Father In Secret. Fiona McArthur
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met twice. ‘I’m sorry, has something happened to your mother?’
‘Yes. She tired of the dog. Like she tires of everything. So I took him.’
This was too deep for him. He didn’t want to know why she hurt when he asked about the dog.
Savannah could see he looked uncomfortable. She turned and walked towards the driveway. ‘Did you want something, Theo?’
‘No. I was just checking that you were getting on all right with the animals, and I’ve brought my phone number in case you need help with an emergency on the farm.’ He handed her a piece of cardboard he’d ripped off a cereal box.
‘That’s very thoughtful of you. Thank you.’ She grinned at the brand. ‘Coco Pops? I hadn’t picked you as a chocolate-covered-cereal-eater, Theo.’
‘They were for a guest who never came.’ He looked away and changed the subject. ‘Tell me how the rest of your first day at work went then I’ll push off.’
‘It was fine. There are a few areas I think we could streamline, and I’d love your input.’ She saw the look on his face. ‘If you’re interested?’
His face remained closed. ‘In discussing improvements? Not really. I do my shift and go home. I’ll leave all that to the enthusiastic ones like you.’
Savannah narrowed her eyes. The guy was a selfish jerk. How could a health professional not be interested in the smooth running of the department? She supposed it went along with the man who wouldn’t accept a permanent job.
She had to stop expecting people to be things they weren’t. She should have learnt with her mother—and Greg. ‘Then you’ll have to excuse me. I’m looking forward to my shower.’
He screwed up his nose. ‘You need one.’ He spun right as they crossed the road and headed down it towards his own home a couple of bends further up the road.
She spoke to his retreating back. ‘I’m not ashamed of it. Honest labour dirties your hands, Theo.’
He didn’t answer.
Savannah steamed all the way up the driveway. Mainly because she was ashamed of her rudeness to him. Sixteen hours of night shift was honest labour. And he’d come to check she was OK and bring his phone number in case she needed him. She was the jerk. But that crack about her needing a shower had been petty. She sniffed her sleeve and screwed up her nose. ‘Phew.’ Maybe more truthful than petty after all!
She kicked her boots off at the bottom of the stairs and stomped onto the verandah. She wasn’t normally this short-tempered or intolerant. Perhaps she had more of her mother in her than she’d thought. Ouch. She preferred to believe it was because she hadn’t slept well the night before. Without the sounds of the traffic in the city she’d found it difficult to settle, and the old house creaked and groaned a lot. Or maybe she was scared because she was impossibly attracted to Theo and he was just as prickly as she was.
Benson yapped from inside the house.
‘Ha. Guard dog indeed! Where were you when I needed you?’
* * *
The next morning Savannah planned to apologise to Theo as soon as he came in. But she didn’t have time.
Dr Smythe, a thin, nervous man, slow to work with and easily flustered, had patients banked back to the doorway. He’d spent nearly an hour trying to put a drip in a young man who had accidentally chainsawed a zipper in his leg, and in the end Savannah had tactfully offered to do it herself.
By the time Theo arrived, Savannah was ready to throw her arms around him. He raised his eyebrows at the pile of waiting patient cards, and looked at her sardonically.
‘Smythe snowed under, is he?’
‘Yes,’ Savannah said with great restraint.
‘Well, let’s get moving, then.’
Savannah heaved a sigh of relief and followed him from cubicle to cubicle. She watched, impressed, as he soothed frayed nerves and anxious relatives made worse by the long wait. He remained even-tempered and very thorough. He was very good at his job. Why wouldn’t he take it on permanently?
By the time lunchtime came she was ready for a break. But she didn’t get one.
‘Savannah. In here, please.’ The urgent summons from Julia in cubicle three had all thoughts of food banished immediately.
The very young woman behind the curtain was large all over and shapeless in a thick jumper. Tears rolled down her cheek and there was real fear in her eyes.
‘Let me go to the toilet. I’ve got to go.’
Savannah took one look at the ungainly woman struggling to sit up and remembered another large young woman from her previous hospital whom she’d never forget.
‘Can you hang on for one more minute while Sister fills me in?’ Savannah looked at Julia.
‘This is Carly, she’s fifteen. I can’t get much of a history but wondered if she had an acute appendicitis, except the pain comes and goes.’
‘I’ll bet. Carly, let me have a very quick feel of your tummy, and then we’ll talk about your pain.’ Savannah lifted the baggy jumper and shirt underneath and ran her hands over the girl’s round but not bulging stomach. She felt a definite kick from the baby within. The top of the uterus was palpable as being consistent with a full-term baby. She caught Julia’s eye and nodded at the incredulous look on her face.
‘Get her a trolley and over to Maternity Ward, and ring to say we’re coming. She’s ready to...’ Savannah stopped and sought another way to say it. ‘Be transferred. Ask Theo to come in, please.’
Julia scooted out the door. Carly was between contractions at the moment and Savannah needed some information. She might have two minutes before the next one.
‘Carly, have you been to see a doctor in the last year?’
‘No.’
‘Where’s your mum?’
‘She’s in the waiting room with Dad.’
‘Are you bleeding down below?’ Savannah was aware of Theo’s feet stopping outside the curtain. The curtain parted slightly and his eyes met hers. She held her finger up for a second and he stood back. Savannah looked back at the girl.
A pink flush rose in her cheeks and the girl looked away. ‘I think I might have my period, but I only ever had one so I’m not sure.’ Baby blue eyes looked up at Savannah with relief. ‘So that’s why I have pains. It’s a period.’
‘I don’t think it’s a period. Carly, I’m sorry to ask you this, but are you a virgin?’
This time the cheeks stayed pink. There was a silence and Savannah willed the girl to answer before the next contraction.
Carly swallowed. ‘I’m nearly a virgin. I only did it the once and that was a long time ago.’
‘About nine months?’ Savannah smiled softly down at the naïve young woman beside her.
Carly’s lip quivered and she turned tear-filled eyes up at Savannah. ‘I’m having a baby?’ She sniffed. ‘I really hoped I wasn’t.’
Savannah reached for her hand. ‘Very soon.’
Her eyes widened. ‘I don’t know how. Don’t you have to go to classes or something to learn how to breathe?’
Savannah couldn’t help the smile this time. ‘No. Your body will let you know what to do. Don’t be scared and just do what your body tells you.’
‘Mum and Dad will kill me.’ Her eyes widened and she groaned. ‘My body’s telling me I want to go to the toilet.’ She squeezed her eyes shut, crushed Savannah’s hand and grunted.
Theo stepped from behind the curtain