,’ said Pete, narrowing his eyes speculatively. ‘You do know what they say about bald men, don’t you?’
Will nodded, still wary. ‘Ah, but is it true, Pete?’
‘Never had any complaints.’ Pete winked. ‘But seriously, Shave for a Cure is on in a few weeks, and I just need one more person to agree to have their hair cut.’
‘That’s for the Leukaemia Foundation?’ Will asked.
Pete nodded. ‘I’ve been trying to convince Lou.’
Will looked at Lou and her beautiful hair, completely horrified by Pete’s suggestion. Over my dead body! ‘That’s the
