said as he edged off the bed and, pulling the covers up to Bryce’s ears, he ruffled his thick black hair.
Bryce giggled. ‘I hope she cooks pancakes.’
‘I do too,’ Harrison said as he kissed his son’s forehead, turned off the light and walked quietly from the room, safe in the knowledge that Bryce was right where he needed to be...and nothing and no one would ever put that at risk again.
* * *
The alarm clock ensured Jessica woke on time and found her underwear had dried on the coat hanger she had hung on the shower rail. The house had remained toasty warm overnight and she felt unusually relaxed as she lay under the warm covers surveying the room in the daylight that was creeping through the gaps in the heavy curtains. The walls were a very pale blush, so pale that she hadn’t even noticed the night before and had thought it to be cream, but now she could see the hint of colour. It was also in the bedspread and the throw cushions that Jessica had placed on the armchair the night before. There were two framed prints, both of birds, and the furniture was made of oak, including the bedhead.
For a rental, it was quite lovely, she thought as she climbed from under the covers. She could have slept in a little longer as she had over an hour before she was due at the hospital but, as always, she wanted to arrive early. She also wanted to call the airport and remind them to send her bags to the hospital the moment the plane touched down, so she could change into something more suitable as soon as possible.
A quick shower and an equally quick breakfast of oats with blue gum honey and a cup of tea followed by an equally quick phone call to the airport saw Jessica lock the front door of her home thirty minutes later. She had checked directions on her phone the night before. When she rented the house, she was made aware that it was less than ten minutes from the hospital. But then in a town the size of Armidale most homes were only that distance from where the hospital was located.
As she stepped outside into the cold morning she couldn’t help but notice the scent of the country air envelop her. It stopped her in her tracks for the briefest moment. The perfume from the large eucalyptus tree in the neighbouring yard travelled on the chilly breeze. There was no smog, no smell of heavy early morning traffic or industry. The fresh, naturally scented air was one of life’s simple pleasures that she hadn’t realised she had been missing.
Until that moment.
She wondered if there was anything else that this country town might remind her that she had been missing. A year of relatively short-term placements arranged by a national medical locum agency was beginning to grow old for Jessica, but she was scared to stop. Scared to consider other options. A sense of safety came from having the decision of what to do next made by a third party. And the security that came from not forming relationships, other than with colleagues, sat well with Jessica. While there was a sense of emptiness that couldn’t be ignored, she decided that was better than the pain of heartache that came from getting close and having it fall apart.
Moments later as she drove along, with a little nervousness stirring in her stomach as it tended to on the first day in a new role, she tried to avoid looking down at her clothes. She cringed as she caught sight of her jeans, sweater and grey and lime-green runners and prayed her bags would arrive from Sydney that morning as promised.
* * *
‘I’m Errol Langridge. It’s so lovely to meet you, Dr Ayers, and, speaking on behalf of the Board of the Armidale Regional Memorial Hospital, we’re thrilled to have you on staff, albeit for a short time.’ The older, impeccably dressed man shook Jessica’s hand gently but for the longest time. His clothing had a country feel in the blue and white check shirt and chambray trousers but the quality of both was evident. And the sincerity of his words shone through the smile in his pale blue eyes. ‘Quite a coup for us, if I do say so myself. Not often that we have a temporary position filled by someone as experienced as yourself. Short contracts are usually taken up by those straight out of medical school.’
‘I’m very happy to be here, Professor Langridge,’ Jessica replied, well aware of the status of the older doctor. She had noted his title on the letter he had sent to her when she’d accepted the role. ‘And please, Jessica is fine by me.’
‘And you must use Errol. Equality for both sexes, plus it makes me feel less than my sixty-eight years if you use my first name.’
‘Then Errol it is.’
The Professor smiled a half smile before his expression became serious with the sudden sound of an impending ambulance. The main doors of the hospital opened just as the vehicle pulled into the bay and the sound carried into the foyer. He motioned for Jessica to follow him down the corridor. His steps were fast and purposeful as he turned his head slightly to speak over his shoulder to her.
‘I think now is as good a time as any to visit the ER. You’ll see our staff doing what they do best. And, once the commotion subsides, I’ll introduce you to our Head of ER, Harrison Wainwright. You’ll be working closely with him, no doubt, as many of our paediatric patients are admitted from there. He’s been at the hospital for so long he’s almost an institution, although he’s still the good side of forty, unlike most of us in senior roles. He’s a tough taskmaster but it works for most; besides, we can’t seem to get rid of him anyway.’
Jessica’s eyes widened and her mouth drew tight as she quickly caught up with the older man. She hoped it would work for her too. Working alongside a man with an attitude was not on her wish list, particularly one they couldn’t get rid of, perhaps due to his connections or watertight contract. She suddenly felt her stomach churn again. Paediatrics was a long way from ER and hopefully their paths would not cross too often during the six weeks.
Without taking a breath, the Professor continued as his eyes wrinkled in laughter, ‘You must forgive my sense of humour or, as my wife says, my bad taste in jokes. We are eternally grateful that he’s never indicated he wants to leave us. He actually grew up around this part of the world and we’re glad he returned. The hospital couldn’t function without him. He’s brilliant and I can’t praise him enough and the medical students and patients love him. The nurses do too, but for very different reasons, I’m sure.’
Jessica wasn’t quite sure how to take the Professor’s conflicting character reference for her colleague as she followed him into the Emergency Department. While he’d quelled her concerns on one hand, she certainly didn’t want to go near the reason the nurses loved the man.
A stretcher suddenly rushed past them, making Jessica draw in her breath as if that would give them more room. It was a silly reaction and made no sense to her, particularly as a doctor accustomed to the Emergency Department of a great number of hospitals, but not much had made sense in the last few days. The first patient, a young woman, had been immobilised with a cervical collar, so a neck injury had clearly been suspected by the paramedics, and her right leg was in a splint; by her appearance, Jessica assumed she was a teenager. She stepped back again quickly as a second barouche approached them.
‘Motor vehicle accident,’ the paramedic began as they wheeled the patients into bays opposite each other as directed by the nursing staff. ‘Two passengers. Female suspected spinal cord injury, broken ankle and minor lacerations. Male with lacerations to hand and forehead. No other visible or apparent injury.’
The second accompanying young male patient had a bandage to his head but he was alert and firing questions at everyone. His hand was also bandaged but other than that he appeared unscathed by whatever incident had occurred. A female paramedic attempted to calm and comfort him but it appeared to be to no avail. Quickly the medical team approached and an immediate handover ensued. The second patient was assigned two nurses and a young doctor, whom she suspected
