Gold Coast Angels: Two Tiny Heartbeats

She was never going to feel second best again and he made her feel like she wanted to be better than she was. The guy was just too perfect. For her anyway.

‘Thanks for the reminder. Have to go.’ She turned and walked back to the desk and she could hear his footsteps walking away. She could imagine the sight. The long strides. The commanding tilt of his head. Not fair.

‘You okay there, Palmer?’ Flora May was staring at her under her grizzled brows. She glanced at the receding back of Dr Kefes. ‘Is he giving you a hard time?’

‘No. Of course not. He’s been very kind.’ Though she smiled at her fierce protector. ‘I’m just tired.’ Flora May did not look convinced. Lucy tried again. ‘Not sure if I’m not coming down with something.’

Flora and Lucy were very similar in the way they viewed their vocation, and Lucy appreciated having Flora on her side. Never warm and fuzzy, Flora’s no-nonsense advice was always valid, and usually made Lucy smile.

‘You do look peaky. Pale and limp probably describes you.’

Lucy had to smile at the unflattering description. ‘Thank you, Sister.’

‘If you’re unwell, go to the staff clinic at Emergency. Nobody else wants to catch anything. Either way, you can leave early. I’ll do your handover. You get here fifteen minutes early every day and you’re the last to leave. You’ve earned some time in lieu.’

The idea was very attractive.

Flora’s lips twitched. ‘But don’t expect it every week.’

‘I certainly won’t.’ Lucy looked at her mentor. Maybe now was a good time. She’d hate Flora to find out from someone else or, worse, through a rumour. ‘Can I see you for a moment, Sister? In private.’

‘Of course.’ Flora gestured to her office.

Lucy drew a deep breath and Flora frowned at her obvious trepidation. ‘Spit it out, Palmer.’

‘I’m pregnant.’ Lucy searched Flora’s face for extreme disappointment. Anger. Disgust. She’d suspected Flora had plans for her training and knew she had been instrumental in choosing Lucy over other applicants. But Flora’s expression didn’t change. Except to soften.

She stepped forward and put her arm around Lucy’s shoulders and gave her a brief, awkward hug before she snapped back into her professional self.

‘That explains a lot,’ she said gruffly. Cleared her throat. ‘You’ve been a little more preoccupied than I expected.’ To Lucy’s stunned relief she even smiled. ‘When, in fact, you’ve been a lot more focused than you could be expected to be.’ Flora gazed past Lucy’s shoulder while she thought about it.

Then she concentrated on Lucy again. ‘And Dr Kefes is looking after you? He knows?’

Lucy blinked and nodded. How did Flora know this stuff? ‘I forgot to have some tests and he was reminding me.’

‘He’s a good man.’ Then she said something strange. ‘Don’t go falling for him. Easy people to fall for, obstetricians.’

Didn’t she know it! A mental picture of Dr Kefes, five minutes ago, smiling down at her and her own visceral response highlighted that dilemma. No way was she going down that demoralising path. ‘I won’t. I’m not that stupid.’

Flora sniffed. Her piercing gaze stayed glued on Lucy’s face. ‘Is there a man on the scene? Some help coming?’

Lucy shook her head. She wasn’t anxious to go into it but, judging by the sigh, it seemed Flora had expected that. ‘Your family?’

Lucy shook her head again. She could dream her mother would turn into a supportive, caring, helpful shoulder to lean on but it was highly unlikely. She so dreaded that conversation but after surviving telling Flora today, maybe she could even hope a little that it would be as bad as she dreaded.

‘I’ve got your back, Palmer. Go home now. Rest. You still look peaky. And if you want help or advice—ask!’

Lucy nodded past the lump in her throat. How had she been so lucky to end up with Flora as a boss?

Flora smiled at her. ‘Look after yourself, Palmer. I still have big plans for you.’

Now she felt like crying, and if she didn’t get out of here quickly she’d disgrace herself by throwing her sobbing self onto the starched front of her boss.

Lucy almost ran from the ward, past Cass who was on day shifts for a few weeks, and in her hasty departure she didn’t see the speculative look that followed her.

She also forgot all about the blood tests she was supposed to get as she pressed the button for the lift and escape.

The doors opened. When she stepped in Nikolai was standing at the back of the lift like her nemesis. ‘Are you going to Pathology now?’

Lucy blinked. She felt like smacking her forehead but instead refused to be goaded into saying she’d forgotten again. ‘Are you following me?’

Thick, dark, eyebrows lifted. ‘I imagine that would be difficult from the inside of a lift. Not being able to see through the walls.’

She played the words back in her head and winced. Impolite and ungrateful. It wasn’t Dr Kefes’s fault she felt physically and emotionally exhausted. ‘Sorry. And, yes.’ She sighed. ‘I’ll go to Pathology now.’

The lift stopped on another floor and two intense, white-coated doctors entered, and the conversation died a natural death.

Lucy recognised one of the newcomers, Callie Richards, the paediatrician who was looking after Sally’s baby. They both nodded at Nick but the tension between them was palpable to the other two in The lift and, fancifully, Lucy decided the air was actually shimmering.

It seemed other people had dramas, too. The man raised his eyebrows at Nick, who didn’t change his expression, and Callie offered a forced smile to Lucy, who smiled back awkwardly.

One floor down the late arrivals stepped out and as the doors shut Lucy let out the breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding in a little whistle. She looked at Nikolai. ‘Who’s the guy?’

Nick smiled. ‘Cade Coleman, prenatal surgeon from Boston. And you’ve met Callie Richards, the neonatal specialist. She’s in charge of the NICU here and is looking after Sally’s baby.’

‘Yep. I remember her. She seems nice. It was just him I didn’t know. I guess I’ll recognise everyone soon.’

They reached the ground floor and the lift light changed to indicate ‘up’. Lucy realised she hadn’t directed the lift to take her further down to the laboratory.

Nikolai shook his head and pressed the lower-ground button for Pathology to override the person above. He put his hand across the doors to hold them open. ‘Are you working on Monday?’

‘One in the afternoon.’

‘Perhaps you’d like to see me to get your results before you start. My rooms. Twelve-thirty? In case you forget to make the appointment.’

Ooh. It was her turn to give him the look. ‘Fine. Thank you.’ As he took his arm away from the doors she said, ‘Are you this helpful to all your pregnant ladies?’

He shrugged and she couldn’t read the expression on his face. ‘Only the really vague ones who forget to have their bloods done.’

‘Touché,’ she said cheekily, and he smiled. She watched him walk away until the doors shut and the lift sailed downwards. Well, she had been vague to forget again but she needed to sleep. As soon as she got home she was going to bed and sleeping the clock round.

Nick’s hand tightened on his briefcase as he strode to the doctors’ car park. She had a point. But the memories of Chloe, gaunt and drawn, haunted him and when he’d seen Lucy was looking so tired it had brought it all back. He needed to stop worrying about her. She wasn’t Chloe, neither was she his responsibility. Although even Chloe would have a fit if she thought he still felt the need to keep her under his wing.

His phone rang. His registrar. Thoughts of Lucy shifted to the back of his mind again as he turned back to the hospital.

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