‘So what exactly is she fixing with me?’
‘Your life,’ Josh said, slapping him hard between the shoulder blades, ‘and, goodness knows, it needs it.’
* * *
‘I know I’ve broken it, Nurse.’
Louisa stared down at the badly deformed wrist and then at the wrinkled, aged face of the lady looking at her so anxiously. ‘I think you’re right, Alice,’ she said gently. ‘I’ll get a doctor to look at it and then we’ll take some X-rays. Try not to worry. We’ll get it sorted out.’
‘I can’t believe this has happened.’ Alice’s eyes filled with tears. ‘I should never have gone out but I wanted to do some Christmas shopping. I don’t want to miss the last posting date. Vera is useless at that sort of thing, you see. The shopping is my responsibility.’
‘Who’s Vera?’ Louisa
reached for an X-ray form and filled in all the necessary details.
‘My sister. She relies on me for everything,’ Alice fretted. ‘I’m the organised one, you see. She’s not very strong. I look after her.’
Louisa glanced at the date of birth on the notes and calculated that Alice was eighty-six. ‘You look after her?’ She kept her tone level, careful not to betray surprise or concern.
‘Ever since her husband died twenty years ago. We argue, of course.’ Alice gave a weak smile. ‘But generally we rub along very well together. I’m the active one.’
Louisa mentally filed that information. ‘Do you have any help in the home?’
‘We’ve never needed any,’ Alice said proudly, clutching her handbag with her good hand. ‘I shop and cook and Vera manages a bit of housework around the place. We’re a good team. And if we get stuck then someone in the village will always help. That’s the good thing about living in a small community. Everyone looks out for everyone.’
Louisa smiled. ‘Well, you might need some help with the shopping and cooking with that wrist out of action.’ She tucked her pen back in her pocket. ‘I’m going to get a doctor to take a look at your wrist so that we can get you sorted out.’
‘You need a doctor?’ Mac’s deep drawl came from right behind her and she felt her heart jump in her chest. She turned quickly, feeling colour touch her cheeks as she met his cool gaze. Whenever she laid eyes on him she found it difficult to breathe.
Which was ridiculous, because Mac Sullivan was not a man who encouraged the attentions of women, even though he clearly attracted them.
He was brooding, gorgeous and too remote for his own good, she decided. Why did he insist on keeping people at a distance? Resolving to peel away the layers until she revealed the man underneath, Louisa turned her attention back to her patient.
‘Poor Alice had a bit of a fall,’ she said huskily, giving the old lady with a reassuring smile. ‘I’ve filled out the X-ray forms but she hasn’t been seen yet.’
Mac pulled out a chair and sat down so that he was at eye level with his patient. ‘Pavements icy out there today, Mrs Ford?’
‘Yes, and you’re probably thinking that it was stupid of me to go out,’ Alice fretted, glancing helplessly at Louisa. ‘I should have stayed indoors but I needed some last-minute presents. The annoying thing is that I didn’t even get round to buying them.’
‘Don’t worry about the presents,’ Mac said calmly, examining the wrist with gentle fingers. ‘Are you tender here?’ He moved his fingers. ‘What about here?’
‘No, not particularly.’ Alice watched as he checked her pulses and finished his examination.
‘All right. That’s fine for now.’ He reached for the X-ray form that Louisa had already started filling in and signed it. ‘We’ll check your X-rays and then take it from there.’
‘I can’t stay in hospital,’ Alice said firmly. ‘I’ve got my sister to look after. She can’t manage without me.’
Mac frowned slightly and stood up. ‘Let’s see what the X-rays tell us and then we’ll worry about that.’ He looked at Louisa. ‘Give me a shout when the films are back.’
She nodded and watched as he strolled away, the bright lights of the A and E department glinting off his dark hair, his shoulders impossibly broad.
He wasn’t her type, she told herself firmly.
He might be shockingly handsome but he was remote and distant and not at all tactile.
When she finally fell in love, it was going to be with a real family man. Someone who wanted a noisy, crowded home, just as she did, with hordes of children and several dogs.
Not someone like Mac who was self-contained and kept himself apart from others.