A Bond Between Strangers

Carter sighed and started the pick-up again, pulling onto the smooth freeway towards the hospital. Lily was going to be difficult. How on earth was he going to persuade her to help?

‘What made you be an egg donor?’ Maybe if he could distract her, turn the attention onto herself, it could work in his favour. Maybe if she remembered why she’d donated eggs in the first place, she might be more sympathetic to his plight.

Lily jerked in her seat, as if the question had caught her unawares. Her head went downwards, facing her lap. ‘It seemed like a good idea at the time. I had some student debts to pay. Ivy League colleges aren’t cheap.’

Carter resisted the urge to slam on the brakes. ‘You donated your eggs for money?’ This was even worse than he’d thought possible. A woman who donated eggs for money would never evoke the sympathy of the court.

‘Yes…and no. It’s private.’ Lily turned her head and looked out of the window at the passing traffic, clearly signalling the conversation was over.

But Carter was having none of it. ‘Well, since we selected you as our egg donor, I guess I feel I’m entitled to know. I need your help Lily. Right now, you’re probably the only person who can help me get my child back. I can’t find my ex-wife, so you’re the next best thing. I’m well aware you might not be interested in children, but I’d hoped, as an egg donor, you might be able to say something in my favour. Anything. That you donated your eggs to give childless couples like us a chance. That you believe in families as much as I do. That you know we were screened by the clinic and went through all the psychological profiling to ensure we were ready. Anything—but you did it for the money’

‘Don’t make it sound like that,’ she snapped.

‘Sound like what? You sold part of your body for profit?’

‘How dare you?’

‘Oh, I dare! I dare, because right now I see my chance to be a father floating out the window because some money-grabber won’t help me. I see my flesh and blood being brought up by complete strangers because of a human error.’ He thumped his hand on the steering-wheel. ‘This is my child. Mine. I want nothing more than to be a good father. Is that too much to ask in this life?’

Lily shrank back into her seat. This wasn’t going well at all. How could she explain to him why she’d done it? Who did this man think he was to ask her questions and stand in moral judgement over her? He had no right!

‘Listen, Mr Perfect. You track me down at an airfield and spring this on me. You distract me when I’m due to land and make me injure myself. You know nothing about me. Nothing. And I’m quite sure that there was a clause in the clinic’s agreement that said you couldn’t track me down—no matter what the reason. So, how dare you?’ Her voice rose in pitch. ‘How dare you think you have a right to stand in judgement over me? You’ve no idea what my reasons were for donating eggs and I’m sure as hell not going to tell you!’ She folded her arms firmly across her chest. ‘Now drop me off at the ER and leave me alone.’

‘Not a chance.’ The words came out like bullets from a gun.

Deep frown lines etched Lily’s head. She lifted her fingers and massaged the sides of her temples, taking a few deep breaths. ‘Do you know what, John Carter? I don’t need this right now. I don’t need the stress of this. I’m sorry. I’m sorry this has happened to you. But to be frank…’ she took a deep breath, because right now she’d nothing to lose ‘…if this is the way you spoke to your wife, I’m not surprised she’s currently MIA.’

Carter’s brow wrinkled. ‘MIA?’

‘Missing in action.’ Lily sighed.

A smile danced across Carter’s lips. He couldn’t help it. Her bolshiness amused him. She didn’t seem to care that right now he could throw open the door of the pick-up and leave her and her busted ankle stranded at the side of the road. She didn’t seem to know how to keep her mouth in check. She just said whatever she felt. And he liked that. He liked that a lot.

She stopped gazing at the freeway for a moment and stared at him again. ‘What’s with the super-dad clause anyway? Most young, handsome guys I know would run a mile from something like this. Most guys your age are out sowing their wild oats rather than trying to create their own personal football team. What gives?’

Carter’s head turned like a shot. ‘You think I’m handsome?’

‘Did I say that?’

‘Yes, you did.’ The smirk stretched over his face.

‘It’s the headache.’ She pressed her fingers to her temples again, then looked down towards the floor. ‘That, and the supposed broken ankle that I have.’ She glanced at the passing road signs. ‘How much longer till we get there?’

‘You didn’t answer the question. Do you think I’m handsome?’ He wasn’t letting her off that easily.

‘Let it go, John.’ She emphasized the word heavily, relying on the fact he’d remember they weren’t friends.

‘Why should I? It’s not every day I get called handsome.’ He signalled and shifted into the other lane of the freeway, getting ready to take the next exit road. ‘And I’m not trying to be super-dad. I’ve done the wild oats things, it bored me. The one thing I’ve always wanted was to have a family.’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘What’s wrong with that?’ He shot her a cheeky glance. ‘Women don’t always get to have the monopoly on wanting a family and having a biological clock that ticks. I want to be young enough, and healthy enough, to play with my kids—not watch from the rocker on the porch.’

Lily gave an involuntary snigger. The image in her mind of an elderly and grey-haired John Carter sitting on his rocker on the porch was too much for her.

He pulled up outside the ER and reached into his pocket. ‘Now, whether you like it or not, I hate to break it to you…’ he glanced at his watch ‘…but as of approximately ten minutes ago I’m the orthopaedic surgeon on call today.’ He waved his pager at her. ‘So unless you want to go to the other side of the city, you’re going to have to let me treat you.’

Lily bit her lip. ‘I’m trying to shake you off, not form a permanent attachment to you.’

Carter swung his legs out of the truck and walked round, opening her door. ‘Oh, I think you’re already too late for that, missy.’

He pulled over a nearby wheelchair and helped her into it. ‘Do you want me to find you another doctor, Lily?’

She pretended to pause for a second, as if contemplating the idea, then shook her head. ‘There might be benefits to knowing the boss.’ She smiled. ‘You know, better menus, faster treatment.’ She lifted her hands again. ‘Something for a headache.’

Carter nodded and wheeled her inside, positioning her chair at the reception desk so she could give her details. He walked inside to the locker rooms and pulled on a set of scrubs and his coat, washing his hands at a nearby sink and squirting them with antibacterial scrub. By the time he came back out, his pager was sounding and Lily was being wheeled into a nearby cubicle by one of the nursing staff.

The nurse looked over, ‘Wow! That was fast. I just paged you.’

Carter smiled. ‘I’ve started picking up patients in the street and bringing them in with me.’ He nodded at Lily, before picking up her paperwork. ‘I’ve already examined Ms Grayson’s ankle, so I’m just going to send her through for an X-ray.’

‘It’s Saturday afternoon—there’s bound to be a queue,’ shot back the nurse.

‘That’s why I’m taking her myself,’ said Carter, as he caught the handles of her wheelchair and pushed her off in the opposite direction. ‘We’ll be back in ten minutes, Jan.’

The nurse shrugged her shoulders and wrote Lily’s name up on the nearby whiteboard. It was one less thing for her to do.

Ten minutes later Lily’s headache was getting worse. Carter had placed the film on the light box and the fracture was clear, even to a theatre nurse like her.

She groaned. ‘I was sure it was just sprained. This is a nightmare.’

Carter shot her a sympathetic look. ‘When was the last time you ate?’

‘What?’

‘Did you have lunch today at the airfield?’

Lily shook her head. ‘Last thing I had was breakfast this morning—around seven a.m. Why?’

‘Because I need to take you to Theatre.’ He pointed at the screen. ‘I’m hoping the bone will manipulate back into place, but if it doesn’t we might need to pin and plate it.’

Lily felt her stomach drop. She’d worked in Theatre long enough to know what was coming next. ‘And if you can manipulate it?’

‘Whether we manipulate back into place or pin and plate it, you’ll need a cast for around six weeks. First few weeks will have to be non-weight-bearing. If everything goes well, after that we might be able to give you a weight-bearing cast in three or four weeks.’

Lily groaned. ‘I can’t be off work for six weeks.’

‘Where do you work?’

Lily rolled her eyes. ‘Theatre, in the Western.’

Carter felt himself come to a complete halt. He had some really good friends who worked there. And who could probably give him a whole host of background information on Lily. ‘Have you always worked there?’ he queried. His mind was working overtime. When he’d tried to track down Lily, he’d known she was registered as a nurse but hadn’t realised she was so close. It could have saved him some precious time and expense.

Lily shook her head. ‘I’ve only worked there for the last six months. And you can imagine—as a theatre nurse, the last place on earth I want to be is inside a theatre.’

Carter shrugged, although he appreciated the sentiment. Hospitals weren’t his favourite places either. Working there was fine, but as a patient or a visitor? No, thanks.

‘It could be worse—you could be going to your own theatre. The place where you know which surgeons you’d never let operate on you, and which nurses you’d want nowhere near you in Recovery. At least here you don’t have any preconceived ideas.’

Lily grimaced. ‘I also don’t have any faith in the people who’ll be looking after me.’ She pointed upwards. ‘Let me see that X-ray for myself.’

Carter smiled. ‘What? You don’t trust me? You think I’ve just pencilled in a little fracture just for the sheer hell of it?’ He pulled the film from the light box and handed it down to her.

Lily frowned and held it up towards the nearby window. The fracture was definitely there. No matter which way she turned the X-ray. She sighed and handed the film back to Carter.

‘I’m not sure about you being my doctor.’

Carter looked at her steadily. ‘What, exactly, do you mean by that?’ Was she questioning his competence or his intentions? Either way, he didn’t intend to let her off with it.

There was a glint in her eye. ‘If you fix my ankle, then that’s all you do—fix my ankle. I don’t want to be held hostage here until I give in to your other demands—whatever they may be.’

Carter felt himself ready to explode, then he caught the smile stealing across her face. She was toying with him.

He sat down in the chair next to her and shot her a look of pure sincerity, ‘Are you questioning my integrity, Nurse Grayson? I am the only orthopod on call this weekend. I could happily leave your ankle until another doctor is on duty on Monday.’ His tone was teasing. A plan was beginning to formulate in his mind. Having Lily off her feet for six weeks might actually suit him, and his case, perfectly.

The last thing he wanted a judge to hear was that his egg donor was a crazy, fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants action junkie. Parachuting wasn’t her only unusual activity. The list the PI had given him had sent a shiver down his spine—free-climbing, bungee-jumping, waterskiing and cliff-diving—not least because he knew that at some point he’d tried most of those himself.

Under normal circumstances he might have relished the fact of meeting an adrenaline junkie like himself. But these weren’t normal circumstances. And an adrenaline junkie was the last thing he needed.

What he needed was a traditionalist.

And what he’d got was Lily Grayson. A headache waiting to happen.

Maybe he could keep her in a cast for even longer than six weeks. Long enough for her court appearances at his side, helping him build a case for his baby.

Lily gave him an impatient smile. ‘I don’t know what’s going on inside that head of yours, John Carter, but I don’t think I’m going to like it.’ She crossed her arms across her chest. ‘Not one bit.’

Carter stuck out his hand towards her. ‘At some point, Lily, we need to talk. But for now you’re my patient. Deal?’

She looked suspiciously at the extended hand in front of her. Large hands. Short, clean fingernails and an extremely steady hold.

She gave a quirky smile and stuck her tiny hand in his. ‘Deal, but thank goodness you’re not a gynaecologist.’

He looked bewildered. ‘What do you mean by that?’

She laughed. ‘If I have to explain that to you, cowboy, there’s something definitely wrong with this arrangement!’

He shook his head as the taunt finally registered in his brain. ‘I’m off to arrange Theatre for you.’ He looked at the clock. ‘Shouldn’t be more than an hour.’ He wagged a finger at her. ‘Don’t go anywhere.’

She raised her hands in exasperation. ‘As if I could!’ Then leaned back against the pillows. ‘And make it quick, John, because I’m starving!’

The words echoed in his ears as he strode down the corridor. Lily Grayson was going to be a challenge.

CHAPTER THREE

CARTER sat in the dimly lit room, slouched in one of the easy chairs, with his feet stretched out and resting on the bed in front of him.

Lily had proved troublesome. It was already getting to be a habit. But at least it had given him a chance to think.

How was he going to persuade the Dynamo to help him? The purple flight suit with neon pink writing was folded on the chair next to him. It represented her perfectly.

His attorney had been clear. Find her and persuade her to appear in court. Even though he was the genetic parent of this child, it wasn’t an automatic conclusion he would be awarded custody.

The whole situation was overwhelming.

If the truth be told, he’d always imagined the fairy-tale. The husband, the wife, the nice house and the kids. He’d thought Tabitha wanted that too. That’s why they’d created the embryos. And giving the clinic permission to destroy them had felt like the final nail in the coffin. His final failure. No wife. No kids. And no clue what to do next.

This whole thing confused him. At first he’d felt anger—been consumed with rage that such a mistake could be made. Then he’d been overcome with the emotions that this was his child. His flesh and blood.

But Lily’s words had surprised him. Her immediate thoughts had been for Olivia, the woman carrying his child. And they’d triggered a whole host of little voices in his head.

He’d been here all night because his patient had needed him. What would he do when he was a single parent with a baby at home? How would he cope with the long hours at work? He’d never considered anything like that. He’d always expected kids to be part of a partnership. He’d never really imagined that he would be doing this himself. Was he good enough? Was he ready?

Carter gave himself a shake. Other single parents managed. He had plenty of colleagues who managed to juggle their work commitments and childcare. He would manage too.

He looked at the sleeping figure on the bed, her chest rising and falling gently, her skin clear and unlined. To all intents and purposes, it was almost as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

Now he just had to persuade Lily to help him.

* * *

Lily woke up feeling groggy. Her eyes flickered open and her stomach grumbled loudly. She was utterly starving.

Something shifted at the side in her peripheral vision. A green set of scrubs, white coat and dark hair, coupled with a pair of long legs that were stretched out and resting at the bottom of her bed.

On a normal day, this might have been part of a pleasant daydream. But this wasn’t a normal day. She knew exactly why John Carter was here—and it was nothing to do with the underlying current between them.

‘What is this?’ she mumbled. ‘The local pit stop?’

Carter jerked to attention, pulling his legs down from the bed. The newspaper that was resting on his lap slid to the floor as he adjusted his rumpled clothing.

‘You’re awake. At last.’ He glanced at his watch.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

He frowned at her. ‘When was the last time you had a general anaesthetic?’

She wrinkled her brow. ‘I’m not sure. I don’t know if I’ve ever had one.’

Carter leaned forward and touched her arm. ‘Well, just for future notice, Ms Grayson, you don’t react well to general anaesthetics. You managed to give us quite a scare.’

‘I did?’ Lily was confused. Something about this whole day didn’t seem quite right. The last thing she remembered she was being wheeled into Theatre and it was around four p.m. So why was the sun streaming through the windows like that?

‘What time is it?’ she asked, trying to make sense of her surroundings.

Carter didn’t need to look at his watch again. ‘It’s just before seven.’

‘In the evening?’ Surely the sun wasn’t that bright in the early evening?

He shook his head. ‘Nope. You’ve slept right through the night. No wonder your stomach is growling. Want me to get you something to eat?’

‘I slept right through?’ Lily shook her head. She couldn’t believe it. She worked in Theatre every day. Her procedure was a straightforward one. She should have been in and out in an hour.

She pushed herself up in the bed, feeling the restriction of the lightweight cast on her leg. ‘What on earth happened?’

Carter gave her a smile. He looked shattered. He must have stayed with her all night. He was still wearing yesterday’s scrubs and there was a faint hint of stubble around his chin.

‘You happened.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t know why I’m surprised. You don’t seem to do anything like you should.’

Lily stared down at the lump under the covers. ‘Break it to me gently—am I going to spend the rest of my life setting off airport security alarms with my pin and plate?’

Carter smiled and shook his head. ‘A common misconception. Anyway, you didn’t need them, the bone manipulated back into place easily.’ The glint appeared in his eye again. ‘At least one part of you is co-operative.’

Lily rolled her eyes. ‘Ha-ha.’ Her stomach grumbled loudly again. ‘Make yourself useful,’ she grumbled, ‘and get me some tea and toast.’ She looked up at the bag of IV fluids hanging above her and irritating the vein in her wrist. ‘I want to get these down as soon as possible.’

He nodded and picked the newspaper off the floor, placing it on his chair as he walked over to the doorway and spoke to one of the nursing aides.

The headline was screaming at her: EMBRYO MIX-UP, DISASTER AT SAN FRANCISCO CLINIC.

She felt her stomach turn over as small pieces of yesterday started to fall into place.

She picked up the paper. ‘Lily…’ he started.

‘Shh.’ She put her finger to her lips and started to read.

The words were every bit as bad as she feared.

* * *

Disaster has struck at a local and usually highly regarded fertility clinic in San Francisco. Olivia Simpson and her husband had stored embryos after his diagnosis with cancer. Mr Simpson died three years ago and his wife recently underwent embryo implantation to fulfil their dreams of a family. Imagine her horror when a detailed scan revealed the child she was carrying could not possibly be her husband’s. Dr John Carter and his wife Tabitha had stored embryos using an egg donor. These embryos were due to be destroyed after the breakdown of their marriage. Instead Dr Carter was notified via the clinic’s attorney that another woman was now carrying his child.

A spokesperson from the clinic said, ‘We are devastated by these events. We have procedures and protocols in place to ensure careful handling of all embryos. Never, in the history of our clinic, have we ever had any incidents like this. Our thoughts are, at present, with the individuals affected by this event. Our attorneys are dealing with our clients in the most sensitive way they can. Olivia Simpson is distraught. She had expected this baby to be a lasting legacy to her husband, and Dr Carter has already expressed his intention to gain custody of his child.’

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