Read Online Needed: Full-Time Father (Medical Romance) by Carol Marinelli - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carol Marinelli
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Medical, Adult, Family Life, Classic, Single Mother, Bachelor, sensual, Forever Love, Single Woman, Hearts Desire, Consultant, Reissue, Nurse Manager, Grand Opening, Heatherton E.R., Wild Card, Full-Time Father
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opened. ‘Are you busy?’
It was a pretty stupid question, given she was head down in a pile of paperwork and juggling a telephone call to the nursing administrator, trying to get an extra nurse for the late shift. But instead of giving a smart reply, Madison gestured for him to sit down and attempted to finish her call. Attempted, because the brisk, efficient person she’d been only a moment ago seemed to have lost track of the conversation. Even though Madison was more than familiar with having her conversations interrupted and doctors arriving unannounced and requiring her attention, in this instance even the most mundane of tasks—breathing—was proving difficult. Brutally aware of Guy’s presence, she tried to refocus on the voice in her ear and block out the masculine scent filling her nostrils, the heavy scrutiny of his eyes on hers. When his pager shrilled, she had to physically drag her eyes away from the sight of his hand scribbling on a pad on her desk, suntanned hands with very short, very white, very neat nails.
‘If I don’t have an extra nurse, we’ll have to go on bypass,’ Madison insisted, referring to a situation where ambulances were rerouted to another hospital, a situation that was clearly far from ideal. ‘I need a nurse by three p.m. at the latest,’ Madison went on, rolling hereyes at Guy. ‘Of course I’ll let Dr Boyd know the situation. I’d appreciate it if you can get back to me as soon as possible.’
He gave a wry smile as she replaced the receiver.
‘That was the nursing supervisor,’ Madison explained, ‘trying to give me a valid reason why we can’t have one nurse to cover the three staff that I haven’t got tonight. Given you’re the consultant in charge today, she asked me to let you know what was going on.’
‘Do you think we’ll have to go on bypass?’
‘No. They can “maybe” get a nurse to come at six p.m., but they’re not prepared to pay overtime.’
‘So how can we cover the department?’ Guy frowned. ‘The early staff finish at four…’
‘I can stay back.’ Madison shrugged.
‘Shouldn’t you be at home?’ Guy frowned and so did Madison. The insinuation that she was putting the department before her daughter stung deeply, but just as quickly as it had started the tiny confrontation was over. Guy swiftly and appropriately moved the conversation from personal to professional. ‘How come we’re short?’ As Madison opened her mouth to answer he put up his hand. ‘That was probably the dumbest question I could have asked.’
‘Probably,’ Madison replied. ‘Not all of the staff that have been recruited could start straight away, I’ve got one nurse who hurt her neck during the “back safe” demonstration, not to mention the staff we haven’t yet been able to recruit. There’s actually an advert comingout in a British newspaper this weekend, trying to wow nurses to come and nurse in sunny Australia.’
‘Which smacks of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Sorry.’ He gave a weak smile. ‘I worked in the UK for a year and, believe me, their problems are much the same. Anyway…’ his smile faded ‘…that isn’t what I came in here to talk about.’
‘About Judith?’ Madison asked, but Guy shook his head.
‘Nope, she’s finally in Theatre.’
Taking a deep breath, Madison looked squarely back at him. ‘You’ve heard from the pathologist about Gerard.’
Guy nodded.
‘Have you spoken to Yvonne?’
‘The pathologist rang her first with his findings. I’m not going to make this public, that has to be Yvonne’s call, but given you were the one who was there when it happened and were involved in the attempted resuscitation, I figure that you deserve to know what happened as soon as possible.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Gerard suffered a massive cardiac event.’ He closed his eyes for just a fraction too long, his voice slightly hoarse when he carried on. ‘There was absolutely nothing that anyone could have
It was a pretty stupid question, given she was head down in a pile of paperwork and juggling a telephone call to the nursing administrator, trying to get an extra nurse for the late shift. But instead of giving a smart reply, Madison gestured for him to sit down and attempted to finish her call. Attempted, because the brisk, efficient person she’d been only a moment ago seemed to have lost track of the conversation. Even though Madison was more than familiar with having her conversations interrupted and doctors arriving unannounced and requiring her attention, in this instance even the most mundane of tasks—breathing—was proving difficult. Brutally aware of Guy’s presence, she tried to refocus on the voice in her ear and block out the masculine scent filling her nostrils, the heavy scrutiny of his eyes on hers. When his pager shrilled, she had to physically drag her eyes away from the sight of his hand scribbling on a pad on her desk, suntanned hands with very short, very white, very neat nails.
‘If I don’t have an extra nurse, we’ll have to go on bypass,’ Madison insisted, referring to a situation where ambulances were rerouted to another hospital, a situation that was clearly far from ideal. ‘I need a nurse by three p.m. at the latest,’ Madison went on, rolling hereyes at Guy. ‘Of course I’ll let Dr Boyd know the situation. I’d appreciate it if you can get back to me as soon as possible.’
He gave a wry smile as she replaced the receiver.
‘That was the nursing supervisor,’ Madison explained, ‘trying to give me a valid reason why we can’t have one nurse to cover the three staff that I haven’t got tonight. Given you’re the consultant in charge today, she asked me to let you know what was going on.’
‘Do you think we’ll have to go on bypass?’
‘No. They can “maybe” get a nurse to come at six p.m., but they’re not prepared to pay overtime.’
‘So how can we cover the department?’ Guy frowned. ‘The early staff finish at four…’
‘I can stay back.’ Madison shrugged.
‘Shouldn’t you be at home?’ Guy frowned and so did Madison. The insinuation that she was putting the department before her daughter stung deeply, but just as quickly as it had started the tiny confrontation was over. Guy swiftly and appropriately moved the conversation from personal to professional. ‘How come we’re short?’ As Madison opened her mouth to answer he put up his hand. ‘That was probably the dumbest question I could have asked.’
‘Probably,’ Madison replied. ‘Not all of the staff that have been recruited could start straight away, I’ve got one nurse who hurt her neck during the “back safe” demonstration, not to mention the staff we haven’t yet been able to recruit. There’s actually an advert comingout in a British newspaper this weekend, trying to wow nurses to come and nurse in sunny Australia.’
‘Which smacks of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Sorry.’ He gave a weak smile. ‘I worked in the UK for a year and, believe me, their problems are much the same. Anyway…’ his smile faded ‘…that isn’t what I came in here to talk about.’
‘About Judith?’ Madison asked, but Guy shook his head.
‘Nope, she’s finally in Theatre.’
Taking a deep breath, Madison looked squarely back at him. ‘You’ve heard from the pathologist about Gerard.’
Guy nodded.
‘Have you spoken to Yvonne?’
‘The pathologist rang her first with his findings. I’m not going to make this public, that has to be Yvonne’s call, but given you were the one who was there when it happened and were involved in the attempted resuscitation, I figure that you deserve to know what happened as soon as possible.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Gerard suffered a massive cardiac event.’ He closed his eyes for just a fraction too long, his voice slightly hoarse when he carried on. ‘There was absolutely nothing that anyone could have
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