LITMIR.BIZ

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and there was a smell of antiseptic about the place, which added to the austerity of the atmosphere. Laura had the feeling that her young nephew felt uncomfortable amongst all these strangers, who were all so much larger than him.

      Nick must have sensed it, too, because he smiled at Connor and said, ‘Perhaps one of the nurses can find you a colouring book and some pencils, or maybe a jigsaw. Would you like that?’

      Connor nodded solemnly, but still clung to Laura’s hand. He wasn’t going anywhere. He was staying firmly by her side.

      ‘I’ll see what I can do,’ Nick promised. Looking at Matthew, he studied his features carefully, and then said in a contemplative tone, ‘I can’t say that I can see much of a likeness between you and your sister.’

      His blue-grey eyes travelled over Laura, coming to rest on her wild shoulder-length curls with a curiosity that made Laura’s cheeks flush with heat. Her hair was naturally curly, and she had never been able to make it do what she wanted.

      ‘Then again,’ he murmured, ‘perhaps you’re glad that you don’t have her flame-coloured hair.’

      Matthew smiled wryly. ‘That’s true enough. It looks good on Laura, though. People say much the same about Connor and me because he’s fair and I’m dark. He takes after his mother.’

      Laura interrupted gently. ‘I really think we should see to your hand now, Matthew, don’t you? It must be very sore. We should at least get you cleaned up.’

      Nick moved away to attend to his own patients, and Laura led Matthew to a cubicle, making sure that Connor was seated where he wouldn’t be able to follow proceedings too closely.

      After a moment or two a young nurse put her head round the screen and brought the jigsaws and colouring materials Nick had promised. ‘There you are, young man,’ she said lightly. ‘These should keep you occupied for a while.’

      ‘Thanks, Amy,’ Laura said. At least while Connor was busy she could concentrate better on Matthew’s hand. The gash was quite deep and rough around the edges, but she cleaned it up and injected a local anaesthetic, before suturing the wound.

      ‘You’ll need to keep it clean,’ she told him. ‘I’m putting a dressing on it, but you might need to pop into the GP’s surgery and get that changed after a day or so. The stitches can come out in about ten days. I’ll do that for you at home, if you like.’

      ‘Thanks, Laura. I’m glad that you were on duty today. I feel foolish enough about landing myself in this situation as it is. I’d sooner keep it in the family.’

      She grinned at him. ‘Perhaps this will teach you to be a bit more wary. I thought it was common knowledge that when you have a four-year-old around you need eyes in the back of your head.’

      He laughed. ‘Just wait till you’ve got one of your own.’

      Laura gave him a crooked smile. That wasn’t likely to happen any time in the near future, was it? Up to now she hadn’t met anyone that she wanted to spend her life with, and even when she did meet a man who was halfway decent, she always felt that some element was missing.

      It probably wasn’t the men who were at fault. She sometimes wondered if there was something within herself that was acting as a barrier to finding happiness and fulfilment. But she didn’t have time to dwell on that right now. She had work to do, and that at least provided her with deep satisfaction.

      She saw Matthew and Connor out a few minutes later. ‘Perhaps I’ll see you both at home later?’ she said, waving them goodbye. Catherine’s shopping trips usually went on for longer than an hour or so, which gave Matthew an excuse to come and visit.

      Laura went in search of Tom, to find out whether he still needed help.

      Nick was attending to Tom’s burns patient, a young man, and Laura wondered where the consultant had gone.

      ‘We’ll get you transferred to the burns unit within the next hour,’ Nick was saying. ‘For the moment we’ll keep the area moist and make sure that there’s no danger of infection setting in. Just ask the nurse if you need more pain medication.’

      He spoke quietly to the nurse, and then turned to Laura. Moving away from the cubicle, he said, ‘I take it that your brother’s gone home?’

      ‘Yes. It didn’t take long to fix him up.’ She glanced around. ‘Where’s Tom?’

      ‘He went to have a word with the patient’s relatives. He’d done all that was necessary for his patient, but the family were anxious and needed reassurance.’

      ‘He was coping all right, then? From what you said earlier, I thought there might be a problem looming.’

      Nick shrugged. ‘I guess I was wrong.’

      Laura gave him a sideways glance. It wasn’t like him to admit a mistake…or to make one, for that matter. ‘It was thoughtful of you to send those jigsaws for Connor,’ she murmured. ‘They kept him amused for quite a while.’

      His jaw moved in a faint grimace. ‘Well, you know my feelings about this place and children. It isn’t a good environment for them, and if I can brighten up the experience for them in any way, that’s what I try to do. It’s something I’ve mentioned to your father.’

      ‘You could try approaching the Friends of the Hospital for funds. I’m sure if you put your case in a suitable fashion they would want to help in any way they could.’

      ‘I think my plans would take more financing than they would be willing to provide. Besides, I believe that your father, being in administration, is the man who holds the key to unlock the funds. You’d think that since he was a consultant himself in A and E, he would know what needed to be done and he would have some sympathy for the changes I’m suggesting.’

      Laura bridled at his tone. ‘I’m sure that he does. After all, he was the one who set aside separate cubicles with resuscitation equipment especially for paediatric patients. When he was in charge there wasn’t the money to do any more than that. Besides, he spearheaded the drive to get the public to donate funds for the MRI machine that the hospital has now. That took a lot of effort and persuasion and years of hard work. You don’t give him enough credit for what he has done.’

      Nick’s eyes darkened. ‘I accept that he did a good thing where the MRI machine was concerned. It’s what he plans to do now that concerns me.’

      ‘Whatever he does, it will be with the best of intentions,’ she said sharply. ‘If my father is cautious, you should realise that it’s because he sees both sides of the coin.’

      ‘You mean that he has to toe the management line. He’s forgotten what it was like to be at the cutting edge of things.’

      ‘That’s unfair.’

      ‘Is it?’

      Laura’s opened her mouth, ready to speak her mind, but just then Jenny hurried towards them.

      ‘You have to come quickly, both of you,’ she said breathlessly. ‘It’s Tom—I think he’s having a bad angina attack. He’s in the doctors’ lounge. I’ve tried giving him his usual medication, but it’s not working.’

      ‘We’re on our way.’ Nick was already moving towards the door, and Laura was at his heels.

      Tom Edwards was in his early sixties, a tall, thin man, with greying hair. Now he was slumped on the floor, beads of perspiration on his forehead and his face ashen.

      ‘I left him in the chair while I went to get help,’ Jenny said. ‘The attack must have worsened while I was coming to find you. I’ve already given him aspirin.’

      ‘Good thinking.’ Nick was loosening Tom’s tie and then he positioned him so that his upper body was elevated. Laura grabbed some cushions to help support him.

      ‘Tom, can you hear me?’ Nick spoke in a low, urgent voice and Tom made a faint movement of his head in acknowledgement.

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