Winning The Surgeon's Heart

He shook his head. ‘No, we were both right. We need to get moving now and expand our search area, because someone like this is going to be able to walk further in half an hour than most people could.’

‘What do you suggest?’

‘Serious walkers tend to travel in a straight line and if that’s what he did, then there’s just one area of woodland that’s approximately two and a half miles from here.’ Matt indicated an area to the west.

‘And we go there first?’ There was woodland to the east as well, but that was only a mile away. Further on was an area of grassland.

‘It’s a risk. Under normal circumstances there would be search parties out, going in every direction, but we have to choose. We can’t split up, the instructions say that we both have to be at the scene together.’

Think. Think!

Hannah turned, staring at the hill that led away to the west. This was the challenge that any experienced walker would set themselves. When she faced Matt again, he was regarding her steadily.

‘Okay. I agree, we go west.’

Matt shouldered the heavier of the two bags, and added two bottles of water to its weight. He set off at a fast walk, and Hannah wondered if she should remind him that they needed to pace themselves. He probably was pacing himself. She watched his back, gritting her teeth. It was a matter of pride that she could keep up.

But after a mile her head started to swim, and the muscles in her legs and shoulders were screaming. She stopped, letting her bag fall to the ground. Matt turned.

‘Perhaps we should have some water...’ Just a few minutes’ rest, and she’d be ready to go again. He nodded, handing her one of the water bottles.

He was waiting for her. Matt made a show of consulting the map, but they both knew exactly which way they were going as the woodland at the top of the hill stood starkly on the horizon. One minute. Just one minute and she’d be ready to pick up the bag and go again.

‘Drink a little more.’ He picked up the half-empty water bottle that she’d put down on the grass, handing it to her. Then he caught the strap of her bag, shouldering it with his.

‘No... Matt, I’ll be okay...’

‘We have to get there together. If I get tired, you can take the bag back.’

His tone was quiet. Gentle, even. Not like the shouted exhortations to keep going that she’d trained with.

‘Don’t give me permission to give up...’

He grinned suddenly. ‘You don’t have my permission to do anything other than keep walking. I’m going to need you when we get there, so let’s go.’ He turned, obviously slowed by the extra weight but still able to keep going.

It was a lot easier without the bag. Hannah caught up with him, walking beside him.

‘You don’t believe in a little encouragement?’

‘What, you mean bullying you until you pick the bag up again and start walking? No, I don’t believe in that.’ He was suddenly tight-lipped.

‘Sometimes a bit of a push is what’s needed.’

He nodded. ‘Yeah. But don’t ask me to do it.’

Matt wasn’t wasting any words, and it wasn’t just the extra weight he was carrying. This was a line that he didn’t cross. His relaxed attitude to everything wasn’t a matter of laissez faire. It was more like a decision about how he was going to interact with the world.

‘I get it. If I need any shouting to get me back on my feet, I’ll do it myself.’

‘I’d appreciate that.’ He gave her one of his sudden smiles. Those deep blue eyes were enough to drag anyone to their feet, heart pumping faster and legs suddenly strong.

‘I’ll take my bag back in a little while.’

He nodded. ‘All right. I can’t make it all the way like this.’

He had his strengths, just as she did. And finding them, using them, was a challenge that was both daunting and delicious.

Matt knew what Hannah had been asking of him. He knew that getting her to her feet wouldn’t be a matter of real aggression, and more one of channelling her thoughts and reactions towards one clear aim. But he still couldn’t do it.

It had been more than twenty-five years since he’d cowered before his father’s wrath. Everything he’d done and said had been calculated to please, because when his father had got angry it had been over the smallest things. This wasn’t the same, and pressuring Hannah back to her feet wouldn’t have been the same kind of aggression that his father had dispensed so freely, but he still couldn’t bring himself to do it. It wasn’t who he was. What he’d made himself be.

When she took her bag back, he caught the scent of her sweat. Not stale or pungent, but an exciting sweetness, which spoke to his body on a level that he’d learned to ignore. He should ignore her touch, too. Something about the way that she snatched her hand away from his when he gave her the bag told Matt that she felt something too, and he couldn’t help but smile.

‘We split up?’ They’d reached the edge of the woodland, and Hannah took the map from him, spreading it out on the ground. The trees formed a wide band that stretched out ahead of them.

‘I think so. I’ll walk along the ridge, there, and you take the path.’ Matt chose the more uneven, sloping terrain. Physical effort might take his mind off her auburn hair, glinting in the sunlight, and the way that her sweat-dampened T-shirt didn’t hide her curves as well as it had.

‘Giving me the easier route again?’ For a moment her expression told him that she might well argue with that.

‘Don’t worry. I reckon there are enough challenges ahead of us to go round.’

Hannah grinned suddenly. ‘Probably. Thanks, I could do without climbing to the top of that ridge.’

They walked more slowly now, keeping each other within sight and scanning carefully for any signs of the man they were looking for. Matt caught a glimpse of blue, between the trees on the other side of the ridge, but when he scrambled down towards it, he saw that it was an abandoned plastic carrier bag, fluttering in the breeze.

‘Anything...?’ He heard Hannah’s voice, calling to him.

‘No. Nothing.’ Matt shouted back, and she started walking again. As the woodland area started to narrow, the ridge wound down to meet the path.

‘Where is he? Suppose we’re wrong, Matt.’ She seemed suddenly exhausted from the effort it had taken to get here.

‘Suppose we’re right?’

Hannah nodded, straightening suddenly. ‘We’ll walk through to the end of these trees, and then double back for a second look, shall we? When we’re sure he’s not here, we can think again.’

They walked for another ten minutes and then he saw it. Deep amongst the trees, in a patch of bright sunshine, the body of a man propped up against a tree stump. They forced their way through the undergrowth and Matt felt a bramble tear at his arm, catching at the supple branch before it hit Hannah straight in the face. She ducked ahead of him, jogging towards the man and falling to her knees beside him.

Matt wasn’t sure what to expect right now. Surely they weren’t supposed to carry out resuscitation procedures on what was presumably a perfectly healthy volunteer? Then the man opened his eyes, grinning up at Hannah.

‘Hi, there. You made it, then.’ He jerked his thumb behind him. ‘Go over there.’

Hannah didn’t move. ‘Are you all right?’

The man snorted with laughter. ‘Yes, of course I am. We try to make everything as authentic as possible, but I draw the line at having a real heart attack.’

She frowned suddenly. ‘Have you got some water?’

Matt felt for the water bottle in his bag. They’d both been caught up in the illusion, but Hannah had stepped out of it for a moment and seen a real issue. The man had been sitting in full sunlight, and it was a hot day. His face was already a little red.

‘Actually, I could do with some. Looks as if I’ll be here for a while.’ He took the bottle from Matt. ‘Thanks. Now go on, will you? Five minutes in that direction.’

Hannah got to her feet, staring ahead of them. She turned questioningly to Matt and he shrugged. He couldn’t see anything either.

They walked downhill through the brush, and he saw something amongst the trees. The shape of an expertly camouflaged tent. They approached it, and Matt ducked around the tent flap, seeing a busy crew and four tables, each bearing one of the team colours. He turned to Hannah, holding the flap aside for her.

‘Great.’ A young woman approached them, beaming. ‘Go over to your table...’

‘In a minute.’ Hannah’s grim determination to get the job in hand completed seemed to have deserted her. ‘I’d like to speak to whoever’s in charge.’

‘You’re still being timed.’ The young woman frowned.

‘Then I’d like to speak to them straight away, please.’ She shot an apologetic look at Matt and he nodded. He knew now what was on her mind, and he wasn’t about to tell her to forget it and hurry her over to the table.

A man responded to the woman’s beckoning hand, and hurried over. ‘Is there a problem?’

‘Yes, there is. The man lying out there is in direct sunlight, and he’s got no water, we gave him some of ours. He’s already looking a little red in the face, and I’m hoping he doesn’t get sunstroke.’

Matt grinned. Go, Flash.

‘Um...’ The man scratched his head. ‘Did he say he felt ill?’

‘No. But prevention’s always better than cure, and I was sure you’d want to know.’ Hannah shrugged. ‘Health and safety, and all that...’

She was being nice about it, but there was a hint of firmness beneath her smile. Matt never had to explain what he wanted, he just made a decision and everyone went with it. Hannah must face this kind of situation every day, and she was clearly practised at getting her own way with the minimum of confrontation and fuss.

‘Yes, of course. Thanks for letting me know, I’ll get straight on it. If we sit him in the shade a little closer to the path, and make sure he has plenty of water, would that be okay with you?’

‘That’s fabulous. Thanks.’ Hannah flashed him a smile, and turned to make her way across to the red table.

‘That’s very sportsmanlike of you.’ Matt shot her a smile, so that Hannah would be in no doubt that he approved. ‘The other teams will be able to see him more easily if he’s closer to the path.’

She shot him a querulous look. ‘You think I should have done anything different?’

‘No. I’m just pleased to see that I have a teammate who won’t stop at nothing to win.’

Hannah flushed a little, then leaned towards him. ‘You just wait and see what I’ll do if you don’t get over to that table. Right now.’

That was almost an incentive to stay put. Hannah could do anything she wanted with him, the more up close and personal the better. The sentiment must have shown on his face, because she raised her eyebrows.

‘Since you asked so nicely...’ Matt turned and walked over to the table.

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