Emergency: Mother Wanted. Sarah Morgan

“we” I assume you mean me,’ the anaesthetist said dryly, and Zach grinned.

      ‘I do indeed. I’m not rummaging around in someone’s vocal cords unless I have to.’

      The anaesthetist frowned and reached for an endotracheal tube. ‘Isn’t it a bit late for gastric lavage? When did he take them?’

      ‘His friends saw him two hours ago and he was fine,’ Zach said calmly. ‘I want to try it and I want to give him some charcoal.’

      ‘You’re the boss.’ The anaesthetist shrugged and intubated the patient quickly, using a cuffed endotracheal tube designed to prevent liquid accidentally entering the lungs.

      ‘Great.’ Zach lifted his eyes to Nicky. ‘Let’s wash him out. Keep 20 mils of the aspirate for a drug screen. Then I want 50 grams of activated charcoal down the tube. And let’s do an ECG.’

      His steady stream of instructions left Keely’s head reeling and she watched in awe as he and Nicky worked together, their smooth teamwork a result of years of experience. Nicky seemed to anticipate Zach’s every move without being asked and he was so calm and relaxed that Keely’s admiration quickly turned to gloom. Would she ever be as confident as that?

      ‘He’s in urinary retention,’ Nicky said quietly, and Zach nodded.

      ‘That’s common after a tricyclic overdose. Try suprapubic pressure. If that doesn’t work then let’s put in a catheter. How’s that ECG?’

      He leaned over her shoulder, frowning as he saw the trace. ‘Well, that pretty much confirms Keely’s diagnosis.’

      As if to prove the point the student nurse came back in at that point. ‘I’ve spoken to the GP. He was taking tricyclics. Amitriptyline.’

      ‘Well done, Keely.’

      Zach’s quiet words of praise brought a faint colour to her cheeks and she suddenly felt deliciously warm inside. Maybe she would be as confident as him one day. He was the consultant after all.

      Zach lifted the ECG trace and stared down at it. ‘All right, Keely, you’re the one who wants to be a cardiologist. Take a look at that and tell me what you see?’

      He handed her the ECG trace and waited while she looked at it.

      ‘Prolonged PR interval and QRS widening.’

      ‘Right.’ Zach took the trace back. ‘Consistent with a tricyclic overdose. Let’s give him 8.4 per cent sodium bicarbonate.’

      Nicky turned away to do as he’d instructed and Zach turned back to Adam. ‘He needs to be admitted to CCU for cardiac monitoring. Can you bleep the medical reg and I’ll have a word with him?’

      Half an hour later the man was stabilised and had been admitted by the medical team.

      ‘Will he live?’ The student nurse stared at Zach, her eyes wide and slightly stunned.

      ‘Probably. And he’ll probably do it again,’ Zach said calmly, folding the ECG trace and putting it carefully in the notes.

      ‘You were amazing, Mr Jordan. You knew exactly what to do. You saved his life.’ She stared at him with a mixture of awe and reverence and Keely felt some empathy with the girl. Watching Zach in action was a humbling experience. Not only was he clearly a skilled doctor but his cool self-confidence had transmitted itself to the rest of the staff. There was no panic with Zach around.

      The student nurse was still round eyed with admiration and Keely saw Zach frown slightly as he registered her longing gaze.

      How would he react? Would he demolish the girl? No, that wasn’t his style. Look how kind he’d been to her for a start.

      But she sensed that his style had changed over the years. The easy charm was still there on the surface but underneath she sensed a cynicism, a hard edge that hadn’t been part of the Zach that she’d known all those years ago. Was it just maturity? Or something else? Had something happened to change him?

      ‘Saving lives is what we do in A and E.’ His tone was matter-of-fact and a touch impatient as he addressed the student nurse. ‘It’s the job. Any of the doctors here would have done the same.’

      Keely could tell by the look on the young nurse’s face that she didn’t believe him, that she’d suddenly turned Zach into some sort of god with supernatural powers.

      Nicky had obviously noticed, too, because she dealt with the situation quickly.

      ‘You’re needed in the dressing clinic, Bella,’ the A and E sister said hastily, ushering the young student nurse out of the room before she could say anything else.

      Zach made no reference to the incident, instead thanking them all for their help and issuing a few final instructions to Nicky before striding out of the room to talk to the patient’s friends who were waiting in the relatives’ room.

      Keely exchanged looks with Nicky. ‘Does he have that effect on everyone?’

      Nicky nodded as she started to clear up the debris in the room.

      ‘Everyone female. They soon get over it when they realise he isn’t interested.’

      Keely threw some rubbish in the bin and tried to sound casual. ‘Isn’t he?’

      ‘Never.’ Nicky glanced up and shook her head slowly as she looked at her. ‘Oh, no. Not you, too.’

      Keely stiffened. ‘What do you mean?’

      ‘I recognise that expression on your face. I’ve seen it too many times before not to. Don’t fall for him, Keely,’ Nicky warned, lowering her voice as she spoke. ‘It’s a quick route to a broken heart.’

      Keely licked dry lips. ‘Do lots of women fall for him?’

      ‘What do you think?’ Nicky pulled a face and tilted her head to one side. ‘Zach Jordan is so good-looking he can’t walk down a street without women getting neck ache as they stare at him. He’s clever—very clever—and on top of that he’s got this air of calm confidence that women find irresistible. Pretty devastating combination of qualities. Of course lots of women fall for him.’

      ‘Is he married?’

      Now, why on earth had she asked that question?

      Nicky’s expression was suddenly remote and discouraging. ‘I can’t discuss Zach’s private life—it wouldn’t be right. But take it from me, he’s not available.’

      Keely frowned slightly, wondering why Nicky hadn’t just answered her question.

      ‘Forget him, Keely. He’s a colleague and nothing more.’ Nicky opened a laryngoscope to check the bulb. ‘I know he’s good-looking but, like I said, falling for Zach is a quick route to a broken heart.’

      Unfortunately her warning was about eight years too late, Keely thought gloomily as she ripped off her gloves and tossed them in the bin. She’d fallen heavily for Zach when she’d first met him and she had a nasty feeling that nothing much had changed. He still had the power to turn her insides to jelly.