The Doctor Meets Her Match

Abby’s stomach twisted into a tight knot. ‘So thirty grand becomes sixty.’

‘Yeah. Do you see now why I won’t give up without a fight? What would you do in my place?’

That was none of his business. She wasn’t in his place and he had no right to ask, particularly since the answer would only encourage him in this scheme of his. ‘Couldn’t you get someone to step in and do the swims for you?’

‘I thought of that, but we’ve already got everyone doing as much as they can. Even if we could find a volunteer, a month isn’t long enough to build up the kind of fitness you need for something like this.’ He ran his hand through his hair in a gesture of frustration. ‘Why, do you know anyone?’

Abby’s heart sank. Nick had no choice but to keep believing that he might just be able to do this. And now she had no choice.

‘Yeah, I know someone. Me.’

Nick had refused point blank to even countenance the idea at first. But Abby had presented her credentials, competitive swimming as a teenager, member of a cross-Channel relay team when she’d been at medical school. And Nick knew as well as anyone that she was a strong enough swimmer, they’d raced together enough times at the gym.

The project committee cordially invited him to do the arithmetic. He did it and conceded. Not so cordially. But Abby had already secured the promise of two weeks’ leave from work and stepped up her training.

‘That’s three miles.’ His voice floated across the deserted swimming pool.

‘No, it’s not. I’ve got another two lengths to go. And I’d better do them quickly, before the advanced-swimmers session ends.’

He glanced at his watch. ‘Yeah, the children’s swimming classes will be starting in ten minutes. One final push, eh?’ Nick was sitting at the side of the pool, wearing a T-shirt and sweat pants. Tanned, relaxed and irritating beyond measure. ‘Then I’ll buy you breakfast.’

She didn’t want him to buy her breakfast. It had taken him over a week to contact all his sponsors personally and now that was done he’d switched his attention to her. For the last two days he’d been turning up at the pool at seven o’clock in the morning to help with her training, dispensing shouted advice and encouragement that Abby doggedly ignored.

She swam another four lengths, just to show him who was boss, and found him waiting by the pool steps, one hand gripping his elbow crutch, the other holding out a large towel. ‘Here you are. Don’t get chilled.’

Abby wrapped the towel around herself gratefully. Being in her swimsuit when he was fully clothed, was far more uncomfortable than she had bargained for. Much more challenging than those first easy days of their acquaintance, when the guy with heart-stoppingly broad shoulders had first beaten her by two yards to the far end of the pool then smiled in her direction and exchanged a few words with her.

‘Thanks.’ She looked around as a group of adults and children emerged from the changing rooms. ‘Looks like I won’t get much more done now.’

‘You’ve done enough.’ He reached into his pocket and consulted a stopwatch. ‘An hour and twenty-five. Not bad.’

‘What do you mean, not bad? What’s your best time?’

‘One hour ten. But you did four extra lengths.’

Even if she had, she’d still have to work a little harder if she was going to match his time. But she had another three weeks to go.

‘You shouldn’t push yourself.’ He seemed to know what she was thinking. ‘An injury at this point would be bad news.’

‘I know. I’ve done this before, remember.’

He grinned, and Abby clutched the thick towel around her tightly. ‘So where do you want to go for breakfast? As it’s Saturday, we can take our time.’

Breakfast in the presence of Nick’s smile sounded fantastic, but it was forbidden fruit. On the other hand, she needed to eat and at this rate she’d be gnawing her own arm off before she managed to get rid of him. ‘What about that place across the road? They do fresh croissants and a latte to die for.’

‘Sure. Whatever you want. I’ll meet you in the lobby…’ Nick seemed to realise that he’d lost Abby’s attention and that it was now fixed on a small group of children on the other side of the pool.

It was nothing. Just high jinks, kids mucking about. Abby kept her eye on the group anyway.

‘So I’ll meet you in the lobby in ten minutes?’

‘Yeah, ten minutes…’ The shrill voices of the children swelled above the mounting noise in the pool and Abby strained to see what was going on.

‘What is it?’ She could feel his fingers brushing her elbow lightly, and she jerked her arm away. She had neither the time nor the inclination to stop and discuss this with Nick. Abby marched round to the other side of the pool and approached the group of children.

There was a little girl at the centre, red in the face and obviously trying to hold back tears, as one of the older girls made jokes that everyone else seemed to think were funny. She’d been that child. Surrounded by a ring of distorted faces, trying not to cry at their taunts. Hoping that someone would come along and break it up. And now Abby had the chance to do something that no one had ever bothered to do for her. She had to get this right.

‘Excuse me.’ Abby had to shoulder her way through the group to reach the child. ‘I just wanted to ask you where you got your swimming costume? I’m looking for one for my niece, and this is so pretty.’

As she spoke, the group melted away, re-forming a few yards away behind Abby’s back. She ignored them and knelt down next to the little girl, leaning in to hear her whispered reply.

‘Really? I was in there the other day and I didn’t see any pink ones.’ Abby smiled encouragingly. ‘I’ll have to go back and take another look.’

She got a hesitant smile back, which felt like pure gold, and the sick feeling in her stomach began to subside a little. The child reached forward and pulled at Abby’s towel. ‘Does yours have flowers?’

‘No, worse luck.’ Abby unwrapped the towel, wrinkling her nose. ‘Just plain blue. Not as pretty as yours.’

Another smile. This time bright and clear, the way a child should smile. ‘Which swimming class are you in, sweetie?’

‘Over there.’ Abby followed the little girl’s pointing finger to a group of younger children at the shallow end of the pool, supervised by two women.

‘Well, why don’t you go and join them? But there’s something I’d like to tell you first.’

‘Okay.’ Half the child’s attention was already on her playmates.

‘If anyone ever hurts you or makes fun of you, you should tell an adult. Your mum or dad, or one of your teachers.’ That hadn’t worked too well for Abby, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t good advice in general. ‘Will you remember that?’

‘All right.’ The child nodded solemnly and scuttled away, the jibes of the older girls seemingly forgotten. Abby sat back on her heels and took a deep breath to steady herself. The adult in her told her that banging the bullies’ heads together and throwing them in the pool wasn’t going to help anyone, least of all their victim. The child in her was itching to do just that.

The sound of feet scuffling on the tiles as the group behind her broke up, saved her from herself. Abby turned and saw Nick approaching and got to her feet, pulling the towel back around her.

‘You’re shivering.’ He’d followed her to the bench at the side of the pool and lowered himself down next to her.

She wasn’t shivering, she was trembling. There was a difference and Nick knew it as well as she did. ‘I’m okay. I should let someone know…’

‘Go and get dressed.’ He indicated the children’s swimming coach with a nod of his head. ‘I’ll let Diane know what’s happened.’

He was right. She had to let go of this, pass it over to the people who were best placed to do something. It was hard, though. Abby had worked through the fear and self-loathing from her own childhood but seeing another child bullied had created a whole new set of emotions. Anger and helplessness had smacked her hard in the face, leaving her reeling.

‘Go and get changed.’ He had already caught Diane’s eye and was pulling himself to his feet, grabbing his crutches.

There was nothing for it but to do as he said. Abby sat for a moment, watching Nick and Diane as they talked. It was okay. Everything was going to be okay. She repeated the words over to herself as she made her way towards the entrance to the changing rooms.

Nick only had to get out of his sweatpants and canvas shoes then pull on a pair of jeans, but when he made it to the reception area he found that Abby was already there, waiting for him. ‘Is she all right?’ She fired the words at him almost before he had reached her.

‘She’s fine. Diane’s talked to her and she’s going to have a word with the mother. She asked me to thank you for spotting what was going on and breaking it up.’

She nodded wordlessly, her eyes fixed on the floor. It seemed that what he’d done met with her approval.

‘You ready for breakfast, then?’ Maybe he’d ask her. About that haunted look in her eyes and the way she’d reacted at the poolside. The way she was reacting now.

‘I’m a little tired. Maybe another time.’

He supposed that ‘another time’ meant when he’d forgotten all about what had happened here this morning. That wasn’t going to happen. ‘Abby, I know that no case of bullying should be taken lightly…’ he didn’t know quite how to put this ‘… but you seem very upset.’

The look in her eyes told him that he was right. She’d chosen to see something else, something that she remembered rather than what had actually gone on here. But her lips, pressed together tightly, showed that she wasn’t about to admit anything of the sort. ‘I’m tired, Nick, and I didn’t react appropriately. It was a mistake.’

‘Our mistakes often tell us more than anything.’ Nick smiled to soften the words. It wasn’t a criticism. Or if it was, it was aimed primarily at himself.

‘And what this one tells me is that I’m tired and I need to get home.’

‘Are you sure?’ He shouldn’t be questioning her like this. Or rather he shouldn’t care so much. If he didn’t care about her answers, then asking would have been okay.

He was about to get the brush-off—he could almost see the lie forming on her lips. He caught her gaze, searching her pale blue eyes, and for a moment he saw the truth and wanted to hold Abby, protect her from every real and imagined threat.

‘I’m going home, Nick.’ She swung her swimming bag onto her shoulder and would have walked away from him if he’d let her.

He’d cared too much, pushed her too hard, and now she’d drawn back. Nick preferred not to think about what that mistake said about him. ‘I’ll drop by later in the week with the detailed itinerary.’

‘Good. Thanks.’

‘Keep up the good work.’

‘Right.’ There was no stopping her from going, this time. She turned and walked away from him, turning in the doorway to give him a wave that looked far more like Goodbye and good riddance than See you later, and then she was gone.

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