never going to be quite normal, of course, and I haven’t met the parents yet so I don’t know what their expectations are.’
‘High, I think. Most parents’ expectations are high. They think we can sort out everything.’
‘Well, I’ll certainly try my best, but I’m only human,’ he said with a wry smile, and her heart hiccuped. Only human’s fine by me, she wanted to tell him, but she was being silly again.
One smile! she thought crossly. One smile and you keel over and submit! You’d make a good dog.
Anna tried to pay attention—she really did—but it was hard. In the end she was rescued by the arrival of a new admission, and she went to deal with him and escaped from the intoxicating and mind-bending cosiness of her office. She was busy for the rest of the day, rushed off her feet for most of it, and by the end of it she was feeling ragged.
Then Adam walked onto the ward, still in Theatre scrubs, and her heart did that silly thing all over again and she wanted to kick herself.
‘Hi,’ he said, his voice soft and low. Shivers ran down her back, and she forced herself to ignore them.
‘Hi, yourself,’ she said with what she hoped was a friendly smile and not an infatuated drool. ‘How was your list?’
‘OK. A couple are in SCBU, but you should have the rest. How’s little David?’
‘Sick and sore, I think. Well, probably more uncomfortable than sore. His mother’s with him, but she’s pregnant again and she’s finding it quite wearing. I keep sending my nurses to rescue her so she can go and have a cup of tea, but she won’t let me.’
‘Is she staying all night?’
Anna nodded. ‘Yes. She needs to rest, but she won’t leave him till he settles.’
‘Can I have a quick look?’ he asked.
‘Sure. He’s over here.’
They went over to the baby and his mother and, as Anna had expected, the little boy was propped up against her shoulder, grizzling gently, and she was rubbing his back and making soothing noises. They weren’t working.
‘Hello, Mrs Chisholm,’ Adam said, hunkering down to her level and smiling at her with that special smile. ‘How are things?’
‘Oh—hello, Doctor. I’m so glad you’ve come. Not too bad. How was it? Have you been able to do it?’
‘It was OK,’ he said reassuringly. ‘I’ve managed to get quite a bit of length on the tendons, so we were able to get his feet into a more normal position in the casts. He’ll be a bit miserable for a day or so, but we’re giving him plenty of pain relief so he’s not really hurting. Once the first few days are over you’ll find he’s walking much better. May I have a look?’
She held the little boy out, and Adam took him and straightened.
‘Hello again, young man. Can I have a look at your feet?’ he said softly, his smile gentle. The baby rested sleepily against him with a little whimper, and Adam soothed him automatically before laying him down in the cot.
His movements were sure and practised, Anna thought. You could tell he was a father. His hand brushed the baby’s head, smoothing back the damp, ruffled hair that clung to his brow, and quickly he scanned the boy’s legs with his eyes.
‘I’m checking the colour and warmth of his toes and that the dressings you can see through these windows in the casts aren’t showing signs of leaking of the wounds,’ he explained. ‘Perhaps you could keep an eye on that for us, as you’re here. It’s possible the legs might swell after a little while, but we’ll keep a constant check, and if you notice anything different, perhaps you could tell us.’
She nodded. ‘Of course.’
‘He looks fine at the moment,’ he went on, raising his voice over the baby’s unhappy protests. ‘I’m pleased. He seems a bit grizzly, though. Perhaps he’s not that comfortable. We’ll give him something to settle him.’
‘I think he needs to sleep,’ Mrs Chisholm said, ‘but every time I put him down he cries, and I don’t like to disturb the other children.’
‘Don’t worry about the other children,’ Anna hastened to assure her. ‘He won’t cry for long. He’s dead beat. He’ll go off in seconds if you can just bear to let him cry.’
‘I just feel so mean,’ she said, clearly torn.
‘Perhaps you should go and get something to eat and leave him quietly alone for a little while and try it,’ Adam suggested. ‘You might find he drops off if you aren’t here to cuddle—it’s not worth staying awake then.’ The smile robbed his suggestion of any criticism, and she nodded wearily.
‘I could murder a cup of tea and a leg stretch, and probably something to eat, actually. I was going to wait until my husband came back and go then, so David wasn’t on his own, but are you sure he’ll be all right?’
‘Of course he’ll be all right,’ Anna assured her firmly. ‘We’ll look after him. If he doesn’t settle in a minute I’ll get someone to cuddle him till you’re back, but you’ve got to look after yourself and the other baby.’
She nodded again. ‘OK. Thanks.’
They watched her go, and she was hardly out of the ward before little David stopped grizzling and started to relax into much-needed sleep.
‘Peace at last,’ Anna said with a soft chuckle, and covered the little boy lightly with his blanket. ‘He’ll be all right now. Do you still want to give him something?’
Adam shook his head. ‘Not if he doesn’t need it. I’ll write him up for something in case he wakes in the night and is distressed. What are you doing now? Got time to look at my others with me?’
She glanced at the clock on the wall and groaned. ‘Not really. Apparently, it’s time to go home and I still haven’t finished. Do you need me with you to look at your other patients?’
‘I wouldn’t mind, but it isn’t necessary. Anyway I suspect they’re all asleep. Are their parents here?’
‘Yes, all of them. I’m sure they’d love to see you and ask you about the operations.’
He nodded, pursed his lips for a moment as he, too, glanced at his watch, and then he shrugged. ‘I’ll go and see them. You don’t have to stay, I’m sure I can find my way around.’
‘I’ll show you where they are and leave you to it. I have to hand over to Allie. Those two beds there,’ she told him, pointing, ‘and that one in the far corner. OK? Shout if you need help. Allie will sort you out.’
‘OK. Thanks. See you tomorrow.’
His smile warmed her. Reluctantly, she dragged herself back to her other tasks, handed over and left the ward with only a handful of backward glances.
She went home, put the kettle on while she changed into jeans and a comfy sweater, and sat down with her feet up and a cup of tea in front of the TV news. It didn’t hold her attention. It couldn’t
