Italian Doctor, Sleigh-Bell Bride (Lakeside Mountain Rescue 6)

‘Great, now you’re here, I can examine him.’ Although Greg’s tone was civil enough, she could see the flash of irritation in his eyes. ‘I’ve taken a history but I want to lay him down on the trolley so that I can take a proper look.’

‘No, don’t move him!’ Realising from the sudden tightening of his mouth that she’d overstepped the mark, Liv tried again. ‘He’s probably best on his mother’s lap for now,’ she said tactfully, knowing that the child had chosen the position that was most comfortable for him. ‘I expect you want me to give him some humidified oxygen.’ As she dealt with that, she glanced swiftly at the notes, checking mother’s and child’s names. ‘Hello, Tom. You’re obviously feeling very poorly, sweetheart.’

The child made no attempt to respond and Liv adjusted the flow of oxygen and then turned to the mother. ‘Has he been like this for long, Kelly?’

‘He was fine yesterday. I think he’s just fussing.’ The mother sounded tired and irritable. ‘He just wants a bit of sympathy.’ She was little more than a child herself and Liv could see that she had no idea how sick her little boy was. Unfortunately, Greg didn’t appear aware of it, either.

‘Has your GP seen him?’

‘Are you kidding?’ The girl rolled her eyes. ‘Couldn’t get an appointment. To start with I thought Tom was just playing up because he didn’t want to go to school, then he felt hot so I thought I’d bring him down and get him checked. He had me up all night and I’m not going through that again tonight. He’s really clingy. I just want you to give him something to sort him out.’

‘Let’s get him on the trolley,’ Greg said briskly but Liv gave a brief shake of her head and took him to one side, knowing that they were dealing with a potentially life-threatening situation.

‘Greg.’ She kept her voice soft so that neither child nor mother could overhear her words. ‘This child has serious breathing problems. We shouldn’t move him. He’s naturally adopted the position that’s most comfortable for him, which is upright. I expect you’d like me to call an anaesthetist and an ENT surgeon right now.’ She’d phrased it in such a way that he could simply agree without losing face, but his eyes narrowed defensively.

‘I’ll make that judgement if and when it needs to be made. You’re overreacting. There is no stridor and no cough.’

‘I’m aware of that, but…’ Liv bit her lip and swiftly questioned her own judgement. Was she overreacting? ‘It’s the way he’s holding his head. I think he could have epiglottitis. I’ve seen it once before.’

‘I’ve already taken a history and he’s been fully immunised.’ ‘It could be a vaccine failure.’

‘The haemophilus influenza vaccine is ninety-eight per cent effective,’ Greg said impatiently and Liv nodded.

‘I know that. I know it’s unlikely. But I also know what I’m seeing and to be honest the question “why” is irrelevant at the moment. This child is showing signs of progressive airway obstruction and we need to deal with that. Fast.’

Greg leaned towards her, his eyes hard. ‘Sorry, but am I the doctor here, or are you?’

‘You, but I’ve worked in the emergency department for five years and—’

‘And perhaps you’ve become addicted to drama. Five years here still doesn’t m

ake you a doctor.’ He smiled pleasantly. ‘I’ll examine him. Then I’ll decide who to refer him to. And I’ll let you know so that you can make the call.’

Her heart pounded because she absolutely hated conflict and normally would have done everything possible to avoid it. But this was different. She knew that any delay could be serious.

Where was Stefano?

Hadn’t Anna said that she’d asked him to check the child?

She glanced towards the little boy, knowing that if anything happened to him because she hadn’t acted, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

Feeling physically sick at the thought of what she was about to do, Liv moved towards the phone, ignoring Greg’s fierce warning glare. As she called Switchboard and asked for them to emergency bleep the on-call anaesthetist and the ENT surgeon, her hands were shaking and she wondered how she was ever going to be able to salvage her working relationship with the junior doctor. He was due to leave in January, she reminded herself. She just had to get through another few weeks. And even if he never spoke to her again, it didn’t matter.

Pushing aside that worry for later, she checked the child’s weight from the notes and reached for an ampoule of adrenaline just as Stefano strode into the room.

‘Anna asked me to see a patient?’ He looked as cool and confident as ever, the blue scrub suit emphasising the width and power of his shoulders and Liv had never been so pleased to see anyone in her life. She felt her limbs weaken, but this time it was not because he was exceptionally good-looking but simply because she needed senior back-up and one glance at Stefano inspired confidence.

Kelly’s eyes widened and she transformed from being tired and irritable to alert and interested. Instinctively she lifted a hand and smoothed her hair but Stefano wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at the child. And that one look was clearly enough for him, as it had been for Liv.

He focused his gaze on Greg. ‘Have you bleeped the on-call anaesthetist and the ENT surgeon?’

The colour drained from Greg’s cheeks and he stood a little straighter. ‘Yes,’ he muttered and Stefano relaxed slightly and nodded his approval.

‘Good.’ He turned to Liv. ‘Let’s give him nebulised adrenaline.’

‘I have it here.’ She handed him the tray and showed him the ampoule. ‘I’ve checked his weight and given him point-five millilitres per kilogram. Are you happy with that?’

‘Give it.’ Having delegated that task, Stefano crouched down next to the child, his eyes gentle. ‘You are having problems with your breathing, but we are going to help you with that.’