‘I’m not much of a cook and I eat at the hospital a lot. That way I can use all my spare time to work on the house. And on my days off, Maggie usually insists that I have something with her. She’s definitely where you got your obstinate streak from.’
Back in the car, Sean headed for the hospital. Ellen’s curiosity got the better of her. ‘Who is this patient you’re going to see? What’s wrong with her?’
‘She’s one of my gynae patients who came to see me with a large fibroid growth. Normally we would have done a hysterectomy, but she’s only thirty-four and wanted children. So we agreed that we would try and shrink the fibroids. Luckily it worked and she fell pregnant almost as soon as treatment stopped. The hospital phoned to let me know she’s in labour and I promised her that I would look in. Once I’ve seen her, I’ll show you around. Last year the hospital was extended to include a special care nursery and more delivery beds. It’s pretty much state of the art and I’m sure you’ll find it interesting.’
Once again panic threatened to engulf Ellen. She took a deep breath to force it away. It wasn’t as if she would be on duty. She wouldn’t have to go into the delivery room if she didn’t want to and no one would be passing her a baby to hold. Besides, if she insisted on staying in the car, Sean’s curiosity would be well and truly aroused. She could see that already he was finding her behaviour strange, to say the least. And although holding Marie’s baby had been difficult at first, she had coped. More than coped. The baby in her arms had been a reminder that life went on and that life and death were linked in a continuous cycle. If her time on this earth was limited, what better way to spend it than helping others into the world? Perhaps she should go back to London and her job? Keeping busy would distract her from her own problems and might even help her come to terms with what had happened. Plus, she couldn’t stay with Gran for ever. Besides, from the way she kept getting goosebumps whenever she was in Sean’s company, perhaps living so close to him wasn’t a good idea either.
But she wasn’t ready to leave. She wasn’t strong enough yet to deal with whatever she had to on her own. She needed more time.
‘Okay. If you’re sure the midwives won’t mind,’ she said. ‘I’d like that.’
The distinctive smell of the labour ward hit her the moment she walked in and her heart leapt. This was where she belonged. This was where she felt the most confident. The labour ward had always felt as if it was her home from home. One of the midwives came over to them as soon as she spotted Sean. But not before she gave Ellen a searching look.
‘Sean. Fiona has been asking for you. She’s almost fully dilated and was really hoping you’d be the one to deliver her baby.’
‘Jessie, this is Ellen Nicholson,’ Sean introduced Ellen. ‘She’s a midwife from London … and a friend.’ This time there was no mistaking the acid look from the young and pretty midwife. ‘I said I’d show her around, but seeing as Fiona’s determined I am to deliver her baby, I wonder if you would mind showing Ellen around yourself?’
Jessie looked less than pleased. ‘Sorry, Sean. No can do. We’re really short-staffed. Half the ward’s off with swine flu.’ Jessie flashed Ellen a tight smile. Perhaps she was simply harassed, Ellen thought. She of all people knew how stressful an understaffed labour suite could be.
‘I’ll be fine,’ Ellen said. ‘If you could point me to the staff lounge, I’ll keep out of your way.’
Jessie studied her thoughtfully. ‘A trained midwife, eh?’
Ellen’s guessed what was coming. ‘I’m on leave,’ she said.
‘Damn,’ Jessie said forcefully. ‘We really could do with an extra pair of hands.’ Jessie gave Sean a playful tap on the shoulder. ‘You’d better get into scrubs, Sean. I’ll show Ellen where she can wait and then I’ll let Fiona know that you’re here.’
Ellen was thumbing a magazine when the door opened and an older woman with bright blue eyes and a worried frown came into the room.
‘Jessie told me I’d find you here. I’m Lena McPherson, Midwifery Manager.’
Ellen shook the extended hand wondering, but already guessing, what the woman wanted with her.
‘I know you’re a midwife,’ Lena said. ‘And Jessie did tell me that you are only here on holiday, but I did wonder if you would consider joining our bank of midwives. We’re desperately short-staffed because of the flu. If we don’t have enough midwives we may well have to start sending our high-risk pregnancies to Glasgow and we’d really rather not. Our mothers want to have their babies here where they know and trust us and the doctors. Any travelling is an added stress they don’t need.’
Talk about coming straight to the point. And emotional blackmail. However, perhaps this was exactly what she needed? She could work and have something to take her mind off her own problems and still have some time with her grandmother before going back to London. It would only be for a couple of months at the most.
‘When would you like me to start?’ Ellen said.
CHAPTER FOUR
ON SATURDAY, Ellen got up early and, taking her coffee, wandered outside. It had snowed again overnight and the hills in the distance looked spectacular with their blankets of snow. Maybe later she would go for a walk down to the loch that was hidden in one of the hollows. Up until today she hadn’t really felt up to exercising—part of her was worried that she might trigger an attack of breathlessness despite the fact that she knew she could become ill any time. Whether she exercised or not had nothing to do with it. In fact, as her physician had explained, the better physical shape she was in the better chance she would have of surviving an attack. Her consultant was right. She had two options. She could continue to feel sorry for herself and hide away or she could pick up the pieces and live every moment of her life as she’d always done—to the full. And the first step would be getting back to work. She had agreed to start on Monday and knew she had made the right decision.
Since she’d come back some of the terrible weight had begun to slip from her shoulders. Whether it was being with her beloved grandmother again, or knowing that she had the mental strength to continue with a job she loved, she didn’t know.
Or maybe it had something to do with being around Sean, a small voice whispered. Maybe being around him makes you feel brave?
As if thinking about him had made him appear, Sean stepped out of his house, holding a mug of coffee. The realisation that they liked to do the same thing in the morning made Ellen smile. Sean was wearing faded jeans and a thick, black cashmere sweater that emphasised the breadth of his chest and arms. He looked as rugged and as elemental as the mountains behind him and Ellen’s stomach lurched. She still found him disturbingly sexy.
He placed his coffee on the bench outside his front door and stretched. Then he picked up the mountain bike that was propped up next to his door and hefted it over his shoulder.
Ellen walked over to him. The crunch of her boots on the hard snow made him look round. When he saw it was her he grinned broadly, his even white teeth contrasting with his weather-tanned skin, and Ellen could almost hear her heart pounding against her ribs.
‘An early riser too,’ he said.
Ellen glanced at her watch. Although it was just after seven, the sun had only recently lifted above the horizon.
‘Time is too precious to waste lying in bed,’ she said. Perhaps it was the tone of her voice more than her words but Sean looked at her sharply.
‘I mean.’ she added hastily. ‘Who wouldn’t want to make the most of a beautiful day like this?’
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