nodded his head slowly. ‘Unfortunately, yes.’
‘You’d want your kids to be pushovers?’ she asked, wondering exactly why he’d dropped by. She wasn’t his patient or his friend.
His sigh filled with sadness as the smile switched off and his gaze dulled. ‘They’re a funny mix of strong and soft. Kind of nice, I guess, but there are things I wish they were stronger about.’
If only she knew how to wipe away that look, bring back the warm smile. But it wasn’t her place. They were strangers who were going to remain so. ‘I’m sure all parents think that.’ How enlightening. Not.
‘You got kids?’ His question was nothing startling, fitted into their conversation, and yet it arrowed in for her heart.
‘No.’ She’d always hoped she’d get married and have a family. That had been part of her life plan, along with the medical career, the extended travel to Europe and watching Alison achieve her goal to become an international airline pilot. Except Alison had died because she had failed as a doctor. Her new life plan was waiting to be rewritten, but one thing she knew for certain was that having a family would be a part of it. Losing her sister had heightened that need.
‘Hello, Cam. Didn’t expect to find you here. You know my patient?’ A middle-aged man strode around the curtain and stopped at the end of her bed.
‘Not really. My boys are responsible for this. A skateboarding accident of no mean proportions.’
‘Ouch.’ The casually presented man turned to her. ‘I’m Angus, your surgeon.’
She held out her hand. ‘Jenny Bostock. Should I be asking if you caught any fish? Or will that make you go a little harder on me?’ Plastering on a smile she didn’t feel much like making, she watched closely to see how he reacted to her.
‘Your timing was perfect. Dinner’s ready and waiting in the fridge at home. Blue cod. The best fish in our waters, as far as I’m concerned.’ His friendly smile faded. ‘I’ve seen your X-rays. The lower tibia has a fine fracture, but it’s the talus that needs attending to, I’m afraid. You require plates to be attached.’
‘That’s what I expected.’ And didn’t want. But there was nothing she could do about it, except rewind the clock four hours and stay in her car, instead of walking around Havelock.
‘Do you want me to outline the whole procedure, Dr Bostock?’ The surgeon emphasised her title.
Beside him, Cam lifted his eyebrows. ‘So you are a doctor. I wondered if you were.’
‘Angus has been reading my admission slip.’ She should’ve put dog walker or cleaning lady but some habits didn’t disappear, even after six months. ‘Anyway, it was irrelevant to the situation. I’m presuming you’d have treated me the same, no matter what my job was.’
Cam shrugged. ‘Of course.’
She didn’t go around telling anyone she was a doctor. People might ask her to treat them or give them advice, and they really didn’t need that from her. But when it came to filling in paperwork she tended to honest. Just in case she ever got her life back on track.
‘Jenny—I can call you that?’ The surgeon’s eyebrow rose in query.
‘Sure.’
‘Jenny’s being coy. I’m surprised you haven’t heard how she saved a child who was choking not more than thirty minutes ago. Everyone’s talking about her.’
Cam’s eyes widened. ‘Truly? That’s awesome. I have to say you seem to have a habit of finding yourself in the middle of trouble. Is that usual? Or is today the exception?’
Define trouble. Crossing her fingers, she muttered, ‘It’s been one of those days when I shouldn’t have got out of bed.’
‘Well, you’re back in one now.’ Cam’s smile was cheeky, warming her where she didn’t want to be warmed. Right around her heart.
‘Right.’ Angus became brisk. ‘Let’s get this under way. The anaesthetist should be here any minute. I’ll head over to Theatre and wait for you there.’ He flicked the curtain wide to stride out.
Cam took his cue. ‘I’d better go and check on those boys of mine, see what other mischief they’ve managed to get themselves into.’
She called after him, ‘Thanks for dropping by. I’ll sort out what to do about my car when I’m a bit more mobile. I’ll give you a buzz some time tomorrow. Is that okay?’
‘It can stay where it is for weeks, if necessary. Call me if you want anything else.’ He was only being helpful to a stranger for whom his boys had caused trouble. It was there in his eyes, in the now flat smile he gave.
‘Thanks.’ Suddenly she didn’t want him to go. Her fingers picked at the sheet covering her. The idea of being anaesthetised made her feel tetchy. All the what-if scenarios popped into her mind. Surgery was not without its risks. So talk to Cam, ask him questions about anything at all to keep him here for a bit.
‘I can hang around until Sheree gets here.’ So he read minds.
‘Sheree?’
‘The anaesthetist on duty this weekend.’ His butt sank back onto the edge of the bed. ‘In what field of medicine do you practise?’
The down side of having him stay was fielding the unwanted questions. ‘Emergency.’
‘You feel weird, being an ED patient?’ Those eyebrows rose again.
Kind of cute when they did that. Did he like the ‘cute’ word? Why was she even asking herself that? The man had a family, wasn’t available. But it had been a long time since she’d been interested in a man that way. ‘Not weird, just scary being on the receiving end of all the attention.’
‘I had keyhole surgery for appendicitis ten months ago. If it hadn’t been for the pain and knowing how fast the whole thing could’ve turned bad, I’d have bailed out of having the operation. Call me a wimp, but I knew everything that was going to happen, and that made it worse.’
‘You mean you understood what could go wrong.’ Like she did.
A big, warm hand covered hers. ‘You’ll be fine. Sheree and Angus know what they’re doing. The worst of this will come afterwards, when you can’t get around easily. I could send my boys in to be your slaves for as long as it takes to get back on your feet.’ His brow crinkled. ‘They’re not very good at cooking, or cleaning, or making decent coffee. Great at fetching and carrying, though.’
Surprised he could joke with her, the nervousness took a step back. ‘You make them sound like puppies. Fetch, Booboo.’ The warmth seeping into her from that small contact made her relax even more. Then she tensed. Tugged her hand free. He has a wife. ‘Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine. Really.’
Cam’s gaze cruised over her face, studying her intently. Looking for what? Then with a brief nod he stood up. ‘I can hear Sheree talking out there. I’ll head away. Take care.’
She stared at the curtain long after he’d gone. What would it be like to have
