Hired: GP and Wife / The Playboy Doctor's Surprise Proposal (17 page)

‘I understand you’ve been working at the Women and Children’s Hospital in Dublin for the last few years. Your colleagues must think highly of you. From what I hear, it’s very difficult to get accepted onto the permanent staff there. And you couldn’t be more than, what—thirty?’

Caitlin flushed under his frank scrutiny. Did he think after what had happened that she was some airhead who had managed to secure her position because of who she knew rather than on her own merits? Little did he know what sacrifices she’d had to make to earn her position.

‘Caitlin is being considered for a chair in obstetrics there,’ Brianna said proudly. ‘If she gets it, she’ll be one of the youngest professors in the country.’

Catching Andrew’s raised eyebrow and look of amusement, Caitlin cringed at her sister’s unembarrassed boasting.

‘My sister-in-law is a bit of a workaholic,’ Niall added through mouthfuls of salad. ‘She never stops. We’ve asked her to come and visit us many times since we moved here, but she’s refused to take time off from work.’ He smiled to show Caitlin there was no malice behind his words. He of all people knew what getting the chair in obstetrics meant to Caitlin. It seemed as if all the years of hard work were about to pay off. Not that she was there yet, but the position was within her reach. As long as she kept focussed and continued to spend her few spare hours working on publishing papers. As she thought back to her hectic life in Dublin, she appreciated for the first time just how exhausted working the hours she had, had made her. Perhaps her time here would help recharge her batteries, not that she expected an easy time of it at the Queensland Royal. Far from it. She intended to apply herself to the post here with exactly the same dedication she applied to all her jobs. At least she didn’t have any research on the go at the moment. Any spare time she had here would be spent with Brianna. Of that, Caitlin was determined.

‘Andrew works pretty hard too.’ Brianna joined in the conversation, having returned from sorting the children out with food.

‘Ah, yes, but he also plays hard,’ her husband said mischievously. ‘Where you get the energy is beyond me. I am far too exhausted after a day’s work to do anything except read the paper and potter.’

‘But you have a wife and family to keep you busy,’ Andrew replied. Caitlin wasn’t sure but she thought she heard a note of envy in his voice. ‘Once I’ve finished work I’m free to do what I want.’

‘Lucky devil,’ Niall said, but as he smiled at his wife, Caitlin knew that he wouldn’t swap what he had for the world.

By the time they had finished eating the sun was beginning to drop, turning the sky red-gold. Niall and Andrew, helped by the children, started packing up the barbecue. Caitlin sneaked a look at her sister. She looked tired. The circles under her eyes had deepened. Caitlin felt a pang of anxiety. ‘Are you sure you’re up to socializing, Bri?’ she said. ‘Shouldn’t you be taking it easy? I could have waited and met Andrew when I started work. Probably would have been better anyway. God knows what impression he has of me. Not that I care,’ she added hastily, catching her sister’s amused look.

‘I wouldn’t call having Andrew over as socialising,’ Brianna protested. ‘He’s part of the family—he’s Ciaran’s godfather after all.’ She smiled briefly then grew serious. ‘Brianna, you must listen to me. As soon as I was diagnosed, I made up my mind. I’m going to carry on as normal whenever I can. For the children’s sake, if nothing else. I’m a bit tired, but as long as I rest whenever I can, I cope.’ Caitlin could see the determination in the green eyes which were so like her own. ‘I wouldn’t have let you come at all if it hadn’t been for the job. Love you as I do, the last thing I need is you fussing over me all the time like Mammy. Caitlin, I need you to support me on this and not fuss. Okay?’

‘Okay,’ Caitlin agreed reluctantly. ‘Whatever you say. But I’m here to help whenever you need me. You just have to let me know. Promise?’

Back at the house a little later, Caitlin insisted on clearing up while Brianna went to organise the children for bed.

‘I could put the children to bed if you like after I finish clearing away. You have an early night.’ Catching the warning look her sister threw her, Caitlin raised her hands. ‘I’m not fussing, honestly, Bri. It’s just that I’m still on Irish time and suddenly wide awake. No doubt it’ll hit me for six soon, but in the meantime, let me help.’

‘I’m putting my children to bed,’ Brianna said firmly, ‘but if you want to clean the kitchen, be my guest.’

As she was stacking the dishwasher in her sister’s enormous American-style kitchen, Andrew appeared, carrying some plates. Caitlin had assumed he’d left.

‘Has Brianna gone to bed?’ he asked, laying the dirty dishes on the granite worktop.

‘She’s seeing to the children,’ Caitlin replied. ‘Is Niall still outside?’

Andrew shook his head. ‘He must be helping to put the children to bed. I should be going too.’

‘How does Bri seem to you?’ Caitlin asked anxiously. ‘You know her well, I understand.’

Andrew looked at her sympathetically. ‘She was—is—the best paediatric nurse I ever worked with. We really missed her when she stopped working to look after the kids, and then this…’ He shook his head. ‘But you know your sister better than I do. If anyone can beat it, she can. And I know how pleased both of them are to have you here.’

It must have been tiredness, but suddenly Caitlin felt a lump in her throat. In many ways she wished it had been her, not Brianna, who had been diagnosed. After all, it wasn’t as if she had a young family depending on her. She swallowed furiously. Caitlin O’Neill did not show her emotions. Not publicly and certainly not in front of a man she barely knew and who was to be a colleague.

Andrew must have noticed. He patted her shoulder awkwardly. ‘They found it early enough, you know. She’s really very lucky. Everything is going to be fine.’

Caitlin wasn’t convinced. But she was here and would ensure that her sister got through the next few months as painlessly as possible.

‘Brianna tells me you’re a paediatrician,’ Caitlin said, keen to get the conversation onto neutral ground.

‘Yep, for my sins,’ he replied.

She flicked the kettle on. ‘Would you like some coffee before you go?’

‘Sure,’ he said.

Caitlin looked around for where Brianna kept the mugs. Behind her Andrew reached over her to the top cupboard. For a moment she was imprisoned between him and the worktop. Acutely conscious of the heat of his body, she felt her heart begin to thud. She would have given anything to move away from him, but that would have only drawn attention to the awkwardness she felt. Thankfully, as soon as he had grabbed two mugs, he stepped away. He spooned coffee into the mugs, and then held out the jug of milk and raised one eyebrow in question.

Once their coffee was poured, Andrew sat at the kitchen table and stretched his long legs in front of him. ‘Tell me about you,’ he said, looking at her intently. At that moment Caitlin felt as if her world had shrunk to the kitchen and him and her. Every nerve in her body seemed to be tingling in response to him. She couldn’t remember when she’d last had such an immediate reaction to a man. No, strike that. She couldn’t remember
ever
having had a reaction like this to a man. It wasn’t just his dark good looks, although he was pretty hot, it was the aura that surrounded him. As if he was pulling her into his magnetic field and she was powerless to resist.

‘There’s not much to tell,’ Caitlin said, desperate for him not to see how he was affecting her. ‘I am Irish—but you know that,’ she said as his mouth quirked. ‘I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, well, since about twelve anyway. I have three older brothers, whom I love but drive me mad. My mum and dad breed horses. That’s about it. What about you?’

‘I’m an only child.’ For a moment a shadow darkened his eyes. ‘My parents are from India, they’re retired and live in Sydney. They came here years ago. I was born here but they’re still pretty traditional. I didn’t know what I wanted to do until my final year at school, but I know I made the right decision to become a doctor. I like all watersports, but am useless on a horse. Anything else you’d like to know?’ He grinned at her. Caitlin wondered if he too felt the electricity that was fizzing around them.

‘Hey, you started this,’ Caitlin rejoined. ‘The question-and-answer session, that is…’ Oh, dear, what if he thought she meant something else?

Suddenly he frowned, then got to his feet. Caitlin looked up to find him towering above her. What had she said to cause the change? One minute he’d seemed relaxed, the next…as if he wanted nothing more than to get away from her as quickly as possible. A thought struck her. Did he think she was flirting with him? Did he think she had misread friendly interest for something else? She felt her toes curl with embarrassment. She stood too, feeling dwarfed by his size.

‘I’ll pick you up on Monday morning and take you in to the hospital if you like,’ Andrew offered. ‘I can give you the lowdown on the way in.’

Caitlin smiled at him gratefully. ‘I’d appreciate that,’ she said. ‘Niall has said I’m welcome to use one of their cars whenever I need to, but I’m not sure I can find my way on the first day. I’ve a hopeless sense of direction. Oh, and thanks again for arranging the job for me.’

Andrew looked down at her and smiled. ‘As I said, no sweat. It’ll be great to have you. We’re all looking forward to seeing the renowned Dr O’Neill in action. I’ll see you on Monday.’

‘No pressure, then,’ Caitlin mouthed at his retreating back.

As Andrew pulled away from the house and headed towards the freeway that would take him home, he let out a low whistle. Dr Caitlin O’Neill was nothing like he’d imagined. He didn’t know what he had expected when he’d offered to help by organising a job out for Brianna’s sister. He was thinking about another doctor—a colleague—that was all. But when he had literally fished her out of the sea, he had been immediately struck by her stunning good looks. That incredible hair and those eyes! Although similar in colour to Brianna’s, Caitlin’s eyes had an intensity that reminded him of a cat pinning its prey. He laughed out loud at the image. Recalling the feeling of the silky-smooth skin under his fingertips, he almost groaned. This was a woman he would like in his bed. Not marriage—no, never that—but an affair. And why not? She looked like the kind of woman whose heart would be difficult to break.

C
AITLIN
dressed carefully for work on Monday. She knew that Australian hospitals were less formal than Irish ones, especially given the heat, but she wanted to create the right impression. She chose a floaty skirt that, while cool, still looked smart and teamed it with a short-sleeved white blouse. She twisted her hair into a chignon and then she was ready.

Breakfast was a far rowdier affair than Caitlin was used to. Living alone, she was used to a quiet breakfast with the paper, not this hive of activity. How could such small children make such a racket and how could Brianna think straight with all the noise?

Niall collected his briefcase and slung an overnight bag over his shoulder. He kissed his wife and sister-in-law goodbye. ‘I’ll be back on Friday,’ he told Brianna. ‘Are you sure you’ll be all right?’

‘Go on, you big softy.’ His wife pushed him towards the door. ‘I’ve Caitlin here if I need anything—which I won’t.’ As husband and wife smiled at each other Caitlin felt a pang. What would it feel like to be loved like that? she wondered. Not that she really wanted to find out, she reminded herself. She liked her uncomplicated life back in Dublin exactly the way it was. She had work, loads of friends and plenty of hobbies to keep her busy. The last thing she needed in her life were complications, and if ever she wondered whether she was leading the right life, she just thought about her mother. Although she loved her mother fiercely, her whole life had been taken up with bringing up her large family of three boys and two girls. Caitlin had never seen her mother do anything just for herself. That wasn’t the life Caitlin had mapped out for herself.

She had just finished breakfast when she heard a toot from the driveway. Looking out, she saw Andrew had arrived in a sports car. He jumped over the door and came to meet her. Unlike on Saturday, he was dressed more formally, in a white shirt and light-coloured chinos. He looked fresh cool and very handsome. He opened the door for her with a flourish.

‘Your carriage awaits,’ he said.

‘Why, thank you, sir,’ Caitlin quipped back. ‘You are too kind.’

Soon they were leaving the leafy suburbs behind and were on the freeway. As he drove, Andrew pointed out various landmarks so that Caitlin would find her way the next day. They crossed a bridge, passing modern skyscrapers. Everything seemed as different from Ireland, with its green rolling countryside and the Georgian architecture of Dublin, as it could be.

‘What do you think so far?’ he asked.

‘Apart from the heat? I think it’s wonderful,’ Caitlin answered.

‘It’s not just the beaches, although you have to admit they are the best in the world. The Sunshine Coast is an hour to the north and the Gold Coast about the same distance south. We do some outreach work in both areas, so you’ll get a chance to see them.’

‘I’m looking forward to it,’ Caitlin replied, gripping onto her seat as Andrew passed a car. Catching her nervous look, he laughed. ‘Hey, don’t worry. You’re in safe hands.’

Caitlin smiled weakly in response. ‘Tell me about the hospital,’ she said.

By the time they had pulled up in front of the Queensland Royal, Andrew had given her a brief overview of how the medical system in Australia worked. He was a specialist paediatrician, which Caitlin already knew, and had a special interest in heart problems in neonates. The hospital was a gleaming, modern affair, all glass and stainless steel. Andrew told Caitlin that it had some of the best facilities in Australia.

As they got out of the car, an ambulance pulled up, its lights flashing. A trio of nurses was waiting at the entrance, ready to receive the casualties. Caitlin and Andrew were about to leave them to it when a nurse noticed his arrival.

‘Could you hold on a minute, Dr Bedi?’ she said. ‘We might need you.’

Unsure where to go, Caitlin watched as the patient was unloaded. Immediately she could see that it was a woman in advanced pregnancy. From the look of distress on her face, it appeared she was in labour. Suddenly she felt her reflexes kick in. She moved towards the group, making a rapid judgement.

‘Mrs Roland is in the end stage of labour,’ the paramedic intoned. ‘She was due to have her baby at home, but the midwife felt that labour wasn’t progressing quickly enough and decided to call us. The baby’s heartbeat has dropped.’

‘I’m Dr O’Neill,’ Caitlin introduced herself. ‘One of the obstetricians. Let’s get her inside so we can assess her.’

Once inside Caitlin carried out a rapid examination of the woman. It only took her a few seconds to realise that the placenta was lying in front of the baby. It was something that every obstetrician came across on a regular basis. Nevertheless, if they didn’t get the baby delivered there was a chance the woman would bleed to death. In every country there were several maternal deaths every year due to the condition. There was no time to lose. Every second counted if they were to save the woman and her unborn child. ‘Placenta praevia,’ she said. ‘She needs to go to Theatre immediately.’

‘I’ll tell Theatre to expect us,’ one of the nurses said, turning towards the phone.

‘I’ll scrub in too,’ Andrew said. Even if they managed to get the baby delivered safely there was every chance it might need resuscitating. ‘C’mon, Caitlin, let’s go.’

Caitlin struggled to keep up with his long strides as they rushed towards Theatre. A nurse handed her some scrubs and clogs and she scrubbed up beside Andrew, mentally counting off the minutes.

‘Right in at the deep end,’ Andrew said sympathetically. ‘We didn’t even manage to get you up to the ward.’

By the time they were scrubbed and gowned, Mrs Roland had been anesthetised and was lying prepped on the theatre table.

Caitlin cut into the abdomen from left to right just above the pubic bone. As the skin separated, she made another incision into the uterus, careful not to damage the precious contents. As she pulled the baby out, she glanced at the clock. Ten minutes had passed since the patient had arrived at the hospital. She was pleased to see none of her speed had deserted her.

The baby, a little boy, was slightly floppy and blue. Caitlin handed him to the midwife, who rushed the baby across to the resuscitator.

‘He’s a bit flat,’ the midwife called out. As Caitlin started to close she was aware of the tension in the room. Andrew needed to get oxygen into the baby, and soon. Across the woman’s abdomen she watched as he tipped the baby’s head back gently before slipping in a paediatric endotracheal tube, feeling his way through the larynx and into the lungs. Then he attached an ambu-bag and started feeding oxygen into the tiny lungs. Every movement he made was calm and assured, and this fed into the atmosphere of the theatre. There was no panic. Everyone was simply going about their jobs quietly and efficiently. Caitlin was impressed. She guessed the team had worked together many times before.’

‘Heart rate 140 and he’s a good colour now,’ Andrew announced to the room to a collective sigh of relief. ‘I think baby is going to be fine. We’ll get them up to Special Care, but I think we should be able to reunite mother and baby quite soon.’

‘Maybe not tonight,’ Caitlin said. ‘I’ll want to keep an eye on her in the labour ward overnight, in case of postpartum haemorrhage.’

While the baby was being taken away to the special care nursery, accompanied by the paediatric nurse and Andrew, Caitlin finished closing the wound. She felt a trickle of perspiration run down her forehead and was grateful when one of the nurses wiped it away. Once Mrs Roland had woken from the anaesthetic, she would see her and let her know what was happening. She was pleased that her first case had gone well—not that she doubted her ability, but Caitlin knew that sometimes even straightforward cases could suddenly go wrong.

After she had finished in Theatre, she asked one of the nurses to take her to Special Care. She wanted to check on the baby before she spoke to the mother.

She found Andrew bending over the infant, listening to its chest. He looked up at her, his deep brown eyes warm. ‘He’s going to be fine, I think,’ he said. ‘We’ll know better in a few days. You did a good job back there.’

Caitlin looked around the small high-tech unit. It reminded her of the one back in Dublin, but she guessed that there was a uniformity with all hospitals in the Western world. There were five babies in at the moment, with anxious parents sitting by their incubators. Her heart went out to them. It must be so hard to feel so helpless, to know that the life of your child depended on the doctors and nurses.

Having finished examining the baby she had recently delivered, and announcing himself satisfied for the time being, Andrew suggested he show her around.

‘We have around four thousand deliveries a year here,’ he said. ‘We get difficult cases from quite far away. The air ambulance brings mothers and kids in on a regular basis. You might like to go out with the team some time.’

‘I’d love to,’ Caitlin said enthusiastically. ‘I’ve never been on anything like it before. I guess in a country of this size, it happens a lot.’

‘Often enough,’ Andrew said. ‘We take turns being on call for the air ambulance. I’ll rota you in for the same time as me. Okay?’

At Caitlin’s nod he went on. ‘I’ll take you up to Personnel. I know you sent all your paperwork in advance, but there may be one or two pieces they need from you. After that I’ll give you the tour.’

After she’d completed the necessary paperwork, Andrew introduced her to the midwives and doctors she’d be working with. There were too many faces for her to remember everyone’s names straight away, that would take time, but all the staff seemed very welcoming.

Her first afternoon was to be spent in Theatre. One of the senior midwives, a cheerful woman called Linda, took her on a round of the antenatal ward. Andrew left them to it while he went to do his own rounds. After the ward round Linda took Caitlin to the general gynaecology ward and introduced her to the patients she had scheduled for Theatre.

After seeing all the patients on her afternoon’s list, Linda stopped in front of a woman who was perched on the end of the bed and looked as if she was ready to run a mile.

‘This is Mrs Mary Oliphant,’ Linda introduced the woman. ‘She’s in to have her tubes examined. She and her husband have been trying for a baby for a year, and their family doctor thinks she should have her tubes checked before they think about IVF.’

‘Good idea,’ Caitlin said. Mrs Oliphant seemed to relax a little. ‘It’s a very quick procedure,’ Caitlin said. ‘We’ll take you down to the scanning room and pass a catheter through your cervix, squirt some dye and have a look. We don’t even need to anaesthetise you, but we’ll give you a couple of painkillers as it can be uncomfortable. The good news is that you’ll have the results straight away.’

‘And if my tubes are blocked? What then? Does that mean we won’t be able to have children?’ Mary’s lip trembled. ‘We really want a baby.’ A tear slipped down her cheek. ‘I blame myself. I was determined to wait until my career was established before we started a family. But what if I’ve left it too late?’

‘Hey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,’ Caitlin said soothingly. ‘Let’s do the echovist first and we can talk again then.’ She took her hand. ‘Anyway, you’re not that old.’ She smiled. ‘Although a woman’s fertility does decline markedly after the age of thirty-five, you’re still on the right side of forty. And there is a test we can do which will tell us just how well your ovaries are responding. I’ll take a blood sample today, and I should have the results for you soon. I also suggest that we test your husband. That way, if you need to think about IVF you’ll be ready to go. How does that sound?’

As she spoke a thought slipped into her head. Time was passing for her too. It was quite possible that if she changed her mind about wanting children, she too would find she’d left it too late. It was one thing not to want children, quite another to have the choice taken away. She squeezed the thought to the back of her mind. Why was she suddenly thinking children might be an option in the future, when until now she had been sure children weren’t for her? She forced her attention back to her patient. It was Mary who she had to think about. She deserved her full attention.

Mary smiled, seeming reassured. ‘That sounds great,’ she said. ‘I just want to know so we can decide our next step. Thank you for taking the trouble to talk to me.’

‘Hey, that’s what we’re here for.’ Caitlin smiled. ‘I’ll see you down in the scanning room shortly. First let’s take that blood sample.’

Quickly, Caitlin took a sample of blood from Mrs Oliphant’s arm and passed it to Linda.

As they moved away Linda said, ‘There’s one more lady I’d like you to see. I’ve already spoken to Dr Bedi about her, and he’s interested to know what you think.’ Curious, Caitlin let herself be led across into one of the single rooms. Sitting up in bed, reading a magazine listlessly, was the patient Linda had asked her to see.

‘This is Mrs Levy,’ Linda said, passing her chart to Caitlin. ‘As you can see, she’s twenty-nine weeks pregnant. She was admitted earlier today with an elevated blood pressure of 160 over 100, plus protein in her urine. In her first pregnancy she had to be delivered prematurely because of high blood pressure.’

Caitlin had seen the condition often. It was always a difficult judgement call. On the one hand, there was no treatment and the only sure way of preventing the condition from getting worse was to deliver the baby. However, Mrs Levy was only twenty-eight weeks pregnant and although Caitlin knew that the hospital had the necessary equipment to look after a pre-term baby, there was always a chance that the baby would suffer brain damage or even worse if it was delivered so early.

‘What does Dr Bedi think?’ she asked Linda as they moved away from the patient.

‘He’d prefer us to wait and monitor her closely over the next few days.’

It wasn’t an unreasonable decision, Caitlin knew. Every day the baby stayed safely in the mother’s womb increased its chances of survival.

‘Could we arrange to have Mrs Levy scanned?’ Caitlin asked, making up her mind. ‘I’ll do it myself before Theatre.’ She went back to her patient.