Leah Martyn - Redeeming Dr Riccardi

‘Yeah.’ Toni shook back her halo of auburn curls. ‘Now, who’s doing what?’

‘Justin’s suturing in the small treatment room. Beryl Reilly took a dive down the post-office steps this morning. Kneecap nearly split in two.’

Toni grimaced. ‘Poor old love.’ Beryl, in her seventies, was one of their regulars at A and E. ‘Why on earth was she out and about so early?’

‘Posting coupons for some cruise or other. Today was the last day to enter apparently.’

‘Oh, my lord,’ Toni sighed. ‘What would she do if she won? She’d never go on her own.’

Liz snickered. ‘She’d probably hook up with one of the old guys from their indoor bowls team and take him along.’

‘We shouldn’t laugh.’ Toni pressed a finger to her smiling lips. ‘It’s very sweet, really, the way they all look out for each other.’

‘And Beryl probably has about as much chance of winning as we do of getting a raise.’

‘OK, back to business,’ Toni said firmly. ‘Who’s assisting Justin?’

‘Harmony. Not that she wanted to,’ Liz added caustically. ‘She hates anything to do with blood.’

‘Well, she’s only newly graduated,’ Toni reasoned. ‘These days they’re not exposed to much on the wards in their training. It’s always a bit of shock when they strike the real thing. Where’s Ed?’

‘Doing an eye-wash. One of the council workers copped a load of sand and grit when they were unloading turf for the new sports oval.’

Toni nodded. ‘Amy OK?’

‘I’ve assigned her to tidy the drugs cabinet with Mel. The night shift left a tip.’

‘Well, they had two RTAs in quick succession, by the look of it.’ Toni scanned the report. ‘This one says Riccardi was the admitting MO.’

‘So?’

‘So that means he’s been here since four o’clock this morning.’ Toni made a small face. ‘No wonder he was grouchy. The man’s missing sleep.’

‘It’s his job.’ Liz was not so forgiving. ‘It’s what he signed on for.’

‘I wonder what he was doing before coming here?’ Toni mused.

‘Dunno. Don’t tell me you’re falling for him?’

‘As if,’ Toni responded with a little tsk. ‘Perhaps we should cut him a bit of slack, though. Forrestdale might be a huge lifestyle change for him.’

‘Well, there’s usually a trigger for those kinds of decisions,’ Liz pointed out pragmatically. ‘But I’m for making love, not war, so we’ll be nice to your reg.’

‘He’s not my reg,’ Toni said in exasperation. ‘Now, both Natalie and Samantha in?’ she asked, referring to the department’s assistants in nursing.

‘By the grace of God. And Dr Tennant is circulating if we need her.’

‘Excellent.’ Toni clipped on her badge and checked it was straight. ‘I’ll ask her to pop in on our eye patient. He may need an antibiotic and a medical certificate for work.’

‘Uh-oh,’ Liz sighed as their phone lit up. ‘Call from the ambulance base. Welcome to Monday!’

Toni took the details from Liz. ‘Mine, I think, and I’ll bleep the reg.’

They met at the ambulance bay and Toni relayed what details they had. ‘Unrestrained two-year-old thrown against the dashboard when his mum had to brake suddenly. He appears to have been knocked out for a second but conscious now.’

‘The child was in the front seat of the car?’ Rafe asked in disbelief.

‘Apparently.’ Toni twitched a shoulder. ‘We don’t know the circumstances. It may not be the mother’s fault.’

‘Well, we certainly can’t blame the child,’ Rafe said grimly. ‘Do we have names?’

‘Child is Michael. Mum is Lisa.’

He received the information with a curt nod. He’d have a few words to say to Lisa. Having a child unrestrained in a moving vehicle was totally irresponsible.

The ambulance arrived and reversed into the receiving bay. One glance told Toni the mother was distraught. ‘It’s all my fault!’ Lisa was all but wringing her hands. ‘The childminder is only two streets away and I was running late so I just popped him in the front seat beside me—but he’s learned how to undo the seat belt—’ She broke off, rubbing tears away with the backs of her hands. She sent a frantic look at Rafe. ‘Will I be in trouble? What will happen now?’

Despite his earlier silent disapproval at the mother’s negligence, Rafe’s heart melted at the sight of the little lad lying quietly under the blue blanket, his eyes wide and questioning.

His mouth tightened. There were extenuating circumstances and he didn’t have the stomach for a confrontation anyway. Not today. And especially not with Antonia watching his every reaction with those soulful brown eyes. He regrouped his thoughts.

‘We’ll take a look at Michael,’ he said gruffly. ‘Try not to worry. Children are remarkably resilient.’

‘Can I stay with him?’

Toni jumped in, ‘Of course you can.’

‘Oh—thank you.’ Lisa held tightly to her child’s hand as he was whisked through into a cubicle.

‘Lisa, if you could just stand back, please?’ Toni eased the mother away from the side of the bed. ‘Dr Riccardi will need room to examine Michael.’

Still visibly shaken, Lisa complied, wrapping her arms around her body almost as if she could hold herself together in some way. ‘I’m here, baby,’ she said brokenly. ‘Mummy’s just here …’

The child looked clean and well cared for, Toni noted, peeling the blanket back gently. ‘Doctor?’ She looked pointedly at Rafe.

‘Thanks.’ Rafe began his examination. ‘Let’s see how you’re doing, little mate,’ he said, his hands gentle, swift and sure as he tested the child’s neurological responses. ‘Looking good,’ he murmured, as Michael’s pupils appeared equal and responsive. Placing his pencil torch aside, he checked the little boy’s limbs for any obvious deficits and then began a careful palpation of the child’s tummy. Any hardening would indicate internal bleeding. But all seemed well. He replaced the blanket and turned to the mother.

‘Was he sick at all, Lisa?’

‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘He just seemed out of it for a second or two and then cried a bit …’

Rafe nodded. ‘I’d like to run a scan to be on the safe side. And we’ll need to keep your son for several hours, just to make sure there are no residual effects from the accident.’

‘It really was an accident.’ Lisa stood her ground bravely. ‘This guy just shot out of his driveway without warning and I had to slam on my brakes. I realise I should have had Michael in the back in his safety seat.’

‘But you didn’t.’ Rafe continued writing on the child’s chart.

‘I was going after a new job,’ Lisa explained dispiritedly. ‘But I’ve lost my interview time now.’

‘There’ll be other jobs.’ Absorbed in Michael’s chart, Rafe curled his lips into a silent no-further-comment moue. He handed the request form for the X-ray department to Toni. ‘After Michael’s scan could you see whether Kids could take him, please? He’ll be more comfortable there. And ask Justin to check Lisa over and perhaps we could run to a coffee for her?’

Toni gave him a taut little smile. ‘I’m sure we could.’

Rafe pulled back the curtain to make his exit and then wheeled back, the light from the window illuminating the hard line of his jaw with its rapidly darkening growth. ‘I’d like to see the X-rays when they’re back, please, Antonia?’

‘Certainly, Doctor.’ Toni’s response was crisply calm but a niggle of uncertainty caught her unawares. She’d told Riccardi she was usually called Toni. Why couldn’t he just do it? Perhaps it was as simple as his not liking shortened names. She frowned a bit. Whatever his reasons, it was already setting her apart and causing the oddest trickle of awareness along her spine.