The Doctor's Baby Secret (15 page)

‘The training went fine. Jungle, then desert landing, the ocean landing after that, followed by an introduction to Antarctica.'

She shot him a half-smile. ‘So, you managed to avoid snakes, dangerous insects and polar bears?'

He nodded. ‘Michael managed to come out in some weird rash after a reaction to something. And Taryn tried to catch rainwater using some bizarre leaf concoction and ended up puking. I've no idea what she actually ingested.'

It wasn't nearly as bad as it sounded. All astronaut candidates were left in a variety of settings to hone their survival skills. It was an essential component of their training. There was no guarantee where their re-entry pod would land. The last one had been around two thousand miles closer to Antarctica than anticipated and it had taken more than twenty hours to finally retrieve the astronauts. Survival skills for all elements were essential.

He turned the car onto the highway. The traffic was light. The rush hour had long since passed and the sun was dipping in the sky, sending streams of peach, orange and red across the darkening twilight. It looked as though it was going to be a perfect Texas evening.

If only someone would tell his churning stomach that.

He'd already decided the order he wanted to do things.

Speak to Corrine.

Speak to his father.

Speak to Adam.

But how did you tell a woman that lived and breathed WSSA that you were about to leave? And how did you also tell her that part of the reason you didn't want to go to space any more was because you'd fallen in love with her?

In an ideal world he'd have everything. He'd live one parallel life loving Corrine and being the astronaut his father would be so proud of. In the other, he'd fulfil his dreams of leading the cancer research work and still find a way to love and maintain a relationship with Corrine.

That was the thing. In both parallel lives she was the constant. And once he'd acknowledged that piece of the puzzle the rest all seemed to fall into place.

Corrine was staring out of the car, her gaze fixed on the horizon, her fingers still circling over and over. Her nerves hadn't abated. Maybe she knew it was time for them both to put all their cards on the table. Maybe she wondered why he'd invited her out to dinner so formally. The way they'd left things hadn't been ideal.

The shifting sun glared into his gaze for a few seconds. His reactions were automatic, pulling down the sun visor and easing his foot off the gas pedal until he adjusted his gaze.

And then everything in his world shifted.

One second they were rolling along the highway—the next was like the middle of a disaster movie.

Austin let out an expletive and braked sharply, swerving them to the side of the road. She jerked forward, stopped sharply by the seat belt, then thudded back against her seat.

She couldn't believe her eyes. It was almost as if everything were happening in slow motion. The sun's glare seemed to have affected a few drivers. A truck must have clipped one car, causing it to tumble over and over along the highway. The truck skidded, turning sideways and hitting the side of another car, sending it spinning in circles.

Flames shot off the hood of the tumbling car. It hadn't stopped moving yet. But that had no effect on Austin. The car door was flung open and his feet hit the asphalt almost in one movement. Corrine didn't even have time to catch her breath. Austin's running figure was silhouetted against the lowering sun.

She struggled with the seat belt, trying to release it, pulling and tugging as it stayed fast. She took a deep breath and ignored the pull across her stomach, dropping her hands from the belt to release the tension and jabbing the button again. This time it released.

She flung open the car door. ‘Bates! Bates! Stop!' He was running straight towards a car that looked as though it could explode any second.

The momentum of the tumbling had slowed. The car landed on its roof once more, then tipped back onto its wheels, rocking back and forth.

It was a crumpled wreck. Corrine glanced at the other vehicles. She had no medical equipment. It was Austin's car—not hers. But she was the one who should be helping here—not Austin.
She
was the doctor. Not him.

But for the first time in her life she was thinking about more than her life. She was thinking about the life inside her. Doing anything dangerous could put her baby at risk.

She tried to think rational thoughts as she pulled her phone from her bag. She was a doctor. And she had to act like one.

Her brain went into automatic pilot. First, call emergency services. Second, assess the casualties. Third, push aside all crazy thoughts about the father of her baby putting himself in imminent danger and start trying to do the job she was trained to do.

* * *

‘Bates! Bates!'

She never called him that. She didn't even like his call sign. Which was why, if she was using it, she must think he was crazy.

But it didn't slow his steps for a second. His eyes were constantly scanning the tumbling car, trying to see the occupants. His brain focused. Two passengers. The driver and a kid in the back. Both looked terrified.

The physics and engineering part of his brain tried to ignore the flames. Astronaut candidates knew more about accelerants, fire, combustibles and burn times than just about anyone on the planet. And he was currently ignoring it all.

The car bounced to a stop and his hands were on the crumpled door frame, tugging at the handle. The woman looked unconscious—her head slumped against the airbag. The door wouldn't move. It was jammed solid. He pushed his foot against the frame and pulled again, using his whole body weight.

Still nothing.

There was a whimper from inside. The heat from the burning flames was already conducting through the metal towards him. He banged at the window. Wide eyes in a terrified little face stared at him.

Something fired deep inside him. He couldn't waste a single second.

‘Cover your face!' he shouted. He thudded his elbow against the window but it only shuddered. Something flickered in his brain. He ran around to the trunk. With a tug, it opened. Relief. He grabbed the tyre iron and ran back to the window shouting his instructions again.

He smashed the driver's window a second later, putting his hand past the glass shards to try and open the door from the inside. It still wouldn't budge. He could hear Corrine shouting behind him. He turned. She was perched on the driver's footstop of the truck, checking the driver over. She waved her hand at him. ‘Move! Now! Get them out!'

He punched the rest of the glass away and heaved his body inside the front of the car, ignoring the searing heat beyond the windscreen, thumping down on the seat-belt release then piercing the airbag to stop it impeding him.

He must only have a few seconds, but if he didn't drag the woman out, he couldn't reach the kid. He put his hand under her arm and hauled. There was no time to consider spinal injuries and neck braces—it wasn't even his field. There was a ripping sound as he pulled her through the window. He stuck his shoulder under hers to try and capture her weight.

‘Here!' screamed Corrine. She was only twenty yards away and he ran towards her, leaving the woman at the side of the highway in her capable hands.

He sprinted back towards the car. The little girl was screaming and it was like an ice-cold vice gripping around his heart. It was torturous to hear. He didn't hesitate, just dived straight in through the driver's window again with his hands outstretched towards the back seat. ‘Come on, I'll get you out,' he yelled.

There was a flash. A streak of red just as the little girl folded inside his arms.

Then, an almighty crash. The feeling of impact.

And then everything went black.

* * *

She'd checked the other two drivers. Both were conscious, breathing and it was probably best to leave them in their vehicles until the emergency services arrived.

As a doctor she was used to emergencies. But most of her emergencies occurred in hospital or medical facilities. The one a few weeks ago at the lakeside had been unusual. She wasn't used to having the role of first responder with no equipment.

Austin was dragging a woman from the burning car. ‘Here!' she shouted. She took a few steps forward but was met by him, thrusting the woman towards her as he laid her down on the roadside. He turned to move away and she grabbed at his arm. ‘Where are you going?'

‘There's a kid still in the car,' he said. Worry lines creased his forehead. His gaze caught hers for the tiniest second. She felt a buzz go through her system, rooting her feet to the spot. No one else on the planet made her feel like this. She'd never felt a connection like this before. And if something happened to Austin she'd never feel it again.

A kid. She'd never talk him out of this and the truth was she didn't want to. He ran straight back to the car while she watched helplessly. What she really needed now was some kind of fire extinguisher. But there was nothing like that around.

He was close. Too close to the flames licking out from under the hood. This was what it must feel like to realise the person you love most in the world was at risk. Whether that be your lover or your child. Right now, a giant hand had just reached inside her chest, grabbed her heart and lungs and was squeezing all the blood and air out of her system.

The woman on the ground coughed and Corrine dropped automatically to her knees. Bile rose in her throat as she checked the woman's airway and pulse. They were fine and Corrine prayed she'd remain unconscious a few seconds longer—she really didn't need to see her kid stuck in this car.

Austin was head first in the car again, calling out to the little girl. Every part of Corrine's body was clenched. She needed him out and she needed him safe.

She needed to tell him about his baby.

There was a flash of red in front of her and a screech of brakes. The impact of metal on metal chilled every bone in her body. Both cars tumbled over and over.

‘Austin!' she screamed as if both their lives depended on it.

Because they did.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

N
OW
EVERYTHING
WAS
WHITE
.

And every muscle in his body ached. He blinked. Something wasn't right.

His head was fuzzy and he almost felt as if he were drifting outside himself.

Someone leaned over him. ‘Austin? Are you back with us?' His eyes struggled to focus a little.

The speaker, a woman in white, leaned over and pressed his shoulder. ‘You gave us a bit of a fright. I don't think the anaesthetist has ever seen anyone have a reaction like that before.'

He blinked again. What on earth was she talking about?

She kept talking, even though he was tired again. ‘You're a little swollen because of your reaction to the anaesthetic—that's why you're having trouble seeing right now. We've got you on some steroids. The swelling will settle quickly. All being well, you'll get home tomorrow.'

Tomorrow? What did she mean tomorrow? What day was it? He had somewhere to be, something to do. It was very important. But he just couldn't remember what it was.

* * *

The gel on her stomach was cold. There had been no time for the doctor to heat it. There wasn't even a sonographer available. Her heart was pounding and her stomach still twinging. She tried to sit up a little. ‘Austin? Have you heard about Austin? And the little girl? How is she?'

The doctor pushed her shoulder back against the trolley as he frowned at the grainy screen and repositioned the probe. ‘How many weeks did you say you were?'

Corrine's breath was caught somewhere in her throat. For a few seconds she wasn't thinking about Austin or the little girl. For a few seconds she wasn't thinking about herself or ‘them'. Right now she was only thinking about her baby and praying it had survived the accident.

‘Fifteen.' The words came out choked.

He pushed the probe lower into her abdomen. ‘Ah, here we are.' He lifted a finger and pointed at a flicker on the screen. ‘Sorry, I'm only covering tonight. Obstetrics isn't my speciality.'

She let out her breath in a whimper. Her baby—their baby—was still there. She didn't care about work any more. She didn't care about money or how she would cope.

The doctor printed her out a picture. ‘Here you go. For reassurance.'

She gulped. The sonographer had given her a picture a few weeks ago. One she'd kept in her purse and looked at over and over again. But this was different. Today had put everything into perspective for her. There were two people in this world she wanted to fight for. She grabbed the paper towel from the doctor and wiped down her own abdomen, swinging her legs from the trolley. Right now she knew exactly where she should be and who she should be with.

She could have lost him. She could have lost the guy she loved—the father of her child—and she'd never even told him that she loved him.

‘Which way to Austin Mitchell's room?'

The doctor looked a little stunned. ‘You can't leave. You're still under observation. You should remain on bed rest for the next couple of days.'

She spun around again and gave him her best glare. ‘What room is Austin Mitchell in?'

The doctor gulped and shook his head. ‘I'm sorry, I don't know.'

Corrine pushed her feet into her shoes and started down the corridor, her head turning from side to side as she checked the names on the whiteboards. Her skin started to prickle. Was there a reason she couldn't find him?

Please, no. Her heart thudded against her chest. Two guys in white coats were standing outside a room at the bottom of the corridor in conversation with a nurse.

As she moved closer she could hear a voice drifting out into the corridor. ‘Do you all want to stop muttering out there and tell me what's wrong?'

He sounded annoyed, agitated. And she'd never heard anything so fine in her life.

She didn't even stop to talk to them—just pushed past and walked straight into the room.

‘Austin?' His head turned towards her.

Wow. He currently looked like the marshmallow man. Every part of him was swollen. He was almost unrecognisable. But all she felt was instant relief.

It was Austin. He was alive. And he was all in one piece. Sure, she could see some dressings on his arms—he must have suffered some burns. And something else had obviously gone wrong.

She crossed the room in a second and put both hands on his face. He squinted at her. ‘Corrine? I was so worried. The little girl? Do you know how she is?'

He blinked as if he was trying to focus. Then he put one hand over hers. Any second now she'd start crying. He must be so uncomfortable right now, but he hadn't even asked what was wrong, he'd asked about the little girl he'd tried to rescue.

That was her guy. The guy she loved with her whole heart.

It was amazing how things could just become crystal clear. She didn't care if Austin wanted to be an astronaut or not. She didn't care if he wanted to stay at home all day. If he completed his training and got the next mission to space, then she'd teach herself to love long-distance. And hopefully she'd teach him that too. Whatever he wanted to do with his life, she wanted to be there. She just hoped that he wanted her, and their baby, too.

‘She's fine, Austin. She's been admitted to Paeds for observation. Her arm is fractured but there are no other injuries. She should be fine.'

He frowned. ‘Are you okay?'

She hesitated for a second, wondering if she should say any more. Was now really the time to tell him?

‘Mr Mitchell?'

They both glanced around. He dropped his hand from hers.

The doctor walked over to the bed.

‘What happened to him?' Corrine asked.

He held his hand out towards Corrine. ‘I'm Dell Cairney. Mr Mitchell's anaesthetist.' He smiled at Austin. ‘Mr Mitchell decided to give us a bit of a fright when we took him to Theatre to stitch him up and remove all his shrapnel.'

Corrine looked at the IV bag hanging next to her. ‘He reacted to the anaesthetic?'

Dell nodded. ‘That would be the understatement of the year. Let's just say I'm putting a special marker on his medical notes.' He turned to Austin again. ‘The swelling should be down in a few hours. That's why you can't see properly right now. All being well you should be able to go home tomorrow.'

‘And my vision will return entirely to normal?' He was pressing. Of course he was. This was Austin Mitchell. The man was a superhero, an ace Top Gun pilot and on the top of the list of astronaut candidates.

‘I'm a pilot.' His gaze met Corrine's. ‘I'm training to be an astronaut.'

He was. And she was going to have to take the bravest step in her life. She was going to have to learn to trust him with her heart.

The anaesthetist nodded to the nurse at the door. ‘Take Mr Mitchell downstairs. We need to run another couple of tests to make sure we got every piece of metal out of him.' He winked at Austin. ‘Can't have an astronaut going to space with any extra baggage.'

Corrine stepped over to the bed and kissed his cheek. ‘Good luck. I'll be waiting for you when you get back.'

Something flashed across his face. A look of regret? Of sadness? She had no idea what was going on inside his head right now.

‘We'll talk when I get back?' he said quickly.

She gave him a nod as they wheeled the bed out of the door. This would be the biggest conversation of her life. And she wasn't quite sure where it would end.

Could she really trust her hero with her heart?