breath as he leant his head on her chest, one low sob the only noise he made. His pain was palpable and she held him, held him for a time so small it was barely there, caught him as he went into freefall, tears spilling out of her eyes as she witnessed his agony.
‘I have to go to her…’
The tiny moment to process was over, replaced now with a blinding need to see Teaghan, to maybe put right a million wrongs, to do something, anything. He stood up, dragging a hand over his mouth, swallowing back the scream he was surely suppressing. His eyes again met hers, tortured eyes that begged for answers, begged her to take it all back, to somehow erase what she’d said. But all she could do was stare back helplessly, tears spilling down her cheeks as she felt his devastation. Then he was gone. His arm knocked a pile of papers off her desk in his haste to get to his fiancée, the chair toppled over as he dashed past it, he collided with the porter who was wheeling the linen trolley. His feet pounded as he ran down the corridor and Eden just stood there, white-faced and shaking, not moving until Brad Jenkins, the emergency consultant, appeared grim-faced at the door, taking in the chaos Nick had left in his wake.
‘You just missed him,’ Eden said, the words shivering out of her chattering lips. She braced herself to call the staff in, to tell the rest of her colleagues the terrible news. ‘He’s gone to be with Teaghan.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Eden hadn’t said it on that fateful day, but she said it now, turning troubled eyes to him. Here she was moaning about the roster, and the fact that she’d had to work last year as well. It suddenly seemed beyond petty, given all Nick had been through, given what had happened to Teaghan. ‘That was absolutely thoughtless of me,’ Eden apologised again, and Nick gave a small forgiving smile.
‘So why do you have to work this year?’
‘It doesn’t matter.’ Horribly embarrassed, cringing inside, Eden made to go, but again Nick halted her.
‘Let’s talk in here,’ he suggested, gesturing for her to go into his office, but Eden shook her head.
‘The nursing roster isn’t your problem, Nick. I was just letting off a bit of steam.’
‘Then let it off over a decent cup of coffee.’
He walked back into his office, clearly expecting Eden to follow, and for a moment she stood there, not quite sure she was up to an impromptu chat with Nick right now. Since Donna had dropped her bomb about the Christmas roster, Eden’s emotions had been bubbling dangerously close to the surface, and fifteen minutes alone with Nick was the last thing that was going to calm her down.
Nick was the main reason she had wanted Christmas off in the first place!
A week at home with her family, a week away from the city, a week of horse riding and clearing her mind, far away from the pressure cooker she found herself in whenever Nick was near.
‘Eden!’ Nick’s impatient voice snapped her attention back. She took a deep breath and headed into his office, determined not to let him glimpse the effect he had on her.
Nick Watson’s ego was already big enough, without another boost.
‘Still take sugar?’ Nick asked, not looking up.
‘Please.’ Perching herself on a chair, Eden forced a smile as Nick handed her a coffee, pleased that her hands were steady as she took the cup. ‘I really am sorry about what I said…’
‘Don’t worry.’ Nick waved a hand as he sat down. ‘I’m OK.’
‘You’re sure?’ Eden checked, but she wasn’t just talking about her little faux pas earlier. ‘This time of year must be awful for you.’
‘Actually, no.’ Nick shook his head. ‘I’m too busy to even start feeling sorry for myself. There’s too many parties and dinners and, of course—’
‘Women,’ Eden finished for him with a slight edge to her voice, which she quickly fought to check.
‘I was about to say work.’ Nick grinned. ‘But now you mention it…! Anyway, enough about my social life. How come they’re making you work over Christmas again? I thought the ward policy was one year on, one year off.’
‘It was,’ Eden sighed, ‘until Ruth went off on early maternity leave. Apparently her blood pressure’s high.’
‘Apparently?’ Nick raised an eyebrow, picking up the tiny note of cynicism and Eden winced.
‘That sounded so bitchy, didn’t it? But I’ve guessed for months that she wasn’t going to make it to Christmas, especially given the fact that she was down to work night shifts on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. Donna called us all into the office earlier and asked for volunteers to take Ruth’s shifts.’
‘I’m assuming you didn’t put your hand up.’
‘No!’ Eden took a sip of her coffee before she continued, ‘No one did. And then it started.’
‘What started?’
‘“Timmy’s only two” or “It’s Jamie’s first Christmas”. Even Becky, who’s supposed to be my friend, chimed in that it’s “Conner’s last Christmas while he still believes in Santa”.’ Nick grinned as she mimicked her various colleagues’ voices and a tiny smile wobbled on Eden’s lips. ‘I don’t have a defence, given that I’m a paediatric nurse on a paediatric ward, I, of all people, should understand that children want their mums to be there on Christmas morning so Donna asked if I’d mind working it.’
‘You could have said no,’ Nick pointed out, and then laughed. ‘Hell, Eden, why didn’t you just say that you weren’t prepared to do it? Why can’t you just say no to Donna?’
‘I tried!’ Eden wailed.
‘How?’
‘I pointed out that if I work a night shift on Christmas Eve I can hardly be expected to drive to Coffs Harbour on Christmas morning unless they want me to doze off at the…’ Her voice trailed off again as the conversation tipped where it shouldn’t. ‘Last year my dad drove all the way down to Sydney and stayed at my flat overnight just so that I could be with my family on Christmas Day, but it was just too much for him. It’s a six-hour drive after all—it was actually too much for me as well. We both ended up sound asleep for the best part of the day—just about missed Christmas altogether. I can’t ask him to do it again this year.’
‘What about your flatmate, Jim?’ he asked. ‘What’s he doing for Christmas?’
‘He’s going to Queensland for the Christmas break. Actually, he’s been trying to persuade me to come with him and his friend. Maybe I should tell Donna that I’m going to be away and take him up on it. ‘
‘Maybe you should.’
Eden pulled a face. ‘I don’t think so. There’s only so much damage one’s liver can take. As much beer and barbequed prawns as you can stomach isn’t really my idea of Christmas.’
‘You can’t be on your own.’ Nick shook his head, but Eden just gave a wry smile.
‘Believe me, Nick, I’d rather be. I’ve already had about three invites for Christmas dinner from my guilty colleagues…’
