THIRTEEN
‘DO ME A FAVOUR …’
There was more than a hint of flirtatiousness about the tone of the request, but Tom Riley knew that Dr Helen Kowalski’s designs on his person were far from recreational. A Sunday afternoon, a doctor at a loose end and a phone call from a busy A and E department added up to only one thing.
‘You want me to come down and see someone?’
‘If you’re not busy on the ward. We’ve got a kid here who’s driving everyone crazy.’
‘And since he’s under sixteen, you thought you might pass him on to me.’ Tom smirked into the phone. ‘Because awkward customers are my speciality.’
Helen snorted with laughter. ‘I could say something about it taking one to know how to deal with one.’
‘If you do, I’m going home. I’m not even supposed to be at work today.’
‘Get down here, Tom.’ A crash sounded from somewhere in the background and Helen muttered a curse. ‘Please …’
‘I’m already on my way.’
The source of all the trouble turned out to be eight years old, with a shock of red hair. He was sitting on the bed in one of the cubicles, swinging his legs. Tom gave him a wide berth to avoid being kicked, and smiled at the woman sitting next to him.
‘I’m Dr Tom …’ He winced, stepping back as he realised that he’d underestimated the reach of the boy’s flailing feet.
‘I’m so sorry … Adrian, please don’t do that, you’ll hurt someone.’ It looked as if Adrian’s companion had come straight from some half-completed DIY project, with her dark hair fastened at the back of her head and bound with a scarf. Paint-stained overalls had been slipped from her shoulders, with the sleeves tied around her waist, to reveal a Fair Isle sweater with a darn at one elbow.
‘No harm done.’ Tom dismissed the urge to rub his leg where Adrian had kicked him. ‘What brings you here?’
When she looked up at him, it registered that she had violet eyes. Whatever had brought her here seemed suddenly unimportant.
‘It’s Adrian.’ She turned wearily to the boy, laying her free hand on one flailing leg in an attempt to restrain him. Tom noticed that the other was held fast in Adrian’s own hand. ‘He’s hit his head. There’s a lump.’
‘Okay.’ Tom wondered whether Adrian was usually this badly behaved. ‘Anything else? Any change in his demeanour?’
Her wry smile was directed at the boy, who promptly stopped kicking his feet. ‘He always has plenty of energy.’
That was one way of putting it. ‘So what happened?’
‘I was up a ladder and Adrian was playing. He brushed against the ladder and we both ended up on the floor. He banged his head, so I thought it was best to bring him here and get him checked over.’
She tipped her face back towards Tom, raking him with her gaze. He could almost feel it caress his face, before she looked away.
‘You weren’t hurt?’ Instinct told him that Adrian had probably careened straight into the ladder, rather than merely brushing against it. And the stiff way that she moved told him that Adrian wasn’t the only one who should see a doctor.
‘I’m fine.’ She couldn’t even meet his querying look. ‘Adrian, don’t do that, please.’
Tom focussed his attention back on the boy and saw that he had started to meticulously shred the paper cover that had been laid over the top of the bed. First things first. ‘Right, young man. Let’s take a look at that head of yours.’
Adrian’s freckled face and red hair seemed to flame. He clutched fiercely at the woman, and she winced. Tom backed off. Experience had told him that it was always good to listen to adults, but that you learnt a great deal more by looking at a child.
Pulling a chair away from the bed a little, he sat down, leaning back and folding his arms. Now that there was no imminent danger of being wrestled from the grip of his companion, Adrian calmed, regarding him steadily.
‘All right, Adrian.’ Tom stretched his legs out in front of him, as if he had all the time in the world. ‘How are we going to do this?’
This doctor was a dream. Cori had known that taking Adrian to A and E was going to be a challenge, but he needed to be examined by a doctor, and on a Sunday afternoon there wasn’t a great deal of choice but to join the queue and try to reassure him and keep him calm. The loud farting noises that he had made in the waiting room had ensured a circle of empty chairs around them, and the woman doctor that Adrian had seen at first had been kind and efficient but clearly too busy to give him the time he needed.
She hadn’t caught this doctor’s second name, and perhaps he hadn’t given it. He wasn’t wearing a name badge like the other staff in A and E, but more importantly he’d had the time and the inclination to sit back and let Adrian dictate the pace. He’d explained everything that he was about to do, and nodded when Cori had added the piece of information that she knew Adrian needed to hear. He’d be going home with her, as soon as they were finished here.
The man was blond and blue-eyed, but gifted with enough hard edges to indicate that he was probably no angel. He hadn’t tried to part her and Adrian either, but had somehow contrived to examine Adrian while he’d still clung to her. When his fingers had accidentally brushed her cheek, she’d forgotten the pain in her hip and shoulder and had felt herself automatically relax.
‘Right, then, Adrian.’ Tom grinned. ‘I’m officially giving you a clean bill of health. That means you can go home with your …’ His gaze flipped questioningly towards Cori.
‘Sister.’ She volunteered the closest description she could manage without a lengthy explanation.
He nodded gravely, clearly taking a shot at estimating the eighteen-year difference between Adrian’s age and hers. ‘Right. Your sister.’
Perhaps he’d come to the conclusion that they came from a large family, which was close enough to the truth. Cori nudged Adrian, who was now beaming at Tom.
‘Thank you,’ Adrian responded to her prompt, and Tom smiled again. He had a nice smile, which came packaged up with a small nod, as if he was sharing a secret. Cori reminded herself that, whatever the conspiracy was, it was probably between him and Adrian and not her.
‘You’re very
