Hired: GP and Wife / The Playboy Doctor's Surprise Proposal (29 page)

It only seemed like minutes before they were landing. Andrew had passed Caitlin a copy of the woman’s notes as they were flying. Just before the plane had started to descend he had brought her up to speed with what he knew about the patient, which he had to admit was very little.

‘All we really know is that the nurse is concerned enough to want a doctor on hand,’ he had told Caitlin. ‘As is often the case, we really don’t know exactly what we are dealing with until we get there.’

They jumped out of the plane as soon as Fran said they were free to go. ‘There’s only an hour before sunset,’ she told them, ‘and I’d really like to be in the air by then. So I’d appreciate it if you could be as quick as possible.’

The nurse rushed over to meet them. ‘Hi, guys. Am I glad to see you,’ she said. ‘My lady really needs to be in hospital, I think. C’mon, let’s take you over. I’m Tanni, by the way.’ Then she stopped and looked thoughtful. ‘Which one of you is the paediatrician?’ she asked.

‘That would be me,’ Andrew said, as he followed her into the clinic.

‘I hoped there would be someone on this flight. I have a two-year-old I’d like you to have a look at when you’re finished with Mrs Crouse. It’s not an emergency as such. It’s just that there is something about him that worries me. And since you’re here anyway, it would save him and his parents a long and perhaps unnecessary trip to Brisbane.’

‘No probs,’ Andrew agreed. ‘I’ll be happy to have a look just as soon as I’m finished with the woman you called us to see.’

The nurse’s fears turned out to be justified. Mrs Crouse’s third pregnancy was almost at full term, but the baby was lying bottom first instead of head down. As Caitlin examined her she could tell that the patient was already in advanced labour.

‘It’s a breech lie,’ she told Andrew. ‘And her contractions are less than three minutes apart. It’s too late to transport her and too late to do a section. We’re just going to have to deliver her here.’

Caitlin could tell from Andrew’s expression that he recognised the difficult situation their patient was in. If the baby got stuck during labour, and that was a real possibility, they could be dealing with a dead baby. The thought filled Caitlin with dread. She was used to dealing with similar scenarios, but always in fully equipped hospitals. Not in a clinic that was only set up with basic equipment for routine emergencies. But at least, thank God, Andrew was there to help.

But for the time being there was little either of them could do, except wait. While they waited Andrew rummaged through the bag they had brought with them to see what was available.

‘I need a paediatric endotracheal tube and a laryngoscope,’ Andrew said. ‘If the baby’s in poor nick, I’ll need both.’

Thankfully their search produced both items. At least, if the worst came to the worst and the baby needed resuscitating after delivery, they had the right equipment. Caitlin also found a pair of forceps. Now at least they were as prepared as they could be.

Caitlin felt the women’s abdomen. ‘Contractions are still around three minutes apart,’ she said. ‘The baby could come any time. In the next half-hour or not for hours yet. I’m afraid this is just a waiting game now.’

Tanni popped her head back in. ‘Could you come and see the child now, Dr Bedi? I’m becoming increasingly concerned about him.’

‘Will you be okay here?’ Andrew asked Caitlin. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’

Caitlin nodded. ‘I’ll yell if I need you,’ she said, sitting down next to Mrs Crouse. ‘We’ll be fine.’ She smiled at her patient, who was concentrating on coping with her contractions.

When Andrew returned, Caitlin could see that he was frowning.

‘What is it?’ she asked. ‘Is everything all right?’

‘Not really,’ he said. ‘I’m pretty sure he has meningitis—we need to get him to hospital stat so he can have a lumbar puncture.’

‘But Mrs Crouse—Magda—shouldn’t be moved,’ Caitlin said. ‘Why don’t you go back with the child while I stay here with Magda? The plane can come back for us.’

‘I don’t want to leave you on your own. If something goes wrong…’ He stared into the distance. ‘I think I should send Tanni back with the child. Nothing is going to happen on the flight. I’m confident of that. I’ll start him on IV antibiotics just in case. Then once she has seen him admitted she can come back on the flight that picks us up. Dr Hargreaves will just have to stay on until we get back.’ He stood, and stretched. ‘That’s what we’ll do,’ he said decisively. ‘It’s not a perfect arrangement, but we’ll just have to make the best of it.’

Caitlin nodded. ‘You’re right. We don’t have any other choice.’

Twenty minutes later, they heard the plane take off. Caitlin settled herself by her patient, prepared to wait out the next couple of hours or however long it took for the plane to return. Magda was comfortable enough to close her eyes and fall asleep.

The room they were in was sparsely furnished with a bed and basic monitoring equipment. Apart from one armchair there was only one other uncomfortable-looking plastic orange chair.

Andrew must have noticed her looking indecisive. ‘You take the comfy chair if you like. It could be a few hours yet, so get some rest.’ But Caitlin was having none of it.

‘No. You have it,’ she insisted. ‘I don’t mind.’

Andrew glowered at her. ‘Do you have to argue with me about everything, woman?’ he said. ‘I told you Aussie men don’t let their women suffer. Not if they can do anything about it!’

Caitlin felt a frisson run down her spine. Their women? But she wasn’t Andrew’s woman. He had made that perfectly clear and, besides, she wasn’t anybody’s woman. She was her own person. She suppressed a smile. Andrew made her feel as if she was in the Wild West. For a moment an image of him tossing her over his shoulder as he walked into the bush, brushing away crocodiles with a disdainful flick of his boot, flashed through her mind, and she felt heat rise from low in her abdomen. God, now he had her thinking the same way. What on earth was happening to her?

‘Speaking of which,’ she said, ‘how was your trip to Sydney?’

‘Ah, Sydney,’ he said slowly. ‘I want to talk to you about that.’ He looked down at the sleeping patient. ‘But it will have to wait. I don’t want an audience. She might wake up at any time.’ He looked her in the eye. Could she be mistaken? Or was he looking at her as if, well, as if he cared?

‘I’m starving,’ he said suddenly. ‘It’s well past my dinnertime. Why don’t I go and see whether I can rustle up something to eat?’

Caitlin didn’t really feel like eating. The feeling of nausea that had started on the plane journey was coming back now that she wasn’t concentrating her whole attention on her patient.

‘I’m not hungry,’ she said. ‘But why don’t you go and get something? I’ll shout if I need you.’

But Andrew hadn’t been gone long before he was back, holding a couple of plates loaded with food. ‘I thought you might be tempted when you smelled it,’ he said. But the smell of cooked meat was having the opposite effect on Caitlin. Without warning, her stomach heaved. Covering her mouth with her hand, she rushed over to the basin and was violently sick. Right there. Next to her sleeping patient and in full view of Andrew. Had she not felt as if she were about to die she would have been mortified. Nothing like this had ever happened to her in all the years she had been a doctor. Losing control had never been part of Caitlin’s make-up. Until now. She felt a cool hand on her forehead.

‘Take it easy,’ Andrew said. He waited beside her as she took deep breaths. Eventually the cold sweaty feeling disappeared along with the nausea and she was able to speak. Impatiently she moved away from him.

‘I’m sorry you had to witness that,’ she said, and slumped down in the armchair.

Andrew moved across the room and knelt by her side. He felt her forehead and then her pulse. ‘You should lie down,’ he said. ‘Perhaps you’ve picked up the same bug Brianna had.’

‘I’m perfectly all right,’ Caitlin almost snapped. She would have given anything to be far away from Andrew’s searching gaze. ‘I’ll just splash my face and rinse out my mouth,’ she added, starting to rise.

But Andrew was still looking at her, concern deepening his brown eyes. ‘If you have some sort of virus, you shouldn’t be looking after patients. What if you pass it on?’

‘It’s not a virus,’ Caitlin said before she could stop herself.

Andrew’s eyebrows snapped together. ‘How can you be so sure?’ he asked.

Caitlin was thinking rapidly, unsure of what to do. He was quite right. If she was unwell she shouldn’t be around a baby as fragile as this would be. The last thing a premature baby needed was to be exposed to viruses. But she didn’t have a virus. She knew exactly what had caused her to be ill. But the last thing she wanted to do was tell him. On the other hand, if she didn’t, she would have to excuse herself from the care of the woman and her baby. Could she in all honesty do that?

‘I am fine. Please, just trust me on this.’

Andrew narrowed his eyes at her. ‘It’s all very well to play the martyr,’ he said. ‘I know we doctors don’t like to admit when we are ill, but if it’s for the good of our patients, sometimes we have to. So I’m sorry, Cat, you’re off the case.’

‘Oh, for God’s sake, Andrew, I’m pregnant. I’ve been sick and I’m perfectly all right now.’

He looked at her, stunned. ‘Pregnant!’ The room was suddenly deathly silent except for the sound of the sleeping woman’s breathing. Caitlin watched as emotions chased across Andrew’s face. Disappointment, then puzzlement, then slowly a dawning realisation. ‘How far on are you?’ he asked abruptly.

Caitlin chewed her lip. It was the moment of truth. What should she do? If she led him to believe her pregnancy was more advanced than it was, he’d believe it was David’s. That way he would leave her alone. But was that fair? Could she bring herself to tell him an outright lie? On the one hand it would mean that she was free to make her own decision about the pregnancy and he wouldn’t have to be involved should she need to make the choice between continuing the pregnancy or, if she had cancer, terminating it. Was it even fair to tell him? Especially when she was certain that should the lump turn out to be malignant she wouldn’t want him to know. One thing she knew about Andrew with absolute certainty was that he would feel an obligation towards her if she was pregnant. And an even greater one should she be ill with a possible life-threatening illness. But before she could decide what to say, he stood up and pulled her to her feet. Holding her roughly by her upper arms, he looked her directly in the eye.

‘Is it mine?’ he demanded. ‘For God’s sake, Caitlin, tell me. Are you having my baby?’

I
N THE
end she couldn’t lie and Andrew must have seen the truth in her eyes. They stared at each other in silence.

‘I don’t think this is the time to talk about this,’ Andrew said, indicating their patient with a nod of his head. Caitlin realised that Mrs Crouse was beginning to surface from her sleep, and suddenly she cried out in pain, clutching her stomach.

Quickly, Caitlin bent over to examine Magda. ‘I can see a foot,’ she called out. ‘And a loop of cord.’ Then she listened for the baby’s heartbeat. ‘Foetal heartbeat is dropping. We need to get this baby delivered. Right now!’

She turned to Magda, who was screwing up her eyes in pain.

‘Magda, I need you to push. As hard as you can. Do you understand?’

Magda nodded, her eyes wide with fear and pain. Caitlin carefully wrapped her hand around the tiny protruding foot, aware that Andrew was standing by, ready to help. Carefully but firmly she tugged on the foot, acutely conscious that she needed to apply slow but steady pressure. As the baby began to appear she called out. ‘Pass me the forceps, Andrew.’

Silently he passed her the forceps and then with a final tug the baby was out. Quickly Caitlin removed the cord from around the baby’s neck.

‘Two minutes,’ Andrew called, holding his arms out to receive the baby, a girl, from Caitlin. It was up to him now. She had done everything she could. Her heart in her mouth, she watched as he placed the still blue form down on the trolley he had prepared earlier and slipped the laryngoscope down the tiny throat. Caitlin sighed with relief as the tube slipped in and Andrew followed it with an endotracheal tube.

‘Andrew,’ she said as the baby began to pink up, ‘don’t you think she’s a little small for her dates?’ The baby should have been a good bit bigger if Mrs Crouse’s dates were correct, and then, as Mrs Crouse let out another cry of pain, she locked eyes with Andrew. She knew they were both thinking the same thing.

She whirled around and was just in time to deliver another baby, this time a boy, as Magda gave one final push.

‘Did you know you were expecting twins?’ she asked the exhausted woman.

‘No.’ Magda looked astonished. ‘I had no idea.’

Caitlin wrapped up the tiny boy and then slipped it in next to Magda. The heat from the mother’s skin was the best way to keep the premature infant warm. But at least this one was healthy.

Just as she placed the infant next to his mother, a cry came from where Andrew was working with the baby girl. Caitlin smiled. Somehow she and Andrew had pulled it off and Mrs Crouse had two healthy babies.

Magda was still groggy so Caitlin went over to the cot and picked up the crying infant. As she felt Andrew’s eyes on her, the irony of the situation wasn’t wasted. Here she was holding a completely helpless baby while inside her was another even more helpless child totally dependent on her as to whether it would live or die. But she couldn’t bear to think about it as a baby. She had to think of it as no more than a collection of cells less than a centimetre in diameter. The moment she started to think of it as anything more she’d be lost. It would be too cruel to have to decide whether her life or that of the baby was more important. She felt her eyes fill with tears as she realised it was too late. Whatever she wanted to believe, she knew in her heart of hearts that she had already fallen in love with the tiny life growing inside her. It was hers and Andrew’s baby and whatever the future held, she couldn’t imagine not having his child.

A short time later, as they finished making Magda and her two babies comfortable, they heard the drone of the plane returning from Brisbane. Looking out of the window, she could see dark clouds had formed overhead, adding to the darkness of the late afternoon, and without warning heavy rain began to lash down. Caitlin jumped as suddenly, without warning, a crack of thunder split the air followed by torrential rain.

‘It’s a thunderstorm,’ Andrew said. ‘It’ll be over soon, but it might mean a delay getting back to the hospital.’

More than anything else Caitlin wanted to get away from Andrew. The last thing she wanted was a conversation about the pregnancy. Not yet.

‘How long will it last, do you think?’ she said, anxiously scanning the dark sky.

‘I have no idea,’ Andrew said shortly. ‘At least Tanni will be back, and as soon as she relieves us we are going to find somewhere quiet so we can finish this conversation. In the meantime, why don’t you go and find us some coffee?’

Glad to remove herself from his glowering eyes and formidable expression, Caitlin needed no second bidding. Outside the room she leant against the wall and took deep breaths. There was no doubt in her mind that Andrew intended to finish the discussion they had started. What on earth was going on in his mind? Was he shocked? Don’t be stupid, woman, she told herself. Of course he was. Or angry? Probably both. But he had been an equal partner in this mess, she reminded herself. She would make him understand that this was
her
problem. She didn’t expect him to play any part.

A flash of sheet lightning was followed closely by a crash of thunder that reverberated around the building. The lights flickered and then moments later went out, plunging Caitlin into darkness. She stood horrified. What if the plane couldn’t land? While Magda and her babies were in no immediate danger, the best place for them was in the hospital. And the last thing she needed this evening was a third-degree grilling from Andrew about her pregnancy. But to her relief the power cut only lasted a few seconds, before the electricity supply sprang back into life. Caitlin stood still and watched the progress of the plane as its lights circled over the dusty landing strip.

The next half-hour was spent loading Magda and her babies onto the plane. Caitlin felt immensely thankful there was no opportunity for Andrew to get her on her own. While the pilot carried out last-minute checks, Caitlin took the opportunity to slip back outside and let the now cooling night air wash over her.

She hadn’t heard Andrew approach, only becoming aware of him when his hand grasped her arm firmly. He pulled her round to face him, his dark eyes unfathomable in the dim light. She could feel his energy, his intensity surround her like a cloak. Her skin prickled with the tension of being so close to him. She would have given anything to lean into him and let him wash away her fears.

‘It is mine, isn’t it?’ he asked.

She nodded.

She heard him take a deep breath and then he was reaching for her, pulling her into his arms. She could feel his lips on her hair, the softness of his breath in her ear. Too drained to fight him any longer, she leant her body into his, revelling in the feeling of being in his arms. She snuggled into his chest, breathing in the familiar scent of him. If she could have asked for anything right then it would be to stay there for the rest of her life.

‘We’ll get married,’ he said. ‘As soon as we can.’

She pulled away from him, feeling the cool wind of their separation. She looked up at him. His dear, puzzled face.

‘That’s very honourable of you,’ she said stiffly, ‘but I haven’t decided what to do yet.’

He narrowed his eyes. ‘What do you mean?’ Then he cursed. ‘You can’t be thinking of getting rid of it? My God, Caitlin, does the thought of having a child, my child, revolt you so much?’

She shook her head at him. ‘The timing—’ she managed, before he interrupted her.

‘You mean that the timing is all wrong? That it will interfere with your career plans? God, Cat.’ He tried to pull her back into his arms but she resisted. ‘There will be plenty of time for your career when the baby, our baby, is old enough.’

She tried a laugh, but it wasn’t very successful. ‘You’ve changed your mind. I thought you disapproved of women who combined motherhood with careers.’

He looked sheepish. Raising his hand, he drew a finger down the contours of her cheek, following the trail to the base of her neck. Caitlin shivered, feeling desire throughout her body. ‘I was wrong, okay? I hadn’t met you when I thought all that. Now I have…’ he laughed, as if astonished ‘…I realise that being with the right woman, supporting her, is what matters. I couldn’t help falling in love with you, and I guess I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t been you.’ He laughed again. ‘I’m making a mess of this, aren’t I? I guess it’s because I have never been in love before.’

In love? Caitlin’s mind was reeling. He was in love with her? For a brief moment her heart soared. He loved her and wanted to marry her. She could be with him, grow old with him, share her life with a man who made her world come alive. But then she remembered. She might not have a future. And could she really believe him? What if he was just telling her he loved her to convince her to have his child? And if she told him the truth and she turned out to have cancer, what then? Would he pity her? Stay with her because of a sense of duty? Persuade her to terminate the pregnancy to save her own life and then spend the rest of their lives together, however long that was, resenting her? Even coming to hate her? She could never, ever allow that to happen. She loved him too much. But perhaps, she thought, hope springing, the results would be negative. If that was the case, then they could be together, if she could bring herself to believe he was telling the truth that he loved her. That he didn’t want to marry her because of the baby.

He was looking at her expectantly, a small smile playing on his lips. Caitlin took a deep breath, knowing she was about to hurt him deeply.

‘I haven’t decided what to do about the pregnancy,’ she said. ‘There’s a good chance I may not keep it.’ As she said the words she knew it was as if she was stabbing him in the heart. The smile froze on his lips and he drew his brows together. He had never looked so handsome or so frightening to Caitlin before.

‘You are a piece of work,’ he said at last. ‘I have never met a woman like you before.’ He laughed bitterly. ‘I know you told me your career is important, but I thought you had changed. God, woman, I thought you felt something for me. It just goes to show you how wrong a man could be. I was prepared to go against everything I’d been brought up to believe just to be with you.’ He shook his head. ‘What a fool.’

Caitlin reached out for him, wanting to tell him the truth. But she let her hand drop to her side. She still thought she might be right. If he couldn’t have the baby, then he didn’t want her.

‘Then I’ve just prevented you from making the biggest mistake of your life,’ she said gently, before turning on her heel and leaving him standing in the darkness.

Later, when Mrs Crouse and her baby had been taken to the ward and Dr Hargreaves relieved, Caitlin made her way tiredly to the on-call room. She had no idea where Andrew had disappeared to, she was simply relieved that they were no longer confined in the small aircraft together.

Wearily she decided against a shower and lay down on the single bed, still in her crumpled theatre greens. It had been a long and emotional night. Her thoughts jumbled around her head. It was all such a mess. If she had known that coming to Australia would throw her life into such turmoil, would she have come? But then she wouldn’t have met and fallen in love with Andrew. And while that might have been easier in many, many ways, she would never have known what it was like to be in love. She would have continued through her life, shutting out the world, only halfalive. Whatever happened, she knew that something inside her had changed irrevocably. At the very least she knew she’d be turning down the chair of obstetrics. She would never again seek to hide from life behind papers and research. She would stay with clinical medicine. Her first love. And if she had breast cancer? Well, she would cope with that too. If Bri could get through it, so could she.
And the baby?
the thought whispered in her mind.
What about your baby? Can you really terminate it, even if it means saving your own life?
The thought brought tears to her eyes. How ironic. She had never wanted children and now here she was, possibly having to decide between her own life and that of her unborn child. It was an impossible decision.

She thumped the pillow, rolling over on her side. Please, let her sleep. Let her have a little peace. Just for a while. Perhaps by tomorrow she would know the worst. But she couldn’t help the tears from falling when she thought about living the rest of her life without Andrew.

A soft knock on the door woke her from an uneasy sleep. It was still dark and a glance at her watch showed it was just after six in the morning. Caitlin assumed it was someone from the labour ward come to fetch her, but instead when she opened the door it was to find Andrew. He looked dishevelled and haunted. Without waiting for her to invite him in, he strode into the room.

‘I’ve been walking for hours,’ he said, keeping his back to her, ‘thinking about everything, and it just doesn’t make sense.’ He turned around and Caitlin could see the lines of anguish around his mouth. ‘I
know
you, Caitlin. I’ve come to know you almost as well as I know myself.’ He raked his hand through his hair as he paced the tiny room. Suddenly he looked over at her and Caitlin felt the intensity of his eyes burn into her soul. ‘I’ve watched you with your patients—how dedicated and emotionally involved you are with them, despite yourself. And I know you’re not the type of person to have a termination just because a baby is inconvenient.’ Caitlin’s heart thumped painfully in her chest as she noticed a wave of despair flit across Andrew’s face. ‘Please, darling,’ he whispered hoarsely. ‘Tell me. Tell me what’s wrong.’

Caitlin couldn’t trust herself to speak as she threw herself into his arms. How could she have ever doubted his love? she wondered, feeling Andrew’s powerful arms wrapping round her body and holding her tightly, as if he was afraid she would vanish into thin air.

She felt his lips against her hair. ‘Please, Caitlin. Tell me what’s really troubling you.’ He cupped his hand round the back of her neck, letting out a wry laugh. ‘I never believed those soppy love songs—but, my God, I’d move heaven and earth for you.’

Caitlin twisted her hands into his shirt. She wanted this moment to last for ever. But she was gaining strength from the love emanating from him, she realised. He had a right to know. And somehow they would face the difficult decisions together.