"I'VE changed Alysha's medication to an immunosuppressant
as the corticosteroids didn't seem to be working too
well," Natalie Fox said to the nurse looking after
Alysha. "Monitor her closely and let me know how she is in
a couple of hours."
"Will do, Natalie."
"I'll do a serum electrolyte count then." She finished
writing the notes for her six-year-old patient before
picking up her stethoscope from the desk. When her pager
beeped, she groaned. "What now?' She checked the number,
her Santa hat almost falling off her head. She pushed it
back on impatiently.
"Who is it?" Cassie, the ward clerk, asked. 'Radiology.
Hopefully, they have those films I've been bugging them
for all morning."
"Impatient as ever, I see," a male voice drawled behind
her, and Natalie turned, her glare already fixed in place
to scare off her annoying colleague, Andrew...but it
wasn't Andrew who'd spoken. Her eyebrows lifted in stunned
surprise.
"Marty?" Natalie gaped at him. 'One and the same."
The smile that lit her face was sincere as she leaned
forward to hug him. Although the contact was brief, his
body felt firm where she touched him and the fresh
aftershave he wore was natural but very nice. Not like
Richard's expensive brand, which always seemed to give her
headaches. She pushed the thought away and quickly stepped
back from the embrace. "What are you doing here?"
"In Sydney?"
"Well, yes, and here at St Gregory's. Visiting a patient?"
"Nope. I'm your new ward round buddy and, by the looks of
things, another of Santa's little helpers. I love the hat.
It suits you." Marty's grin was wide and gorgeous and
causing a strange reaction deep down inside her. She
shifted, trying to keep her thoughts on track.
"You're working here?"
He held up the stethoscope in his hand. "Certainly am.
Lucky you, eh." He waggled his eyebrows up and down and
Natalie laughed, as did Cassie.
"Oh, sorry," Natalie said. "Marty Williams, meet Cassie
Adams — ward clerk extraordinaire. Marty and I went to
high school together."
"Wow." Cassie held out her hand and Natalie didn't miss
the hungry look the other woman gave the new doctor. It
had been nine years since she'd last seen Marty when
they'd met quite by accident in Fiji, but even since then
he'd changed. His hair had been longer and unruly whereas
now the dark brown cut was short but not too short. Not
army short like Richard's. It suited him, especially as
his face was creased with laughter lines and a touch of
afternoon stubble.
His eyes, though, were what she recognised the most. The
laughter was still there, the joker he'd always been, but
as she watched him making small talk with Cassie, Natalie
also saw a hint of reserve.
"So that's settled, then," Cassie was saying. "Meet us
there when you've finished your shift and we'll take it
from there."
Natalie frowned. "Where are you going?"
Marty smiled and the reserve she'd witnessed
disappeared. "Still a daydreamer, eh?"
"Impatient and a daydreamer." Natalie shook her head, her
smile instantly matching his. "Are those the only things
you remember about me?"
He raised his eyebrows teasingly. "Well, there is a memory
of you streaking through the school naked."
"I was not naked," she retorted indignantly. 'You did
what?" Cassie demanded. "We've been friends for over five
years and you've never told me about that."
Natalie groaned. "I was wearing a skin-coloured body suit,
which had bright feathers sewn on it," she explained to
Cassie, but her gaze never left Marty's. "I was in the
school play and I'd changed into my costume at one end of
the school and the rehearsal was at the other end of the
school so I —"
"So she ran through the school, looking just like a
streaker."
"With feathers."
"Yes." Marty's teasing was now in full swing. "All the
guys loved it. The costume was very...form fitting," he
said in an undertone to Cassie. "And my darling Nat was
what we called an early developer."
Natalie's jaw dropped open for the second time in ten
minutes, although this time it was from embarrassment
rather than shock. 'Martin!"
"Ooh. See, now I'm in trouble because she called me
Martin. She only ever uses my full name when I'm in
trouble."
"When was the last time you two saw each other?" Cassie
asked. Marty frowned a little. "Must be about nine years
ago." Natalie nodded in confirmation. 'We caught up with
each other in Fiji but that was a real quick visit. Before
that, it would have been about six or seven years
earlier," Martin said, his gaze meshing with Natalie's
again. "My parents moved to Darwin to live at the end of
grade nine. We kept in loose contact for a while and have
been exchanging Christmas cards since Fiji."
"Do I get a Christmas card this year?" Natalie asked. "Or
do you want to leave that out as we'll probably be working
together on Christmas Day?"
He grinned, his smile making her feel special. "You never
know your luck, Nat." Their gazes met for a moment and the
smile slowly slid from his lips, his eyes becoming
serious. Natalie had only seen that expression on him once
before and it had been when he'd said goodbye to her on
the last day of school. He'd given her a Christmas
present, stared at her for a few minutes then hugged her
and left, his hands in his pockets as he'd walked to catch
his bus home from their last day of school.
The following year hadn't been the same without Marty
around. Natalie's pager beeped again and she broke eye
contact, startled that she'd just been standing there,
staring at him. The phone on the desk rang and Cassie went
to answer it, giving them a few moments together.
"Radiology again?" he asked. 'No. It's...Richard."
"Richard?"
"Orthopaedic surgeon. I need to discuss the X-rays with
him."
"There's more to it than that, Nat. Is he blond?"
"What?" She stared at him in disbelief, then relented a
little. "How can you possibly know that?"
Marty shrugged. "Is Richard your boyfriend? I'm presuming
you're not married as you're not wearing a wedding ring."
"No." Natalie looked down at the floor and shuffled her
feet. "I'm not married and Richard is..." She
shrugged. "Well, we've been dating for a while."
"You don't sound too enthusiastic about him."
Natalie shrugged again. "Aren't all relationships
complicated?"
"I guess."
"What about you? Taken any more chances with matrimony?"
"No. Once bitten, twice shy. I'm footloose and fancy-free
and intend to stay that way, thank you very much."
"Same as the old Marty from high school. From one girl to
the next."
He grinned. "You can talk. How many guys did you date in
year nine?"
Natalie frowned but Marty continued. 'Tell me, is Richard
a better kisser than Neville O'Grady?' Natalie gave a
shout of laughter. "Oh my gosh. I'd forgotten about him."
She shook her head in bemusement as the memory returned,
her Santa hat falling off. "Nev O'Grady."
Marty stooped to pick up the hat and placed it gently back
onto her head, the scent of him whirling around her once
more. Natalie sucked in a breath, ignoring the frisson of
awareness she felt between them. He stepped back,
thankfully putting more distance between them. "Nev
O'Grady. Alias the licker."
She laughed again, glad the previous moment had
disappeared. 'I still can't believe I told you about that.
You teased me the entire time I went out with him."
"From what I recall, you got me back twice as bad when I
dated Missy the Hissy."
"Oh, yes." Natalie laughed again, the feeling of life in a
simpler time returning to wash over her. "Ah, nostalgia."
"It's good for the soul." They shared another meaningful
look before returning to reality. "I'll let you get to
Radiology while I sign my life away on three thousand
different forms — all in triplicate, mind you — to keep
the pencil-pushers happy."
"When do you officially start?"
Marty checked his watch. "In about twenty minutes, if I
can write that fast." He grimaced.
"You're doing clinic this afternoon?"
"That's the current plan."
"Excellent. Someone to help with the workload." Natalie
pointed to the forms. "Write fast, my friend, and I'll see
you in clinic."
"See you there, Nat."
She started walking out the ward but turned to face
him. "Oh, and don't forget to get a Santa hat from Cassie."
"Will do."
Natalie headed out of the general paediatrics ward and
down the stairs to Radiology, unable to believe she was
going to be working with Marty. "It's a small world," she
whispered. She went directly to the radiologist's office
and was glad to find her friend there.
"Here you are, Natalie." Lisa handed over a packet of
films. "All reported on and ready to go."
"Thanks, Lise. I appreciate the rush."
"Ah, you'll pay. So tell me all about your old
schoolfriend."
"What?"
"From what Cassie says, he's gorgeous and single."
"How did you know?" Natalie raised her eyebrows, surprised
at the speed of the hospital grapevine.
"I called the ward just a few minutes ago and spoke to
Cassie. She said you were just about to leave but were
chatting to a gorgeous hunk you went to school with."
"Marty? A hunk?" Natalie thought for a moment. He hadn't
been back then...but now? "Yeah, I guess he is."
"You sound surprised. Can't you see it?"
She shrugged. "I guess I still see him as he was in
school."
"Definitely not hunky?"
Natalie smiled and shook her head. "Nerdy yet cute and
very funny is how I'd have described him."
"Well apparently he is now hot."
"I guess we've all changed since high school." She took a
deep breath. "Enough yammering. I have to meet Richard.
Thanks for these." She took the X-rays and headed towards
the orthopaedic department. She was stopped along the way
by Jim, the orderly.
"You're looking very happy and bright today, Dr Natalie."
"Am I? Maybe it's the hat."
"Could be, but there's a spring in your step and a smile
on your face. It's good to see." He paused and then
snapped his fingers. "I know, have you broken it off with
that brisk orthopaedic doctor?"
"Jim. You know his name is Richard and, no, we haven't
broken up."
"Pity. He's no good for you."
"Jim. Let's not go there."
"No. You're right. Not when you're looking so happy. I'd
just like to meet the man who's put that smile on your
face and shake his hand."
"How do you know it's a man? Perhaps one of my patients is
better and has gone home?"
"No." Jim shook his head emphatically. "You have a
different look when that happens — a look of pleasure and
relief. This one..." he waggled his finger at her '...is
one of unabashed joy." He gripped the empty wheelchair he
was pushing. "I need to get this to Maternity. Stay happy,
Dr Natalie."
"I'll try, Jim." Natalie continued on her way to meet
Richard, mulling over Jim's words. She did feel happy and
it was because she'd seen Marty. She sighed and hugged the
X-rays to her chest. It was always nice to share a
positive memory from the past and Marty had provided
plenty of those.
She walked through the orthopaedic department, smiling at
the secretaries who guarded the surgeons' privacy. "Hello.
Is Richard in?"
"Yes. He's expecting you, Natalie."
"Thanks." She knocked once and waited for Richard's reply
before going in. Richard didn't like too much familiarity
from her at work. He liked keeping their professional and
private lives separate, which meant he usually ignored her
if they were in a meeting together. He'd not long
graduated as an orthopaedic surgeon and where Natalie had
thought the pressure would lift once his exams were over,
it had become even more intense than before. Richard had
territory to mark out — at least, that's what he'd told
her.
"Come in."
Returning to the present, Natalie went in and Richard
instantly stood up and held out his hand for the films.
"Do you really have to wear that hat, Natalie?"
"Yes, Dr Scrooge, I do. You could do with a bit of
Christmas cheer in here. Shall I ask your secretary to put
some tinsel up?"
Richard gave her a withering look. 'Anyway, you're
forgetting I work in Paediatrics and the children expect
more Christmas cheer than on other wards."
"I suppose so, but it looks ridiculous."
Natalie ignored his comments, deciding she liked Marty's
reaction better, and focused her attention on the X-rays
Richard had hooked onto the viewing box.
"Quite a clean break, but she'll still need plates and
screws."
"What about an external fixator?" Natalie asked. Richard
frowned and pondered the thought. "Hmm. I don't think so
in this instance. How old is she?"
"Almost twelve."
"I think inserting the metal will be the best way to go."
"You're the surgeon. Shall I have your secretary book
Laura onto your operating list?"
Richard pulled down the films and gave them back to
Natalie who put them in the packet. "I'll do her tomorrow
afternoon. I'll probably finish late in Theatre but it
can't be helped." He sat behind his desk and picked up a
pen. He glanced down at a piece of paper before scribbling
his signature on it.
"I guess that means we won't be having dinner — again,"
she muttered.
"No. Sorry, Natalie. You'll have had a busy day and I
don't want to make you wait in case you get low blood
sugar, so it's easier to cancel. Besides, you know how
things can go in surgery. One minute every thing's fine,
the next I'm stuck there for a few extra hours, fixing a
complication."
"But you've missed the last three Friday nights. Our
scheduled weekly date is the only time I really get to
spend with you, Richard." Natalie's tone was firm and she
once more realised that her relationship with Richard was
becoming too hard to work at. When that had happened in
her previous relationships, she'd take it as a sign to
break it off.
"I know but work comes first. I told you things would be
different once I graduated. We'll have dinner next Friday."
"I have a Christmas party to go to, unless you've changed
your mind about coming with me."
He paused and gave her a thoughtful look. "I'd forgotten
about that. Do you have to go?"
"Yes. It's fundraising for my unit, Richard, not to
mention the department's annual Christmas dinner."
"So it is." He came around and placed a hand on her
shoulder.
The gesture was benign and would have been impersonal if
she hadn't seen the sincerity in his eyes. "We'll find
time. I promise."
"OK."
He dropped his hand and headed back behind his desk. "The
offer is still open to move in with me, Natalie. That way
you'll be able to see me all the time."
Natalie smiled, not taking him seriously at all. "We've
already discussed this, Richard, and my answer hasn't
changed since last time."
He returned her smile. "Can't blame a guy for trying." He
was a handsome man — tall and blond with brown eyes. A lot
of the female staff liked him but his reserved manner was
what put most women off. Natalie had known Richard since
medical school but they'd only been dating for the past
six months. She'd chosen him because he'd been 'safe'. He
was career orientated and didn't seem to want anything too
permanent from her. Since he'd qualified, however, she had
to admit he'd changed a lot and the things they'd had in
common were becoming few and far between. She frowned as
she picked up the X-ray packet and headed for the
door. "Have a good afternoon, Richard."