Czytaj książkę: «His Honourable Surgeon»

CONTENTS

Cover

Dear Reader

Title Page

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

PROLOGUE

‘ISN’T she the most gorgeous baby you’ve ever seen?’

Vicky cuddled her new niece and hid her grin. If anyone had told her a year ago that her middle brother would be completely besotted with a baby, she’d have laughed—Seb had been the ultimate playboy and had run a mile from children. Now he was married with a daughter. And it looked as if Chloë Victoria Radley was going to have her daddy wrapped right round her tiny little finger. ‘Yes, Seb. She’s lovely.’

‘And Alyssa and I wondered if you’d do us a favour,’ Seb continued.

Babysit? Sure—except she couldn’t see him letting his daughter out of his sight for long enough! ‘What?’ she asked.

‘Would you be her godmother?’

Godmother. It’d be the nearest Vicky would ever come to having children of her own. Her older brothers might be happily married and settled down, but it wasn’t for her. She didn’t have time to be a wife and mother—not if she wanted to become professor of neurology, because the glass ceiling was still well and truly there. To prove herself, she’d already had to work twice as hard as the men in her field. Which meant making sacrifices. That meant no serious relationships—and no baby.

Though, holding Chloë in her arms and breathing in that sweet new-baby smell, for a brief second Vicky wondered if it was worth it.

Then she banished the doubt. Of course it was. It was what she’d always wanted to be, ever since she’d been tiny. To be a senior doctor and really make a difference. And she knew she couldn’t have it all—so what was the point in wondering ‘what if’?

‘Vic?’ Seb looked worried. ‘Are you all right?’

‘I’m fine.’

‘No, you’re not. You’re working too hard. Vic, I know you want to be professor—and I also know you’ll make it. But don’t kill yourself in the process.’

‘I’m fine,’ Vicky repeated. ‘Don’t nag.’

‘I could set Alyssa on you. Or Sophie. Or both.’

Vicky smiled. ‘It won’t work, Seb.’ Her sisters-in-law were both doctors, too—Alyssa worked in emergency medicine and Sophie was a surgeon. ‘They know the score.’

For a moment, she thought Seb was going to argue, then he gave a resigned sigh. ‘All right. I’ll shut up about that. So, will you?’

‘What?’

‘Be godmother.’ Seb rolled his eyes. ‘Hopeless. Ask you a question about neurosurgery and you’ll talk for hours. Ask you about something social…’

‘I’m not that much of a nerd. And, thank you, I’d be honoured to be godmother.’ Vicky smiled. ‘Especially as you named my very first niece after me.’

‘If she has half your qualities, I’ll be proud of her,’ Seb said.

Vicky blinked. Was she hearing things? Had her brother—who normally teased her stupid—just paid her an incredible compliment? ‘Marriage has definitely made you soppy.’

‘No. I’ve realised what’s important. And there’s more to life than your job.’

Vicky had a nasty feeling she knew what was coming next. ‘Don’t you dare try to matchmake. I’m perfectly happy as I am. I stayed out of it with you and Charlie.’

‘Liar. You arranged a fundraising raffle, offering a date with me as the prize to buy Charlie some time away from the paparazzi’s attention so he could work things out with Sophie. And you as good as told Alyssa she had to marry me.’

‘Don’t listen to your daddy,’ Vicky informed her niece. ‘I didn’t interfere at all. I just pointed a few things out and helped them see their way a little.’

‘And I’m very glad you did,’ Alyssa said, joining them in the living room. ‘Has Seb asked you?’

‘Yes. And I’m delighted to accept.’

‘Good.’ Alyssa smiled warmly at her. ‘Though what I heard Seb saying is right. You do work too hard, Vic.’

‘And I like being that way. End of discussion,’ Vicky said. Though she was canny enough to go for the ultimate distraction, where new parents were concerned. ‘Are Chloë’s official photographs back, yet?’

To her relief, both Alyssa and Seb took the bait and were soon clucking over their baby’s first official photographs—and Vicky’s personal life was left where she liked it best.

Ignored.

CHAPTER ONE

JAKE walked quietly into the neurology department in the middle of the Wednesday morning—the day before he was supposed to start. A bit sneaky, perhaps, but he knew it was the best way to see what his new department was really like. When nobody was on their best behaviour, waiting for their new consultant to turn up.

Everything seemed fine. The department was busy, but calm and quiet: clearly the team was well established. The ward was clean and there were gel dispensers by every bed: another good sign. He’d worked in some truly horrible places where the admin staff wasted money left, right and centre and important things—like basic hygiene—suffered.

There was a board to say where the doctors and senior nursing staff were, and another to show who was looking after which patient, so communications were good, too. It was definitely a well-run department.

And then a woman stepped out in front of him. She was clearly a doctor, because she was wearing an open white coat and there was a hospital identity badge round her neck on a lanyard. Though she was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever set eyes on. Tall—nearly five feet ten, he’d guess, because in heels she could look him in the eye. Long, long legs, and her dark suit didn’t hide the fact that she was all curves. Dark wavy hair, caught back at the nape of her neck. Slate-blue eyes. And the most kissable mouth he’d ever seen.

Every nerve in his body hummed. For a moment, he forgot where he was. Who he was. He just wanted to take that one step forward, pull her into his arms, loosen her hair, bend her back over his arm and kiss her. Just like in the movies.

‘Can I help you? Are you looking for someone?’

The plummy accent shattered the dream and brought him back to reality. Sex goddesses didn’t have silver spoons in their mouths, and this one was definitely posh—and rich, because on closer inspection that suit looked as if it was a designer cut. Plus, in his experience, doctors of that class who weren’t working in private practice were usually just waiting in a cushy niche until something better came along.

Add the fact that she was just about to become his colleague, and that put her way off limits. On the rare times he did date, it was never another member of staff in his department. He’d seen first-hand what a mess it made at work when the relationship ended. Awkwardness at work, the headache of working out new rotas so the once-close couple were on opposite shift patterns…It just wasn’t worth it.

Even if she was the first woman in a long time to make his skin tingle like that.

‘Thank you, but I’m fine,’ he said coolly.

Though he couldn’t just pretend he’d wandered in off the street. He’d have to work with her—Dr Victoria Radley, according to her ID card—tomorrow, and playing games now would just make things awkward later on. Better tell the truth. ‘I’m Jake Lewis.’ He held out his hand.

‘You’re a day early.’

He felt the flush steal over his cheekbones, and was cross with himself for it. He was her senior, for goodness’ sake. Why was he acting as if he were the naughty schoolboy and she was the headmistress? ‘I was passing, so I thought I’d drop in.’

Drop in? More like he was giving them the once-over before he started, Vicky thought.

Which was just what she would have done, in his shoes.

She took his hand and shook it briefly. Firm grip, dry palm—good. But there was something else. Something odd. Even though he wasn’t touching her any more, she could still feel his skin against hers. And although it had been a businesslike handshake, it had felt somehow intimate. Almost caressing.

She shook herself. How ridiculous. She never, ever had fantasies like this. Particularly about co-workers.

As consultants went, Jake Lewis was a little…different. Cheap suit, cheap shoes. Most of the ones she’d met were keen to show off their tailor-made clothing and hand-made Italian shoes. Maybe Jake Lewis wasn’t interested in fashion; maybe, refreshingly, he was more interested in medicine.

Not that it should bother her either way. She’d already placed him neatly in his pigeonhole. The one marked ‘C’ for colleague. Not ‘L’. That pigeonhole was nailed up, and she intended it to stay that way. No distractions.

She summoned up her professionalism. ‘You’ve just missed a ward round. But I can round up the staff who are in if you’d like to meet them.’

‘No, I’ll leave it until tomorrow.’

Abrupt. Hmm. She just hoped his people skills were a bit better when it came to patients. Shame. If he smiled, he’d be very nice-looking. Tall enough to look her in the eye. Dark, soulful eyes. Dark hair that flopped over his forehead and was just a little too long at the back. And a mouth that made her want to reach out and touch…

Um, no. Apart from the fact that he was going to be her colleague in less than twenty-four hours’ time—a senior colleague, at that—she didn’t do this sort of thing. Work 1, Relationships 0. That was the score: the way it had always been and always would be, at least until she became a professor of neurology. Then she might reassess the situation. But absolutely not until then.

‘Is there anything else you’d like to see?’ Ugh. That sounded as if she was flirting with him. Which she wasn’t. Gritting her teeth, she added, ‘What I mean is, it might save time tomorrow if I show you where the staffroom is, the lockers and the kitchen.’

Anything else you’d like to see? Jake really was going to have to drag his mind out of the gutter. He just hoped he didn’t have a dopey look on his face. Mind you, Victoria Radley was probably used to men falling at her feet. Any man with red blood in his veins would have a bad case of lust within seconds of meeting her. ‘No, I’ll leave it.’ Basically because he couldn’t trust himself. If he followed her, he’d be assessing the way she walked. Watching the curve of her bottom. Wanting to touch. Wanting to spin her round and kiss her. ‘I just dropped by on impulse.’

The look on her face said she didn’t believe a word of it.

‘And I’m sure you’ve got things to do,’ he added.

The amusement vanished from her face, and he realised what he’d said. He’d meant it as ‘I don’t want to take up your time’, but she’d clearly taken it as ‘You’re slacking’. Hell.

Before he could explain, she said coolly, ‘You’re quite right. No doubt I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr Lewis.’

And she turned on her heel and walked away.

Jake swore to himself. If he left it, she’d be all ice towards him tomorrow—and she’d probably tell her colleagues that the new boy was going to throw his weight around. If he chased after her and explained himself, he’d end up sounding like a gibbering idiot. Either way, he lost.

Well, icy professional was marginally better than fool. They’d soon find that he thawed out. So he’d take the lesser of the two evils. And he’d sort it out with Victoria Radley tomorrow.

CHAPTER TWO

‘I WONDER if Jake’s single?’ Gemma, the ward sister, asked.

Vicky shrugged. ‘I’m more interested in whether he’s good at his job.’

Gemma gave Vicky a searching look, which Vicky ignored. Honestly. When would her colleagues understand? She wasn’t interested in having a relationship until she’d got where she wanted to be in her career. And she really wasn’t interested in Jake Lewis, their new consultant. She was still annoyed with him about yesterday—she’d tried to make him feel welcome, and he’d made her feel as if she were slacking.

He’d find out his mistake soon enough. Victoria Charlotte Radley was far from being a slacker. And although part of her wanted to see him eat humble pie, the sensible part of her knew it was best to just ignore it and get on with her job. Emotions of any sort—except where her brothers and new niece were concerned—just weren’t part of her life.

‘He seems nice. And you have to admit, he’s good-looking,’ Gemma continued. ‘Tall, dark and handsome to a T! And those eyes—they’re really come-to-bed. Like melted chocolate.’

Vicky sighed inwardly. Either Gemma hadn’t got the message or she didn’t want to. Before Vicky had a chance to explain—firmly but politely—that she really couldn’t care less if every other woman in the hospital thought Jake Lewis was sex on legs, because it really wasn’t relevant, her pager bleeped.

She glanced at the display. ‘I’m needed in ED. I’ll finish the ward round later and I’ll ring down when I know which theatre I’m in.’

‘OK. I’ll fill the board in for you,’ Gemma said.

‘Thank you.’ Vicky smiled at her and headed for the emergency department.

‘Dr Radley—you paged me,’ she said to the receptionist.

‘Yes—it’s one of Hugh’s patients. I’ll just get him for you.’ She returned with a doctor in tow.

‘Hugh Francis, SHO. Thanks for coming, Dr Radley,’ he said, smiling at her. ‘I’ve got a ten-year-old with a suspected subdural haematoma.’

‘Did he fall?’ Vicky asked.

‘Tripped up and hit his head on a skateboard ramp.’

Vicky frowned. ‘Wasn’t he wearing a helmet?’

‘I couldn’t get much out of him,’ Hugh admitted. ‘He was pretty scared. But he told Ruth—one of our staff nurses—that he’s been having some problems with bullies. A gang of them waylaid him in the park this morning on the way to school, kept on and on about how useless he was and how he couldn’t do some move or other on the skateboard ramp. They goaded him into trying it—but, of course, he didn’t have a helmet with him and they said he was a coward if he didn’t do it without.’

Vicky groaned. ‘And he thought they’d lay off if he did what they wanted.’

‘Something like that.’

But bullies never let up. If you proved yourself and did what they said you couldn’t do, they’d find something else. On and on. Nag, nag, nag—until you finally snapped. And girls were probably worse than boys, because they went for mental torture. Being clever and being an Hon. had marked Vicky as a major target at school. She hadn’t said a word to her mother, knowing that Mara had been too self-absorbed to do anything about it. But Charlie had found Vicky crying one afternoon after school and had made her tell him what was wrong. He and Seb had taught their younger sister the rudiments of judo so she could defend herself—and Vicky had practised on them enough to make sure that when she finally gave in to the demands for a cat-fight on the playing field, she’d left the bullies flat on their backs and crying. She’d had detention every lunch-time for half a term afterwards, but it had been worth it. The bullying had stopped.

‘Poor kid,’ she said feelingly. ‘Was he knocked out, do you know?’

‘He says not. But he was late for school, and the teacher picked up that he seemed a bit confused and drowsy. She wondered if he’d been sniffing glue or something and sent him to the first-aid room. He said he had a headache but wouldn’t tell anyone anything.’

Of course not. If you told, it just drove the bullying underground. They were sweetness and light in front of the teachers, and when you were on your own you were really in for it. No more nasty letters, because they could be traced back—but there would be name-calling, deliberately breaking your things, accidentally-on-purpose tripping you up, or taking something precious and playing ‘catch’ with it until you were running frantically around like a hamster on a wheel, desperate to get it back.

She forced the memories back and stiffened her backbone. ‘Lucky the first-aider sent him to us, then,’ she said.

‘She couldn’t smell any substances. So she called his parents and told them to get him here, stat.’

‘Good. What have you done so far?’

‘GCS 11, pupils equal and reactive, ears OK.’ Hugh frowned. ‘But I’m not happy with his blood pressure, pulse or respirations.’

‘Checked the eyes with an ophthalmoscope?’ she asked.

‘Yep. I think the intracranial pressure’s rising, but I want a specialist’s opinion.’

‘OK. I’ll take a look. I think a CT scan’s a good idea—can you organise one?’

‘Already booked.’

Vicky smiled. Just what she liked to see: a junior doctor who knew what he was doing and who had the confidence to act on his own initiative. If this was the way Hugh Francis usually worked, he’d be in the running for the next registrar’s post in ED. ‘Well done.’ She walked with him to the cubicles. A pale, gangling boy was lying on the bed, and a worried-looking woman was sitting next to him.

‘Mrs Foster, this is Dr Radley. She’s a neurology specialist,’ Hugh introduced her. ‘Dr Radley, this is Declan.’

‘Hello, Declan—Mrs Foster.’ Vicky sat down on the side of Declan’s bed and held the boy’s hand. ‘My name’s Vicky, and I’m going to be looking after you for a bit. I hear you’ve had a bit of an argument with a skateboard ramp. I’m just going to have a look in your eyes, if that’s all right with you, and then we’re going to send you for a scan to see if there’s anything making you feel rough.’

‘I’m sorry,’ he mumbled. ‘Don’t want to be any trouble.’

‘Hey, that’s what I’m here for.’ She squeezed his hand. ‘We’ll sort it out, sweetheart.’

Hugh handed her the ophthalmoscope. She checked in Declan’s eyes, and nodded. ‘Yes, I definitely want to see a scan. Do you know what a CT scan is, Declan?’

‘No.’

‘It’s a special sort of X-ray that takes pictures of your head from lots of different angles—it pictures slices inside your head. I’ll show you them later on a computer, if you like—not many people get to see inside their own heads. And I might be able to arrange a film to be printed for you so you can show your mates later.’

‘Haven’t got any mates.’

It was said without any emotion, as if he didn’t care, but Vicky would bet otherwise. She remembered that feeling herself, only too well. Being an outsider, the last person picked for a team, and trying to pretend to everyone else that it didn’t matter…when it did. ‘Do you go to an all-boys school?’ she asked.

‘No.’

Half her problems had stemmed from going to a single-sex school where she just hadn’t fitted in. If she’d gone to a co-ed school, things might have been very different. ‘Let me give you a little bit of advice,’ she said softly. ‘Try chatting to the girls.’ Ten was an awkward age: boys still thought that girls were silly, and it was uncool to be seen talking to them. But what did Declan have to lose? Nothing but his loneliness. ‘You might find some of them like the same things you do.’

‘Girls don’t like Game Boys,’ Declan said. ‘Or the Romans.’

‘I liked computers when I was your age,’ Vicky told him. ‘So I reckon you might be in for a nice surprise. Give it a try. What have you got to lose?’ She smiled at him. ‘Now, Hugh here’s going to take you off for a scan, and I’m going to have a chat with your mum.’

‘Don’t tell school,’ Declan said. ‘Don’t tell them.’ He nearly choked. ‘Don’t say what I told you. Please, don’t.’

‘It’s OK,’ Vicky soothed. ‘There’s nothing to worry about, I promise.’

Mrs Foster had clearly only just been holding it together, because a tear leaked down her face when Hugh wheeled Declan out. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, wiping a hand across her face. ‘I just feel so useless. I had no idea he was being bullied—what kind of parent does that make me?’

‘A normal one,’ Vicky reassured you. ‘Believe me, it can be very hard to tell if kids are being bullied. Sometimes they go a bit quiet, sometimes they go the other way. But until they’re ready to tell you, you won’t know.’ She’d done that herself. Kept it in, because she’d believed it was her fault and if anyone knew they’d despise her and treat her like dirt, too.

‘Oh, God. I don’t know what those little bastards have done to him. Or how long it’s been going on—he won’t say.’

‘When you’re bullied, you try to hide it—you don’t want anyone knowing, in case the bullies get in trouble, because you’re scared that then it’ll get worse,’ Vicky said gently. ‘Or that somehow it’s your fault, because you’re different in some way—whether it’s the way you talk, the colour of your hair, or you’ve got freckles. Whatever distinguishes you. But at least you know now, so you can help him. Keep his self-esteem high by praising him and making it specific so he knows you mean it and you’re not just being nice, and maybe get him some martial arts lessons.’

‘So he can hit back, you mean?’

‘So he can defend himself against physical stuff,’ Vicky corrected her dryly. ‘Mrs Foster, I need to know a few things about Declan before I can do anything to treat him. Would you mind answering a few questions for me, please?’

Mrs Foster nodded. ‘If I can.’

‘Has he had any previous head injuries?’

‘Not that I know of.’

Good. ‘Is there any family history of easy bruising, or bleeding that doesn’t stop?’

‘No.’

Even better. ‘Has Declan ever had a cerebral shunt?’

‘What’s one of those?’ Mrs Foster asked.

‘If he’d had hydrocephalus as a child, we would have operated to put a special valve in his head to drain off excess fluid—and it would have been replaced several times before now as he grew bigger,’ Vicky explained. And Mrs Foster would definitely have known what a cerebral shunt was—the fact she’d asked meant it was highly unlikely Declan had had one.

Mrs Foster shook her head. ‘No, nothing like that.’

‘Does he have any allergies—penicillin or anything like that?’

‘No. He’s always been so healthy.’

Even so, Vicky needed to ask the last question. ‘Is he taking any medication?’

‘No. What’s wrong with him?’

‘I’ll know more when I see the results of his scan, but I think he’s got a subdural haematoma. That’s a blood clot between the tissue of his brain and the membrane called the dura mater, which goes between his brain and his skull. It sometimes happens after someone bangs their head hard—the bridging veins between the brain and the membrane stretch and tear, a bit of blood leaks out and forms a clot.’

Mrs Foster’s face turned a shade paler. ‘Does that mean you’ll have to operate?’

‘I won’t know until I see the scan,’ Vicky answered honestly. ‘Sometimes we can treat it without operating—just by careful monitoring—because smaller ones tend to go away on their own, but sometimes we need to operate before it puts too much pressure on the brain.’

‘Oh, my baby,’ Mrs Foster whispered.

‘Is there anyone we can call for you?’

‘M-my husband’s on his way.’

‘Good. If you want me to run through anything with you again, or you’ve got any questions, just let me know. That’s what I’m here for.’

Mr Foster had arrived by the time Declan had had his scan. Vicky reviewed the files and pointed out one area to Hugh. ‘I’m really not happy about this. I’m going to have to take him to Theatre.’ She went back in to see Declan and his parents.

‘Was the scan all right?’ Mr Foster asked.

‘I’m afraid not,’ Vicky said gently. ‘It showed me there’s a clot forming between Declan’s brain and the membrane covering it. It’s pressing down on the brain and causing pressure, which makes the brain swell and not enough oxygen gets to it—that’s why Declan’s finding it a bit difficult to see and why he’s sounding a bit confused. The good news is that I can operate—he’ll have a general anaesthetic, and I’ll cut a tiny lid into his skull so I can get the clot out. He’ll need to be in here for about a week so we can keep an eye on him, but he should be fine.’

‘Is he going to die?’ Mrs Foster mouthed, turning her face away so Declan wouldn’t see the question.

‘There are risks, yes, but it’s much safer to do the operation than to leave it,’ Vicky said quietly. ‘He’ll have a headache afterwards, but he won’t be in any real pain.’

‘I’ll kill them,’ Mr Foster said between gritted teeth. ‘I’ll kill them for what they’ve done to our Declan. Just leave me on my own with them with a cricket bat.’

‘Neil, no,’ Mrs Foster said. ‘You can’t do that. That makes you as bad as they are.’

‘Well, they’re not going to get away with it,’ Mr Foster declared.

‘There are things you can do,’ Vicky said quietly. ‘But, right now, let’s concentrate on getting Declan sorted.’

While Declan was being prepped for Theatre, Vicky rang up to the ward. ‘I’m going to be in Theatre Five.’ And this was the bit she’d been dreading and looking forward to at the same time. ‘Could you page Mr Lewis?’ It didn’t really matter whether she led or assisted: this was where she’d see what he was made of, and whether he was better with patients than he was with the staff. Or, at least, than he was with her.

She’d just scrubbed up when he came into the room. ‘What have we got?’

‘Craniotomy, to remove a subdural haematoma. The files are there, if you want to take a look.’

Jake reviewed the files swiftly. ‘Good call. Have you done a craniotomy before?’

She nodded. ‘I’d use a linear incision rather than the standard reverse question-mark incision in this case. We’ve pinpointed exactly where the haematoma is—and a linear incision will mean we spend less time controlling bleeding and it reduces surgery time.’

Jake’s dark, dark eyes appraised her—and she thought she saw the glimmering of respect. But luckily she was prepared for his next comment. ‘Good call. I’ll lead, you assist.’

She’d told herself it didn’t matter: but it did. ‘How about I lead,’ she said, ‘and if you don’t like the way I do it, you can take over?’

He finished scrubbing up before he answered her. ‘All right. But you talk me through exactly what you’re doing and why.’

Her mouth tightened behind her mask. ‘Like a junior?’

‘Like any other senior registrar on their first operation with a new consultant. It’s a quick way of getting to know how we both work.’

Fair enough. He was still a bit abrupt for her liking, but maybe he’d discovered that she was the daughter of a baron and thought she was just playing at being a doctor. This was her chance to prove to him that she was serious—and she wasn’t going to blow that chance.

As part of the preparation, Declan’s head had been completely shaved. Instead of making him look like a thug, the haircut made him look like a defenceless little boy. Which was exactly what he was.

But there was no room for sentiment or emotion here in Theatre. Vicky had a job to do. And she was going to do it well.

‘This is where I’m going to cut,’ she said, indicating the area on Declan’s head.

‘OK,’ Jake said.

Deftly, she cut through the layers of skin, muscle and membrane at the site. ‘Burr-holes next,’ she said, drilling a series of tiny holes. ‘The bone’s not too thick at this point, so I don’t need to drill them very, very close together.’

She talked him through the rest of the operation—using a Gigli’s saw, passed between the burr-holes using a malleable saw guide, then lifting the lid of bone back on a hinge of muscle so she could open the dura mater to reveal the inner membranes. ‘Here’s the clot. Suction and irrigation,’ she said, working carefully to remove the clot. ‘Here’s the ruptured blood vessel. I’m going to clip it here.’