The Rebel and the Baby Doctor (5 page)

Phoebe nodded, and looked across the room at Jamie once more. ‘I think you would like it there, Jamie,’ she said. ‘My niece was a little younger than you when she first went to the centre. She was six years old and, like you, she had just had an operation, and she tired easily, but there were all sorts of exciting things for her to do at the activity centre. She went again last year, because she enjoyed it so much.’

She gave the boy an encouraging smile. ‘There’s wheelchair access, and you can do things like canoeing and fishing, or if you don’t like watersports there are
always things like the farm animals to see—Emily liked the horse riding while we were there, but sometimes, if she was feeling less energetic, she spent time in the craft centre. There would be children of around your age staying there, so you could perhaps make some new friends.’

Jamie looked pleased with what she told him, and glanced towards his mother. ‘I think I might like that,’ he said. ‘Could we do that?’

Mrs Brannigan was cautious. ‘I’m still not sure, Jamie.’ She turned to Connor. ‘The thing is, I don’t know how I would cope if he had any problems while we were there. I really want him to have some fun, but there are so many things I need to bear in mind, like sorting out the medication he needs, and what to do if he has any more after-effects from the operation…like the way he collapsed last night. We still need to learn to adjust to his condition.’ She looked at her son. ‘I know I said that I would take you away for a break after the operation, but perhaps it’s too soon.’

Jamie looked crestfallen and appealed to his father. ‘It’ll be all right, won’t it, Dad? Tell Mum it’ll be all right. I’m getting stronger every day.’

His father looked uncomfortable. ‘I don’t know, Jamie. You’re still quite frail. Perhaps your mother’s right. We ought to wait until you’ve managed to put on a bit more weight, and you’re feeling better. We hadn’t expected any of these complications, and I won’t be there to help out, will I?’

‘There is another solution, perhaps,’ Connor put in. ‘You were planning on going there at the end of next week, weren’t you?’

Mrs Brannigan nodded. ‘That’s right. I’d made a tentative booking, but after he collapsed I had second thoughts about it.’

Connor nodded. ‘That’s understandable, but I might be able to come along and help you out for a couple of days at the weekend, if that would be of any use. I’d like to see the centre for myself so that I’ll know whether to recommend it to other patients. I could see how Jamie copes with the activities and perhaps give you some advice along the way.’

Mrs Brannigan’s eyes lit up. ‘Would you really be prepared to do that for us? It’s such a lot to ask of you, but it would make me feel so much easier in my mind if I knew that you were going to be there, too. You’ve been so good, explaining Jamie’s condition to us and helping us through this. I’d probably be able to cope with the rest of the stay by myself once we had managed the first few days.’

Connor glanced at the boy’s father. ‘How do you feel about that?’

The man smiled. ‘I would certainly feel a lot easier in my mind, knowing that a doctor was going along with my boy. Are you sure that we wouldn’t be putting you out too much?’

‘Not at all,’ Connor said. He hesitated, a brief look of uncertainty crossing his features. ‘Of course, you have to bear in mind that I don’t have any experience of the centre myself, and I wouldn’t want to put you wrong on that score. Dr Linwood here is the expert on that, and I know she volunteered there from time to time. In fact, I had an idea she still does occasionally.’ He sent Phoebe
a vaguely questioning look, as though he was floundering a touch.

For her part, Phoebe was surprised that Connor knew any of that. She hadn’t told him about her stint at the centre, and he wouldn’t have heard it from her parents, since they still had their doubts about him. Of course, he had kept in touch with her sister over the years, hadn’t he? But why was he showing signs of uncertainty? That wasn’t at all like him. Maybe he was concerned for this young boy.

When she remained silent, thinking things through, Connor told the boy’s parents, ‘I can help you out with Jamie’s medical condition, but Phoebe is the one who knows all there is to know about whether the activities might be suitable. She would be the best one to guide you on that score.’

Mrs Brannigan turned to Phoebe. ‘Really? Is it true? Do you still volunteer at the centre? It would be wonderful if you could be there with us, too.’ Her husband cleared his throat in warning and she pulled herself up, looking flustered all at once. ‘Of course, I expect you’re much too busy. You must forget I asked. I don’t know what I was thinking.’

Jamie’s mouth drooped unhappily, and now Phoebe was the one to be uncertain. ‘No, that’s quite all right. It’s true what Dr Broughton was saying, I used to volunteer there on a regular basis. They did so much to help my young niece while she was recovering from various operations and procedures.’ She was thoughtful for a moment, disturbed by the sad look in the boy’s eyes. ‘I dare say I could fit in another week
end there. The organisers are always asking me if I’ll go back.’

All at once, Jamie was beaming from ear to ear. ‘So I get to go away after all? That’s super-cool.’

Jamie and his parents talked to one another excitedly, already making plans for the coming event.

It was only when Phoebe turned away and saw Connor’s lips make a faint curve of satisfaction that she realised how neatly she had been manoeuvred into volunteering her services.

Had she really thought he was unsure of himself? What possessed her to think that way? Connor never had doubts. He had led her down the path and held out the bait of the boy’s desperate longing so that she would enter the trap willingly.

‘Thank you so much for this,’ Mrs Brannigan said, her face wreathed in smiles. ‘I’ll ring the centre and say that we’ll go ahead with the booking.’

The woman turned away and started an animated conversation with her husband and son once more.

Phoebe felt the door of the trap clang firmly into place. She sent Connor a brief, quizzical look, and he returned it with a bland gaze, as though he was innocence itself.

‘You said you had some papers for me to sign?’ he murmured.

‘That’s right, I did. I can’t think what made me forget.’ Her blue eyes lanced into him, and the wretched man dared to smile.

‘You’ve always been extremely good with children,’ he murmured in an undertone as he signed the papers,
‘no matter much how you doubt yourself. Emily’s come a long way since her unfortunate start, and now you would hardly know that there’s anything wrong with her. That has to be down to the care she’s received over the years from both the medical profession and her family…including her favourite aunt. It’ll do you good to go away for the weekend, you’ll see. It will help you to see the positive side of things.’

She gave a brief, taut smile in return as she took the papers from him. ‘You are in so much trouble,’ she muttered. ‘Just wait till I get you on your own.’

‘I
S IT
safe to come in here?’ Connor poked his head around the door of the neonatal unit, and caught Phoebe’s gaze.

She glowered at him. ‘If we didn’t have to work together to transport this baby to Somerset, I’d answer that by aiming a barrage of squashed tomatoes at you,’ she said in a pithy tone. ‘You manipulated the situation with Jamie’s parents—don’t think that I don’t know that.’

He tried to look sheepish and failed dismally. ‘I was sort of hoping you might be over that now that you’ve had an hour or so to cool down.’

‘Not a bit of it. There’s no way you’re off the hook. I’ve had time to brood over what you did and I’ve come up with ways of making you pay.’

‘Uh-oh. That sounds ominous.’ He made as if to back away. ‘Maybe I ought to go back down to A and E?’

‘Don’t even think about it.’ Her eyes narrowed on him, her blue gaze becoming smoky. ‘I’ll sort you out later. In the meantime, the ambulance is ready and waiting and we’re all geared up to go.’

‘Ah, well, in that case…I suppose I don’t really have
much of a choice, do I?’ He opened the door wider and walked in, ducking and giving an exaggerated glance around as though to avoid any flying missiles. ‘How is the baby doing?’

Phoebe sobered. ‘Not so good, I’m afraid. I’m worried about her—because of the trauma she went through coming into the world she has a number of problems, not least the fact that her kidneys might fail.’

He made a face. ‘That’s definitely a complication she could do without, but the hospital she’s going to has expertise in dealing with those kinds of problems, doesn’t it?’ He glanced at the baby who Phoebe had placed in the specialised mobile unit that would protect her during the journey. ‘I wonder how the parents feel about all this? It must be terrible for them, being incapacitated themselves. How are they? Are they off the danger list yet?’

She shook her head. ‘Not so far. Alex reckons the mother is still very ill, but she’s responsive enough to know that her baby is being taken to another hospital. I’ve spoken to her and told her that as soon as she’s well enough she’ll be able to stay with the baby. She says they want to call her Sarah.’

Connor made a quick smile. ‘That’s good. It means she’s formed a bond with her, then, despite everything. It’s never satisfactory when mother and baby are separated. And what about the father…what state is he in? I heard he had suffered a chest injury and had to undergo heart surgery. Is there any news of him?’

Phoebe was busy gathering together all the documentation that was to go with the baby on the journey,
but she glanced at him briefly. ‘Jessica reckons he’s still under sedation. The consultant is quite worried about him.’

‘I can imagine.’ He grimaced. ‘Well, we’d better do our bit and make sure that baby Sarah comes through this all right, hadn’t we? At least she’ll have the best care we can give her, with all the state-of-the-art specialised equipment and ventilatory support. Let’s make a start, shall we?’

Phoebe nodded, and made a quick check of the baby’s heart rate and blood-gas levels. ‘Okay. She’s as stable as we can manage for now.’

They wheeled her out to the waiting ambulance and spent some time making sure that all was in order as they transferred her into the vehicle.

‘How long do you think it will take us to get to the children’s hospital?’ Phoebe asked the driver after they had secured the transport unit in place.

‘Around an hour and a half, I should think.’ He glanced at the baby in the incubator and smiled. ‘She looks peaceful enough, doesn’t she? It always amazes me how tiny they are. Their little heads are covered with bonnets that would hardly stretch over a mushroom.’

The baby wriggled and moved her tiny hand against her cheek as though seeking to suck on her fist. She yawned and her legs trembled a little before settling back into place against her tummy. Phoebe slid a hand inside the incubator and delicately stroked a finger along the baby’s arm, marvelling at the softness of her skin. This was such a precious bundle and she desperately wanted her to thrive.

She straightened and glanced back at the driver. ‘She came into the world early and she’s been through an awful lot in her first few days.’

‘I know.’ He nodded. ‘I’ll make it a slow and steady drive, don’t you worry. You just keep an eye on the little mite.’

Phoebe’s mouth curved. ‘I will…but she has Connor to keep her company as well. Between us we should be able to ensure a safe journey.’

She sincerely hoped that was going to be the case, but she couldn’t help feeling a tremor of apprehension. Once the driver had secured the doors, he started up the engine and they set off along the road.

She and Connor each settled to their individual roles. Phoebe kept watch on the monitors and adjusted the various fluid lines and drips, while Connor checked the baby’s nasogastric tube and applied suction where necessary to keep the area clear.

‘She seems to be doing all right so far,’ he announced when they had been travelling for around three quarters of an hour.

Phoebe nodded and relaxed a little, glancing out of the window at the rolling countryside. They were crossing Exmoor and the moorland heather spread out like a rich blanket of purple, lilac and yellow. In the distance she could see the rugged coastline where the blue waters of the Bristol Channel lapped at the shore.

‘It’s beautiful, isn’t it?’ Connor murmured, following her gaze.

‘Yes.’ Her mouth softened. ‘I’ve always loved the scenery around this part of the coast, especially the boats
in the harbours. The seashore always has a soothing effect on me and helps to make me feel tranquil.’

‘The countryside around here has a lot going for it as well, don’t you think?’ He pointed out the line of the river, burbling its way through the hills and valleys towards the sea. ‘I used to love going for walks along the banks of the river near my home. I’d go with my friends along to the packhorse bridge and we’d hang out amongst the trees and generally waste hours in the summertime, messing about.’

‘I remember,’ she said. ‘There was a special place that you would go to from time to time, wasn’t there? It wasn’t too far from the headland, a mile or so from the woodland near your house. There were gnarled old trees, I recall, in a small copse, where the river meandered and you could walk out onto a small wooden landing stage.’

‘How did you know about that?’ he asked, looking at her curiously. ‘I thought that was my hideout, known only to me.’

She gave a brief, secretive smile. ‘How did you know about my volunteering at the activity centre?’ she countered. ‘Did Amy tell you? I know that my sister kept in touch with you after you went to London.’

‘We met up from time to time when she brought Emily to the hospital where I was working.’ His mouth made a wry shape. ‘I think she felt sorry for me, being the village miscreant, and she might have had the idea that I’d been sorely misjudged.’

‘Misjudged…hah.’ She eyed him scornfully. ‘That’s a good one. Still, my sister’s a great one for listening
and sorting out the world’s ills.’ Phoebe’s blue eyes softened. ‘Though I recall she said you had been a great help to her when Emily was so poorly. She said you gave her some good advice.’

‘I hope it was useful. I was actually working in Cardiology back then, when Emily was due to have her first surgery.’

‘Oh, I see. That explains things. It must have been a comfort to her to be able to talk to you.’

‘Possibly.’

Phoebe frowned. ‘So, if you know all about me being at the activity centre, she must have filled you in on what I was up to from time to time?’

‘Occasionally. Though I must admit I found out about your volunteer activities from Mr Kirk.’

‘From Mr Kirk?’ Her brows shot up. ‘I don’t think I follow you. Why on earth would Mr Kirk tell you about that? I’m not even on his team.’

‘No, but he said you were in the department for a short time, on a colleague’s team. He had some dealings with the people who run the centre, apparently, as his patients go to stay there from time to time, and he was quite impressed with what they had to say about how helpful you were. I think he has a good opinion of you in general and he’d been hoping that you would apply to work in Cardiac Care.’

‘Heavens.’ She blinked. ‘I hadn’t realised. That’s useful to know for when I have to decide where to apply for my next training rotation.’ She sent him a puzzled look. ‘But I still don’t see why he would tell you any of that.’

His expression was rueful. ‘It’s probably because I
got up his nose, as you put it the other day. I had to refer a child for cardiac surgery, and I suggested to him that we should be making better use of the operating theatres. As you pointed out, it didn’t go down too well with him. In fact, he seemed quite affronted.’

She winced. ‘I can imagine.’

‘Then when I mentioned that I was thinking of bringing in a business guru to explain to management how we could achieve higher quotas he told me I should find ways of making better use of all this spare time I seemed to have. Why didn’t I do as you had done, he said, and occupy myself by volunteering my services in other areas? Then I wouldn’t be so prone to stir up trouble?’

Phoebe shook her head in dismay. ‘You never learn, do you? You have everything going for you, and yet you still manage to go and put a spoke in your own wheel.’

He laughed. ‘You’re right…but I hate to see wasted opportunity. Things could be so much better if people would accept the notion of change from time to time instead of sticking their heads in the sand.’

Just then the monitors began to bleep and they both hurried to find out what had set them off. The baby was squirming a little, appearing faintly distressed, and among other problems the heart monitor was indicating signs of cardiac excitability.

‘Her kidney function is failing,’ Phoebe said anxiously. ‘I’ll give her medication to compensate, and hope that things settle down.’ She prepared the infusion. ‘I wonder if we should look again at the ventilation?’

‘I’ll see to it. I’ll adjust the rate.’

They both worked quickly to restore the balance of
the baby’s blood chemistry, and after a while, when the monitors stopped bleeping and the infant was peaceful once more, Phoebe cautiously settled back in her seat.

‘I think she’s over the worst, for the moment. I hope they’ll be able to sort out all her problems at the hospital she’s going to. I’ve become really fond of her over these last few days, and I couldn’t bear it if anything bad was to happen to her.’

‘They have renal specialists there, and I’m sure the consultant will give her the very best attention.’

‘Yes, I know you’re right. It’s just…I’m letting myself become too involved.’ She pulled herself together and sent him a wondering look. ‘I still can’t believe you had the nerve to challenge a top consultant about his working practices. What were you thinking?’

He shrugged. ‘If you don’t try, you’ll never get anywhere, will you? At least, that’s my philosophy.’ He looked her over for a moment, his thoughts obviously roaming elsewhere. ‘That’s why I…’ But then he stopped speaking and Phoebe sent him a questioning glance.

‘That’s why you…what?’

‘Nothing. Forget I said anything.’ He straightened, as though mentally bringing himself under control, and then he checked the baby in the incubator once more. ‘You said earlier that you had been brooding over this business of the activity centre. So what fiendish plan have you thought up to make me pay for involving you?’

‘Hah…worried now, aren’t you?’ She threw him a jubilant look. ‘Well, since you’re going to be taking up my leisure time, I decided I might as well take up yours in turn.’

‘Really? Is that a promise? I think I like the sound of that.’ His eyes took on a gleam of mischief and he edged closer to her. ‘Tell me more. I always thought we could spark a firework display if ever we were to get together.’

‘Back off,’ she said, fixing him with a laser-sharp gaze. ‘It’s a pity you can’t go and take a cold shower.’

He shook his head. ‘You don’t mean that. You’re just playing hard to get, aren’t you?’

She smiled at him sweetly. ‘There’s no playfulness about it,’ she murmured. ‘I’m deadly serious. You don’t stand a chance, not a smidgen, zilch. You’re about as likely to get close to me as you are to be Mr Kirk’s right-hand man.’

‘Ouch. That really hurt. I’m crushed.’ His expression was pained, and Phoebe laughed.

‘Yeah. Sure you are. Pull the other one.’ She looked at the baby and checked the monitors. When she had reassured herself that all was well, she turned back to him and said, ‘The thing is, I’ve had an idea for raising funds for the neonatal unit. We always need more equipment, and it would be great if we could expand the unit so that we could treat more babies.’

He raised his brows. ‘That sounds as though you’re becoming protective of the little ones in your care. I thought you had your mind set against being a children’s doctor?’

‘Well, yes, but it isn’t that.’ Phoebe checked the monitors once more and noted down the results on her observation sheet. Thankfully, the baby seemed to have suffered no ill effects from the earlier problems. ‘It’s just that they do such good work in the unit, and
even if I can’t be the one to stay there and work with them, I could do something to help.’ She fixed him with a direct look. ‘Or you can, by working with me to set this up.’

‘Set what up? What are we talking about?’

‘A sponsored walk.’

He was unimpressed. ‘Well, that’s not going to raise a whole lot of money, is it? You’d have to get half the hospital involved to get anywhere near the amount you’d need.’

‘We’ll work on that. Stop being such a wet blanket. Anyway, you don’t have any choice but to agree. I’ve made up my mind. I told you, I’ve been brooding on this.’

‘Scheming, more like.’

She glowered at him. ‘And then there’s the raffle to organise…And I thought a barbecue would go down well in the evening. We could charge an entrance fee or simply add a bit on to the cost of the food.’

‘And I’m supposed to help with all this?’ He raised dark brows. ‘You’re a hard taskmaster. I’d say there was a bit more than two days’ worth of effort involved there, wouldn’t you?’