he would ever share with a woman. Many times he had been the outsider but this time he felt closer to the baby than usual. Perhaps it was the fact he had shared the moment with Emily.
Helen’s baby was whisked off to the neonatal intensive care unit and Emily and Helen left Theatre an hour later via the NICU. Helen’s husband, Ned, arrived just in time to accompany them, and Helen burst into tears with relief.
Teo came across as the trolley was wheeled in. ‘Hello, there, again.’
‘This is Ned, Charlotte’s dad.’ Emily introduced the anxious father and Teo shook his hand. Then he bent closer to Helen. ‘Congratulations, you two.’ He grinned. ‘Except for her decision to wear her tummy on the outside, Charlotte looks great.’
They all smiled at that and Helen almost sagged into the bed with relief. Teo went on. ‘Because she’s four weeks early as well as the tests she needed to undergo, she’ll be there for at least a week or two—maybe a little longer if anything crops up. But from our early examinations and tests Charlotte looks good.’
Such a relief. Emily felt her shoulders loosen and she sighed as she smiled. Ned reached down and kissed his wife and Emily turned away to give them some privacy. Such a different birth to experience but so fortunate the team had everything well under control.
‘This is good!’ Marco had appeared beside her and she looked up at him. This time she didn’t care about the tears in her eyes as she shared her joy.
‘It’s great news.’ She turned to Helen’s husband. ‘Ned, this is Dr D’Arvello. He’s the obstetrician who operated on your wife.’
The two men shook hands. ‘Thank you, Doctor.’
‘My pleasure. It is very rewarding when there is such a good outcome as there is with Charlotte.’ He glanced at Emily. Suddenly the impact of not being a part of any family slammed into him. Was he happy with that? Not having what this man in front of him had? What even Emily had with Annie. For ever?
‘I will leave you in the very capable hands of the sister and see you later on the ward,’ he said, and walked away.
The night passed swiftly after that. Marco came back briefly to check to see his patient was settled and comfortable and to impart the information that despite Charlotte’s IV running well she was sucking happily on her fist.
Emily glanced at the clock and wondered again at how he managed with such a full schedule. She’d just happened to look for his next theatre list and saw it commenced in six hours. She left him to his conversation and went back to the desk to clear up the paperwork involved with the birth and there was a mountain of forms to keep her mind occupied.
She didn’t hear him approach and Marco took a moment to just soak her in. Her cap of hair was across her face, her shoulders bent over her work, and he could see the curve of her neck that continued to entrance him. His obsession was becoming troublesome.
She brushed back her hair and held it away with her hand and he could see the frown across her forehead. ‘You look worried. Anything I can help with?’
Emily jumped. Looked up and tried not to let him completely destroy her concentration. ‘You could go to bed.’
He opened his mouth to say the obvious thing, smiled instead, and they both knew what he’d been going to say.
‘Well stopped,’ Emily said primly.
‘But still thought of.’ His smile melted any resistance to loss of concentration. She was a basket case.
‘Goodnight, Emily.’ He turned and walked away and she watched his broad back disappear up the corridor.
She sighed.
‘What was that sigh for?’ Lily plonked the torch up on the shelf after another ward round.
‘Nothing.’ Emily changed the subject. ‘Luke was in Theatre with Marco.’
‘Yep. He’s on call. I try to do nights when he’s on call because most of the time he does come in and that means we can have the days off together. But you changed the subject. Were you sighing after the gorgeous Dr D’Arvello?’
Lily glanced up the hallway as the lift swallowed Marco. A hint of concern in her friend’s voice. ‘He’s going soon, isn’t he?’
Like she needed to be reminded of that. Lily cared and was always discreet. Maybe it would help to tell someone. ‘I’ll stay sensible but I can’t help wishing he’d open up a little. Why is it so hard for men to talk about themselves?’ She glanced at Lily and smiled ruefully. ‘I’m pretty happy to chat about myself if someone asks.’
‘Women are used to connecting with people. But he’s not different. Luke was like a clam.’ She tilted her head and studied Emily’s face. ‘You really like him, don’t you?’
‘I don’t have any illusions. He’ll be gone by the end of the month, but Annie likes him as well. But, then, he did do a lifesaving operation on my grandchild.’
‘Always a good reason to like someone.’ They both grinned. ‘But I think it’s more than that. You look at him like I look at Luke. Or Evie looks at Finn. That worried, “are you okay, I care,” look that women get when they’ve chosen their mate.’
‘No, I don’t.’ She stared at her friend. ‘I hope I don’t. Do I? Lily?’
Lily laughed at the lack of choice people had when they met their match. ‘Yeah. I can see you’re trying to keep your head free but that must be hard when your daughter invites him to put up decorations and come to her baby shower.’
Emily put her head in her hands. ‘It was probably too late anyway.’
Lily’s eyes opened wide. ‘You’ve slept with him!’
Emily sighed. ‘I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you.’
‘Oh.’ Lily hugged her. ‘He’s a very cool guy.’
Emily nodded. Ridiculously proud of him. ‘He’s amazing. But he has issues. In fact, I have issues. Like he’s leaving in a couple of weeks and the more I see of him the harder it’s going to be when he leaves. I should stop now.’
Lily laughed and stood up. ‘If only it was that easy. And they all have issues. Look at Finn.’
They looked at each other and shook their heads. ‘Wouldn’t be Evie for quids.’
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