Sarah Morgan - The Doctor's Engagement

‘Surely that would be part of the fiancée role,’ Holly quipped, and he laughed.

‘Probably would. You see? You’re more attuned to it than me.’ There was a slight pause and when he spoke his voice was serious. ‘I really need you, Holly. I’m sorry to do this to you, but say yes, babe. Please?’

Her protests collapsed in a heap. Mark needed her. And when had she ever been able to refuse him? He’d always been there for her. Always.

All he needed was a fake fiancée. He wasn’t asking much really and, if she was honest, working with him again would be fun. She bit her lip. Maybe having Mark nearby would help her. Maybe living with him would get rid of some of the nightmares. Mark was so physically strong that it was hard to be nervous of anything with him around. Nobody threatened Mark.

‘Holly?’ His voice was sharp. ‘Are you still there?’

‘Yes, I’m here.’ She took a deep breath. ‘OK, Mark. I’ll do it.’

‘You’ll do it?’ She could hear the triumph in his voice and she smiled in response.

‘I think I must be mad but, yes, I’ll do it. I’ll be your “fiancée”.’

As Mark started bombarding her with instructions Holly tried to ignore the little voice inside her head which suggested that pretending to be in love with him might not be as straightforward as it seemed.

She agreed to meet the senior partner in London for an interview and then, providing all was well, travel down to Cornwall at the end of the week.

It would be all right, she told herself firmly. Of course it would. After all, they were only pretending. It wouldn’t change their relationship.

Would it?

HOLLY switched off the engine and stared at the modern red-brick medical centre with trepidation.

This was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. Why had she ever agreed to such a thing? It was never going to work. How could she walk into that surgery and greet Mark as if he were the love of her life?

She gave a groan. Why on earth hadn’t they discussed things in more detail? She had no idea what Mark was expecting. He’d asked her to arrive at lunchtime on Friday, but he hadn’t given her any more details. What was she meant to do? Throw her arms around him and kiss him passionately or was she meant to be reserved?

She must have been mad to agree to it!

But it was too late to change her mind now.

Reluctantly she climbed out of the car and walked across the car park, pinning a smile on her face as she pushed open the door that led to the reception area.

‘Yes?’ The blonde woman behind the desk gave her a cool look and Holly paused uncertainly. Hardly the most effusive welcome she’d ever received.

‘I’m here to see Dr Logan.’

‘Dr Logan has been called out on an emergency,’ the receptionist told her briskly, ‘and in any case you can’t see him without an appointment.’

‘I’m not asking for an appointment.’ Holly took a deep breath as she tried to get past that icy fa;alcade. ‘I’m—’

‘He has a space next Thursday at four o’clock.’

Next Thursday? Holly frowned. And what happened if one of his patients was desperate to see him before that?

‘As I said before, I don’t need an appointment,’ she told the woman, her voice still friendly. After all, they were obviously going to be colleagues and she didn’t want to alienate her. ‘I’m not a patient. I’m Holly Foster, the new practice nurse. I’m Dr Logan’s—’

‘Fiancée.’ The blonde woman stared at her for a moment and Holly saw her mouth tighten. ‘Of course. I should have guessed.’

Holly swallowed and managed a smile. ‘Why should you have guessed?’

‘You match his description perfectly,’ the receptionist said, frowning slightly as her eyes drifted to Holly’s left hand, ‘although you’re not wearing his ring.’

His ring? Oh, help! Neither of them had thought of that.

‘I never wear a ring at work,’ Holly said quickly. ‘It’s unhygienic and my last practice wouldn’t allow it. I thought I might have to start work straight away so I put it on my chain.’

She patted her blouse, hinting that it was hidden under her clothing, a practice common among nurses. Fortunately for her, at that moment the doors of the health centre crashed open and the ring was forgotten as the reception area was filled with screams.

‘Help me! Someone help my daughter. She needs a doctor.’ A woman struggled towards them, clutching a small girl who was shrieking hysterically. ‘She’s been bitten by a dog.’

‘We don’t have a doctor on the premises,’ the receptionist told her briskly. ‘They’re all out on calls. You’ll have to drive to the Infirmary.’

Holly gaped at her and took charge.

‘Let me have a look,’ she said to the woman, smoothing the little girl’s hair with a gentle hand. ‘You poor thing! What a scary thing to happen. I’m Holly, what’s your name?’

The little girl continued to sob hysterically and peered at Holly with scared eyes.

‘It bit me,’ she wailed, and Holly nodded.

‘I know. And I’d like to try and make it better. What’s your name, sweetheart?’

‘Helen,’ the little girl sobbed jerkily, and Holly’s smile widened.

‘Well, isn’t that funny? You’re a Helen and I’m a Holly. Both our names begin with H. Where did the dog bite you, Helen?’

The little girl took a shuddering breath. ‘Arm.’ She shrank away from Holly who nodded sympathetically.

‘I won’t touch it, sweetheart, not until you’re ready. What we need to do is make it nice and clean and have a good look at it. There’s a special room here for that sort of thing. And there are some lovely toys...’

She crossed her fingers that her predecessor had kept toys in the nurse’s consulting room. Surely she did. Everyone did.

Holly turned to the receptionist, her smile friendly. ‘If I could just use the treatment room, we don’t have to make these poor people travel all the way to the Infirmary.’ She turned to give Helen’s mother an explanation. ‘I’m the new practice nurse and technically I haven’t started yet, but I can’t see anyone minding if we sort Helen out.’

The set of the receptionist’s mouth indicated that she minded a great deal. ‘We’re not an accident and emergency department.’

‘No,’ Holly agreed quietly, her voice firm, ‘but if we’re capable of giving the care required, without the patient having to make a long trip to hospital, we should give it. I’ll assess the bite and clean it up, and hopefully by then one of the doctors will have arrived back from their calls and they can write up some antibiotics. Is there a white coat I could borrow, please? My uniform is still in my suitcase.’

Her shoulders stiff with disapproval, the surly woman marched out from behind the desk and walked down a carpeted corridor. Making a mental note to have a word with Mark about the attitude of his receptionist, Holly gestured to Helen’s mother to follow her.

‘This is the room you’ll be using.’ The receptionist flung open the door and turned to leave. ‘I’ll phone the senior partner to let him know that you’re here.’

And try and make trouble, no doubt, Holly thought uneasily, watching the woman leave. Oh, bother. She didn’t need that sort of aggravation in a new job.

‘Take no notice of Caroline Duncan,’ Helen’s mother said, rolling her eyes. ‘Her bark is worse than her bite.’

Holly wasn’t convinced, but she gave the woman a smile. ‘I do apologise for the fact I’m not in uniform, Mrs...?’

‘Brown. But call me Alison, and I don’t care what you’re wearing as long as you can sort my Helen out.’

‘Well, I’m just going to dig out a white coat and then I’ll have a look at it,’ Holly promised, glancing round as the door opened sharply and Caroline entered, carrying a white coat.