Alison Roberts - Hot Docs On Call - Healing His Heart

‘Thanks. That’ll teach me for leaving home without a coat. Mum would not be happy after all those years of lecturing me about catching my death without one.’ Although she’d be tempted to do it again for a quick Matt fix if she thought she could achieve it without the cringeworthy crying it had taken to get one.

He helped her out of his jacket and shrugged it on over his broad shoulders.

Yeah, it looked better on him anyway.

Given their difference in height and build she’d probably looked even more of a waif trailing along behind him. So not the image any woman wanted to give a man she was attracted to. If she was to imagine Matt’s idea of a perfect partner it would be one of those oh-so-glamorous female managers who seemed to run the departments here, with their perfect hair and make-up looking terribly efficient. Nothing akin to a messy ponytail, and a quick swipe of lipgloss on a bag lady who didn’t know if she was coming or going most of the time. Any romantic notion she held about Matt needed to be left outside the doors of this elevator.

‘You don’t have to go up with me. I know this place like the back of my hand. Thanks for your help today but I can take it from here. We’ll see you again at our next appointment.’ She jabbed the button to take her back to Simon, trying not to think about who, or what, Matt had planned for the rest of the night without her.

‘I’m sure you can but I promised Simon I’d come and see him. Remember? I wouldn’t want to renege on our deal.’ Matt stepped into the lift behind her.

It wasn’t unexpected given his inherent chivalry but as the steel doors closed, trapping them in the small space together, Quinn almost wished he had gone back on his word so she could breathe again. In here there were no other distractions, no escape from the gravitational pull of Matt McGrory.

She tried not to make eye contact, and instead hummed tunelessly rather than attempt small talk, meaning that the crackling tension remained until another couple joined them on the next floor. Extra bodies should’ve diffused her urge to throw herself at him and give in to the temptation of one tiny kiss to test her theory about his hidden passion, but the influx only pushed them closer together until they were touching. There was no actual skin-to-skin contact through the layers of their clothes but the static hairs on the back of her neck said they might as well be naked.

Another heavyset man shoulder-barged his way in, knocking Matt off balance next to her.

‘Sorry,’ he said, his hand sliding around her waist as he steadied himself.

Quinn hoped her cardi wasn’t flammable because she was about to go up like a bonfire.

His solid frame surrounded her, shielding her from any bumps or knocks from the growing crowd. He had a firm grip on her, protecting her, claiming her. She thought it was wishful thinking on her part until they arrived at their floor and he escorted her out, refusing to relinquish his hold until they were far from the crowd. His lingering touch even now in the empty corridor was blowing her he’s-only-being-polite theory out of the water. Surely his patience would’ve run out by now if all of this had simply been him humouring her?

It was a shame he hadn’t come into her life before it had become so complicated, or later, when things were a bit more stable. Pre-Darryl, when she hadn’t been afraid to let someone get close, or post-Simon, when she might have some more control over what happened in her life.

He’d made it clear he wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship with anyone but she didn’t want to close the door on the idea altogether. Men like Matt didn’t come around very often and someday she knew she’d come to regret not acting on this moment. Perhaps if one of them actually acknowledged there was more going on between them other than Simon’s welfare she might stand a chance of something happening.

‘Matt, I think we should talk—’

Before she could plant the seed for a future romantic interlude, Matt sprang away from her à la scalded cat. She barely had time to mourn the loss of his warmth around her when she spotted the reason for the abrupt separation.

‘Hey, Rebecca.’

Another member of staff headed towards them. A woman whose curves were apparent even in her shapeless scrubs. The rising colour in Matt’s cheeks would’ve been endearing if it wasn’t for the fact Quinn was clearly the source of his sudden embarrassment.

‘Hi, Matt. What on earth are you still doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be going somewhere tonight?’ A pair of curious brown eyes lit on Quinn and she immediately realised how selfish she’d been for monopolising his time. It hadn’t entered her head that he would’ve given up a glamorous night out to sit listening to her tales of woe in a dingy pub.

Matt slid his green-eyed gaze at her too, and Quinn hovered between the couple, very much an outsider in the conversation. There was clearly something unsaid flying across the top of her head. Metaphorically speaking, of course. She had the advantage of a couple of inches in height on the raven-haired doctor. But it was the only one she had here, as she didn’t know what they were talking about, or indeed, what relationship they might have beyond being work colleagues. It wasn’t any of her business, yet she had to refrain from rugby-tackling the pretty doctor to the ground and demanding to know what interest she had in Matt.

Okay, so she was a little more invested in Matt than she’d intended.

‘I…er…changed my mind. I wanted to check in on one of my patients, Simon, one of the kids from the school fire. This is his mum, Quinn. Quinn, this is Rebecca Scott, a transplant surgeon here at the Castle.’

Finally, she was introduced into the conversation before she started a catfight over a man who wasn’t even hers.

‘I’m so sorry you were caught up in that. I know it’s been horrendous for all involved but I hear Simon’s treatment’s going well?’ Rebecca reached out in sympathy and dampened down any wicked thoughts Quinn might’ve harboured towards her.

‘It is. In fact, I’m just going to see him now after his surgery.’

‘Well, he’s definitely in the best hands.’ There was admiration there but Quinn didn’t detect anything other than professional courtesy.

‘Yes, he is. Listen, Matt, I’m going to go and see how he is. I’ll catch up with you later. Nice to meet you, Rebecca.’ She didn’t hang around for Matt’s inevitable insistence he accompany her, nor did she look back to overanalyse the couple’s body language once she’d left. They had separate lives, different roles in Simon’s future, which didn’t necessarily equate to a relationship or a debt to each other. She was confusing her needs with his and a clear head was vital in facing the months ahead. It was down to her to prepare Simon for his future family and she couldn’t do that whilst pining for one of her own. Until then, she’d do well to remember it was just the two of them.

‘What are you doing?’ Rebecca moved in front of Matt, blocking his view of Quinn walking away.

‘Hmm?’ He was itching to follow her so they could see Simon together but the manner in which she’d left said she didn’t want an audience for the reunion. She could be emotional at the best of times and seeing her five-year-old post-surgery would certainly give her cause for more tears. He’d give her a few minutes’ privacy before he joined them, and as soon as he’d fulfilled his promise to the boy, he’d do what he should’ve done in the first place and go home.

Quinn rounded the corner and vanished from sight. It had been a long day for all of them and he didn’t want to abandon her when she was so fragile. Instead, he turned his attention back to Rebecca to find her with her arms folded, eyebrows raised and her lips tilted into a half-smile.