son is arriving today. I did mention that he would be joining the practice?’
‘Several times.’ Relieved that he’d changed the subject, Lucy hooked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and hid a smile. Richard’s pride in his youngest son was obvious to all. ‘I can’t believe all three of your sons are doctors.’
‘And they’ve all descended on my practice!’ Richard pulled a sorrowful face but Lucy knew that it was just for show. The Whittakers were closer than any family she’d ever met, and even in the brief time that she’d worked for them she’d seen that having a family practice worked well. Michael and Nick, the two sons she’d been working with for the past month, were both skilled doctors and clearly respected each other. There was none of the rivalry and pettiness that was reputed to taint other practices.
‘So when does your youngest son start officially?’
‘As soon as he sets foot inside the door,’ Richard said dryly. ‘We’re rushed off our feet, as you know. He’s arriving just in time for the flu season. Anyway, I’ll introduce you as soon as he arrives because he’ll be doing quite a few of the clinics with you. What are you doing at lunchtime? Are you around?’
Lucy hesitated, not sure whether to confess or not. ‘Actually, I’m going to see Ivy Williams,’ she said finally, honesty prevailing, as always. ‘I’m really worried about her. I saw her last week to dress her leg and she was very quiet. People keep telling me that since Bert died a month ago she’s barely left the house.’
That was the advantage of a small community, she reflected. There was always someone who was going to notice that you were in trouble.
‘Ivy?’ Richard’s face softened but his eyes were concerned. ‘That’s kind of you, but don’t get too involved, Lucy. You can’t solve everyone’s problems.’
‘I know that,’ Lucy said, her green eyes gentle and kind. ‘But she’s lost her partner and she must be so lost and lonely…’
And she knew only too well how that felt.
‘Well, let me know how she is,’ Richard said, walking towards the door and giving her a smile. ‘You’re a kind girl, Lucy, and we’re lucky to have you.’
But nowhere near as lucky as she was to have them.
Lucy watched Richard go and then grabbed her coat and made her way across the car park, noticing with relief that someone had sprinkled grit on the surface. Just as well, she reflected, shivering as the cold air numbed her cheeks and fingers, otherwise all their patients would be slipping and sliding and breaking bones before they reached the surgery.
Even for early January it was bitterly cold, and she blew on her hands to warm them and forced her mind back to her work.
What was she going to do about Ivy? She was truly worried about her, rattling around in that big house on her own.
The problem nagged her brain as she drove carefully along the coast road, and she was still thinking about it when she heard a hideous squeal of tyres followed by a sickening crash.
What…?
Instinctively she pumped her brake pedal, slowing her car gradually as she approached the bend in the road.
There’d been an accident.
She rounded the corner, her heart racing as she braced herself for what she might see.
Her fingers tightened on the wheel and she started to shake as she saw the twisted wreckage of a car embedded in a tree. And then she saw the motorbike.
‘Oh, no…’
Her heart thumping uncontrollably, she pulled her car over onto the grass verge, put on her hazard warning lights and sprinted across to the wreckage. The front of the car was badly mangled, and next to it lay a pile of twisted metal that had once been a motorbike. She was shaking with reaction as she looked frantically for the rider.
Where was he?
She muttered a denial as she finally located his body metres away in the grass. How could he possibly have survived?
Staring in horror at his still body, she felt panic numb her brain and for precious seconds she stood frozen, unable to move a muscle. But then the cold winter air flowed under her coat, bringing her to her senses.
After the sickening noise of the crash the air was still and silent, and it was as if she were the only person in the whole world.
But fortunately she wasn’t.
Sounds of a car approaching cut through the frozen silence and Lucy waved her arms frantically as it appeared round the bend.
The car slowed and then came to a halt and a young couple climbed out, picking their way along the icy road
Seeing the danger immediately, Lucy sprinted towards them, her feet slipping on the frozen tarmac. ‘Reverse your car!’
The man looked at her blankly and the woman just stared in horror at the mangled motorbike, her hand over her mouth.
Lucy gestured towards the road. ‘This is a blind bend,’ she said urgently, ‘And there are obviously patches of black ice. If anyone else comes round here too fast there’ll be another accident. Reverse your car and put the hazard warning lights on so that people will see you and slow down.’
‘Gotcha.’ The young man suddenly seemed to pull himself together and dashed back to do as Lucy had ordered.
Aware that the next priority was to summon help, she pulled her mobile phone out of her pocket and rammed it into the young woman’s hand.
‘We need to get some help fast. Take a deep breath,’ Lucy ordered firmly, hoping she sounded more in control than she felt. ‘I’m a nurse and I’ll deal with the accident, but I need you to call 999. Can you do that? Give them our location and tell them that there’s a car and a motorbike involved.’
The woman nodded mutely and Lucy gave her shoulder a squeeze.
‘Good. Quickly, then…’
Feeling slightly better, knowing that help would soon be on the way, she ran back towards the car, hoping that she wouldn’t have to hold the fort by herself for long.
One glance into the car showed her that there was just the driver and one passenger.
‘Tell them two in the car,’ she yelled over her shoulder, hoping that the young woman had managed to contact the ambulance service.
Although the doors had been jammed in the crash, she managed to shout through the windows.
‘Get us out! Get us out!’ The woman was clawing frantically at the door and Lucy glanced over her shoulder to the still figure of the motorcyclist, trying to remember what she’d learned about triage. Surely he had to be her priority. The two in the car were conscious. Or was he beyond help? In which case, she needed to rescue the two in the car.
With a whimper of panic she turned back to the couple in the car and gestured to the sun roof, suggesting that they try and open it. Then she turned her attention to the motorcyclist.
She
