Carol Marinelli – Australian Affairs: Tempted: Tempted by Dr. Morales (страница 24)

‘Your poor back, Juan,’ Kelly said, eyeing the scratches and giving Cate a wink as she walked out.

‘It shouldn’t be too much longer,’ Cate said. ‘And then we’ll get you round to the observation ward.’

‘I don’t need to be observed.’

‘Harry thinks you do. If you choose not to follow instructions I’ll get the necessary paperwork…’

‘I’m not stupid enough to discharge myself.’ He turned, just a little but enough to nearly send the sterile paper sheet flying. ‘Cate, I didn’t tell you because I don’t need your sympathy.’

‘Oh, believe me, there’s no sympathy coming from behind you, Juan.’

‘You’re upset.’

‘No. I’m not upset.’

‘I can hear your voice shaking.’

‘I am so not upset, Juan.’ She shook her head. This wasn’t the place but, what the hell, she told him her truth. ‘I’m angry.’

‘Angry?’ This time he turned enough to knock off the sheet completely and looked into her eyes and, yes, she was angry all right. ‘Angry, about what?

‘It doesn’t matter. I’m going to get Kelly to come in and finish off your shoulder.’

‘Why?’

‘Because you’re a patient and it doesn’t look good for a nurse to be shouting.’

‘Don’t worry about that—I’m fine with the conversation.’

‘Well, I’ve got work to do.’

‘I don’t understand what you’re angry about.’

‘Your carelessness,’ Cate answered. ‘Your lack of limits…’

‘You know what, Cate?’ Juan was surly and in no mood to sweeten things. It had been one hell of a day after all. ‘I don’t think you’re actually angry at me. I think you’re more cross at your own…’ He couldn’t think of the word he wanted so hers would have to do. ‘Limits.’

‘I’m going to get Kelly.’

‘Fine,’ Juan said. ‘Go and count your stock.’

It was lucky for Juan she had already put the tweezers down!

She asked Kelly to come in and take over and then walked to what would soon be her office. She took a long, calming breath and tried to remember what she’d been doing before she’d been called away for the problems with Dr Vermont.

Stock orders.

Cate drew in a less than cleansing breath.

And there were outstanding complaints and incident reports to be dealt with too. Despite promising to complete them, Christine had left them unfinished.

Damn you, Juan, Cate thought.

At least she knew where she was going; at least she knew what was happening from week to week—at least she wasn’t ricocheting around the world with a handful of titanium in her neck.

She was hiding in her office, though.

But at seven p.m., when Tanya hadn’t had her break, Cate had to go in and relieve her. Thankfully, Juan was asleep.

‘His observations are all stable,’ Tanya said. ‘Harry just stopped by and is happy for him to be discharged in an hour or so. Or, if Juan prefers, he can stay overnight.’

‘I’m sure he won’t want to.’

Tanya also told her about the elderly lady. ‘She’s waiting for a bed on the geriatric unit and one might be coming up soon. I’ve just done observations and they’re all fine. She’s very deaf and she refuses to wear her hearing aid but she knows exactly where she is and what is happening.’

‘Thanks.’ Cate smiled. ‘Go and have a break and I’ll keep an eye on them both.’

Cate was glad that Juan was asleep as she took a seat and saw that his obs had only just been done. Determinedly, she didn’t read his notes. She didn’t want to know about his past and she really wasn’t in the mood for conversation. The director of nursing was, though.

‘Where’s Harry?’ Lillian asked as she walked through the observation ward.

‘He’s at home.’

‘He’s still on call, though?’

‘Yes.’

‘Cate, something has to be done,’ Lillian said. ‘What if he gets called in tonight?’

‘I believe he’s making arrangements, although the consultants’ childcare plans are not a nursing concern.’ Cate did her best to terminate the conversation but Lillian was having none of it.

‘It becomes a nursing concern when it’s the nurses who end up watching the said consultant’s children. Cate, you’re the acting nurse unit manager.’

‘As of tomorrow.’

Juan’s eyes snapped open as he heard Cate’s tart response. He hadn’t been asleep for a moment, but since his time on the spinal unit he was exceptionally good at pretending that he was.

‘Well, as of tomorrow, Cate, it will be up to you to ensure it doesn’t happen.’

‘That what doesn’t happen, Lillian? That we don’t ask Harry to come in when we’re without a consultant or concerned about a patient? Is that what you want?’ Cate looked her boss in the eye. ‘I happen to be very grateful that the nursing staff have a consultant who, despite personal problems, is prepared to come in at short notice when he’s not even rostered on. I’m very grateful to have a consultant who will accept a worried phone call from a member of the nursing staff and get in his car and come straight in.’

‘It can’t continue.’

‘I’m sure Harry is more than aware that the situation is far from ideal.’

Juan lay there and listened as the director of nursing pointed out some health and safety issues. He listened as the nurse who had admitted she liked working in Emergency because of the back-up she received from her colleagues backed up a member of her own team one hundred per cent.

‘What if one of the nurses can’t get a babysitter?’ Lillian challenged. ‘We can’t run a crèche in the staff-room!’

‘I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.’

‘Not good enough, Cate.’

‘No, it’s not,’ Cate responded. ‘And it’s a poor comparison. If a nurse can’t come in I can ring the hospital bank to have them cover a shift or I can ask for a nurse to be sent from the wards. We have ten nurses on duty at any one time, but there aren’t very many emergency consultants to call on at short notice.’

He heard the director of nursing walk off and he heard a few choice words being muttered under Cate’s breath and he couldn’t help but smile, but it faded as Cate took a phone call and then came over.

‘Are you awake?’

Juan turned over and looked at her. ‘I am now.’

‘How are you feeling?’

He gave a wry laugh.

‘I just took a phone call from a Ken Davidson,’ Cate told him. ‘Apparently he helped you today. He said he waited until your bike was picked up.’

‘Did you get his number?’ Juan asked, relieved that the call hadn’t been from Martina. ‘I need to thank him.’

‘I did,’ Cate said. ‘He’s also got your wallet.’

‘Thanks.’ Juan said. ‘And I’m sorry for what I said before about you getting back to your stock. You do a great job—I guess I was just spreading the misery.’

Cate gave a small nod of acceptance. ‘Harry’s happy for you to go when you’re ready or you can stay the night.’

‘I’ll go home, thanks.’

‘Do you want a lift when I finish?’