dangerous to the health as the finest chocolate. Chloe forced herself not to react when he sent her a cheeky wink. The man was a rogue. And he never missed an opportunity to tease her, flirt with her, disturb her, which only made her more tongue-tied and feeling like a gauche country bumpkin.
‘Dr Fawkner, this is Avril Harvey,’ she said, trying to hide her uneasiness and maintain her cool professionalism as she gave Oliver the personal details he needed about their patient’s age and circumstances.
Stepping forward with his trade-mark smile, Oliver shook the woman’s hand. ‘Hello, Avril, it’s good to meet you.’
‘Th-thank you, Doctor.’ Avril managed a teary smile in response. ‘I’m sorry to be a bother, asking to see you.’
‘You are not a bother. What seems to be the problem?’ he asked, and Chloe tensed as that warm, molten gaze held her captive once more.
Clearing her throat, she dragged her gaze free and stared down at the notes. ‘This is Avril’s first appointment with us after moving to Penhally with her husband. She is in her thirty-second week, and until now has been attending her previous practice in Birmingham for her antenatal checks.’
‘They said I was worrying for nothing,’ Avril commented, continuing to shred the tissue, revealing her anxiety.
‘Avril’s been experiencing headaches, which are not uncommon for her with her history of migraines, but she has also had episodes with her vision, including floaters. Then there is the oedema—and lack of weight gain,’ Chloe explained, meeting Oliver’s gaze again, glad to see he was now in full doctor mode and all signs of teasing had vanished. ‘I did the routine checks today and there is some protein in Avril’s urine. Her blood pressure has spiked, too. The notes show it has been irregular in the past, but while the last reading recorded was 145 over 85, two weeks ago, today it was 190 over 110, the highest ever.’
Oliver frowned with concern, squatting down beside the mother-to-be, talking quietly to her as he examined her hands and assessed the level of swelling in her legs and ankles. Gently he rested a hand on her belly, and Chloe suspected that the smallness of the baby and Avril being underweight had not escaped his attention. He was very good with patients. Chloe just wished she felt as secure and untroubled when working with him as she did with the other male doctors in the practice, none of whom affected her the way Oliver did. Her awkwardness around him disturbed her as it was not something she had ever experienced before.
‘Avril, I don’t want you to worry unduly,’ Oliver told the woman, continuing to hold her hand. ‘But I agree with Chloe that your symptoms are more serious than your previous practice believed.’
‘Oh! I knew it. What’s wrong with me, Doctor? Is it the stress of the move?’
Oliver glanced up and Chloe nodded for him to continue. She wasn’t territorial about her role when a second opinion was beneficial, and she worked well in partnership with the GPs to deliver the best possible care to her patients. As Avril was new and nervous, and seemed to trust Oliver, Chloe was happy to take a back seat for now.
‘We suspect you have a condition called pre-eclampsia,’ Oliver explained, and Chloe, impressed again with his patient care, noticed how he was respectful to include her and not take over completely.
‘That’s dangerous, isn’t it?’ Avril’s voice rose with alarm. ‘Is my baby going to die?’
Oliver was swift to reassure her, without scaring her unduly, about the dangers to her own health, which Chloe knew was of concern at this point. ‘Not if we can help it, Avril. Preeclampsia affects about one in ten pregnancies and is caused by a defect in the placenta.’ He glanced up and sent Chloe a quick smile, inviting her to participate.
‘That’s right. The baby receives nutrients and oxygen from the mother through the placenta,’ she explained to Avril. ‘That’s why it is so important to have regular antenatal checks because the symptoms don’t always show up in the early stages. Today we’ve seen signs that you could be affected. You have protein in your urine, your blood pressure is considerably elevated, and you have swelling in your hands, legs and feet, plus the headaches and visual problems. If we catch things straight away, there is every chance that both you and your baby will come through this without further ill-effects.’
Avril was clearly struggling to absorb all the information. She turned her anxious gaze back to Oliver. ‘What will happen? Can you give me something to make it go away?’
‘No, I’m sorry, Avril, but there isn’t a medical cure as such.’
‘But my baby!’
Chloe handed over another tissue, which the woman took in her free hand, the other one still clasped within Oliver’s. ‘I know it’s distressing, but you need to keep as calm as you can. Chloe will refer you to the hospital in St Piran and—’
‘Is that really necessary?’ Avril interrupted.
‘I’m afraid it is.’ Oliver’s tone was firm but gentle. ‘They’ll monitor your symptoms, keep a close eye on your blood pressure and the levels of protein in the urine. It may be that after a day or two you can go home on strict bed rest, but they will advise you what is best.’
‘Once you are lying down, especially on your left side, it is possible that your blood pressure will come down. It’s a question of how effectively they can keep you settled and stable,’ Chloe added.
‘And if they can’t?’ Avril fretted.
Oliver remained calm and persuasive. ‘They’ll do some tests, check your blood, and they’ll listen to your baby’s heart with a foetal monitor. You’ll also have an ultrasound to check on the condition of your baby. Depending on what they find, they may suggest you have a steroid injection to help the baby’s lungs, and you may have some other drugs for your blood pressure, and maybe some magnesium. Ultimately, the best way to protect you both would be to carry out a Caesarean and deliver your baby straight away, but that is something your doctor and midwife at the hospital will discuss with you.’
‘Oh, my goodness.’ Tears trickled from Avril’s eyes as she sat back on the chair. ‘I’m only thirty-two weeks along.’
‘Everything will be done in the best interests of your baby’s health and your own,’ Chloe reassured her.
Oliver released Avril’s hand and rose to his feet. ‘Can your husband come and collect you to drive you to the hospital?’
‘He’s already gone to St Piran. I don’t know what to do,’ Avril cried.
‘I can take you.’ Chloe glanced up from writing a note to the midwife and doctor at the hospital. ‘I’m free until after lunch when I have a couple of house calls to make before my afternoon clinic. One of those calls is halfway between here and St Piran, so it won’t be a problem. We can phone your husband, Avril, and have him meet you at the hospital.’
The woman sank back in relief. ‘That is so kind of you. I wouldn’t like to go on my own in a taxi or something. Are you sure you don’t mind?’
‘Not at all,’ Chloe assured her with a smile.
Her nerves tingled as she felt Oliver watching her, and her gaze was drawn to his against her will. Dark eyes focused intently on her making her shift uneasily on her chair. How did he do that? What was it about this man that made her so edgy? Thick, lustrous, over-long dark hair brushed
