Christmas with Dr Delicious

A girl aged in her late teens let them into the untidy house. ‘Col’s in a lot of pain. He can’t move at all.’

Nikki followed her through to the lounge, trying not to breathe deeply as the rancid stench of body odour swamped her nostrils. Looking for a clean spot to put down the pack, she asked the young man sprawled across the couch, ‘Col Hargreaves? I’m Nikki. I hear you’ve got a pain in your stomach.’ She had to shout over the din from the enormous television.

‘It’s agony,’ the man groaned.

‘Can you show me exactly where it’s hurting?’ Nikki crouched down beside the couch and, picking up the remote, lowered the noise level.

Tugging his sweatshirt up, Col stabbed the right side of his belly with his forefinger. ‘Here.’ Another poke on the left side. ‘And here.’

‘How long has this been going on?’

‘Since last night.’ Col moved sideways and foul language followed.

Wrapping the pressure cuff around his upper arm, Nikki kept up the questions, trying to ignore everything else. ‘Have you had something like this before?’

‘Yeah, last week. Your lot took me to hospital but the doctor couldn’t find what was wrong. Are you going to take me there again?’

‘Yes, after we’ve taken some readings.’ She wrote the normal blood pressure results on her glove. ‘What were you doing when the pain started?’ She could hear Fraser pushing the stretcher through the door behind her.

‘Watching TV.’ Her patient gave a loud and drawn-out groan. ‘I get giddy too. Ahh,’ he squealed.

‘Take it easy. On a scale of one to ten how strong is the pain?’

‘Ten.’

Then he should be writhing in agony. ‘Is it hurting anywhere else?’

‘Nah, only in my gut.’

‘Okay, Col. We need to get you up onto the stretcher. Reckon you can do that by yourself?’

‘Lady, I’m in pain here.’

Fraser stepped around the stretcher. ‘Right, bud, we’ll take an arm each to help you up. On the count of three, ready?’ When Col grunted, Fraser continued, ‘One, two three.’ And he hauled the guy upright.

Nikki helped get Col onto the stretcher and covered him with a blanket. She had a shrewd suspicion Col was more than able to walk out to the ambulance if he had a mind to. His symptoms were hard to pin down and he’d groaned before she’d touched his stomach, making her suspicious about what he was up to. But she could be very wrong. They’d make Col’s shift to their vehicle as comfortable as possible.

Fraser pressed the stretcher’s brake off and pushed the stretcher out to the ambulance. ‘We’ll soon have you in ED and the doctors can check you over.’

‘What about my girlfriend? She’s got to come.’

Col’s belligerence was beginning to annoy Nikki but she offered a lift to the girl and indicated the front seat. The trip to the hospital was punctuated with loud groans and intermittent swearing.

After handing Col over to the ED staff, Fraser commented dryly, ‘That guy bounced across from the stretcher to the hospital bed. What happened to the level-ten pain? He’s having everyone on.’

‘Not our problem any more. But maybe he needs someone to take notice of him, for whatever reason.’ She stepped into the back of the ambulance. ‘You drive. I’m going to wipe down the stretcher with antiseptic and see if I can’t get rid of that overpowering stink of sweat.’ It had taken over their vehicle.

What she wouldn’t give for a shower and a clean uniform. She began scrubbing every surface she could. Funny how that particular odour hung around long after the cause had gone.

Nikki’s cellphone rang as Fraser backed into the garage bay back at Base. Flipping it open, she smiled. It was Jay, her big, bad brother, who’d recently joined a rural vet practice close to the farm they’d grown up on. Nearly two years older than her, he was the youngest of her four brothers. He’d also been Fraser’s best friend at one time. Jay had taken it almost as hard as she had when Fraser had gone away. ‘Morning—’

‘Did I just see McCall in the ambulance with you?’ Jay’s deep voice rumbled in her ear.

It had taken all of two hours for the news to get out, quite slow for Blenheim. ‘Yes, the one and only.’

‘What’s he doing here? When did he return?’

The ambulance stopped and Nikki quickly slipped away to head outside the garage. This was one conversation she didn’t want Fraser overhearing. ‘I only found out last week when Mike told us he’d got a job here.’

‘He’s not working as your partner, is he?’

‘Yeah, Jay, he is. It’s not like I had a choice. Believe me, I tried to get out of it but Mike insisted we work together.’

‘Work together? What’s this about? Why would a doctor want to work on the ambulances?’

‘Thanks, Jay. Our job isn’t for the brain dead.’

‘I know that.’ Jay paused then went on, ‘So what’s going on? Is McCall here for a week? Or for ever?’

‘I’m not sure. Definitely more than a week.’ She quickly filled Jay in about Fraser’s father, before telling him, ‘Fraser didn’t finish med school.’

‘No way! He was destined for a great career. No, sis, you’ve got it wrong.’

‘He told me himself.’

‘Did he say why?’

‘You think he would?’

‘I think he should,’ Jay growled. ‘So he’s still hiding things from you. Wait till I see him. It’s time he knew exactly how we all feel about him.’

She surprised herself by saying, ‘Jay, leave him alone for now. Give him a chance. Who knows? He might turn up at the farm one day with a six pack of lager under his arm and apologise to us all for the trouble he caused.’

‘Sis, if you believe that, then you believe in the tooth fairy.’

Fraser plugged the electricity source into the ambulance, wincing as Nikki’s words reached him. He was going to have to move a lot faster than he’d intended. Apologising to the Page family was on his latest to-do list. Only he’d figured it wise to first let them get used to the fact he was back.

But if Jay was on the case he’d be breaking down his mum and dad’s front door by sundown tonight. The Page men were known to be very protective of their sister. Especially Jay, who carried his own demons about the sister who’d drowned years ago.

Fraser drew a deep breath. Gawd, he’d missed Jay. They’d done a lot together—getting into trouble as teens, surviving their first hangovers, learning to drive, racing motorbikes on the Page farm, playing in the school first fifteen and the cricket team. So much of his wonderful life and friendships back then had been tied up with Nikki’s family. All had gone down the gurgler because he hadn’t known how to handle the terrifying situation he’d suddenly found himself thrown into five years ago.

When the garage door rattled downwards Fraser realised Nikki had finished her phone call and was standing beside him. ‘Are you happy with the way those callouts went?’ she asked, one hand on her hip.

‘Absolutely. So far everything works the same way it does in Dunedin.’

‘Good. Do you know when you’ll be starting your courses?’

‘Online workshops start in a couple of weeks and my first week away in Christchurch is next month.’

Nikki was deliberately showing him that their relationship was strictly professional. He’d have gone along with that if she hadn’t discussed him with Jay.

Tonight. Tonight he’d visit Nikki and lay the past to rest. A cold sweat broke out on his brow. All those years and he still wasn’t prepared for her reaction to what he had to tell her. He did not want to see pity in her eyes. He did not want sympathy. He just wanted a clear conscience.

Tonight. After they knocked off for the day. He’d get her address and pay her a visit.

CHAPTER THREE

‘WHY are we doing a Life Flight pick-up?’ Fraser negotiated the ambulance through the lunchtime traffic the next day. ‘Surely two paramedics for this job is overkill?’

‘Blenheim Two’s already out on a job so there’s no one else.’ Nikki didn’t look up from her paperwork. ‘But if there’s a priority one call we’ll ditch the pick-up.’

Fraser rubbed his aching head. Another sleepless night tossing and turning after his plan to see Nikki had gone awry. He’d wheedled Nikki’s address out of Amber when she’d come on for the night shift and had headed straight around there, only to find the place in darkness. He’d returned after dinner with his parents but Nikki still hadn’t come home so he’d had no choice but to forget about talking to her last night. But he would try again tonight, and every night until she was at home and ready to listen to him.

As he drove down Middle Renwick Road towards the airport, they passed row after row after row of grapevines, some still being pruned. ‘The vines always look naked at this time of year. I’d forgotten how I always knew the season by the vines and the activities in the vineyards.’ A pang of homesickness struck Fraser, despite being back here. This was one of the things he’d come back to Blenheim for, he suddenly realised. A sigh trickled past his lips. He was home physically, but in any other respect he had a long way to go.

‘Remember when it used to be cherry and apricot orchards, and paddocks filled with carrots and peas that you drove past.’ Nikki glanced out at the passing scenery.

‘Not many of those left now. I heard that the council rates have been driven up with all the vineyards creating high prices for the land.’

‘Yep, and that’s a sore point with some of the older farmers.’ Nikki touched the icons on the screen in front of her. ‘Our patient’s been having chemo and radiation in Wellington. Bowel cancer.’

‘Ouch.’ An old, familiar tug of horror and fear grabbed at Fraser. The fear that had receded over the years since his treatment still managed to raise its ugly head at times to twist his gut. Like a warning not to get too complacent as it could come back. But, no, it would not. Must not.

Nikki continued reading aloud. ‘Glen Wright. Twenty years old. Hell, that’s terrible. He’s so young. How does someone deal with that? He’s got his whole life ahead of him.’

You have no idea. Fraser pressed his mouth tight, kept the words in. Now was definitely not the moment to be revealing his secret. Gawd, if Nik had been at home last night she’d know the answers to her questions.

She hadn’t finished. ‘I hope he’s got a good prognosis. At twenty he’ll have hardly done a thing with his life.’

Nope, he won’t have. But he sure as hell will hurry on with it the moment he’s fit enough. ‘It must’ve been dreadful for him to learn he had cancer.’

It would’ve blown the guy’s mind wide apart with fear and disbelief and shock. It would’ve stopped him eating and sleeping for days. He’d have looked out at the world with a deep longing for all that he could be deprived of. He’d wonder what he’d done so wrong to be thrown into this situation.

‘You planning on snapping that steering-wheel?’ Nikki’s eyebrows rose cutely.

‘Not today.’ He tried to relax his fingers and his brain. A return mental trip to those bleak days would achieve absolutely nothing but darkness. And the darkness was over. With the all-clear, he’d been given a fresh start on life, which he mustn’t waste.

Stopping at the security gate leading onto the tarmac, he punched in the access code Nikki reeled off and watched the gate slowly pull back. ‘I called round to see you last night.’

Nikki jerked around in her seat, her beautiful azure eyes darkening with worry, panic even. ‘Why? I thought we agreed to keep everything on a professional level.’

Why had he opened his goddamned mouth? Now he’d have to give her some reason or she’d niggle away at him all day to find out what he’d wanted to see her about. The truth but nowhere near the whole truth? ‘Thought we might discuss how we’re going to make this crewing together work without too much aggro.’

‘We can do that on the job.’ She wasn’t giving him any leeway. ‘Move, or the gate will close on us again.’

Fraser blinked. When had the gate opened fully?

Pointing to the left, Nikki told him, ‘Keep your speed at ten k’s an hour and park between that hangar and the painted circle on the tarmac.’

Easing the ambulance onto the edge of the tarmac, he watched the plane rolling along the taxiway, the wintery sun highlighting its bright red paintwork. Beyond the flat ground of the airport the rolling curves and sharp edges of the Wither Hills wore their winter green.

Fraser dropped down onto the tarmac, asked over his shoulder, ‘What’s our role here?’

‘We help transfer the patient and drive him to hospital. He’s accompanied by two nurses, who take care of him. They’ll return to their plane by taxi once they’ve handed over to the ward staff.’

‘That’s it?’

Nik came around the front of the truck and looked up at him. ‘Guess you never had to do this in Dunedin where there’s a big hospital with all the bells and whistles. Unfortunately there are many instances when local patients are sent away for major surgery or treatment. These flights save them an awful lot of discomfort getting home.’

The sound of the engines of the advancing plane drowned out anything else she might have said. As soon as the props stopped spinning a side door popped open and an elevator with a platform attached began sliding out.

Nikki told him, ‘You can move the truck closer now. Come from the back. The pilot gets antsy if he thinks his wingtip is in jeopardy.’

Yes, boss. Keep it professional. Absolutely. Fraser felt a wry smile tugging his lips. ‘On my way.’

He’d barely braked to a halt when Nikki had the back doors open and the stretcher out. A chill wind edged under the collar of his thick uniform jacket, making him shiver. ‘The sooner Glen’s inside the ambulance the better.’ The guy’s resistance to the cold would be low if he’d just finished a round of chemo. Fraser shivered, this time not from the cold but from the melancholy memories of his own chemical-ravaged body in the days after treatment.

On the platform at the plane’s side was a stretcher with Glen strapped on. He was looking around with dull, tired eyes, barely acknowledging what was going on.

‘Hey, Glen, you’re nearly home,’ one of the nurses dressed in blue overalls commented.

‘Sure,’ the guy muttered.

‘Hospital ain’t home, is it?’ Fraser gave Glen a knowing smile.

Glen’s eyelids lifted. ‘You’re damned right, mate.’

‘Let’s get you out of the wind.’ Fraser snapped buckles together to keep their patient from moving. With Glen quickly installed inside the vehicle, Fraser slid behind the steering-wheel and eased the vehicle forward, vowing to make the trip as smooth and bump-free as possible. As you do every trip.

Yeah, but this one’s special.

Nikki had just added the mussels to her paella when the door chime rang. She dropped the wooden spoon and rice splattered over the stovetop. ‘Dang. Who’s calling at dinnertime?’

Her heart stuttered. Not Fraser, surely? He’d been around last night when she’d been out at the movies. Unfortunately Amber, sensing something going on between Fraser and her, had been quick to give him their address.

Another ring from the door. ‘All right, hold on.’ She swung the front door wide. And leaned against the door-jamb as casually as tight nerves and shaking hands allowed. ‘Fraser. I thought we’d agreed to keep work at work.’ Talking was difficult with a mouth as dry as dust.

‘A six pack of lager, I think you said.’ Fraser held the pack out.

‘You overheard me talking to Jay yesterday.’ And she’d have to find a tooth to put under her pillow for the fairy.

‘But if you’re not into lager then I’ve got this.’ In his other hand was a bottle of very good Chardonnay. ‘Not knowing what you drink these days, I’m covering my options.’

‘You need me on side that much? Is this where you tell me why you didn’t turn up for our wedding?’ Gripping the edge of the door, she held herself upright through sheer determination. She’d wanted to know this for ever and yet now she shook with nerves. She could learn bad stuff that would shatter her carefully restored confidence.

‘Nik, let me in.’ His tone was gentle. ‘Please.’

Every time he called her Nik she softened towards him. Did he know that? Was that why he used her pet name? Sucking in her stomach and straightening her back, she waved him inside and shut the door. Shut Fraser inside with her. Too late to say no now. She breathed in the tang of lime aftershave and regretted her capitulation. Anything to do with Fraser always became too hard too quickly. So much for remaining calm, aloof, non-involved. It wasn’t possible whenever he came near.

So she would hear him out and move on. Then maybe she’d even manage to be happy working with him. As she pushed past him in the narrow hall, her arm slid over his, but she clamped down on the instant surge of longing that contact brought.

A strong burning smell. ‘The risotto,’ she screeched, and raced into the kitchen to snatch the deep pan off the gas ring. ‘Great, there goes my dinner.’

Fraser peered around her at the risotto. ‘Can’t you lift off the top layer carefully? It’ll only be burned on the bottom.’ His tongue did a lap of his lips. ‘It looks damned good from here.’

She raised her gaze to glare at him. ‘Help yourself.’

A wee smile lurked at the corners of his mouth. ‘You’re not afraid I’ll tell everyone you served me burned food? That could ruin your reputation as a great cook.’

‘If you’re talking about the gang at work they’ll ignore you for fear they won’t get their weekly quota of homemade cakes and biscuits.’

‘True. The way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach.’ Fraser put down the wine and beer and scooped up a mouthful of risotto with the wooden spoon.

She watched as the spoon slipped into his mouth, saw his tongue clear the rice off the wooden surface. She leant against the bench for support. For the second time in two days desire spread through her like wildfire, heating her in long-chilled places, suffocating her in need. Heaven help her, it was only paella, and yet the guy made it the sexiest food out.

‘Divine. A little smoky but absolutely delicious.’ He took another spoonful, his eyes rolling and that tentative smile growing.

Resignedly, Nikki found a plate and a fork, handed them to him. ‘Help yourself.’ Tugging a bottle from the six pack, she twisted the cap off and took a long, cold drink. It cooled her throat, but nothing else. Why had she opened her front door so wide and invited Fraser in? This had not been what she’d expected, this deep need clawing its way down her body, teasing her, taunting her.

Bang. The bottom of the bottle cracked on the bench as she put it down. ‘Come on, let’s get this over with.’ Her voice came out light and squeaky. Clearing her throat, she tried again. ‘Why are you here, Fraser?’

The fork that had been about to slide into his mouth stopped, held still as Fraser studied her frankly, closely, for a long time. Like he was looking for something.

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