Second Chance with His Army Doc

‘And you have no other symptoms?’ she checked for the third time in the last ten minutes.

‘None. I feel great. And the itching has stopped.’

‘All right, then, just keep applying the cream to the affected area only. Come back and see us in another two days.’

The lad began to put his clothes back on.

‘So what is it?’

‘We still have no idea,’ she told him honestly, making her notes as she headed for the door. ‘But we’ve taken a swab and if there’s anything to tell you when the results come back, we’ll call you straight in.’

‘Thanks, Doc.’ He grinned as she opened the consultation-room door for him, letting him out before she followed.

‘No problem.’ She headed for the desk, and her next patient.

‘Are you still here?’ Kath’s voice had her swinging around, trying not to look guilty.

‘Just doing a few routine consults.’

‘And the liaison from Battle Group?’

So much for trying not to look guilty.

‘In the mess hall, last thing I knew,’ she admitted, aware that her long-term colleague was casting her a shocked look.

‘Geez, Mattie, that isn’t like you.’

She knew that. But it didn’t really help.

‘Listen, everything is under control here, and you still have that liaison to deal with, don’t you? Or is there another reason you don’t want to go back there?’

Mattie swung around sharply.

‘Another reason?’

‘Word is he’s a bit of a hottie.’ Kath grinned. ‘One of the nurses was in the command post before you arrived the first time and took a bit of a shine to him, and the sergeant who was driving him from the Helicopter Landing Site said she wouldn’t have kicked him out of bed.’

‘Not exactly appropriate.’ Mattie frowned, even though she felt like the biggest hypocrite around. She might have known Kath would call her out on it.

‘Neither is ducking around here, trying to avoid talking to the guy. So unless you want to tell me what that’s all about, I suggest you go back over there.’

With that, she pulled the list of new patients out of Mattie’s hands, spun her round and guided her back down the corridor.

‘Come on, I’ll walk with you. I should have got off shift a couple of hours ago, as it is.’

‘Fine, I’m going,’ Mattie grumbled. ‘How do you get all this gossip anyway?’

And more to the point, were there any whispers about her right now?

Kath laughed, unoffended.

‘Because I’m a civilian doctor playing at being a reservist. You’re the army doctor with rules and regulations stamped right through you like a stick of rock.’

‘Right,’ Mattie agreed grimly.

Except that what had happened in her office just over an hour ago had been so far removed from rules and regulations that she would have been risking her job. Or Kane his.

‘Unless you’re telling me you’re considering breaking the rules where this guy is concerned. I also heard that he’s only around his mid-thirties, which means his career has been soaring for him to get to WO2 already.’