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Authors: MARGARET MCDONAGH
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again just how much they had in common.
They had swiftly fallen into a pattern, with Luke walking her home after work, spending time with her, catching up on their lives without touching on anything too personal or relating to the past, talking mostly about work and their various experiences during their training. On one of their two days off between the change from day shifts to night shifts, she had gone with him to visit his mother. Sadie, recovered from her broken arm, had made her so welcome it had brought tears to Francesca’s eyes.
In all their time together, Luke had done nothing to suggest he saw her as anything other than a friend, leaving her on each occasion with a gentle kiss to her forehead. And that was what she wanted…friendship. So why did she feel disappointed? Why did she yearn for more? And why did the frisson of sexual chemistry increase every time she saw him?
Another question also nagged at her. What was with their shifts? She had no idea how or why it came to be, but their working hours always seemed to match. When she was on call to A and E, so was Luke. When she was asked to cover the fracture clinic, he was taking it. When she was on nights, so was Luke. When she was called to the operating theatre to take images to verify the placement of fixings after repairs to fractures, Luke was there. She didn’t want to ask if he had done something to arrange it, because she didn’t want to appear stupid or for him to get the wrong impression. Maybe it was just an innocent coincidence and nothing to do with Luke at all, but suspicion lingered.
Not that she minded working with him. He was not only a superb doctor, sharply intelligent and exceedingly thorough, spotting things she knew others would have missed, but his attitude to his patients was wonderful. He exuded professional authority mixed with casual charm, he was kind and unhurried, and he listened. He knew when to tease and lightenthe atmosphere, when to reassure and ease anxiety, and when to be firm and straightforward.
‘Maurice is on his way,’ Luke announced, appearing beside her and making her jump.
The sound of an ambulance siren cut through the night, its blue lights flashing in the darkness outside as it turned into the approach to the hospital. As the A and E staff swung into action to greet the new arrival, Luke caught her fingers and drew her aside, squeezing them gently before letting go.
‘I don’t know how long I’ll be in Theatre,’ he told her, the expression in his green eyes intent as he looked at her. ‘But hopefully I’ll catch up with you before breakfast and walk you home.’
‘OK.’
Francesca wanted to tell him not to worry, that they didn’t have to be joined at the hip and do everything together, but a worrying part of her wanted, needed , to see him.
His fingertips briefly skimmed her cheek. ‘You look tired. I think we can both use these days off. If I don’t see you before your shift ends, get home and have a good sleep. I’ll call you later and we can arrange to do something over the weekend.’
Before she had a chance to respond, he strode off across the department, heading for the lift that would take him up to the floor that housed the operating theatres. She felt bemused. Her skin still tingled from his feather-light touch, and despite knowing it wasn’t sensible to become so comfortable with him, to see him all the time, she was looking forward to it. She knew she was on dangerous ground, that she should be strong and keep more distance between them. Why hadn’t she told him she already had plans for Saturday? She vowed that she would the next time she spoke to him. She would. Definitely.
‘Francesca, good, you’re still here.’ A and E registrar Will Brown hurried up to her, reclaiming her attention. ‘We havea collapsed man, aged seventy-two. Suspected abdominal aortic aneurysm with possible rupture. We’ve fast-bleeped the vascular surgeon, but we need chest and abdominal X-rays
They had swiftly fallen into a pattern, with Luke walking her home after work, spending time with her, catching up on their lives without touching on anything too personal or relating to the past, talking mostly about work and their various experiences during their training. On one of their two days off between the change from day shifts to night shifts, she had gone with him to visit his mother. Sadie, recovered from her broken arm, had made her so welcome it had brought tears to Francesca’s eyes.
In all their time together, Luke had done nothing to suggest he saw her as anything other than a friend, leaving her on each occasion with a gentle kiss to her forehead. And that was what she wanted…friendship. So why did she feel disappointed? Why did she yearn for more? And why did the frisson of sexual chemistry increase every time she saw him?
Another question also nagged at her. What was with their shifts? She had no idea how or why it came to be, but their working hours always seemed to match. When she was on call to A and E, so was Luke. When she was asked to cover the fracture clinic, he was taking it. When she was on nights, so was Luke. When she was called to the operating theatre to take images to verify the placement of fixings after repairs to fractures, Luke was there. She didn’t want to ask if he had done something to arrange it, because she didn’t want to appear stupid or for him to get the wrong impression. Maybe it was just an innocent coincidence and nothing to do with Luke at all, but suspicion lingered.
Not that she minded working with him. He was not only a superb doctor, sharply intelligent and exceedingly thorough, spotting things she knew others would have missed, but his attitude to his patients was wonderful. He exuded professional authority mixed with casual charm, he was kind and unhurried, and he listened. He knew when to tease and lightenthe atmosphere, when to reassure and ease anxiety, and when to be firm and straightforward.
‘Maurice is on his way,’ Luke announced, appearing beside her and making her jump.
The sound of an ambulance siren cut through the night, its blue lights flashing in the darkness outside as it turned into the approach to the hospital. As the A and E staff swung into action to greet the new arrival, Luke caught her fingers and drew her aside, squeezing them gently before letting go.
‘I don’t know how long I’ll be in Theatre,’ he told her, the expression in his green eyes intent as he looked at her. ‘But hopefully I’ll catch up with you before breakfast and walk you home.’
‘OK.’
Francesca wanted to tell him not to worry, that they didn’t have to be joined at the hip and do everything together, but a worrying part of her wanted, needed , to see him.
His fingertips briefly skimmed her cheek. ‘You look tired. I think we can both use these days off. If I don’t see you before your shift ends, get home and have a good sleep. I’ll call you later and we can arrange to do something over the weekend.’
Before she had a chance to respond, he strode off across the department, heading for the lift that would take him up to the floor that housed the operating theatres. She felt bemused. Her skin still tingled from his feather-light touch, and despite knowing it wasn’t sensible to become so comfortable with him, to see him all the time, she was looking forward to it. She knew she was on dangerous ground, that she should be strong and keep more distance between them. Why hadn’t she told him she already had plans for Saturday? She vowed that she would the next time she spoke to him. She would. Definitely.
‘Francesca, good, you’re still here.’ A and E registrar Will Brown hurried up to her, reclaiming her attention. ‘We havea collapsed man, aged seventy-two. Suspected abdominal aortic aneurysm with possible rupture. We’ve fast-bleeped the vascular surgeon, but we need chest and abdominal X-rays
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