defensive people become whenever managers arrive on the scene, isn’t it? And it’s totally unnecessary, you know—after all, we’re all in this together, aren’t we, working for the greater good of the hospital? I have a job to do, but it doesn’t have to put us at odds with one another.’
‘Doesn’t it?’ He appeared sceptical. ‘Perhaps you aren’t aware that your reputation has gone before you? We’ve all heard how you wielded the axe at your last hospital. There were job cuts and ward closures.’
She sent him a quick look, her grey eyes troubled. ‘Sometimes, no matter how you try to preserve what’s already in place, it becomes impossible in the end, if budget restrictions are too tight. But in all fairness to me, I did manage to keep the department open, I kept the job losses down to natural wastage, and I put new measures in place so that some patients could be tended to elsewhere.’
‘You didn’t stay around, though, did you, once your job was done?’ His blue gaze was flint sharp. ‘Was that because you found the atmosphere suddenly less friendly?’
The attack was swift and unexpected and Alex felt a knot tighten in her stomach. ‘I left for personal reasons,’ she said, a catch in her voice. ‘It was nothing to do with the job. My circumstances changed, and my contract had come to an end anyway. I chose not to renew it.’ Even the memory of that time, when she had first heard about her brother’s accident, was enough to make the blood drain from her face.
He studied her thoughtfully, and perhaps he realised that he had touched a nerve, because he said softly, ‘I’m sorry. That was uncalled-for on my part. Put it down to tension, if you will. We’re all a little on edge here, uncertain about what the future holds for us and for the department. Of course, you were just doing your job.’
He laid a hand lightly on her elbow. ‘Perhaps I should take you along to the doctors’ lounge and offer you a cup of coffee? It was thoughtless of me not to suggest it before. It’s just that your arrival threw me off balance for a minute or two. We weren’t expecting you until later this morning.’
‘No, I realise that…but I thought it would be as well to come in early and get the feel of the place.’
‘I expect I would have done the same,’ he said, leading the way along the corridor to the lounge. ‘I think you’ll like it here. Everyone’s very friendly, and we work well together for the most part. The only real problem is the one that faces all hospital trusts. We’re struggling with budget deficits and the department is under threat of being closed down. Dr Langton, the chief executive, has been warning us that it’s a possibility.’
Alex frowned as they entered the room. ‘I was appointed by the board to try to make sure that doesn’t happen.’
His mouth made a wry twist. ‘Well, let’s hope you can work wonders. It’s a difficult job you’ve taken on, and in some ways management can turn out to be a poisoned chalice. Not many would want to do it.’
‘I suppose not.’ She was thoughtful for a moment or two. ‘But in all the years I’ve worked as a doctor, I’ve come across things that aren’t working as well as they should, and over time I began to think that perhaps if I went into management, I might be able to make a difference.’
‘You’ve obviously put a lot of thought into it. For myself, I prefer hands-on medicine one hundred per cent of the time.’
‘And I’m sure that must be the reason you’ve done so well for yourself. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you, from the occasional article in the press and the medical journals, as well as from Dr Langton. You’ve been at Oakdale for some time, haven’t you?’
‘Yes, for several years. I came here originally as a registrar and then I was offered the post of consultant. I love it here…it’s like a home from home for me.’ He grinned. ‘Mind you, I think medicine’s in my blood. It’s been there ever since I was a child, pretending to be an army surgeon to my wounded toy soldiers.’
She laughed softly, trying to imagine him as a youngster. ‘I can see you in my mind’s eye,’ she said, ‘bandaging your action figures. Though I expect most boys wouldn’t bother too much with those who’d been invalided out.’ Still, even James had made a crutch for a toy soldier that had lost its plastic leg, painstakingly taping the wooden stick to its hand.
He made a wry smile. ‘Maybe not.’ He went over to the coffee machine to one side of the room and poured hot liquid into two mugs. ‘Do you take milk and sugar?’ he asked, and she nodded.
‘Both, thanks.’ She sniffed the air appreciatively. ‘That smells good.’
He nodded. ‘It’s one thing I look forward to around here. Decent coffee.’ He waved her to a chair. ‘Have a seat and make yourself comfortable.’ He came to sit close to her and swallowed his coffee, savouring the taste and taking a moment to relax. ‘So, tell me about yourself,’ he said quietly, his glance moving over her and coming to rest briefly on the smooth shapeliness of her long legs. ‘From what I heard, you’ve moved here from Herefordshire? I suppose that means this job must have had some special appeal for you?’
‘I thought it would give me the best of both worlds, the chance to work in paediatric emergency, which is what I like doing best—it’s what I specialised in—and at the same time it allows me to take on a managerial role.’ She clasped her cup in both hands, feeling the comforting warmth spread slowly through her. ‘But the main reason I’m here is because I have family who have settled in Somerset.’
‘Your parents?’
She shook her head. ‘My brother and his family. My parents do have a home here, but they’re away at the moment, because of my father’s job. He’s a troubleshooter for an oil company, so he tends to travel a lot.’
He gave a brief smile. ‘That’s something we have in common, then. My parents have always travelled far and wide, as far back as I can remember.’ A fleeting sadness came into his eyes and she studied him thoughtfully for a moment or two. Had that been a problem for him?
‘Perhaps I’ve been lucky,’ she murmured. ‘My parents were always there for me while I was growing up. It was only when I started work as a doctor that they began to travel further afield.’ She would have liked to ask him about his family, but something warned her that this might be the wrong time to do that. She didn’t want to blunder into areas that might cause problems, especially on her first day. Perhaps when she knew him a little better.
‘It must have been difficult for you, uprooting yourself,’ he said. ‘Did you manage to find a place of your own, or are you renting while you look around?’
‘I thought about renting. Back in Herefordshire I’d taken out a lease on a flat, but it ran out—another reason why it seemed feasible to make the move to Somerset. I planned to do the same down here, but then I saw this big, old house on the market, going for a song, and I decided to snap it up. It was purely an impulsive action—not like me at all, but something about it appealed to me. Of course, the reason it was going so cheap is because it needs a lot of work…’ She pulled a face. ‘And the owner wanted a quick sale.’
‘But things are working out fairly well for you, overall?’
She nodded. ‘I think so. I hope so.’ She drank her coffee and looked around. ‘As I see it right now, though, my biggest challenge is going to be this job. According to Dr Langton, the hospital is deep in debt and the accident and emergency department is at risk. I want to do all I can to keep it safe, but it means
