He removed his hands from his trouser pockets and dragged one through his hair as he sat back down at his desk and began mentally rehearsing his apology.
‘How did things go with little Jasmine?’ Georgie asked Jennifer Patterson, the doctor on duty in A and E.
‘She was fine in terms of the accident,’ Jennifer answered. ‘But you did the right thing sending her in about that suspected heart murmur. I don’t know why it wasn’t picked up earlier. We’ve organised an appointment with Cardiology for an echo.’
‘Gosh,’ Georgie said on an expelled breath. ‘That was lucky. I guess some accidents are meant to happen.’
Jennifer’s green eyes began to twinkle. ‘Everyone’s talking about your little accident yesterday with Ben Blackwood,’ she said. ‘That was a spooky coincidence, wasn’t it?’
Georgie started to scowl. ‘Who told you about it? I was under the impression Mr Blackwood wasn’t going to mention it but apparently he has, no doubt to rub salt in the wound.’
‘Actually, I heard it from one of the paramedics,’ Jennifer said. ‘He recognised you from your term at RPA.’ ‘Oh …’
‘So has Ben forgiven you yet?’ Jennifer asked.
‘No, and I don’t think he’s going to,’ she said with a worried frown. ‘He’s threatening to pull me out of the training scheme.’
Jennifer’s neat brows lifted. ‘That doesn’t sound like Ben,’ she said. ‘Mind you, with what happened to his sister, I guess he would be feeling a bit touchy.’
‘What happened to his sister?’
‘She was knocked off her bike when she was seven years old,’ she said. ‘Hit and run from what I’ve heard.’
‘Was she …?’ Georgie gulped over the word. ‘Killed?’
Jennifer shook her head. ‘No, but she suffered quite serious head injuries. She’s OK now, or so I’ve been told. Ben doesn’t talk about it and we know better than to ask. We had another hit and run in here just recently. The poor lad didn’t make it so I guess it would have been on Ben’s mind when you tipped him off his bike.’
‘Oh, my God,’ Georgie said, her chest feeling prickly and tight. ‘I feel so awful …’
‘It can happen to anyone,’ Jennifer said. ‘This place is full of people who get struck down by the hand of fate. It’s called life.’
‘I’ll have to apologise,’ Georgie said, biting her lip.
‘You mean you haven’t already?’
‘I did, but he didn’t listen,’ she answered, fighting back another scowl.
Jennifer gave her a musing look. ‘Uh-oh,’ she said.
Georgie’s scowl turned into a frown. ‘Is that some sort of secret Sydney Metropolitan language?’ she asked. ‘Jules Littlemore said the very same thing a short time ago.’
Jennifer just smiled.
Georgie was on her way back to Ben’s office when she was paged by Richard DeBurgh, one of the other neurosurgeons. She had covered his on-call the night before and had been looking forward to meeting him after his positive comments on how she had handled things during the night.
She knocked on his office door and entered at his command to come in.
‘Ah, Georgie, come in and make yourself comfortable,’ Richard said. ‘How is your father enjoying his retirement?’
Georgie took the chair opposite and sent him a friendly smile. ‘He’s finding it a bit difficult adjusting to a quieter pace,’ she confessed. ‘But he’s lost some weight since Christmas, which is a good thing.’
‘We miss him here,’ he said. ‘His work for the research foundation was brilliant. Is he continuing his role as chief patron?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Georgie said. ‘I think my mother is hoping he will put himself back on some committees or boards. He’s starting to get under her feet.’
Richard chuckled. ‘My wife has already warned me to ease into retirement gradually rather than come to a complete stop. So how have your first two days been?’
Her face fell a little. ‘OK, I guess …’