LITMIR.BIZ

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And sweet because, despite the pain, despite the soul-searching as her blackened chest turned to a dirty yellow and her swollen lips finally went down, for the first time in six months Meg actually knew she was finally over him.

      ‘I’ve brought you some soup.’

      Meg screwed up her nose as Kathy peered around the bedroom door, a laden tray in her hands. ‘I’m sick of soup.’

      ‘How do you think I feel? I wasn’t even in an accident and I’m having lentil broth forced down me twice a day. At least you can afford to put some weight on; I’m going to be huge for my party at this rate.’

      ‘What happened to the ‘‘casual dinner’’?’

      Kathy laughed. ‘Mum got involved, that’s what happened. How she’s managed to book a hall and caterers at such short notice I’ve no idea. I shudder to think what the wedding’s going to be like. Half of me just wants to get a licence and get it over and done with, without all the fuss.’

      Raining salt on her soup, Meg didn’t look up. ‘And the other half?’

      ‘The other half of me is starting to buy all the bridal magazines and is wrestling between crushed silk and organza, and lilies as opposed to freesias. I guess the upshot is I can’t wait to be married.’

      This time Meg did look up. Seeing her sister sitting on the edge of her bed, her face glowing, her eyes literally sparkling, Meg knew she had never seen Kathy looking happier. ‘You really love him, don’t you?’

      ‘I really do.’ Kathy paused for a moment. ‘And the best bit of it all is that I know Jake loves me—all of me—even down to my limp. He says that if it wasn’t for my limp we’d never have met, which is a pretty nice way of looking at it.’

      It was nice, Meg admitted to herself. Actually, in the last few days she had found herself looking at Jake rather differently. He had treated Meg with professional friendliness at the hospital, and as—thanks to Flynn Kelsey—she had been forced into spending the last two weeks at home, there had been plenty of time to watch Jake and Kathy together. Jake even took Mary’s somewhat overbearing nature in his stride.

      ‘How do you feel about going back to work tomorrow?’

      Meg shrugged. ‘It will be nice to get away from the soup.’

      ‘I wouldn’t bet on it. Mum’s just bought a massive stainless steel vacuum flask; you’ll be supping on her Irish broth for weeks yet.’ When Meg didn’t laugh Kathy continued tentatively. ‘A bit nervous, huh?’

      Meg nodded. ‘A bit,’ she admitted. ‘It doesn’t help that everyone thinks I fell asleep at the wheel.’

      ‘It will be old news soon. They’ll soon find something else to talk about.’

      ‘I just wish I could remember what happened.’

      ‘You will.’

      Meg fiddled with her spoon. ‘I feel as if I’ve been away for months, not just a couple of weeks. I’m more nervous than when I first started there.’

      ‘Once you’ve been there a couple of hours you’ll soon be back in the swing of things. They seem a nice bunch of girls; you should try to get to know them better. That Jess was lovely to us while you were sleeping.’

      ‘Oh, Jess is nice. She can be a bit overbearing, but it’s all well meant. She’s probably the one I’m closest to, but a night out with Jess isn’t going to do my social life wonders—it would be like going out with Mum.’

      ‘What about the rest of them?’ Kathy asked.

      ‘They all seem nice enough,’ Meg replied. ‘But I don’t really know them. I mean, we chat about work and what we did on our days off, but apart from Jess I don’t really know much about any of them.’

      ‘And whose fault is that?’ Kathy said gently. ‘Look, Meg, I know you’ve had it tough recently, but it’s really time to move on, let the world in a bit.’

      Meg nodded. ‘I know it is.’

      Kathy put a hand up to her sister’s forehead, an incredulous look on her face. ‘Quick—call a doctor! The girl must be delirious. You’re not actually agreeing with me, are you?’

      Meg grinned as she pushed Kathy’s hand away. ‘For once I am. Bloody Vince.’

      ‘Absolutely,’ Kathy agreed, grinning broadly. ‘That’s more like it. There’s a whole world out there full of gorgeous single men.’

      ‘Hold on a moment,’ Meg said quickly. ‘A relationship’s the last thing I want at the moment. I’m talking about resuming a social life, nothing else. I mean it,’ she added as Kathy gave her a questioning look.

      ‘I believe you,’ Kathy said, but just as Meg started to relax a meddling look flashed across her sister’s face. ‘But if there was anyone you wanted me to add to the party list, you know you’d only have to ask?’

      For a nanosecond Meg’s mind involuntarily flashed to Flynn—the Flynn who had sat with her in the car, not the jackbooted doctor who had visited her in the obs ward—but resolutely she pushed all thought of him away. That was one path she definitely wasn’t heading down—and anyway, the last person she wanted to help with her love life was her little sister; a girl had to have some pride! ‘I’m quite capable of sorting out my own social life, thank you very much.’

      Kathy grinned, not in the slightest bit bothered by Meg’s haughty tones. ‘Okay, okay, it was only a suggestion.’ Picking up the last of Meg’s bread, she popped it into her mouth. ‘At least it’s a start.’

      * * *

      A small start, perhaps, but to Meg it felt monumental. This time when she pulled on her uniform and clipped on her badges she forced a smile as she made her way out to the department, utterly determined that when someone suggested heading off to the bar after work, or a house party next weekend, instead of murmuring her usual excuses she would smile warmly and agree to go.

      ‘Morning, Meg, welcome back.’

      ‘Good morning, Carla, how are you?’

      Unless it was Carla.

      Meg quickly made a sub-clause in her self-imposed contract. A students’ bash with cheap wine and even cheaper comments from the medical and nursing students she could do without. She wasn’t that desperate.

      Yet.

      ‘Fine.’ Carla flicked her long blonde fringe out of her eyes and Meg watched as it promptly fell back over them, tempted to tell her to take a bandage from the trolley and tie the shaggy mess back. But, in the spirit of it being her first day back, Meg said nothing. Jess could sort Carla out later.

      ‘Where are you working this morning?’

      ‘I’m in the cubicles at the moment, but Jess said that if anything comes into resus I’m to go in.’

      Meg heard the nervous note in the young student’s voice. ‘You’ll be fine. No one will expect you to do anything, you’re just there to observe, and when you’re feeling up to it you can join in.’

      ‘Thanks. Will you be in there?’

      Meg was saved from answering as Jess appeared, crisp and fresh in her white linen blouse. ‘How about it, Meg? Do you fancy starting back in the deep end? We’re a bit low on numbers this morning, and I’m supposed to be going to an occupational health and safety lecture at ten. I can’t believe it’s been two years since my last.’

      ‘No problem,’ Meg answered, before turning to give Carla a reassuring smile. ‘Dr Campbell is really nice to work with in resus.’

      ‘Except he’s on two weeks’ annual leave.’ Jess rolled her eyes. ‘Flynn’s on this morning. If it’s quiet he wants to lecture the students and the grad nurses in CPR—or BLS, as it’s called now. Why do they have to keep changing things?

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