Father In Secret

‘So our new leader arrives. Hello, Savannah.’ There was no warmth in Theo’s voice.

Savannah worked frantically to correct the tilt in her world’s axis. McWilliam. So Theo would be Theodore. Dory. Dory McWilliam. My God!

She’d thought he would have moved or married or something. She hadn’t even recognised him. He seemed different to the man she’d met last week but if she looked hard she could see traces of the boy beneath the man. He’d been an arrogant teenager then—but she’d still fallen for him—and it didn’t look like he’d changed.

He was neat and tidy, his face was shaved—it had been a crime to hide that jaw—and his thick brown hair was now cut close to his head. He still looked incredibly sexy and she felt his impact right down to her toes. Dory McWilliam.

A metamorphosis from the boy she remembered, and she wondered what sort of a doctor he was. She’d bet he kissed differently now!

Now, that was unprofessional. Stop it!

She ignored the warmth of her cheeks, held out her hand and then instantly regretted it. Her fingers were taken, squeezed and probably left incapable of feeling anything but his touch for the next hour—and this was only the first time she’d actually touched him in fifteen years. Yep. She was in trouble!

Luckily she had her voice under control. ‘So you’re Dr McWilliam. I think I met a relative of yours a few days ago.’

‘That would be the one on holidays.’ He nodded.

‘Hmm. It’s pleasant to meet you, too.’ Actually, she was thinking, thanks for ruining my life. She’d moved from Sydney to break her chronic habit of falling for the wrong man but it seemed she’d turned full circle. Well, this could be her third chance—she’d work on a cure this time.

She forced herself to move away from him and get on with her day. It seemed a positive diversional tactic. ‘Thank you for introducing me to everyone, Julia. We should have a good morning.’

‘If you say so.’ Julia West was tall, willowy, dressed in the plain blue sister’s uniform and clearly unamused at being passed over for the top job.

Savannah gave her a sunny smile. ‘We’ll certainly work on it.’ She slid her bag into the spare cupboard under the desk and slipped the key into her pocket. At least she’d had some orientation and knew where most things were and went. It didn’t look like sweet Julia was going to be particularly helpful today. But as long as it didn’t affect the quality of care for their patients, she was entitled to it.

The sound of the first ambulance of the day drew her attention and both women walked to the emergency entrance to greet it.

Theo drained his coffee-cup, threw his stethoscope around his neck and stood up to stretch. With less than two hours of the sixteen-hour night shift to work, he was feeling remarkably awake.

In fact, he was feeling more awake than he’d felt for the last two years since he’d moved back here. Of course, he’d just had a month’s break from work, and despite the frustration and disappointment with Sam’s cancelled visit, there was novelty in change.

He grunted. Change was usually a stimulant—it had nothing to do with his new neighbour who was poured so deliciously into her floral administration uniform.

His thoughts had persistently wandered to Savannah over the weekend but he’d resisted the urge to check on her.

He’d even convinced himself she’d probably have a few disasters, although hopefully all the animals would survive. Then she’d give up and shift back to the city she’d come from. And he could ignore the shock of attraction he’d tried to forget when he’d seen her for the first time in fifteen years.

She’d come for holidays when she’d been younger, like a black-haired Madonna with her serious face. Those dark violet eyes of hers had seemed to see right through him.

Her hair had been long then, but he liked the way it curled around her face and bounced out now, like those Patty Duke movies his mother had loved to watch.

She’d certainly grown up. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just her luscious little body that grabbed his attention. There were memories, too.

Theo remembered the direct look she’d given him the first time he’d kissed her all those years ago. As if to say, So that’s what it’s all about.

When he’d found out the name of the new charge sister for the emergency department, he’d flinched and realised there were two places he had to avoid Savannah now. He’d completely forgotten that Andy had spoken of his niece being a nurse.

Of all the bad luck.

CHAPTER TWO

THEO needed to stay focused on his own agenda. Savannah Laine could not be allowed to affect his life.

Julia was on her way back to the office and he raised his eyebrows.

‘Ready for me yet?’

‘Yes.’ She slid open the filing-cabinet drawer and withdrew some patient notes. ‘You remember Mrs Reddy?’

‘Elsie with emphysema.’ He held his hand out for the old medical records.

‘That’s right. She was too breathless to stay home. Savannah...’ she rolled her eyes ‘...is settling her in.’

‘I’ll be there in a minute. I’ll have a quick look at her usual medications first.’

‘My, you’re eager for work this morning. How strange,’ she said over her shoulder as she walked away. ‘I’ll go and put the coffee-jug on as no one needs me.’

What was wrong with Julia? She wasn’t usually this moody. Theo frowned at her back and flicked through the patient’s notes.

Elsie Reddy. Last admission a month ago, also for breathlessness.

She’d been given home oxygen, a Ventolin nebuliser, fluid tablets, potassium supplement to replace what the fluid tablet took out, digoxin for heart rhythm, quinine for leg cramps—all the usuals.

He particularly remembered that she had bad veins for getting blood. But it was time for a look. He walked onto the ward.

‘Good morning, Mrs Reddy. I’m Dr McWilliam.’

‘I know.’ Elsie Reddy’s face was pale except for two spots of unhealthy colour in her cheeks, but the soft wheezing voice still held a smile. ‘Big virile man like an out-of-work stuntman.’ She took a breath. ‘Got yourself a woman yet?’ She laboured to catch her breath again.

Theo looked at Savannah who was standing by the old lady’s bed, and glared at the suppressed amusement he saw in her face. He looked back at the older woman. ‘How about you try to not talk and I’ll have a listen to your chest?’

‘When I’m not talking I’ll be dead,’ she said, but sank wearily back against the high pillows and closed her eyes.

Savannah smiled at the old lady’s dry comment. ‘Mrs Reddy’s temperature isn’t elevated but it’s pretty cold outside this morning. Her respirations are thirty-two and blood pressure’s up.’

‘You think she’s got an infection?’ He raised his head and looked at Savannah. When she nodded her hair bounced. He frowned and concentrated. ‘I’ll put a line in, get some blood gas analysis from Pathology and we’ll start some Ventolin via nebuliser and maybe antibiotics later.’

They both heard the sound of another ambulance pulling up outside.

Savannah tilted her head. ‘Leave me a quick written order and I’ll put the cannula in and get a Ventolin nebuliser going while you see to that one.’

Theo raised his eyebrows. ‘You’ll put the cannula in? The winds of change are obviously blowing.’ He shrugged. ‘But that’ll certainly make my job easier.’ He scribbled on the notes, patted Mrs Reddy’s arm and left.

Savannah smiled at the old lady. ‘Did you catch all that?’

‘Most of it.’

‘I’ll pop a drip in this arm, take some blood, then we’ll put something into the bag of fluid to help your lungs work better.’

‘My veins are bad.’ The memories of past jabs shone in wary eyes.

Savannah lifted the frail arm and ran her fingers lightly over the papery skin. ‘Yours look better than the veins they’ve been showing me in the city lately.’

Five minutes later, Theo poked his head around the curtain. Savannah was cleaning up after completing the tasks quickly and competently.

He nodded. ‘I’m impressed. Can I borrow you?’

She barely glanced at him. ‘Sure, but check these ampoules first, please, and I’ll start this infusion.’

‘Bossy little thing, aren’t you?’ She certainly hadn’t been bossy fifteen years ago and Theo wasn’t quite sure he appreciated her lack of deference now!

She raised her own eyebrows and this time met his eyes. ‘You have no idea.’

Savannah turned back to her patient and lifted the mask over Elsie’s face, then slid the nurse-call button into her hand. ‘Ring me if you’re worried, but you should start to feel better soon. I’ll be back as quick as I can.’

Theo watched her gentleness with the old lady and forgave her assertiveness. He sighed. He’d probably have to get used to it.

The sound of another ambulance, this one with the siren wailing, made Savannah and Theo look at each other. ‘The all-or-nothing law of country hospitals,’ he said with resignation. They moved towards the entrance.

Savannah shrugged. ‘Well, the city ones don’t have a quiet time except maybe at four o’clock on a Sunday morning—so we’ll manage.’

The new patient had all their attention after one glance.

The ambulance officer passed the history over quickly. ‘Mr Grey was found almost unconscious under his house. He’d been doing some dusting for fleas.’

The white-haired man on the stretcher was pale and saturated with sweat. His nose was running and his chest gurgled with fluid. Savannah felt the leap in her own pulse rate at the sight of the gravely ill man.

His clothes were covered with a fine powder and he lay limp on the trolley except for the twitches he had no control over.

‘Wear some gloves and get his clothes off. Looks like organophosphate poisoning.’

Savannah did a double-take. This was a different Theo. This doctor was fast, sure and determined to keep his patient alive until the intravenous line he’d quickly inserted could be used to inject the atropine he was drawing up. They had a chance.

Savannah snatched a pair of disposable gloves from the box and started to strip the shorts and T-shirt from the man.

“It’s a parasympathetic nervous system reaction from the pesticides, isn’t it?’ she asked quietly.

‘Right. Not wearing full-length clothes wouldn’t help. The poison is absorbed through the lungs, gut and skin. So until you get his skin washed he’s still absorbing the poison into his system. All I can do is keep giving atropine, which has the opposite effect on the body. Hopefully it will override his nervous system response, which is to produce so much in the way of secretions he could drown in them.’

The man was gasping for breath and Savannah could well believe Theo’s worst-case scenario. Savannah swiftly applied the cardiac leads and began to sponge the man’s body. Julia arrived to help and kept replacing the water dish and washers with fresh ones.

‘Pinpoint pupils and respirations are faster and shallower.’ Savannah dried him and pulled a warm blanket over his twitching body. Her voice was steady. ‘Blood pressure’s falling, he looks like he might fit.’

Theo was calm but intense. ‘Pump the intravenous fluid into his veins—it’s hypovolaemic shock from the fluid shift. Pupils are beginning to dilate so the atropine is starting to take effect. He should improve soon. It’s usually quite dramatic. Looks like they got him here just in time.’ They both glanced at the monitors and nodded.

‘Vital signs are stabilising, and his twitching has decreased. Stop pumping the fluid in and we’ll just run it normally now.’ Savannah removed her hand from the manual pump bulb on the IV line and flexed her fingers.

That had been close. Any doubts she’d had about Theo’s skill were gone.

Theo was looking down at the patient when the man opened his eyes.

‘Hello, old son.’ He squeezed the man’s shoulder and Savannah blinked at the kindness in Theo’s eyes. ‘You gave us a scare for a while there. You should be on the mend now but we need to move you up to Intensive Care for at least seventy-two hours.’ He turned away to write up the notes on Mr Grey. ‘Speed his transfer to the unit, Sister. I’ll go out and see his wife.’

Two broken legs, a toddler with a temperature and a teenage boy’s three-day-old burn that needed redressing saw them through to morning tea.

Theo was off home at ten, Mrs Reddy and the two orthopaedic patients had been transferred to the wards and the toddler sent home with a script. Savannah looked around. The ward was back to empty.

‘That was fun.’ Theo’s voice was dry and he met Savannah’s eyes. They froze for a moment before both turned away. He felt like a cruising jock in high school and the feeling was so alien to him he shook his head.

Must be sleep deprivation, he decided. He hadn’t felt like this for years!

He stretched before he patted his pocket for his keys. ‘Well, it’s been interesting, working with you. I’m back on the ten-to-six day shift tomorrow so I’ll see you then.’

Savannah tried not to stare at his broad back and neat denim-clad bottom as he strolled out the door. She mentally kicked herself. He turned and saluted Julia who was on her way back to the desk after restocking a trolley.

Savannah forced her eyes away from Theo’s departing figure. ‘He seems very competent and caring with the patients,’ she commented.

Julia’s eyebrows were raised. ‘Hmm. He’s quick but thorough, not like some around here. Plus he’s not hard on the eyes—especially with his hair cut. But the ex-wife soured him and he’s emotionally dead.’ There was bitterness in Julia’s voice that spoke of an unsatisfactory love life of her own. Savannah met her eyes.

‘That’s OK, I’m trying for celibacy,’ she replied, and was pleasantly surprised when Julia gave a short laugh. There was hope for her yet!

Julia looked up, curious. ‘So how do you two know each other?’

‘I met him one day last week. He lives on the nearest property and looked after my late uncle’s farm until I moved up here. We actually played together as kids when I came up for holidays, but I don’t think he remembers.’

Julia nodded. ‘I’m sorry to hear about your uncle. And I was less than welcoming this morning. Ask me anything about the place.’

‘We’ll take it slow. I’m not going to rush in and change everything, but if I can see something that makes our job easier and more efficient, we can look into it. Obviously the computer age hasn’t caught up with Bendbrook yet so that’s on my list.’ Savannah glanced at the clock. ‘Where’s the doctor that starts at ten?’

‘One of our local GPs, Dr Hudson—’ that hint of bitterness again laced Julia’s voice ‘—does the odd shift when we can’t get a resident. He usually runs late.’

‘What if an emergency comes in?’

‘Theo has breakfast at the canteen before he goes to bed. We call him back if we’re desperate. In that respect we’re really lucky to have him. We’ve had some less-than-perfect residents. The medical superintendent tried to get Theo to sign a contract—they even offered him the post of Director of Emergency—but he says he’s not interested. Refuses to be tied down.’

One of those. Savannah decided it was time to stop discussing Dr McWilliam and filed away the issue of tardy Dr Hudson for a discussion on punctuality later. ‘Let’s have a look at this stock order.’

* * *

The canteen was quiet and Theo was giving himself a harsh talking-to. He was getting involved. He’d not looked at another woman since Marie had ground him into the dust, and he wasn’t going to start now. You couldn’t trust them. So many times he’d thought he’d won custody of Sam and then Marie had pulled something else out of the hat. He’d finally realised she enjoyed his pain.

He didn’t know how much more he could take. His life was marking time until he could win custody of Sam, and his lawyer promised that day would soon come.

Theo didn’t want to complicate it with an overly demanding job—he had to be free to be able to leave at any minute if needed. But what about Andy’s niece?

Savannah provoked a response in him that he didn’t understand. She was bossy, and yet caring with her patients. There was something about her that pierced his usual wall of indifference that protected him from the female of the species.

Maybe if he found out what it was he could inoculate himself against her like a flu vaccine. He forked the last of his powdered scrambled eggs into his mouth and swallowed it with a grimace. He needed to get home and out of here.

* * *

The pigs were cross. Their mistress had not seen them all day and had then decided to change her sty-cleaning time to before the evening meal. They squealed, nudged and butted her legs as she hosed, but she refused to give in until the floor was clean.

‘It’s OK, you girls. I’ll feed you soon. Anyone would think you hadn’t eaten for a week.’

Bruce stared with piggy eyes through the slats in his own clean pen and grunted and munched.

Savannah smiled as she hosed. They were all characters. Rachel was bossy, Hilda a greedy guts and Trisha was timid. Rosa and Keira looked exactly the same and she called them the twins.

Poor old Louise was ponderous with her unborn babies and Savannah kept telling herself a pig could have piglets without a human’s help.

It had been too cold to clean the sties before work and surprisingly she found it mindlessly relaxing after the tension of starting the new job that day. And recognising the first boy she’d ever kissed. It was crazy. They’d been kids. It meant nothing.

The sound of water hitting concrete and the cacophony of the pigs masked Theo’s approach.

He leaned back against the debarked tree-trunk used as the centre pole of the pig shed and watched her as she talked to the pigs.

She looked younger in a man’s flannelette shirt with sleeves rolled up and a pair of old jeans tucked into Andy’s boots. She’d certainly filled out and gained confidence over the years. He’d found that out at work.

One of the sows butted her in her nicely rounded backside and she barely flinched as she turned the hose on the offender with a laugh. He had to admit it, she handled the animals well.

Now that he looked, he could see a glimpse of the girl from the past. Especially when she laughed. She’d had that same bubbly chuckle all those years ago. He’d teased her about it. But on the rare occasions he’d heard it then, and listening now, it still made him smile.

He wasn’t even sure why he was here. He’d had trouble sleeping today and once it had hit four o’clock he hadn’t been able to stay in bed any longer.

He told himself he was being neighbourly, checking on her for Andy’s sake, but he wasn’t quite convincing himself.

She’d been so competent at work that morning that he wondered if he’d secretly hoped she’d look at a loss on the farm. He could despise a city slicker like his ex-wife.

No such luck. But he couldn’t afford to get sidetracked here.

Sam was the major factor in his life and always would be. He wasn’t free to dally for the fun of it. But there was something about her...

Savannah released the trigger on the hose and tipped the last of the pellets onto the floor of the final pen.

The noise level went from screaming pitch to munching level in the space of two seconds. She laughed out loud.

Theo took his shoulder off the pole. ‘If only everyone were that easy to please.’

Savannah jumped at the sound of Theo’s voice and spun to face him. Unconsciously she aimed the hose at his chest and he raised his hands.

CHAPTER THREE

‘DON’T shoot.’

‘Well, don’t sneak up on me!’

Savannah lowered the hose and Theo put his hands down. His lips twitched at her threatening attitude.

‘A brass band could sneak up on you with the noise this lot makes. Where’s your guard dog?’

‘Benson doesn’t like the pigs. He’s asleep up at the house.’ Savannah collected the empty buckets and pails and passed him to go into the office.

He followed her. He didn’t understand it. ‘Why do you have a dog like that?’

‘He was my mother’s.’

A strange, vulnerable look crossed her face and it looked out of place on the confident woman he’d met twice. ‘I’m sorry, has something happened to your mother?’

‘Yes. She tired of the dog. Like she tires of everything. So I took him.’

This was too deep for him. He didn’t want to know why she hurt when he asked about the dog.

Savannah could see he looked uncomfortable. She turned and walked towards the driveway. ‘Did you want something, Theo?’

‘No. I was just checking that you were getting on all right with the animals, and I’ve brought my phone number in case you need help with an emergency on the farm.’ He handed her a piece of cardboard he’d ripped off a cereal box.

‘That’s very thoughtful of you. Thank you.’ She grinned at the brand. ‘Coco Pops? I hadn’t picked you as a chocolate-covered-cereal-eater, Theo.’

‘They were for a guest who never came.’ He looked away and changed the subject. ‘Tell me how the rest of your first day at work went then I’ll push off.’

‘It was fine. There are a few areas I think we could streamline, and I’d love your input.’ She saw the look on his face. ‘If you’re interested?’

His face remained closed. ‘In discussing improvements? Not really. I do my shift and go home. I’ll leave all that to the enthusiastic ones like you.’

Savannah narrowed her eyes. The guy was a selfish jerk. How could a health professional not be interested in the smooth running of the department? She supposed it went along with the man who wouldn’t accept a permanent job.

She had to stop expecting people to be things they weren’t. She should have learnt with her mother—and Greg. ‘Then you’ll have to excuse me. I’m looking forward to my shower.’

He screwed up his nose. ‘You need one.’ He spun right as they crossed the road and headed down it towards his own home a couple of bends further up the road.

She spoke to his retreating back. ‘I’m not ashamed of it. Honest labour dirties your hands, Theo.’

He didn’t answer.

Savannah steamed all the way up the driveway. Mainly because she was ashamed of her rudeness to him. Sixteen hours of night shift was honest labour. And he’d come to check she was OK and bring his phone number in case she needed him. She was the jerk. But that crack about her needing a shower had been petty. She sniffed her sleeve and screwed up her nose. ‘Phew.’ Maybe more truthful than petty after all!

She kicked her boots off at the bottom of the stairs and stomped onto the verandah. She wasn’t normally this short-tempered or intolerant. Perhaps she had more of her mother in her than she’d thought. Ouch. She preferred to believe it was because she hadn’t slept well the night before. Without the sounds of the traffic in the city she’d found it difficult to settle, and the old house creaked and groaned a lot. Or maybe she was scared because she was impossibly attracted to Theo and he was just as prickly as she was.

Benson yapped from inside the house.

‘Ha. Guard dog indeed! Where were you when I needed you?’

* * *

The next morning Savannah planned to apologise to Theo as soon as he came in. But she didn’t have time.

Dr Smythe, a thin, nervous man, slow to work with and easily flustered, had patients banked back to the doorway. He’d spent nearly an hour trying to put a drip in a young man who had accidentally chainsawed a zipper in his leg, and in the end Savannah had tactfully offered to do it herself.

By the time Theo arrived, Savannah was ready to throw her arms around him. He raised his eyebrows at the pile of waiting patient cards, and looked at her sardonically.

‘Smythe snowed under, is he?’

‘Yes,’ Savannah said with great restraint.

‘Well, let’s get moving, then.’

Savannah heaved a sigh of relief and followed him from cubicle to cubicle. She watched, impressed, as he soothed frayed nerves and anxious relatives made worse by the long wait. He remained even-tempered and very thorough. He was very good at his job. Why wouldn’t he take it on permanently?