The Italian's Touch

‘I must say I’m impressed.’ Danny laughed. ‘So Mario does have his uses after all.’

Fleur gave him a quizzical look.

‘Just joking. I know he’s a great doctor, he’s just thrown the staff into disarray—surely you must have noticed? Lucy is a bumbling wreck whenever he’s near, Beryl has given up cleaning and mans the coffee-machine as if she worked in a café and even Len is taking his bad back to see him.’

Fleur laughed but her heart wasn’t in it, as she knew what was coming next.

‘How are you finding it?’

‘The clinic was fine, but I know I lost it a bit this morning. I’m sorry, Danny.’

Danny patted her arm. ‘There’s no need for that. It was completely understandable.’

‘Understandable, yes, acceptable, no.’

‘It was just bad luck it had to happen on your first morning. Things will get easier. Anyway, you finish in ten minutes, then you can go home and put your feet up.’

Fleur glanced down at her fob watch. ‘Gosh, the morning’s flown. How is Mrs Green?’ She held her breath, waiting for the answer.

‘Still in Theatre. The CT scan showed a massive subdural haematoma. Hopefully once they’ve evacuated the blood clot she should do well. She wasn’t down long.’

‘She was fine,’ Fleur said, almost to herself. ‘It just all happened so quickly.’

‘Then it’s just as well she was in the observation ward and not at home.’

Fleur nodded. ‘I’d better get back and have a quick tidy before I go.’

‘Well, I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow. Now, don’t dwell on it, Fleur. It really is good to have you back.’

By the time she got back, the last patient’s injury had been dressed and Lucy was enthusiastically restocking the dressing trolleys. As Fleur joined her, Luke Richardson made his way over, a pile of notes under his arm.

‘Thanks for that, Fleur,’ he said warmly. ‘I must say, I’m glad to see you back. It’s nice to have such a busy clinic run so smoothly.’ He turned to Mario who was somewhat impatiently hovering, obviously anxious to conclude the conversation. But Luke didn’t notice. ‘Fleur’s one of our finest,’ he said enthusiastically.

Mario was obviously choosing to reserve his judgement and spoke only to the top of her head. ‘Indeed,’ he said politely, as Fleur stood there awkwardly. His obvious coolness upset her, and rather surprisingly so. She had been around long enough to witness more than the occasional rudeness or indifference from a colleague. But this felt different. This time it was merited and coupled with the fact that everyone else seemed to get on famously with the wonderful Mario Ruffini.

Her cheeks burning, Fleur gave the two consultants a brief smile before making her way to the changing room.

‘Damn,’ she cursed once the door was safely closed. Day one and already she’d put someone offside. For a second she closed her eyes, resting the back of her head against the door. Surely her job couldn’t be in jeopardy on the strength of this morning? Surely it wasn’t all over before it had even started?

CHAPTER TWO

‘HI MUM!’ Alex gave Fleur a worried smile as he ran towards her. ‘How did it go?’

‘It was fine.’

‘Honestly?’

Fleur nodded assuredly. Some things a seven-year-old didn’t need to hear. ‘Where’s Ben?’

‘He’s in time-out—he had to stay behind for talking too much. He shouldn’t be long.’

As if on cue, Ben appeared, smiling happily, not remotely fazed by his short time in the sin bin. Fleur tried to ignore the unsettling contrast between the two boys. Alex would have been completely devastated—everything these days seemed to unnerve him. Not, of course, that she wanted him to be naughty at school, but he did need to relax a bit more. Kathy was probably right. The extra time with Ben would help, and maybe some of Ben’s happy-go-lucky nature would rub off on Alex. Once again it was rammed home to Fleur that she needed this job for so much more than the money.

By the time Kathy arrived the kids had devoured a bowl of potato chips and a drink and were finishing up their homework.

‘You’re kidding.’ Kathy laughed as she saw the boys with their heads down at the dining room table. ‘I usually have to resort to blackmail. I hear you did a great job this morning.’

‘From who?’ Fleur asked doubtfully.

‘Oh, just the general buzz around the place. How good it is to have you back, that sort of thing.’

‘Fancy a cuppa?’

Kathy shook her head. ‘Better not. Ben…’ she called, picking up his school bag before giving Fleur a wicked grin. ‘What did you think of the Italian stallion? And don’t try and tell me you didn’t notice him—I simply won’t believe you. Apparently he lost his temper with Danny this afternoon,’ she went on. ‘Unfortunately I was stuck in Theatre or I’d have had a glass up to Danny’s wall, but Beryl got the gist. He was roaring his head off about lack of comunicazione and team spirit and disastros waiting to happen. Something must have got under that gorgeous olive skin of his. He’s been all moody and brooding this afternoon. Though it just made him all the sexier if you ask me. Ben!’

Waving cheerfully, Kathy dragged a reluctant Ben down the garden path. Fleur waved back, a sinking feeling of dread in her stomach. So she hadn’t been imagining his mood after all. Mario Ruffini really was cross with her.

Dinner was simple, a shared omelette and salad on the veranda, with Alex carefully picking out anything green, but as she cleared the plates and made her way across the decking Alex’s voice stopped Fleur in her tracks. ‘Was it scary, Mum, going back?’

Battling the urge to force a smile and say ‘of course not’, Fleur turned slowly.

‘A bit,’ she admitted. ‘How do you feel about it?’

Alex fiddled with the newspaper lying on the table in front of him. ‘It’ll be good going to Ben’s and having him come here.’ He paused. ‘But…’

He didn’t have to say it, the poor little guy. After all, the last time his mum had gone to work their lives had been thrown into turmoil. Fleur sat beside Alex and pulled him towards her, kissing the top of his blond curls as she waited for him to vocalise his fears. But even a mum, however devoted, doesn’t always know what’s going on in that little brain.

‘I’m scared it’s too much for you, Mum—being back there, I mean. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. I don’t care if we don’t go to see Movie World and everything.’

So he wasn’t scared for himself, just for his mum. Holding him against her, Fleur thought her heart would burst with pride and love. Overnight her little boy had become a man. ‘But a holiday in Queensland with a trip to Movie World would be nice, huh?’

Alex shrugged. ‘I guess.’

‘And a new game for your computer? Look, Alex, we’re hardly going to starve if I don’t go back to work—your dad made sure we were well looked after. We’ve got a beautiful home and a nice lifestyle, and money put aside for you to go to a nice high school, but all the little extras add up. I’m so proud of you for saying that it doesn’t matter, but it does matter, darling, to me. And leaving aside the money, I’m a nurse, Alex. I used to love my work and I really missed it. This is going to make a big difference for both of us.’

Alex looked up. ‘But—’

‘I’m fine,’ Fleur said firmly. And this time there was no question of forcing a smile, it came naturally. ‘I’ve got friends there, good ones. If I get upset they’ll help me through, that’s what friends do. And at the end of the day I come home to you, so what have I got to worry about?’

Not just a man, every bit a male, Fleur thought ruefully as Alex picked up the paper and turned straight to the sports page.

‘Just think, Mum, now you’re working we’ll be able to go to the footy lots!’

Now, there was a good reason to stay home!

Alex was bathed and in his pyjamas by seven, asking to watch a soap that was due to start.

‘Everyone watches it, Mum. They all talk about it at school every morning and I’m the only one who doesn’t get to see it. There’s a hostage on tonight, the police are going to raid the school!’