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a slight weakness in his left leg,’ Louise continued, ‘but he insists that since the accident there always has been.’

      Cate recalled noticing the weight on his leg as he’d run and thought she might be sick. She really knew nothing about him, yet he had insisted on finding out about her.

      ‘We’ve taken all precautions,’ Louise continued. ‘I said I’d come in and try to do this as discreetly as possible.’

      ‘Okay.’ Cate nodded. ‘Bring him in.’

      If she had thought it might be hard facing Juan after last night, it was going to be close to impossible now.

      ‘It had to be you.’ Juan gave a tight smile as she came over. He was staring up at the ceiling and only glanced at her briefly. There were a few scratches on his face and his shirt was torn and she could see that his teeth were gritted and that he was struggling.

      ‘Well, they came and got the most senior nurse on.’ Cate tried for practical, tried to hold onto a strange anger that was building inside her. She was about to add that if he’d asked to be dealt with by someone he hadn’t slept with then he’d be lying on that stretcher for quite a while.

      She tried to hold onto the shout that was building.

      ‘I don’t need to be here,’ Juan said.

      ‘Then you shan’t be for long,’ came her pale-lipped response.

      They slid him over on a board and Cate held onto the top of his head and then covered him with a sheet to undress him, but as she went to unbutton his shirt he asked that she not.

      ‘I’ll just do some obs, then.’ Cate said, knowing how embarrassed she’d be if the roles were reversed. Not that she’d have been riding a motorbike through the hills with a previously broken neck.

      Neither would she have been white-water rafting.

      Or considering hitting the ski season in New Zealand or, next Sunday, diving out of a plane.

      Her hands were actually shaking as she did his routine obs and then a set of neurological.

      Juan answered her questions. Yes, he knew where he was and what day it was.

      As if he could ever forget.

      Yes, he could squeeze both of her hands tightly.

      ‘Just get the doctor in to see me,’ Juan said as she lifted the sheet to see two black boots.

      ‘Lift your leg against my hand.’ He did with the right.

      ‘And the left.’

      There was perhaps a slight weakness. Cate wasn’t sure she would even have noticed had Louise not pointed it out.

      ‘That leg has some residual weakness from my previous accident,’ Juan said.

      ‘I’ll just take your boots off.’

      ‘Please, don’t.’

      ‘It’s fine.’ Harry swept in and picked up on the tension. ‘Juan, how are you?’

      ‘I’ve been worse,’ came Juan’s wry response.

      ‘So I hear.’

      ‘I thought Dr Vermont was on this weekend,’ Juan said to Harry.

      ‘So did I, but I’m afraid you’re just going to have to make do with me.’ Harry was brisk and efficient as he started his examination. ‘Okay, Juan, you know the drill.’

      He went through today’s accident with him, which Juan could remember clearly. ‘A small animal came out of the bushes, I swerved…’

      ‘And your past medical history?’

      ‘Can we just…?’ Juan closed his eyes in impatience. Cate thought he was about to ask for the collar to come off, or to say that it was all unnecessary again; instead she raised her eyes slightly at what he said next. ‘Can you leave, please, Cate?’

      Two spots of colour burnt on her cheeks as Harry turned round and smiled. ‘We’ll manage, Cate.’

      Had it been a door and not a curtain, Cate might have slammed it as she walked out. She simply didn’t know why—she was not upset, she was angry.

      Harry went round with him for the CT and Cate tried not to let his dismissal of her sting.

      She tried her best to not give a sarcastic response when Harry came to speak with her some time later. ‘All the tests look good and Juan’s neck’s fine. I’ve had the orthopods take a look at the images. He’s got a lot of titanium in there! He needs a dressing to his shoulder—’

      ‘I’ll get someone to do it.’

      ‘Cate…’ Harry sighed. They had worked together for a long time and he knew her well, though he hadn’t guessed until now that there was anything going on between them—Juan was for too depraved for Cate, or so Harry had thought! ‘Juan didn’t ask you to leave because he didn’t want you looking after him.’ He shook his head and tried to explain. ‘He’s a proud guy, Cate. he’s been through a lot…’ Harry let out a breath through his teeth. ‘I told Juan that you’d be in to do his shoulder and he’s fine with that. I want him in the obs ward for a few hours, he’s a little bit tender over his left kidney but it all looks fine. I want his urine tested and to be sure he’s okay before I discharge him, because there’s no one at home. Hourly obs, and I’ll come in this evening again to see him.’

      ‘Thanks Harry.’ Cate attempted to snap back to normal. ‘I really am sorry to rot up your weekend.’

      ‘It’s not a problem,’ Harry said. ‘It just makes me more determined that we hire the right staff. This place is running on empty…’

      Harry headed off with the twins and Cate buzzed Tanya to tell her that they would have a new admission in the observation ward soon; then she prepared a trolley to sort out Juan’s shoulder. She could feel tears pricking at the back of her eyes as she set up but she swallowed them down before making her way in.

      Someone, perhaps Harry, had helped him into a gown and his clothes and boots lay in a heap beneath the trolley next to his crash helmet. His cervical collar had been taken off.

      ‘Harry wants your shoulder cleaned and dressed and I need to look at the scratches on your face. Would you like someone else to come in and do that?’ Cate checked.

      ‘Why would I want someone else?’ Juan asked, although Cate could tell he was just as tense with the situation as she was.

      ‘I just thought you might.’

      ‘Just do what you have to.’

      Cate sorted out his face first, cleaning a few superficial abrasions and cuts and closing them up with couple of paper strips. They didn’t speak much; Juan was more than used to staring up at a hospital ceiling in silence.

      ‘I need you to roll on your side,’ Cate said when she had finished sorting out his face.

      ‘For what?’

      ‘So that I can pick the road out of your shoulder.’

      The gown was far too small for him and hadn’t been tied up at the back. The abrasion was large and it would take a while to clean it up. Cate moved his hair out of the way and could clearly see the thick scar that ran the length of his neck and the clips scars either side—the reason why he had always halted her hands.

      ‘This might sting a bit,’ Cate said as she squirted a generous amount of local anaesthetic onto Juan’s shoulder. She knew it must sting but he didn’t wince. While she waited for it to take effect, Cate took a moment to get some more equipment for her trolley so that she wouldn’t need to keep going in and out—they both wanted this over and done with.

      Silence dragged on as Cate cleaned his shoulder. Thankfully he was on his side, facing away from her. It was already hard enough without looking at each

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