CAROL MARINELLI - Special Deliveries - Wanted - A Daddy - Dr. Dark and Far Too Delicious / Royal Rescue / Father by Choice

‘When you go to the hairdresser’s, do you ask them to leave that bit of fringe?’ Vanessa teased. ‘Just so it can fall over your eye?’

As he turned, Jasmine waited for a frown, for a sharp word, for a brusque put-down, but her smirking grin turned to a delighted one as he flopped his fringe forward, pouted his lips and looked over their shoulders in a haughty model pose.

And then as they screamed in laughter and even Greg did too, Jed got back to his notes.

Enough fun for one night, Jed told himself.

Except he’d set them off and now they were walking like models.

Greg was joining in too as he filled in the board, standing with one hand on his hip and talking in deliberately effeminate tones. Jed tried not to smile, not notice as he usually managed to—he had just blocked out this side of Emergency, had chosen to ignore the black humour and frivolity that sometimes descended.

And yet somehow it was coming back.

Somehow he was starting to remember that it wasn’t all just about work.

And Jed knew why.

It was just that he didn’t want to know why.

‘I’m going for a sleep.’ He stood. ‘Call me if anything comes in or at six if it stays quiet.’

He could hear them laughing as he tried to rest.

And whatever they were doing it must be funny because he even heard the po-faced nursing supervisor, who must be doing her rounds, start to laugh.

Jed turned on the white noise machine but still he couldn’t sleep.

He could do without this!

‘Morning, sunshine!’ Greg rapped on the door at six, but Jed was awake. He rolled out of bed and brushed his teeth, headed out, took a few bloods and discharged a couple of patients, and wished the place would pick up.

He got one query appendicitis and one very grumpy old man called Ken Jones. He had a chronically infected leg ulcer, which was being dressed by a visiting nurse twice a week, but he had decided at five-thirty a.m. that it was time to do something about it and had called an ambulance. He was very grubby and unkempt and had his radio with him, which was tuned in to a chat show.

‘What’s his blood sugar?’

‘Eight,’ Jasmine said.

‘You’re taking all your diabetic medication, Ken?’ Jed checked.

‘I just do what I’m told.’

‘Okay.’ Jed had already carefully examined the man and his leg and he chatted to him for a little while. ‘I’m going to get the medics to come down and have a look at you,’ Jed said, ‘but it might take a while. We’re really quiet down here but I know they’re very busy up on the ward, so you might have to stay with us for a while. And we could look at the dressings nurse to come and have a good look at your wound and maybe try something new.’

‘Up to you.’

‘It could be a few hours,’ Jed said.

‘I don’t make a fuss.’

Jed grinned as he walked out. ‘He’ll be ringing up the radio station to complain about how long he has to wait soon.’

‘Does he really need to see the medics?’

‘Probably not,’ Jed said. ‘Penny will probably clear him out by eight, but …’ he gave a shrug, ‘… the old boy’s lonely, isn’t he? Anyway, he could do with a good looking over, his chest is a bit rattly and he’s a bit dry. I’ll run some bloods.’

‘I’ll order him breakfast,’ Jasmine yawned.

She ordered a breakfast from the canteen and then checked on the query appendicitis. His drip was about through so she headed over to the IV room. When she swiped her card and saw that Jed was in there, sorting out his trolley to take the bloods, she nearly turned and ran.

But that would be making a big deal of things so instead she stepped in.

‘We need to talk,’ Jed said without looking up from his task.

‘No we don’t,’ Jasmine said. ‘Really, it’s fine.’

‘Sure about that?’ Jed said, and then looked over.

And, no, she wasn’t sure about that because the ghost of their kiss was there in the room. She could see the exact spot where he’d pressed her to the wall, feel again every feeling she had yesterday—except the anger, except the upset.

‘What about we meet for coffee after work?’ he suggested.

‘People will see,’ Jasmine said. ‘You know what this place is like.’ She certainly didn’t want a hint of this getting back to Penny.

‘I meant away from the hospital. Just to talk.’

She shook her head. She’d hardly slept yesterday and had to work tonight as well as stop by her mum’s at five and give Simon his dinner.

‘I just want to go to bed.’ She opened her mouth to correct herself and thankfully they both actually laughed.

‘I really,’ Jasmine said slowly, ‘and I mean really am in no position to start something. I know people say that, but I’ve got a whole lot of things to sort out before …’ She shook her head. ‘I’m not going there.’

‘I get that,’ Jed said. ‘Believe me, I had no intention of getting involved with someone at work but yesterday, hell, these past weeks …’ He wondered how something he had spent all yesterday regretting should be something he would happily do again right this minute.

‘Is that why you’ve been so horrible?’

‘I haven’t,’ he said, then conceded, ‘Maybe a bit. We need to talk, maybe clear the air—because if we don’t—’

‘If we don’t,’ Jasmine interrupted, ‘we’re going to be caught making out in the IV cupboard.’ She gave him a grin. ‘And I have no intention of going there again.’

Except she was lying.

She was looking at his mouth as she said it.

And he was looking at hers.

Had Greg not come in, that was exactly what would have happened and they both knew it.

Yes, the air needed clearing.

‘WHY IS HE waiting for the medics?’

Despite not having to start till eight, Penny was in at a quarter to seven, standing and staring at the admission board and determined to make the most of a rare opportunity to clear the board and start her working day with not a single patient.

‘He’s brewing something.’ Jed shrugged.

‘We’re not a holding pen,’ Penny said. ‘I’ll get the nurses to order him transport home.’

‘Let him have his breakfast at least.’

‘Of course he can have his breakfast—by the time transport gets here he’ll probably have had lunch as well.’ She glanced briefly at a weary Jed. ‘You look awful.’

‘It’s easier when it’s busy,’ Jed yawned.

‘Go home,’ she said.

‘I might just do that.’ And then he looked at Penny, who was rather determinedly not turning round to face him, just staring fixedly at the board. ‘Speaking of looking awful …’ he waited till she reluctantly turned to face him and he saw her red swollen eye ‘… what happened?’

‘I walked into a branch.’

‘Ouch.’ Jasmine walked over just as he was taking a look.

‘Ooh.’ She winced when she saw Penny’s red eye. ‘Penny, what happened?’ And then she remembered she wasn’t supposed to be her sister.

‘My neighbour’s tree overhangs,’ she said darkly. ‘Though it won’t by the time I get home—I’ve left them a note, telling them what’s happened and that they’d better cut it.’

Jasmine could just imagine she had, and what was in it. And she could picture the branch, too, and Penny’s gorgeous old neighbours who would be so upset.

Trust Penny to handle things so sensitively!

Of course she said nothing.

‘I’ll have a look,’ Jed said, and went to buzz Reception to get Penny an admission card.

‘I don’t need to be registered,’ Penny snapped. ‘It’s just a scratch.’

‘A nasty scratch on your cornea,’ Jed confirmed a few minutes later. Penny was sitting at the nurses’ station and Jed had put some fluorescein drops into her eye. It made her eye bright yellow but any scratches showed up green. ‘You need antibiotic drops and to keep it covered. When was your last tetanus booster?’