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Authors: Alison Roberts
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‘It was in the middle of the night and this baby got real sick and it had to have a tube thing stuck into it and Amy was trying to help you and the baby was screaming and she tried to give it a cuddle and she touched the stupid tube and you yelled at her and told her she was stupid.’
Luke closed his eyes for a second. He remembered. About 3:00 a.m. last Thursday. He’d still been in the building due to emergency surgery on a child with major chest trauma from a car accident. An inpatient in the ward had run into trouble and needed a central line inserted. It had been a difficult enough procedure even getting local anaesthetic in place and then his nursing assistant had inadvertently brushed the sterile catheter with the sleeve of her gown.
‘I didn’t say she was stupid,’ he said slowly. ‘I think I said she was incompetent. That it had been a very clumsy thing to do.’
Zoe didn’t answer. She was busy texting on her bright pink phone. Luke thought about the incident some more.
It had been a clumsy error and he’d been tired and concerned about the child he’d only just left in Intensive Care. And the nurse assisting him had been gowned and masked and gloved and…and he hadn’t considered her feelings at all, had he?
The slip hadn’t been a catastrophe. The trolley always had plenty of spare catheters and she had proved herself perfectly competent as she had silently continued to assist with the procedure. The knowledge that she had taken herself off afterwards to deal with the effects of his criticism came as something of a shock.
And ‘Grumpy Guts’?
Yes, he avoided social interaction with his colleagues. And, yes, he expected others to try and meet the professional standards he set for himself, but he was always polite and fair and he gave praise whenever it was deserved.
He had made Amy cry.
Amy—who was brave enough to fight for her family. To comfort and protect anyone who was in trouble. Even a dog. Strong enough to go and do what she had to do even though she must have known it was a risk.
Had it not occurred to her that he could just call in some appropriate authority and have this household disbanded in one easy stroke?
Luke could still see the plea in those dark eyes when she had asked him not to reveal his real reason for being in the house. He remembered the smile and the way it had made him feel, and then he understood.
Amy was trusting him.
She may not like him any more than Zoe did but, for whatever reason, she had handed over the responsibility of something she cared about passionately. If he broke that trust, he could guarantee she would hate him for ever.
Luke didn’t like that idea at all.
And it was only for an hour or two, wasn’t it?
The ward was, mercifully, quiet.
Margaret was due to go home but she hadn’t left yet. She was sitting in her office, gaping at Amy.
‘Luke Harrington? In your house? Babysitting ?’
‘ His house, apparently, and he wants to kick us all out onto the streets. Right before Christmas. Can you believe it?’
‘No.’ Margaret shook her head for emphasis. ‘Why would he want to do something like that?’
‘Because he’s not a very nice man.’
‘He’s a lonely man,’ Margaret said quietly. Her glance at Amy was a warning. ‘Not that I’m one to gossip.’
‘I know that.’ Amy smiled at the senior nurse. ‘And I’m sorry to dump on you, but I’ve got no one to turn to right now and I’m scared, you know? I can’t let anything happen while Mamma and Rosa are away. These children are Mamma’s life. They’re part of our family.’
‘I know.’ Margaret leaned forward to pat Amy’s hand. ‘And I can help. Let’s hope Personnel can come up with some cover for you tonight. If not, I’ll stay on myself.’
‘You can’t do that. You’d be way over your hours.’
‘Did you really leave Luke babysitting?’
‘Kind of. I’m hoping he’ll get a feel for the place and then realise how sad it would be to
Luke closed his eyes for a second. He remembered. About 3:00 a.m. last Thursday. He’d still been in the building due to emergency surgery on a child with major chest trauma from a car accident. An inpatient in the ward had run into trouble and needed a central line inserted. It had been a difficult enough procedure even getting local anaesthetic in place and then his nursing assistant had inadvertently brushed the sterile catheter with the sleeve of her gown.
‘I didn’t say she was stupid,’ he said slowly. ‘I think I said she was incompetent. That it had been a very clumsy thing to do.’
Zoe didn’t answer. She was busy texting on her bright pink phone. Luke thought about the incident some more.
It had been a clumsy error and he’d been tired and concerned about the child he’d only just left in Intensive Care. And the nurse assisting him had been gowned and masked and gloved and…and he hadn’t considered her feelings at all, had he?
The slip hadn’t been a catastrophe. The trolley always had plenty of spare catheters and she had proved herself perfectly competent as she had silently continued to assist with the procedure. The knowledge that she had taken herself off afterwards to deal with the effects of his criticism came as something of a shock.
And ‘Grumpy Guts’?
Yes, he avoided social interaction with his colleagues. And, yes, he expected others to try and meet the professional standards he set for himself, but he was always polite and fair and he gave praise whenever it was deserved.
He had made Amy cry.
Amy—who was brave enough to fight for her family. To comfort and protect anyone who was in trouble. Even a dog. Strong enough to go and do what she had to do even though she must have known it was a risk.
Had it not occurred to her that he could just call in some appropriate authority and have this household disbanded in one easy stroke?
Luke could still see the plea in those dark eyes when she had asked him not to reveal his real reason for being in the house. He remembered the smile and the way it had made him feel, and then he understood.
Amy was trusting him.
She may not like him any more than Zoe did but, for whatever reason, she had handed over the responsibility of something she cared about passionately. If he broke that trust, he could guarantee she would hate him for ever.
Luke didn’t like that idea at all.
And it was only for an hour or two, wasn’t it?
The ward was, mercifully, quiet.
Margaret was due to go home but she hadn’t left yet. She was sitting in her office, gaping at Amy.
‘Luke Harrington? In your house? Babysitting ?’
‘ His house, apparently, and he wants to kick us all out onto the streets. Right before Christmas. Can you believe it?’
‘No.’ Margaret shook her head for emphasis. ‘Why would he want to do something like that?’
‘Because he’s not a very nice man.’
‘He’s a lonely man,’ Margaret said quietly. Her glance at Amy was a warning. ‘Not that I’m one to gossip.’
‘I know that.’ Amy smiled at the senior nurse. ‘And I’m sorry to dump on you, but I’ve got no one to turn to right now and I’m scared, you know? I can’t let anything happen while Mamma and Rosa are away. These children are Mamma’s life. They’re part of our family.’
‘I know.’ Margaret leaned forward to pat Amy’s hand. ‘And I can help. Let’s hope Personnel can come up with some cover for you tonight. If not, I’ll stay on myself.’
‘You can’t do that. You’d be way over your hours.’
‘Did you really leave Luke babysitting?’
‘Kind of. I’m hoping he’ll get a feel for the place and then realise how sad it would be to
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