The Italian Doctor. Jennifer Taylor
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ask you something, Maggie? In confidence, I mean.’
‘Of course. Fire away.’ Maggie frowned, wondering what her friend wanted to ask her. She and Rachel had become friends during their training when they’d worked together on the children’s ward, and it bothered her to see the other woman looking so downcast.
‘Has Luke mentioned anything about Tom?’ Rachel coloured when Maggie looked at her in surprise. ‘I thought he might have said something in passing about how Tom is getting on.’
She tailed off uncertainly and Maggie stifled a sigh. Rachel had been dating Tom Hartley before he’d flown to Boston on the exchange scheme. Although she didn’t know what had gone on between him and Rachel, she’d always suspected that her friend had been very fond of the young surgical registrar. However, there was little she could tell Rachel for a number of reasons which she thought it best not to go into. To admit that she and Luke hadn’t held a single civilised conversation in the whole two weeks he’d been at Dalverston General wasn’t something she wanted to admit to anyone, least of all Rachel, who would be bound to ask questions.
‘I’m afraid not,’ she replied evasively. ‘Tom’s name hasn’t cropped up, but you could always ask Luke yourself, couldn’t you? Maybe he knows where Tom is staying while he’s in Boston so you could write to him.’
Rachel shook her head. ‘No, I don’t think so.’
She quickly changed the subject by telling Maggie about the pop concert she’d been to the previous weekend with her niece. Maggie didn’t try to pursue the subject but she couldn’t help feeling guilty that she hadn’t been able to help. It made her realise how bad the situation really was between her and Luke, and that worried her. She didn’t like the idea of being so much at odds with someone she worked with.
The thought lingered at the back of her mind after she and Rachel had parted company to return to their respective wards. One of the afternoon admissions had arrived early so Maggie went to get her settled in while Angela and Doreen went for lunch.
The patient’s name was Lauren Atkins, a nineteen-year-old ballet dancer. She’d sprained her ankle very badly during rehearsals the previous day. Subsequent investigations had shown that the ligaments were torn and would need to be surgically repaired. Lauren was accompanied by her mother and it took only a few minutes for Maggie to realise that she was going to need a lot of tact and patience to deal with the older woman.
‘If I’d had my way Lauren wouldn’t be here!’ Gloria Atkins glared at Maggie as though it was her fault her daughter had needed to be admitted to hospital. ‘Lauren should be treated privately, not by the NHS. It’s her whole future at stake here, everything we’ve worked so hard for. I don’t want just anyone operating on her ankle!’
‘Mum—please!’ Lauren implored, looking embarrassed. Maggie gave her a reassuring smile. It wasn’t the first time she’d encountered this sort of attitude neither would it be the last. A lot of people were under the illusion that paying for treatment ensured they would receive better care. They seemed to overlook the fact that it was often the same surgeons who operated on both private and NHS patients.
‘I assure you that Lauren will receive the very best treatment possible, Mrs Atkins. The surgeons here are some of the best in Britain.’
‘Hmm, I have my doubts about that. Not that I’m reassured, of course.’ Gloria refused to be mollified. ‘Everyone knows that the really innovative medicine comes from the States. If I’d had my way then Lauren would have been on the first flight over there this morning. However, her father took the decision to let her come here.’
Maggie felt her hackles rise. However, a glance at Lauren’s miserable face was enough to make her swallow her sharp retort. The poor girl must be worried enough, without having to listen to that sort of nonsense.
‘How long have you been dancing, Lauren?’ she asked instead, helping the girl onto the bed and ignoring her mother.
‘Oh, years. Since I was three or four.’ Lauren grimaced. ‘I must be mad, mustn’t I?’
Maggie smiled although she’d heard the faintly resentful note in the teenager’s voice. ‘You must be dedicated. I know how gruelling ballet dancing can be and how much work you must have put in to reach your present standard.’
‘She has a natural talent. Everyone says so.’ Gloria leaned over and fussed with her daughter’s hair. ‘She takes after me, you see. I was a ballet dancer, although I never had the advantages Lauren has had.’
Maggie didn’t say anything. She had seen the shadow that had crossed Lauren’s face and couldn’t help wondering if the girl believed that she’d been so lucky. Had Lauren been pushed by her mother into choosing ballet as her career? It seemed a distinct possibility.
It wasn’t her place to ask, however, so she carried on getting Lauren settled. She was just showing the teenager how to operate the radio when the sound of footsteps made her glance round, and she felt herself colour when she saw Luke. She hadn’t expected him to appear so soon and felt a little flummoxed by his early arrival.
‘I…um…this is Lauren Atkins, Dr Fabrizzi.’ She quickly gathered her wits and made the introductions. ‘You’ll be operating on her ankle tomorrow morning, I believe.’
Before Luke had a chance to reply, Mrs Atkins cut in. ‘You look very young to be performing such a skilled operation. I must say that I expected someone more experienced. I don’t know if I’m happy about you treating my daughter. Lauren’s whole future is at stake here!’
‘I understand your concerns, Mrs Atkins.’ He smiled politely at the woman. He didn’t appear at all perturbed by her comments, although Maggie knew that a lot of doctors would have taken a very dim view of being spoken to that way.
‘However, I assure you that I’ve performed this operation a number of times in the past and each time the outcome has been entirely successful.’
‘You’re American!’ Mrs Atkins visibly brightened.
‘That’s right. I’m from Boston. I was fortunate enough to be offered a placement on the exchange scheme so I shall be working in Dalverston for the next six months,’ he explained calmly.
‘And you’re a surgeon back in Boston?’ Gloria persisted.
‘I am. I’m working here as a senior registrar. However, when I return home I shall be taking up a consultant’s post.’ He shrugged modestly as he continued outlining his qualifications. ‘I’ve done a lot of research into the causes and problems of sports-related injuries, including publishing a number of papers on the subject. It’s an area that I am extremely interested in.’
Maggie was amazed by what she’d heard. She’d had no idea that he was so highly qualified. It made her wonder why he’d decided to accept the post on the exchange scheme. Most of the doctors who did so weren’t nearly as high up the professional ladder as he was.
There was no time to dwell on it, though, not with Luke waiting to examine Lauren and take her case history. That was another strange thing he did, now that she thought about it. Most of the senior staff left it to the junior housemen to take patients’ medical histories but Luke preferred to speak to those he would be operating on himself. It made her realise that there was a lot she didn’t know about Luke Fabrizzi and that was worrying, even though she wasn’t sure why it should be.
It took a bit of persuasion to remove Mrs Atkins from her daughter’s bedside but Maggie was firm. She ushered the woman into the day-room then went back to the ward. Luke had drawn up a chair beside the bed and was chatting to Lauren. Maggie was pleased to see that the girl looked far more relaxed now, although that was probably due to Luke’s presence, of course!
Her mouth set into a prim line. Most women would find it hard not to respond to a man as good-looking as Luke was, whatever their age. However, she hoped that he wouldn’t lay on the charm with too heavy a hand. She had seen cases before where patients had developed crushes on their doctors and they were always tricky