you know the rules about coming in—’
‘If I feel sick and my temperature goes over 38 degrees. But it’s come down, hasn’t it, Jo? When can I go home?’
Richard looked at the chart. Her temperature had steadily and rapidly decreased since she’d commenced antibiotics and the last reading was just above normal.
Joanna looked at him for confirmation, with those huge brown eyes that he used to be able to read like a book. Not now, though. The window to her thoughts had the shutters jammed closed.
‘You’re right. It was close to normal when night staff checked an hour ago. It’s all good news but I need to examine you.’ He glanced at Kerry for approval and she nodded.
After checking Cassie’s pulse, throat, ears and chest, the only thing he could find was a slightly inflamed throat, consistent with a viral infection.
‘She’s had a sputum and urine sent off?’ he asked Lynne, but Joanna answered.
‘And blood cultures. We should get microscopy back today but culture probably won’t be until tomorrow.’
‘Okay. Things are looking good, young lady, but we have to be sure we’re giving you the right antibiotics. We’ll get some results back today, including your blood count, but I’d like you to stay in until tomorrow when we’ll have all the tests back and can be absolutely sure you’re on the mend.’
Cassie frowned and her mother had a look of resignation as if she was expecting it. Neither spoke.
‘I’ll come and tell you the results as soon as they come through,’ he added. ‘And you can be moved to the main ward.’
‘Thank you, Dr Howell.’ It was Cassie’s mother who spoke.
‘Okay. And if you have any problems, I’m happy to see you and talk, answer any questions you might have.’
Lynne headed towards the door, a not-so-subtle indication she thought they’d spent long enough with their first patient, but Cassie had hold of Joanna’s hand and was pulling her close. She made an attempt to whisper but it was obvious the girl wanted Richard to hear every word of what she was confiding to the nurse.
‘You’re right, Jo,’ she said in a loud whisper. ‘He is gorgeous, and much nicer than Dr Price.’
Richard couldn’t help the tiniest smile that twitched on his lips.
Joanna had described him as gorgeous!
Certainly not a word he would use but it was the first glimmer of hope that the rock-hard shell she’d built to shield her emotions from him before they’d finally split up might have weakened with the passage of time.
‘Sorry about that,’ she said, averting her eyes and seeming to lose all composure. He couldn’t work her out—confident and efficient one minute, quiet and uncertain the next. But he had little time to ponder her behaviour further.
‘Where to now?’ he asked, and dutifully followed Lynne as she introduced him to the rest of the patients and their relatives. Though it took nearly two hours to complete, he appreciated the sense of not being hurried, of being able to take the time needed to answer parents’ questions and get to know the children, their problems and fears as well as their interests and pleasures.
And Joanna always seemed to know the right thing to say, to break the ice with a taciturn parent, persuade a retiring child to open up or a frightened teenager to express what they really felt. Richard was impressed. It was definitely two hours well spent.
When they’d finished seeing the last patient, a baby with an adrenal neuroblastoma recovering from surgery, Lynne excused herself, saying she had some administrative work to do before a teaching commitment with the student nurses.
‘If you could take an early tea break, Joanna, can you take charge while I’m away?’
‘No problem.’ Joanna tidied the folders on the trolley. ‘Is there anything else I can do for you, Dr Howell?’ she said politely.
Yes, there was, and he decided to risk asking.
‘Can I join you for your break, Sister Raven?’
Her eyebrows shot up at his use of her maiden name and the tormented look in her eyes asked why. The truth was he wanted to spend more time with her, alone, away from the distractions of the ward. He wanted to find out how she felt about him, but he certainly wasn’t about to admit his motives.
‘All right. I’ll be ready in about five minutes.’ Then she quickly walked away.
He stood watching till she was out of sight.
CHAPTER TWO
THE ward round with Richard had been an ordeal and Joanna knew she should have had more control. But she’d felt self-conscious. For no logical reason, she’d thought she had to prove she was a capable nurse; to show the man she had once been so dependent on that she’d managed to do something worthwhile with her life, something that didn’t hinge on her being the perfect wife and mother.
On reflection she realised she’d been trying too hard. That realisation hadn’t stopped her going into panic mode when he’d asked to accompany her on her break.
After the ward round finished she headed to the ladies’ and glanced at the mirror. She looked no better or worse than usual but needed a moment to herself before going back. She took a couple of deep breaths.
A moment later, Tracey burst in and looked at her curiously.
‘Are you all right? You look a bit flushed.’
‘I’m fine. I worked a few extra hours yesterday and I feel tired, that’s all.’
Without expecting a reply, Joanna left the restroom and hurried back to the main part of the ward, not wanting to keep Richard waiting. As she rounded the corner she saw him leaning up against the counter, all long legs, broad shoulders and sandy-coloured hair that seemed to have a mission to create its own style. He was deep in conversation with the pharmacist and looked up when she arrived.
‘I won’t be a minute,’ he said with a friendly smile and then resumed his conversation.
How could he be so blasé when her emotions were in such turmoil?
She busied herself by checking through a bundle of test results that had recently arrived.
‘Are you ready?’ He stood looking over her shoulder and she could feel his warm breath on her neck. As she straightened up and turned he paused for a moment, dangerously close to her, eyes searching hers as if for the answer to an unspoken question, before he stepped back.
‘You can finish what you’re doing. I don’t mind.’
‘No, it can wait. I have to be back by ten because Lynne has—’
‘A teaching session,’ he interrupted with a smile. ‘Where were you planning to go on your break?’
‘To the canteen, if that’s okay with you?’
