Chapter Fourteen

‘I HAVE to get away by midday.’ Pauline surveyed the bomb site that was the kitchen on the following Monday morning. The surfaces were littered with mugs and champagne glasses and the scent of debauchery was in the air. Not that you could tell from looking at him. Not that you could ever tell from looking at him! Clean shaven, he was wearing one of those blessed linen shirts that took for ever for her to iron and chomping on his toast. Butter wouldn’t have melted in his mouth as he sat reading the paper.

‘No problem.’

‘I might not get it all done.’ She bobbed her head into the lounge, which unfortunately was the only decent room in the place; she’d been hoping to tackle it today because there was a show she wanted to watch at eleven. Still, he had pay TV in his room, Pauline reminded herself. ‘I’ll do your bedroom after the kitchen. Give it a good spring clean now that Lorna’s gone.’

‘Actually…’ James stood up and attempted to find his keys. ‘Could you leave the bedroom? I started doing my tax return last night, there are papers everywhere. Don’t even go in.’ He flashed her a smile. ‘I’ve got a pile of receipts.’

Work was busy, which for James was good—anything to take his mind off her. He immersed himself in the rhythm of the busy department. A cyclist hit by a taxi got him through to eight forty-five a.m. before the trauma team took over his case. A jogger with a dislocated patella was a quick distraction. James popped it back while the patient was still on the stretcher. That got him to nine a.m. Then there was a meeting in Admin. He did try to focus, but his foot kept tapping and he kept having to ask the CEO if he’d mind repeating the question.

‘I wasn’t asking a question,’ Brent Gillard said tartly. ‘I was stating that the delays have been far too long in your department in recent weeks.’

‘Because we’re two doctors down,’ James answered back. ‘Because the consultants and registrars are dealing with the stuff that the SHOs usually do.’

‘We’ve provided locums,’ Brent responded coolly.

‘Just never the same one twice.’ James’s tone would have cut ice. ‘Which means they have to be orientated, which means they don’t even know where the IV trolley is, or the patella hammer, or how to use the paging system…I could go on.’

‘Please don’t.’ Brent said. ‘Just get the waiting times down.’

James was not best pleased when he strode back into Emergency, especially when May followed him into his office.

‘I don’t care if this is a bad time!’ May slammed the door closed in a way only a very good colleague could, but he was boiling too, refusing to look at her, refusing to respond, lest he say the wrong thing. He flicked through his emails as May ranted on. ‘I have just had another locum shouting at one of my nurses because she dared to buzz him on his coffee-break. I tell you, James, this place is at breaking point. Something has to give.’

‘It just did.’ James looked up at his favourite nurse. ‘I quit!’

‘No!’ May practically shrivelled in front of him. ‘No, James.’

‘Er, I was joking!’

‘Cheeky pup.’

‘Remember Dean Hayes?’

‘The one with the terrible dandruff?’ May frowned as she placed him.

‘That’s him.’ James nodded. ‘Well, he’s jetting off to Europe in two months and has emailed asking for every shift available.’

‘He is good.’ May nodded, but was only slightly mollified.

‘And Lorna.’ James cleared his throat. ‘She just sent in her résumé. She can start in two weeks, light duties only, but she’s very good, very sharp.’

‘She’s a GP, isn’t she?’

‘She is—and she also covers a rural area, so she’s pretty used to dealing with whatever lands in her lap, though she might struggle with the volume.’

‘She’ll cope.’

‘And I’ll go and have a word with the locum.’

‘Right!’ May gave him a very nice smile. ‘That is better!’

‘I’ll email Dean and give him a pile of work.’ He gave a shrug. ‘I’ll ring Admin now and tell them I’ve just done a telephone interview with Lorna. I know it’s been hard on the nursing staff…’

‘We’ll get there.’ May smiled. ‘Okay, I’ll give the girls the news and then I’m off.’

‘It’s only midday.’

‘Ah, but I’m on the old contract.’ May smiled. ‘And I’m glad that I dug my heels in—I still get my half-days!’

That took him to midday, but all he wanted to do was go home, all he wanted to do was remember. He had no qualms about Pauline cleaning up behind him, he’d long since stopped feeling embarrassed when he’d come home to find a neat little pile of earrings and bras that she’d retrieved during her working day. He no longer noticed the way her mouth disappeared into itself when a pretty new face tumbled into the kitchen as she was unloading the dishwasher.

He wanted his room as Lorna had left it—wanted the scent of her in the bedroom and a couple of long auburn hairs on his bathroom floor for just a little while longer—then he’d deal with getting over her.

Again.