With one exception.
Her first week at the Victoria passed smoothly but at the start of Darcie’s second week Isla heard an angry exchange coming from the treatment room and then Darcie marched out. Frowning, Isla stepped into the treatment room to find Lucas standing there, the tension still in the air and a wry smile on his face.
‘Issue?’ Isla checked, trying to hide her surprise because Darcie got on with everyone, and no one, no one ever had an issue with Lucas—he was down-to-earth and seriously gorgeous and for him to have had upset Darcie or vice versa was a surprise indeed.
‘You tell me.’ Lucas shrugged.
‘Lucas?’ Isla frowned. He was a part of the glue that tied the MMU together. He got on with everyone, was intuitive, funny and so damn good-looking that his smile could melt anyone. It would seem it simply didn’t melt Darcie.
‘I don’t need the new obstetrician telling me I’m late and to get my act together.’
Isla let out a breath. No, that much Lucas didn’t need.
‘And,’ Lucas drawled, ‘I also don’t need you to have a word for me, Isla. Whatever her issue with me is, I’ll deal with it myself.’
‘Fine,’ Isla said, ‘but whatever the hell your issues are with each other, keep them well away from the patients.’
‘You know that I will.’
‘I do,’ Isla said. ‘Let me know if you need anything …’ She turned to go but Lucas halted her.
‘Isla, I hate to say this, I know I was late in this morning but I really need to go home …’ He blew out a breath and then went to explain but Lucas didn’t need to explain things to Isla. She knew that his home life was complicated at best and if Lucas said that he needed to go home then he was telling the truth.
‘Go, then,’ Isla said. ‘I’ll take over your patients.’
‘I’ve only got one,’ Lucas said. ‘I’m expecting her to arrive any minute, I’m just setting up for her. Donna Reece, she’s pretty complex.’
‘You think I can’t handle complex?’ Isla teased.
‘No, I just feel like I’m landing an awful lot on you.’
‘Return the favour someday.’ Isla smiled. ‘Hand over the patient to me and go home.’
As Isla wheeled through the drip Lucas had set up, there was Darcie, checking drugs for the imminent arrival of Donna Reece. She was forty years old, at twenty-four weeks gestation with twins and a direct admission from the antenatal ward as she had been found to be in premature labour.
‘Where’s Lucas?’ Darcie frowned. ‘He was supposed to—’
‘I’ve got your orders,’ Isla said. ‘I’m taking over this patient.’
‘Oh, so he doesn’t want to work with me?’
‘Lucas has gone home,’ Isla said. She was about to tell Darcie why and to tell her to back off Lucas, but then she remembered that Lucas had asked her not to step in. Anyway, there was no time for that. Donna was about to arrive.
‘Did he page Alessi?’
‘Yes,’ Isla said, and as Donna was wheeled in, just the look on her face had Isla reaching for the phone to page for an anaesthetist to come directly to the delivery ward, too.
‘Hi, Donna, I’m Isla …’
Isla kept her voice calm as she attached Donna to all the equipment. Things didn’t look good at all and it was made worse that Donna’s thirteen-year-old daughter was present and clearly distressed.
As Alessi arrived Isla was taking the young girl down to the waiting room and she gave him a grim smile, in way of small preparation for what he was about to face.
‘Have a seat in here,’ Isla said to Jessica. ‘I know that you’ve had a horrible morning …’
‘I thought that Mum was just coming here for a checkup,’ Jessica said. She was holding a large backpack and Isla could see a towel sticking out of it. It was the summer holidays and clearly they had intended to head out to the beach for the day after the routine appointment that had suddenly taken a different turn. ‘Mum said she didn’t feel well this morning and I said she’d promised we’d go out. I should have listened …’
‘Jessica, I’m going to come and talk to you later. You’ve done nothing wrong and your mum is going to be okay.’
‘But what about the babies?’ Jessica asked.
‘Right now the doctors are in with your mum and we’ll know a lot more soon. Is there anyone I can call for you? Your dad’s overseas?’ Isla checked, because Lucas had told her that he was.
‘He is but Mum’s going to ring him and tell him to come home.’
‘I’ll speak to your mum and we’ll see about getting someone to come and sit with you. Right now, do your best to take it easy and I’ll go and see how Mum is doing.’
She went back into the delivery ward. Alessi was doing an ultrasound and his face was grim and he wasn’t trying to hide it. He was clearly concerned.
‘How’s Jessica?’ Donna asked.
‘She’s just worried about you and the babies,’ Isla said. ‘Is there anybody that you’d like me to call who can come and be with her?’
‘Could you call my sister?’ Donna asked. ‘Tom, my husband, is in Dubai. I’m going to see what Darcie has to say and then call him and ask him to come home.’ Donna closed her eyes. ‘Jessica and I had an argument last night. I told her that I needed more help around the house, especially with the twins coming. Then we had another row this morning because I’d promised to take her to the beach but I told her I was too tired, when really my back was hurting and I was starting to worry that something was going wrong with the twins.’ Donna started to cry. ‘She said in the ambulance that she thinks this is all her fault.’
‘We both know that none of this is her fault,’ Isla said. ‘These things happen all the time, whether there’s an argument involved or not. I’ll speak with your daughter at length about this,’ Isla promised, and Alessi glanced up at the determined note in her voice. ‘Right now, though,’ Isla continued, ‘we need to take care of you and your babies.’
‘Darcie’s said that the medicine might postpone the labour.’
‘That’s right,’ Isla nodded, and then glanced up as Alessi came over.
‘Hi, Donna.’ He gave a pale smile. ‘As I said, I’m going to be overseeing the twins’ care.’
‘Hopefully not for a while,’ Donna said, but Alessi glanced at Isla and her heart sank as Alessi continued to speak.
‘I’m not sure. I have to tell you that I am very concerned about one of the twins on the ultrasound. Do you know what you’re having?’
Donna
