Worth the Risk (9 page)

‘It’s very unusual to need forceps the second time around,’ Ally told her. ‘I’m sure this time you’ll be fine. The presentation is good and you’re very healthy.’

‘Well, Hugh’s having the snip after this one,’ Felicity said with a mock scowl, and Ally smiled as she left the room.

Lucy bounced in five minutes later. ‘I’ve just taken blood from Felicity Webster—could that chickenpox be bad news, do you think?’

Ally shook her head and smiled. ‘She’s probably immune—most people are.’

Lucy frowned and plopped herself in the empty chair. ‘What if she isn’t?’

‘She has to be given ZIG.’

Lucy laughed. ‘What on earth is ZIG? It sounds like something from outer space.’

‘Zoster immune globulin,’ Ally told her, slipping off her shoes and curling her slim legs under her bottom. ‘Instant immunity.’

‘Well, you learn something new every day. Anyway, enough of that.’ Lucy gave her a curious smile. ‘Who’s this new locum we’ve got?’ The door opened and Lucy turned her head, her jaw dropping as she stared at the man standing there.

‘This is the new locum,’ Ally said quickly, slipping her feet back into her shoes—but not before Sean had taken a long, leisurely look at her exposed thighs. Damn the man! ‘Dr Nicholson, this is our practice nurse—’

‘Lucy Griffiths,’ Sean interrupted with a wry grin, and Lucy gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth.

‘Sean?’ With an unladylike shriek she scrambled off her seat and hurled herself into Sean’s arms.

Sean hugged her back, his hard features softened by affection as he stooped to kiss her on the cheek.

‘You’ve grown up.’

‘Yes.’ Lucy gave him a bright smile and pulled away from him, the warmth she felt for him evident in the glow of her eyes.

Did everyone know him? For a moment Ally felt a stab of emotion she didn’t recognise. Jealousy? Surely not—why would she be jealous of Lucy? It wasn’t as if she herself wanted Sean, and Lucy deserved to find someone.

‘Oh, fancy it being Sean!’ Lucy turned to Ally with a beaming smile which Ally managed to return. ‘I never thought you’d come back here!’

Sean gave a short laugh. ‘I was coerced.’

Lucy giggled deliciously. ‘By Will?’

‘By Will.’

Ally glanced between them. Obviously they knew each other well. She told herself off firmly for minding. Why on earth should she mind? Stupid!

‘Where are you staying?’ Lucy was still beaming and Sean stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him.

‘With Ally.’

Ally dredged up a smile. ‘He’s renting my stable.’

Lucy’s eyes widened. ‘Gosh, you’re honoured. Ally never usually rents to men.’

‘So I gather.’ Sean’s eyes met Ally’s. ‘Let’s just say that she was coerced, too.’

Lucy’s jaw dropped. ‘Will again?’

Ally managed a smile. Just. ‘You guessed it.’

‘He should run a dating agency!’ Lucy giggled and glanced from one to the other. ‘Isn’t he sweet?’

‘Irresistible,’ Sean drawled sarcastically, glancing at his watch with a quick frown. ‘I need to get on but I wanted to talk to you, Ally…’

She stiffened. She had nothing to say to him. Nothing. ‘I’m in the middle of surgery.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘About a patient.’

She blushed and fiddled with her pen. ‘Oh—right. What’s the problem?’

‘That woman you mentioned to me a few days ago…’ He leaned broad shoulders against the doorway and frowned. ‘Wasn’t her name Thompson?’

‘Mary Thompson.’ Ally stared at him. ‘What about her?’

‘I may have found a clue to her problems.’ Sean tossed a newspaper onto her desk and made for the door. ‘Read the report on page four. It might shed some light.’

‘Thanks.’ Ally watched as he closed the door behind him and then reached for the paper, noticing that it was the local newspaper. Page four, he’d said hadn’t he? Her eyes scanned the different stories. P
RIMARY
S
CHOOL
W
INS
A
WARD FOR
D
ESIGNING
P[smallcaps]OSTER[reg]. O
LD
L
ADY
M
UGGED WHEN
S
HOPPING
. She frowned as her eyes focused on a small piece at the bottom of the page—M
AN
C
HARGED WITH
D
RUNKEN
D[smallcaps]RIVING[reg].

‘What is it?’ Lucy peered over her shoulder and gave a low whistle. ‘Ouch. Lost his licence and he’s an insurance salesman. I suppose that means he’s lost his job, too, does it?’

‘If he needs the car for work then I suppose so,’ Ally murmured, putting the paper down. She was sure that Sean was right. This probably was the key to the problem. Was Mary’s husband an alcoholic or was the driving ban just a one-off? Either way she was going to have to handle it very tactfully.

She buzzed through to Helen and asked her to check whether Mary Thompson had booked another appointment.

‘Four o’clock on Thursday’ came the reply, and Ally made a note in her diary. It could wait until then.

‘Good for Sean,’ Lucy commented, making for the door. ‘You know, you must be the envy of every woman in Britain, having that hunk living next door.’

Ally frowned impatiently. ‘He’s just my lodger.’

‘Don’t fall in love with him, Ally,’ Lucy said softly. ‘Sean’s the most gorgeous man you could ever meet but he’s not the settling-down type and you don’t need more of that type of hassle.’

As if she needed warning! ‘Are you speaking from experience?’

‘No!’ Lucy shook her head, her hand on the door. ‘I was at school with him for a while, although he was years ahead of me.’

‘What was he like?’ Ally hated herself for asking the question but somehow she couldn’t stop herself.

Lucy pulled a face. ‘The original bad boy. All the girls were crazy about him.’

Ally smiled wryly. Why didn’t that piece of information come as a surprise? ‘Including you?’

Lucy gave a wry smile. ‘Well, I can’t claim not to find him attractive, but there’s something about him that ties me in knots and makes me nervous. He’s incredibly tough and self-reliant, and I like my men a little more approachable.’

Ally frowned. ‘I know what you mean. He’s a total male chauvinist pig.’

Lucy gave a short laugh. ‘Well, he’s certainly all man if that’s what you mean.’

All man. You could say that again. ‘But you’re really fond of him…’

‘I owe him a lot.’ Lucy fiddled with the doorhandle and took a deep breath. ‘I was badly bullied for a while at school, and in the end it was Sean who sorted them out.’

Ally sat back in her chair, her eyes wide. ‘What did he do?’

Lucy gave a short laugh, her eyes shadowed. ‘Well, let’s just say they never bullied anyone again after he’d finished with them.’

The intercom buzzed and Ally answered it, glancing at her watch as Helen asked her to see an extra.

‘No problem—I haven’t got that many calls so send them in.’ She gave an apologetic smile to Lucy. ‘Back to the grindstone.’

Lucy tugged open the door and stared at Ally thoughtfully. ‘On second thoughts, ignore what I just said. You might be just what Sean needs.’

Just what Sean needs? What did he need? And what about what she needed? Ally stared after her and then blinked as the door opened and Jack entered.

‘Jack?’ She smiled in surprise and pulled herself together rapidly. ‘I wasn’t expecting you.’

He gave a rueful smile. ‘I know, and I feel really guilty bothering you with this on a Saturday…’

Ally dismissed his apologies quickly. ‘Saturday surgery is just like any other, Jack, you know that. Will was sensitive to the fact that so many people can’t get to the doctor in the week, and it certainly cuts down the number of house calls we make at a weekend, so don’t feel guilty. What’s the problem?’

Jack pulled a face. ‘Pains in my chest—awful, burning pains.’

Ally frowned and questioned him in detail about the pain, making notes as she did so.

‘And does it go when you eat?’

‘Funnily enough, yes.’ Jack nodded thoughtfully. ‘Is it an ulcer?’

‘Maybe. I need to examine you properly.’ Ally questioned him further on the exact nature of the pain and then examined him carefully.

‘I can’t feel anything abnormal, Jack,’ she said finally as she washed her hands and waited for him to get dressed. ‘And your symptoms do sound like a gastric ulcer.’

Jack dressed quickly and settled himself back in his chair. ‘So now what?’

‘Well, you need to try an antacid to start with, and you must take it four times a day. If that doesn’t help then we’ll give you something stronger. I’ve got a leaflet here on lifestyle advice.’ She rummaged in her drawer and handed it to him with a grin. ‘You won’t like it.’

Jack gave a snort and scanned the leaflet briefly. ‘You’re going to tell me not to drink, aren’t you?’

Ally laughed. ‘Well, it is an irritant so at least cut down. We’ll see how you get on. I might need to send you for a gastroscopy.’

‘Looking into my stomach?’

She nodded. ‘That’s right. I’m sure it’s straightforward, but as you’re over forty-five and this has come on suddenly it’s best to be on the safe side.’

‘OK. I put myself in your hands.’ He grinned and stood up. ‘Thanks, Ally. By the way, are you and Charlie coming to the fundraising bonfire party next Saturday?’

‘If I’m not on call.’ Ally flicked through her diary and smiled. ‘No, here it is. Mountain Rescue Team party. By the way, try and restrict your conversation in front of Charlie, would you? I’ve spent the whole week answering questions on hypothermia and people dying on mountains.’

‘Oops, sorry.’ Jack looked guilty and walked towards the door. ‘I was talking to your mum and I forgot she was there, actually. Oh, I gather Sean’s living with you.’

Ally ground her teeth. News travelled fast in a small community. ‘He’s my lodger.’

‘Right.’ Jack’s eyes gleamed slightly. ‘Well, if you see him before I do, get him to come along, too, will you?’

She forced a smile. ‘If I see him.’

She certainly wouldn’t be going out of her way to find him. And she certainly wouldn’t be going with him to a bonfire party.

* * *

Ally finished her calls fairly quickly and resisted the temptation to drop in on Mrs Thompson. There was a chance she’d make things worse by calling unannounced, and as the woman was coming to see her on Thursday she made the decision to be patient. Instead, she drove along the dual carriageway to the Infirmary to visit Pete Williams.

He was lying, immobilised, on the bed, his head buried in a book on climbing.

‘Hello, trouble.’ Ally dropped a football magazine on the bed next to him and settled herself in the chair.

‘Dr McGuire!’ His face brightened as he picked up the magazine. ‘Hey, this is great! Thanks!’

‘How are you feeling?’

‘Sore.’ Pete coloured. ‘And very stupid. Mr Morgan read me the Riot Act.’

Ally gave him a sympathetic smile. ‘You had a lucky escape.’

‘I know.’ His fingers fiddled with the sheet. ‘Mr Morgan said that if you and Dr Nicholson hadn’t been in the area I would have died.’

‘Well, we were,’ Ally said briskly, ‘so don’t let’s think about things like that now. How’s the blood sugar?’

He shrugged and pulled a face. ‘Not too bad, considering.’

‘What were you trying to prove, Pete?’ Ally’s voice was soft and Pete stared down at the bedcovers.

‘Dunno, really.’ He made an impatient sound. ‘Yes, I do! I’m just fed up with it all, Dr McGuire. Being different, you know?’

Ally shook her head. ‘No, I don’t know. You’re not different, Pete. You just have diabetes.’

‘But that makes me different, doesn’t it?’ He glanced at her and then sagged back against the pillows. ‘I can’t join in cross-country properly because I have to test my blood sugar, I can’t binge on food…’

Ally watched him thoughtfully. ‘Well, the bingeing probably isn’t a good idea, but I don’t see why you can’t do cross-country.’

‘Are you kidding?’ He gave her an impatient look. ‘Our school take it really seriously. Lots of the kids go on to run marathons. You can’t do that if you have to stop to test your blood sugar all the time in case you’re going hypo.’

‘But what if you didn’t have to stop?’

He stared at her. ‘Well, of course, I have to stop.’

Ally shook her head slowly. ‘They’re bringing out new blood-glucose monitors all the time, you know, and there’s one that’s no bigger than a stopwatch so you can carry it with you when you run.’

‘But I still have to stop—’

‘No, you don’t.’ Ally racked her brains for the information the company representative had given her recently. ‘You don’t need test strips—it’s all in the meter so you can test while you run.’

Pete’s eyes were fixed on her face. ‘Without even stopping?’

Ally nodded. ‘That’s right. Want me to find out more for you?’

‘You bet!’ Pete’s eyes were shining. ‘Wow, that would be great. Thanks, Dr McGuire.’

‘No problem.’ Ally glanced curiously at the pair of brand new climbing boots sitting on his locker. ‘What are those?’

Pete coloured and looked proud. ‘Oh, Dr Nicholson bought me those.’

Sean? He’d been to see Pete? Why hadn’t he said?

Ally picked up the boots and turned them over in her hands. They were top quality and from one of the local climbing shops.

‘He says if they don’t fit I can change them when I’m on my feet again, but he never wants to catch me climbing in trainers again.’ Pete’s eyes glowed. ‘And guess what? Dr Nicholson is going to give Andy and me some climbing lessons. Isn’t that cool?’

Ally stared at him. ‘Lessons?’

Pete nodded furiously. ‘He was an instructor in the army, you know, and Mr Morgan says he’s the best at climbing and abseiling and now he’s going to teach us—isn’t that brilliant?’

‘Brilliant,’ Ally echoed, fingering the boot thoughtfully. It wasn’t what she would have expected of Sean. She’d thought he was cold and unemotional and certainly he hadn’t shown any sympathy for the boys when he’d rescued them, but here he was not only buying an expensive pair of boots for Pete but also offering to give up his valuable time to give them climbing lessons. It didn’t sound like the man she’d seen so far. Had she misjudged him?