up by Jack Carter. And he would mess it up.
His reputation preceded him.
And she had her family to think of.
OVER THE FOLLOWING days Nina avoided Jack. She didn’t return his calls and when he stopped her in the corridor one lunchtime and asked if she wanted to go out that night, she gave a vague reason as to why she couldn’t, was polite and smiled and then quickly moved on.
Unused to being rebuffed, Jack didn’t like it one bit.
Still, even if he had to face her in a few moments, right now there were more important things on his mind. Jack, Alex and the oncologist Terence were going over the planned course of treatment before speaking with Mike, and on one thing Alex remained resolute.
‘I want it made clear to the father that there are no guarantees. I don’t want him to be given false hope. Really, we’re just trying to buy Tommy some more time here, because even if the chemo does shrink it, I don’t know that surgery will be an option. It would be incredibly risky—most surgeons wouldn’t touch it.’
‘But you take on patients that others wouldn’t,’ Jack pointed out. ‘That’s why Angel’s needs you.’
They stopped the discussion as there was a knock on the door, but Jack knew full well what was getting to Alex. Still, he wasn’t going to discuss it in front of Terence, and now the oncology nurse had arrived to sit in on the discussion with Mike.
‘The father’s outside with the case worker,’ Gina said.
‘Okay.’ Jack nodded. ‘Tell them to come in.’
Nina didn’t blush when she saw him, Jack noted, and, yes, her coolness towards him was grating, her dismissal when he called or spoke to her seriously irked him—perhaps because he wasn’t in the least used to it. Still, right now the focus of the meeting was Tommy and his father and preparing them for the difficult months ahead.
‘It’s basically a marathon that we’re asking you to run,’ Terence explained. ‘It’s an aggressive tumour and we’re hoping to reduce it, but it’s not going to be easy …’
‘We’re up for it,’ Mike insisted.
‘We need you fully on board,’ Terence reiterated a little while later, because Mike just kept nodding at what ever was said. ‘Any bruising or bleeding, a raised temperature, even a cold and Tommy is to be seen urgently.’
‘Of course.’ Mike sounded annoyed and it was then that Jack cut in.
‘You need to listen to this carefully.’ Jack was firm. ‘Last week you were hiding Tommy’s injuries from the hospital.’
‘I didn’t know what was happening,’ Mike admitted. ‘I thought you were out to take him away from me.’
‘Well, we’re not,’ Jack said. ‘Tommy needs you now more than ever, but we are all going to have to start trusting each other and being honest each with each other, and I’m telling you straight up that I will not accept any outbursts with my staff like the one I witnessed last week, no matter how emotional things get.’
‘There won’t be any more outbursts,’ Mike said, and he looked at Nina. ‘I’ve apologised to Nina, and I apologise again.’
‘Mike’s going to do the men’s anger and emotion course that the pro bono centre runs,’ Nina said. ‘Aside from what happened in Emergency, I think it will be very helpful for Mike to have that resource in the months ahead.’
And on the meeting went. Terence had to get back to the ward but Mike had more questions.
‘But if the chemo works, surgery might get rid of it.’
‘It’s a possible option,’ Alex said carefully, ‘but the lesion is in an exceptionally difficult location.’
‘Have you done surgery like this before?’
‘I’ve done similar,’ Alex said, and Jack stepped in.
‘Each case is unique.’ He was as calm as always, Nina noted, and, she conceded, sometimes it was a good thing, because the emotion in the room was palpable. ‘Each case is continually assessed. We’ll know more once we see how Tommy responds to the chemotherapy.’
‘But—’
‘We’re going to do our best for your son,’ Jack said, ‘but it would be wrong of us to say that this is a straightforward case—it’s incredibly complicated. However, you do have the best team and the best resources available to your son. That much I can guarantee you.’
Mike nodded, stood when Alex did and shook his hand.
‘Right.’ Nina stood too once Alex had left. ‘I’ll take you up to the oncology ward and show you around.’
‘I can do that,’ Gina said. ‘I’m going there now and I want to go over some of the side effects of the medication with dad.’ She smiled at Mike. ‘It will be good for Tommy if you’re already familiar with the place when we bring him over.’
Which left Nina alone with Jack.
‘You’ve been avoiding me.’
‘I haven’t,’ Nina lied. ‘I’ve just been busy.’
‘Well, after work tonight …’
‘I’m working at the pro bono centre,’ Nina said quickly.
‘If you’d let me finish,’ Jack said, ‘I was going to ask if I could speak with you after work about the pro bono centre—I was hoping to find out some more about it.’
Liar, Nina thought, but she was in no position to refuse him. Someone with Jack’s skills would be an amazing coup for the pro bono centre, but she didn’t like being manipulated and certainly she wasn’t going to go through another dinner with him, or another kiss goodnight, because she knew full well what might happen. So she smiled sweetly back at him, played along with his game, but on her terms.
‘Come and watch tonight,’ Nina said. ‘I’m running a clinic—it might give you a feel for the place.’
‘Great!’ Jack grinned through gritted teeth, because he’d been hoping to discuss things over a nice bottle of champagne. ‘I’ll pick you up—’
‘I’ll meet you there,’ Nina broke in. ‘My clinic starts at seven.’
‘See you there then!’ Jack said. ‘What time does it finish?’
‘About nine, nine-thirty.’
His smile only left his face when she was out of the office. A night at some pro bono centre was something he so did not need, but it would be worth it, Jack decided.
He’d have her in bed by ten.
She
