Confessions of a Naughty Night Nurse (20 page)

‘Go on,’ Carl said, nodding. ‘Tell her.’

I nodded and mouthed ‘hang on’, then returned my attention to Felicity Broom. ‘But I did think I might be subjected to a ridiculous, untrue allegation,’ I said slowly.

‘You did?’ She sounded surprised. ‘Why?’

‘Because I reported an incident to Sister Stanton earlier on tonight and she didn’t believe me. In fact, she accused me of lying and said she would try to discredit me by any means possible.’

She hesitated, then, ‘Go on.’

‘The missing benzodiazepines from the pharmacy night cupboard. I know who’s been taking them.’

She gave a sharp intake of breath. ‘You do?’

‘Yes.’

‘Who?’

I paused for a little dramatic effect, and then said, ‘Doctor Javier Garelli.’

‘No? Really? The hunky Italian one?’

I rolled my eyes and sighed. ‘Yeah, that’s the one.’

‘How on earth do you know that?’

‘I found a key, in his wallet. It opens the drug cupboard. Plus I know he’s not been on the ball lately. There’s something going on with him. Nurses and doctors are talking about his mood swings and his mistakes.’

‘Bloody hell, this situation has been a nightmare for the last few months, the police have been involved and everything.’

‘Well, if you take a look in his wallet, under the photo there, you’ll find a replica key to Sister Stanton’s, and my betting is, he took it from her and made a copy for himself.’

‘But hospital keys are coded. Hardware shops are not allowed to replicate them, by law.’

‘I know, but this one looks handcrafted, crudely yes, but it works.’

She paused. ‘Sharon, if what you’re saying is true this is quite a breakthrough.’

‘It is true.’ I felt like I was floating. She believed me. Thank goodness. ‘I have evidence. Photographs I took with my iPhone that Sister Stanton said I’d faked. Would you like me to get them to you?’

‘Yes. Definitely. If you send them through to this number that would be great. Then I’ll have a word with my superior and call you back. But thanks, this is incredible. You’ve done the hospital a great service.’

‘So I’m not suspended or sacked?’

‘I do need to speak to my superior before I can comment on that. Like I said, this is a very unusual situation and I really can’t see why Sister Stanton didn’t mention your discoveries to us.’

‘She just flatly refused to believe me.’

‘Mmm, Sharon, I’ll call you back soon.’

‘OK.’ I clicked off the phone and began to forward the three photographs.

‘Well?’ Carl asked, glancing at the screen.

‘She needs to speak to her superior; then she’s going to call back.’

‘So this means you’re off the hook with Iceberg?’

I laughed, but not with much humour. ‘The way my life is going, Carl, I very much doubt it. Things just don’t seem to be working out very well.’

‘Hey.’ He stood and moved to sit in the chair next to mine. ‘Am I included in the not-working-out bracket?’

He looked tired. There were rings under his eyes again. His stubble was dense and his collar undone; he hadn’t bothered with a tie when changing from his scrubs.

‘I suppose so.’

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. ‘Why?’

‘Because the last thing I wanted was for you to see me with Javier, for there to ever have even been an incident with Javier. But it happened, and it was wrong and –’

Suddenly he pressed his lips to mine, a soft but firm kiss, and I couldn’t utter another word. A whimper escaped my mouth as his hand slid to the back of my head, cradled my skull, and his tongue sought mine.

After a few delicious moments he pulled away, but he didn’t let go of my head. ‘So let’s just start over. No games, no one else, just us.’

His glasses were always a little askew after he’d kissed me and I reached up and straightened them. ‘OK, if that’s what you want?’

‘Yes, most definitely. I thought nurses were easy but you’ve been quite a challenge, in every department.’

‘Easy! How dare you!’

He laughed. ‘It’s why I became a doctor in the first place. For the nurses.’

‘I can’t believe you had the nerve to say that.’

He laughed harder and dragged me into a tight hug. ‘Luckily I like a challenge, though. And you definitely come under that heading.’

I melted into him. For the first time in days, weeks, months, I felt safe and secure. Carl’s arms were like coming home. Warm and comforting. And his unique, fresh, masculine smell had also become reassuring.

I slid my hands up his back; taut with trim muscle over wide shoulders. I just liked touching him and having him hold me. If he didn’t want to take it any further for now then that was fine with me.

He kissed the side of my head, stroked my hair then ran his finger over my cheek. Another little piece of my heart melted for him. Such a simple gesture, but weighted with kindness, despite what I must have put his emotions through half of the night.

‘So when you had this sudden light bulb moment,’ he said, ‘and realised that you wanted to make love. Was it anything to do with me?’

I looked up at his anxious face. ‘Do you even have to ask?’ I touched the tip of my nose to his and enjoyed the sensation of being honest and open, not just to myself about my feelings but also to Carl. It was something I hadn’t done for so long. Emotions I’d learnt could break you as easily as they could make you. But with Carl, well, he was worth the risk of feeling again.

My phone suddenly jangled out its tinny tune. Hurriedly I reached for it. Carl kept an arm around my shoulders and I rested my hand on his thigh.

‘Hello.’

‘Sharon?’

‘Yes.’

‘It’s Felicity Broom again.’

‘Any news?’

‘Yes, I’ve spoken to the head of Personnel who is most shocked that Sister Stanton didn’t think your accusation and evidence was worth sharing with us and the police. It really is very inappropriate for a manager in her position and certainly will require an investigation of its own.’

‘Really?’ Oh, hell. How sweet was that? Iceberg in trouble for not passing on my information. A double whammy of success. ‘And Javier?’

‘I can’t say much more, because a very current investigation is taking place.’

Bloody hell, did that mean the police were on their way to raid his place? I hoped so. I could just imagine his handsome face twisting with fury that they dare accuse him, Doctor Javier Garelli. He would likely implode with rage. ‘Oh, OK then.’

‘But we really are incredibly grateful for your investigative skills and for feeling able to report a superior. It takes a lot of courage to do that.’

‘Well, I’m not one to see many grey areas between right and wrong.’

‘And a good job, too, because both of these members of staff are most definitely in the wrong.’

Both. Excellent. ‘You know they’re having an affair, don’t you?’ I said.

Carl gave a shocked cough then cleared his throat.

‘Really?’ Felicity said, her voice high with surprise.

‘Yes, so that might be why Sister Stanton felt the need to protect him like she did.’

‘Well, yes, that would certainly explain some things.’ She paused. ‘Really, those two?’

‘Hard to believe but it’s common knowledge.’

‘Well, I would never have guessed, they don’t seem exactly …’

‘Suited? No I agree.’

‘Mmm.’

‘So,’ I said. ‘Can I ask what will happen about my suspension?’

‘Oh, yes that. Forget it, obviously. Sister Stanton will be the one suspended now, for not reporting Doctor Garelli.’

‘And the thing she accused me of?’ I glanced at Carl who was finishing off the last of his McMuffin.

‘Water under the bridge. Clearly she’s been having trouble distinguishing between the good guys and the bad guys as well as reality.’

I was off the hook. I wanted to do a hop, skip and a jump. Iceberg had failed to strike me off the register. I was still a nurse, always would be. Thank goodness, because it was all I really knew how to do.

‘Great,’ I said, trying to sound relieved more than jubilant. ‘Good.’

‘Yes, forget it all. We’ll be in touch if we need anything else from you, but I doubt it. These pictures are pretty damning, and once the police have done their investigation, too, it should be a closed case.’

‘So I can turn up for duty as normal.’

‘Yes, absolutely. The hospital is lucky to have you.’

I let out a long breath of relief. She couldn’t have said a nicer thing to me. ‘I’d best get some sleep then, it’s been a long night.’

‘All sorted?’ Carl asked as I slotted my phone back into my handbag.

‘Yes, yes it is. I’ve gone from thinking I was about to be made homeless and living as a tramp on the streets to being thanked by Personnel and told the hospital is lucky to have me.’ I shook my head, hardly able to believe my turnaround in fortune.

‘Well, yes, they are lucky to have you, but I don’t think you would ever have been on the streets,’ he said.

‘Where else would I go, if I lost this place?’ I genuinely had no idea. I would be desolate.

‘My house?’

‘You’ve got a house? I thought you said you were in the doctors’ accommodation at the hospital.’

‘I was, but I figured I’d be hanging around for a few years and I wanted to get on the property ladder, so I’ve just put an offer in on a little place. You should come over when I move in, it’s cute. Thatched roof, apple trees in the back garden and a fabulous wood-burning stove, perfect for cold winter nights.’ He stood and pulled me up next to him. ‘You would never have been living on the street, not when I’m on this earth.’

‘Really?’ A sudden set of tears welled in my eyes. ‘That’s so kind.’

‘Hey, hey.’ He rubbed his thumbs beneath my eyes, catching the drips before they trickled down my cheeks. ‘No tears, everything’s OK. And there’s nothing kind about it. I care about you.’

‘It’s just …’

He tipped my head up, with his fingers cupped over my ears. ‘Just what?’

I looked up into his face and could see a faint reflection of myself in his glasses. ‘It’s been a long time since anyone was as nice to me as you are.’

‘I’m sure it isn’t, it’s just the first time you’ve noticed for a while.’

I shrugged, a little childishly, because maybe he was right. But even so, I was embarrassed by my tears. I didn’t know what it was with the waterworks lately. A combination of stress, exhaustion and fear I guessed.

I tried to turn away, but he held my head securely.

‘What the hell did this Michael bloke do to you?’

OK, now that was dangerous tear territory and not something I talked about. ‘Nothing.’

‘Nothing? He must have done something. You were like a deer caught in headlights just at the thought of a date with me.’

‘I wasn’t.’

He raised his eyebrows in a way that said I couldn’t persuade him to think otherwise. And what was the point? He was right. A date was the first step in a relationship, and relationships were scary. The thought of having my soul shredded from my body again wasn’t particularly appealing; to be honest, it was downright terrifying.

But even so, Carl deserved the truth. More than anyone he’d persevered with me. He’d forgiven, trusted and treated me with respect. I supposed he really did need to know what the hell he was getting himself into if this was going to be more than friendship.

‘OK.’ I took his hands from my head, linked my fingers with his and held them between our bodies. ‘You really want to know?’

‘Yes,’ he said quietly. ‘I do.’

‘He really did nothing, literally. He just left. I came back from work, a day shift actually, that was before I went nocturnal, and he’d … gone.’ I paused, waiting for the usual stab of pain at the memory of walking through the door, calling to him that I’d splashed out and bought steak and a bottle of red on the way home, as it was a Friday. He hadn’t replied and I’d thought he was in the shower or something. He wasn’t.

‘Gone?’ Carl said, tilting his head. ‘What do you mean?’

‘He’d left a note, saying that he didn’t love me any more. Didn’t want to get married and he had an urge to travel the world while he was still young enough to do it.’

‘And you had no idea he was feeling like this?’ Carl shook his head. I could sense his confusion, his struggle to comprehend; it was like everyone else had been at the time.

‘No, not at all.’ I glanced away. ‘We’d been out the night before, to the cinema, came home, made love and then enjoyed breakfast together. I thought he was happy, like I was. Truth be told, I was more than happy. I spent the first two years living in this flat with Michael, feeling like I was the luckiest woman on earth and walking on cloud nine all day every day.’

Carl looked bemused. ‘And he hadn’t said anything. Not even hints of travelling and stuff?’

‘No, Michael is a Yorkshire lad, born and bred. Yorkshire men tend to be homebodies, they don’t get the wanderlust other people do, and who can blame them? It’s beautiful here.’

‘Yes, but …’ He squeezed my fingers. ‘But you just don’t do that, do you? Walk away from someone you love.’

‘He didn’t love me.’

‘But he proposed. Bought this place with you.’

I sighed. ‘Yes, I agree the signs were there that he loved me. Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. But his actions undermined my ability to trust, to believe in my skills in judging how people felt about me.’ I nodded at the cream pile rug in front of the fireplace. ‘Have you any idea how many nights I lay on there sobbing, wondering what the hell I’d done wrong or what signs I hadn’t picked up?’ I pulled in a deep, shaky breath. ‘Over and over I asked myself why he’d left in such a cruel way, no explanation, no chance for me to defend myself or try to make things right. The only contact I ever had with him was through a solicitor to sort out the deeds to this place. He took himself off the mortgage and I bought him out. I had some crazy idea in my head that if I kept our home together he might come back.’