They had him secured. Harry was clipping handcuffs on Smiley’s wrists, but Alistair was no longer with him. He’d moved to Georgie’s side to see the damage. He felt sick. Oh, God, why hadn’t he stopped it? Why had she pushed him? She had her hand to her eyes. ‘Georgie …’
‘He hit me,’ she muttered.
‘Let me see.’
‘No.’ She sounded close to tears. Where a moment ago she had been a tight knot of pure aggression, she now sounded limp and defeated. ‘He hit me,’ she whispered.
‘What’s he done?’ Harry sounded anxious.
‘I’ll need X-rays,’ she whispered, and Harry’s face darkened as he turned back to the man he held.
‘Smiley Price, I’m arresting you for assault,’ Harry said. ‘You do not have to say anything but anything you say may be—’
‘I know my rights,’ Smiley yelled. ‘This is a set-up.
‘I didn’t see a set-up,’ Harry said grimly. ‘I saw you assaulting a doctor when she was discussing your wife’s medical treatment.’ He glanced across at Georgie. ‘Georg, let Alistair see your face.’
‘Take care of Thomas,’ Georgie whispered to Alistair. On the floor Thomas was considering his options. He’d been unceremoniously dumped. Until how he’d been silent, sleeping, mostly because he was badly dehydrated. But fluid had been flowing for maybe an hour now and he was starting to feel more like expressing himself.
He did. He opened his mouth and he roared.
‘That’s great,’ Georgie said, giving a weak smile. ‘Alistair, pick him up.’
He didn’t. He took Georgie’s hand and tugged it away from her face.
The punch hadn’t hit her eye, for which he was profoundly thankful. Instead, it had smashed into her cheekbone. The soft tissue was swelling while he watched, and the skin had split a little. A trickle of blood was inching down toward her neck.
‘You bastard,’ Harry said, twisting Smiley’s arm and dragging him toward the door. He nodded to Alistair. ‘I’ll need a witness statement from you. Get photographs. Not that we’ll need them.’ He was gripping Smiley’s arm in a hold that said he wasn’t going anywhere. ‘If you remember, mate, you’re already on a two-year suspended sentence for theft. With what you’ve done today they’ll throw away the key.’
‘Get him out of my sight,’ Georgie whispered, as Harry prodded him through the door, and then she roused. ‘And if I can find anything at all to charge you with, I will,’ she yelled after him. ‘Two years is just the beginning.’
The door closed after them.
They were left alone. Except for one screaming baby.
Georgie picked Thomas up before Alistair could stop her. She hugged him tight. The baby’s sobs stopped, just like that. Alistair lifted the drip stand and turned back to her. She was hugging the baby as if it was she who needed comfort.
Involuntarily his hands came out to take her shoulders. It was an instinctive gesture of comfort but she drew back as if his touch burned.
‘No.’
‘I’m sorry …’
‘No.’ She held her spare hand to her eyes for a moment as if things were more than she could face. Then she took a deep breath and another.
‘OK,’ she said, moving on. ‘Your bag’s over in the doctors’ quarters. You have the same room as you had last time you were here. Gina will be home about five. There’s food and drink in the kitchen. Have a swim. Make yourself at home.’
‘Your face needs attention.’
‘I’ll give it a wash later.’ She took a deep breath and tried to smile. ‘But wasn’t it fantastic? He’s been hitting Lizzie and the kids for years and she won’t press charges. She’s said she will now, and she might when she knows he’s going to jail anyway, but it’s no longer up to her. I’ll be doing the pressing of charges.’
‘You planned it,’ he said, stunned.
‘I knew about the suspended sentence,’ she admitted.
‘Are you mad? He could have blinded you.’
‘He didn’t. I’ve learned how to take a hit over the years. I was moving away as he struck. But I had to let him make contact.’
‘You’re crazy.’
‘And Smiley’s in jail. A good afternoon’s work, I reckon. Now … I need to sort out a carer for the kids. I need to contact welfare officers and the housing people. I’m moving so fast here Smiley won’t know what’s hit him. If you can—’
‘You let him hit you.’
‘Get over it.’
‘Of all the …’ Before she could stop him he’d lifted Thomas from her arms. He tugged the drip stand with him over to an examination trolley. Gently he laid the little one down. Thomas accepted the move with equanimity. Strange things were happening in his world, and he was learning early that fussing didn’t necessarily get him anywhere.
‘I don’t want him down,’ Georgie said, moving to pick him up again, but Alistair intercepted her.
‘I’ve done the triage, Dr Turner. Not before I’ve checked that eye.’
‘It’s fine.’
For answer he picked her up and sat her on the trolley next to Thomas. She opened her mouth to squeak a protest but he was already gently probing, checking bone structure, peering intently at her eye, looking for internal bleeding.
She was so slight. A diminutive woman with courage that would put men twice her size to shame. She submitted to his ministrations but he had the feeling she was simply humouring him.
‘No brain injury,’ she said, gently mocking. ‘Nothing here you’re interested in.’
Maybe not. But he was suddenly aware of what he’d felt six months ago. The feeling that had surfaced as he’d danced with her.
He’d thought she was a woman with morals somewhere below that of a guttersnipe.
Maybe he’d misjudged her …
‘What’s happening?’
It was Grace, bursting in to see what was happening. Appalled. ‘Georgie, you’re hurt. I just saw Harry taking Smiley away. He said—’
‘I’m fine,’ Georgie said.
‘But Harry said Smiley hit you.’ Grace sounded incredulous. ‘You let him hit you?’
‘I had to.’
‘She does karate,’ Grace said to Alistair. ‘She’s black belt. No man can get near her. Harry knew that or he’d
