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Authors: Carol Marinelli
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breath, worried that he had said the wrong thing, but he felt her laugh a little. ‘I bet you’re a sweet, warm, lovely thing really.’
‘No,’ Penny said. ‘I am a bitch, but you’ve just met the exacerbated version.’ And then she started to cry again. ‘You missed going to the football with your cousin because of me. I’m a horribly selfish person.’
‘Penny, stop it.’
Except she couldn’t stop crying, just wished she could take back that day and he could have had that time with his cousin.
‘Phil and I often went to football, it really wasn’t a big deal, and remember Phil got to spend precious time with Justin that day.’
Finally she felt herself calming, embarrassed now at being held, and she pulled away.
‘You need to go home,’ Ethan said. ‘Were you at the clinic this morning?’
Penny nodded.
‘I can cover more for you now that I know. You come in to work a bit later some mornings, just text me.’
‘It’s not just because I’m tired that I’m crying.’ She took a big breath and told him the embarrassing truth. ‘I’m terrified of needles and Jasmine has been the one giving the injections to me. I’m due for one at six. I’m going to ring the clinic and see if they can give it to me, but I’m not sure what time they close, and then there’s tomorrow...’
Ethan sat her down. ‘Surely one of the nurses can give it to you?’ Ethan suggested, but realised that, of course, she didn’t want anyone to know she was on IVF. ‘I can give you your injections.’
‘God, no.’ Penny shook her head. ‘I’m not just a little bit scared of needles. I get in a right state sometimes—even worse than I am now.’
‘Can’t your partner come in?’ Ethan asked, because Carl had given Kate hers. ‘Surely he’d—’
‘I don’t have a partner. I’m doing this by myself.’
‘You’re doing this on your own?’
‘Yes.’
‘You mean you’d choose...’ As Penny looked at him sharply, luckily Ethan had the good sense to stop talking. He just couldn’t really believe someone would choose to be a parent, let alone a single one—babies really weren’t his forte. But, whatever his thoughts on the subject were, they really weren’t relevant here. Penny wasn’t asking for his opinion, just some help with logistics. Instead, he asked where the clinic was and then looked at his watch.
‘You really do need to get going if you’re going to have a hope of making it there, but if the travelling gets too much, any time you need me to give you an injection, I’m more than happy to.’
‘I don’t think you realise how bad I am with needles.’
‘There’s a straitjacket in the lock-up room,’ Ethan said. And he wasn’t joking, there was a straitjacket in the lock-up room and he knew exactly how petrified some people were of needles. ‘I do know how to give an injection to someone who doesn’t want one, Penny. I tend to do it quite a lot.’ He gave her a smile but she shook her head.
‘I’ll sort something out.’
‘Go, then,’ Ethan said. ‘And thank you for today.’
Of course, it wasn’t quite so straightforward as simply leaving the department and getting to her car. Three people stopped Penny on her way to her office, which she had to go to, because that’s where her bag and keys were, and also her medication.
Penny dashed to her car and pulled out of the car park, ringing the IVF nurse as she did so and being put straight on hold.
Penny hit the beach road and it wasn’t five in the morning, it was nearly five p.m., so the traffic was bumper to bumper. Ringing off, she turned the car round—it took fifteen minutes just to get back to work.
‘I thought you’d be back.’ Ethan smiled.
‘Can I talk to you for a second?’ She just had to let him know what he was getting into. ‘I need these every night at six. I don’t know how long Jasmine is going to be gone and we don’t always work the same shifts.’
‘I know I’m lousy at commitment,
‘No,’ Penny said. ‘I am a bitch, but you’ve just met the exacerbated version.’ And then she started to cry again. ‘You missed going to the football with your cousin because of me. I’m a horribly selfish person.’
‘Penny, stop it.’
Except she couldn’t stop crying, just wished she could take back that day and he could have had that time with his cousin.
‘Phil and I often went to football, it really wasn’t a big deal, and remember Phil got to spend precious time with Justin that day.’
Finally she felt herself calming, embarrassed now at being held, and she pulled away.
‘You need to go home,’ Ethan said. ‘Were you at the clinic this morning?’
Penny nodded.
‘I can cover more for you now that I know. You come in to work a bit later some mornings, just text me.’
‘It’s not just because I’m tired that I’m crying.’ She took a big breath and told him the embarrassing truth. ‘I’m terrified of needles and Jasmine has been the one giving the injections to me. I’m due for one at six. I’m going to ring the clinic and see if they can give it to me, but I’m not sure what time they close, and then there’s tomorrow...’
Ethan sat her down. ‘Surely one of the nurses can give it to you?’ Ethan suggested, but realised that, of course, she didn’t want anyone to know she was on IVF. ‘I can give you your injections.’
‘God, no.’ Penny shook her head. ‘I’m not just a little bit scared of needles. I get in a right state sometimes—even worse than I am now.’
‘Can’t your partner come in?’ Ethan asked, because Carl had given Kate hers. ‘Surely he’d—’
‘I don’t have a partner. I’m doing this by myself.’
‘You’re doing this on your own?’
‘Yes.’
‘You mean you’d choose...’ As Penny looked at him sharply, luckily Ethan had the good sense to stop talking. He just couldn’t really believe someone would choose to be a parent, let alone a single one—babies really weren’t his forte. But, whatever his thoughts on the subject were, they really weren’t relevant here. Penny wasn’t asking for his opinion, just some help with logistics. Instead, he asked where the clinic was and then looked at his watch.
‘You really do need to get going if you’re going to have a hope of making it there, but if the travelling gets too much, any time you need me to give you an injection, I’m more than happy to.’
‘I don’t think you realise how bad I am with needles.’
‘There’s a straitjacket in the lock-up room,’ Ethan said. And he wasn’t joking, there was a straitjacket in the lock-up room and he knew exactly how petrified some people were of needles. ‘I do know how to give an injection to someone who doesn’t want one, Penny. I tend to do it quite a lot.’ He gave her a smile but she shook her head.
‘I’ll sort something out.’
‘Go, then,’ Ethan said. ‘And thank you for today.’
Of course, it wasn’t quite so straightforward as simply leaving the department and getting to her car. Three people stopped Penny on her way to her office, which she had to go to, because that’s where her bag and keys were, and also her medication.
Penny dashed to her car and pulled out of the car park, ringing the IVF nurse as she did so and being put straight on hold.
Penny hit the beach road and it wasn’t five in the morning, it was nearly five p.m., so the traffic was bumper to bumper. Ringing off, she turned the car round—it took fifteen minutes just to get back to work.
‘I thought you’d be back.’ Ethan smiled.
‘Can I talk to you for a second?’ She just had to let him know what he was getting into. ‘I need these every night at six. I don’t know how long Jasmine is going to be gone and we don’t always work the same shifts.’
‘I know I’m lousy at commitment,
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