Rose scurried off, Eden expected Nick to do the same, but instead he remained. ‘Thanks for your help. Hopefully some of it got through to Rose.’
‘I think a lot of it got through,’ Eden replied generously. ‘You were really good with her.’
‘Probably because I’ve had a lot of practice around tearful women lately,’ Nick said, but as Eden’s lips pursed his face broke into a slightly incredulous smile. ‘You’re really quick to think the worst of me, aren’t you, Eden? When I said I’d been around tearful women lately, I was actually referring to my sister, Lily.’
‘Oh.’ Blushing, Eden scuffed the floor with her foot. ‘Well, you can hardly blame me for assuming…’ Her voice trailed off, and Nick did absolutely nothing to fill the uncomfortable silence. Eden willed Rose to hurry back, terrified that if she looked up, Nick might catch a glimpse of the jealous feelings that seemed to choke her whenever she pictured him with another woman. However, her mouth was moving ahead of her mind and wretched emotions were taking over. Wincing inside, yet completely unable to stop herself, a tiny slice of truth came out. ‘I just don’t like seeing people used, that’s all.’
‘Used?’ She could hear the frown in his voice without looking up, and Eden knew she’d gone too far, knew that she had to pull back now before irretrievable damage was done, before Nick realised how much she was hurting. Forcing a very cheeky smile, she dragged her eyes back to his.
‘Yes, used, Nick. Just because you’re blond and gorgeous, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have feelings, too!’ And even though he smiled at her joke, it didn’t quite reach his eyes and Eden knew her attempt at recovery hadn’t quite succeeded. ‘I’m allowed to worry about you—that’s what friends do.’
The smile was back in his eyes now, and Eden gave an inward sigh of relief as Rose appeared.
‘Good luck,’ Nick called as Eden and Rose headed back towards Priscilla’s bedside, just in time to see Becky setting up the replacement meal tray.
‘Oh, look.’ Rose smiled. ‘Roast chicken—yum!’ Her tone was a touch forced, but Eden was pleased to see how hard she was trying. ‘Now, come on, eat up your dinner and then you can read to me.’
‘I’m not eating that filth!’ Priscilla snarled. Her hand moved towards the tray, but Eden was too quick for her.
‘Oh, no.’ Eden held onto the tray, holding the young girl’s angry glare. ‘There are plenty more trays down in the canteen, Priscilla. I can ring down for more all evening if I have to, but we’re not wasting good food like that.’
‘Well, I’m not eating it.’ Priscilla’s bottom lip was working overtime and she squeezed out a tear for effect. ‘Mummy, I don’t like roast chicken!’
‘That’s what’s for dinner tonight, Priscilla.’ Rose took a deep breath and Eden felt sorry for her, knowing how hard it must be for her to be firm when her daughter lay in a hospital bed. ‘Now, it looks so nice that I’m going down to the canteen to have some dinner myself. When you’re finished, Eden here will ring me and I’ll come back up.’
‘Mummy!’ Priscilla wasn’t squeezing tears out now—they were coming thick and fast of their own accord. ‘Mummy, don’t leave me!’
‘As soon as your dinner’s finished, darling, I’ll come back up.’ Hiding tears of her own, Rose turned quickly, hurrying out of the ward. Eden ran after her as Becky stayed with a shrieking Priscilla.
‘She’ll be fine,’ Eden soothed. ‘You did so well.’
‘I can’t do this every night,’ Rose sobbed.
‘You won’t have to,’ Eden said. ‘As soon as Priscilla realises that you’re serious, she’ll start eating properly. Rose, just remember that all you are asking is for her to eat her dinner, not walk on hot coals. There’s nothing unreasonable or unfair about what you’re doing.’
‘I know,’ Rose gulped.
‘Now, go and have a coffee or dinner. I promise that we’ll look after her and as soon as she’s made a reasonable effort with her dinner, I’ll ring you.’
‘And if she doesn’t?’
‘I’ll ring down for you anyway.’ Eden smiled. ‘But let’s stay positive.’
In fact, by the time Eden returned to the bedside, the tears had stopped and Priscilla was sitting upright with her arms folded pointedly, not looking up as Eden made her way over.
‘Thanks, Becky.’
‘No worries.’ Becky grinned, scooting off to check on her own patients.
‘Your mum has just gone to have some dinner,’ Eden said, picking up a rather impressive book on Priscilla’s bedside. ‘Is this yours?’
When Priscilla didn’t answer, Eden pressed on, unperturbed. ‘It’s a huge book for a nine-year-old.’
‘It’s easy.’ Priscilla bristled.
‘Well, I don’t think so—all those funny names and spells and trying to work out who the baddy is….’
‘You’ve read it?’ Priscilla blinked, curiosity overriding her anger for a moment.
‘Not this one,’ Eden admitted, ‘but I’ve read four in the series and I’m hoping someone will get me this one for Christmas.’
‘But it’s a kid’s book.’
‘So?’ Sitting down at the bedside, Eden peeled off the cover on Priscilla’s dinner. ‘Come on, Priscilla, eat your dinner and then I’ll call downstairs for Mum to come up. She said you were going to read to her tonight, and she’s really looking forward to it.’ Pretending to ignore her, Eden concentrated on the blurb at the back of the book as Eden slowly picked up her knife and fork.
‘I don’t like broccoli.’
Eden flicked the pages, deliberately not looking up. ‘Eden, I really don’t like broccoli.’
‘Neither do I.’ Eden smiled. ‘OK. How about you eat everything else? If you do that, you can leave the broccoli.’
‘I don’t like carrots.’
‘Priscilla.’ Eden’s voice held a warning. ‘If you eat all your carrots, potato and chicken, then you can leave the broccoli.’ Turning back to the book, she flicked the pages. ‘Where are you up to?’
To an onlooker, Eden knew she probably looked as if she was doing nothing but sitting on the bed as Priscilla slowly worked her way through her meal, but, Eden knew exactly what she was doing; knew she had the best job in the world. Rose had trusted her enough to go down to the canteen and Priscilla was actually eating her dinner. They might not be cutting-edge science, but tonight she and Nick had hopefully made a difference, a huge difference, in a little girl’s life.
And Priscilla did very well!
Eden’s heart swelled with pride as finally the plate was if not clean then almost so. Priscilla had even had a small piece of the broccoli.
‘Well
