Resisting Her Army Doc Rival

The private blushed. ‘Hi, Cassy.’

‘Reece.’ Cassy looked anywhere but at their patient.

‘Let’s get this happening.’ Sam strolled into the room. ‘Anders is on his way. Just finishing dinner.’

‘Lucky guy,’ Madison muttered. Lunch seemed days ago.

‘Here.’ Sam passed her a chocolate bar. ‘Get that into you.’

‘Thanks.’ She tore off the wrapper and took a bite. Rolling her eyes, she said, ‘Heaven.’

‘It’s not a good look when the surgeon faints halfway through an op.’ Sam gave her one of those smiles she already treasured. They were warm and encompassing, aimed straight for her heart, whereas his grins were fun and wicked and she liked those, too.

‘You have a point.’ Crazy but she found herself constantly looking out for those smiles. They made her feel as though she wasn’t on her own. Not that she was, being surrounded by military personnel, but there were times when she needed someone beside her that understood where she came from, who she was. Hey, that’s not Sam. He doesn’t have a clue about me. But they had walked the same streets, attended the same school, followed the same career paths.

Another bite of the treat he’d brought her. The chocolate gave her an instant boost. As did a glance at Sam. Or maybe the sudden energy rise was the result of his smile. Whichever, her shoulders lifted and her blood warmed, and the tiredness dogging her took a hike. A temporary fix but that was all she needed to get through the next thirty minutes.

‘I see I’m not rostered on in here tomorrow morning.’

‘Never say that.’ Sam shook his head at her. ‘You’re only tempting fate. There’s no such thing as not being on duty around here.’

‘So I’ve noticed.’ Madison didn’t try to dampen the warmth cruising her body, waking her up.

Watch it. Don’t let him do this. He’ll be gone in less than a week and I don’t want to be left wondering how well we could’ve got along.

‘You going to stand there daydreaming all night?’ the man winding through her veins asked. ‘How about getting a move on so we can hit the canteen sooner than later.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Watch it,’ he retorted, as he nudged open the door into the scrubs room. ‘We’re not on patrol now.’

‘No, but you’ll be keeping just as close an eye on me throughout the operation.’ The warmth was cooling. She was no longer a registrar. Appendectomies were straightforward surgical procedures. Sure, things could, and occasionally did, go wrong, but she was more than competent.

‘Don’t panic, Madison. I’m not checking your operating abilities. You’re a qualified surgeon with a ton of experience behind you. I’m sure you’ve done numerous appendectomies. I’m simply assisting as I’m on duty and ready for something more exciting than torn nails or pretend sore throats.’

She’d got that wrong, then. ‘You know my medical career history?’ She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

‘Just supposing, having been there myself,’ he muttered over his shoulder. ‘Med school, specialty training, and then deciding what to do next. Except I’m still surprised you’re not working to becoming established in private practice.’

‘So am I,’ Madison replied without thought. Yikes. Now he’d ask again why she’d changed her mind, and she wasn’t about to talk about the year she’d had away from medicine while she’d got her health back. She needed a diversion and quickly, judging by the questions brewing in his eyes. ‘I don’t remember you being at our school in years nine and ten.’

He named a low decile establishment on the outskirts of the city. ‘I moved across town from there to live with Ma and Pa Creighton in year eleven. It was a bit of a shock starting in with your lot. For one, my grades were appreciated, not poked fun at.’

‘Are the Creightons relatives? Distant ones?’ It wasn’t usual for strangers to take a child into their lives like that.

‘No.’ Water splashed over the side of the basin when Sam shoved the tap on full. Whatever he said was lost in the noise of running water and the harsh scrubbing of his hands.

Now she’d gone and stirred up things apparently best left alone. Placing her hand lightly on his shoulder, she tried to ignore the ripple of muscles under her palm. ‘I’m sorry if I’ve overstepped the mark.’

Under her palm Sam went rigid. The scrubbing stopped and he stared down at the floor, his arms braced each side of the basin. ‘Ma Creighton and my mother were friends when they were kids. When Mum got a cleaning job at the same school Ma Creighton taught at they renewed their friendship.’ Lifting his head, Sam locked his gaze on her. ‘Mum died and the Creighton family didn’t hesitate to take me in. I could’ve kept going across town to my old school but I’d hated it there, was glad of the opportunity to start afresh.’ Hurt dripped off his words.

He’d started in a new school and a new family all at once. Lost his mother as well. That explained his take-me-or-leave-me grins. He wanted to be liked but was afraid to risk himself. ‘Must’ve been hard for you. Did you have any close friends who knew?’

His headshake was abrupt. ‘No. I liked it that way.’

‘I get it.’ She really did. Sharing her anguish was not happening. She didn’t want sympathy, just honest friendship.

‘See you in Theatre,’ Sam muttered as he pushed past her.

‘Sure.’ Madison followed, her mind absorbing this information. He must’ve been so lonely at times.

Something he’d obviously been an expert at covering up.

* * *

‘Glad that’s over,’ Madison commented around a yawn. ‘Reece came through easily enough.’ The top half of her scrubs hit the laundry basket. One hand firmly held her T-shirt in place to stop it riding up and revealing her scarring, something she’d become practised at when around other people. Using communal showers when she’d first joined the army had been awkward, and had seen her getting to the shower block very early or equally late in order to save her pride. A towel had always been on hand to wrap around her body if someone came in. Once a group of younger female officers had deliberately gatecrashed her ablutions but after seeing her fully naked they’d apologised and left her alone from then on. The real surprise from that experience had been that she’d never heard a word about it around camp. It was enough for her to forgive the women.

‘No reason why he shouldn’t have. He’s fit and healthy.’ Sam’s scrubs followed hers. ‘Let’s see what the cook’s got for us.’

‘I’ll give that a miss. I’m not hungry.’ Who knew where her appetite had gone but the thought of food made her nauseous.

‘That chocolate bar wasn’t enough,’ Sam muttered.

No, but spending any more time with you would be too much. ‘Probably not.’ Another yawn. ‘But sleep’s more important right now.’ There was cotton wool in her skull and grit in her eyes, and tomorrow she had to be on her mettle for whatever came her way.

‘You reckon you’ll nod off now? Right after doing an op? On an empty stomach?’ Disbelief radiated out at her from deceptively calm eyes.

Sam knew she wanted to avoid him.

He wouldn’t understand she was doing this so she didn’t get too invested in him. So that when he left her heart would be fine. Hearing that snippet about his mother’s death and the Creightons’ generosity had her wanting to dig deeper into who he was. Which was a slippery slide down into trouble. She’d stay clear of him as much as possible.

That’s how it had to be. With Sam and any man who interested her. Really? Her heart slowed as sadness clogged her blood. Really. She was not exposing hersel

f, her body, to be laughed at or, worse, turned away from with horror. Anyway, the fact she mightn’t be able to have children would be another turn-off for most men, and one she wasn’t strong enough to face.

‘Hello, Maddy, anyone home?’ Sam waved a hand in front of her eyes.

‘No, I’m asleep on my feet,’ she retorted. Slapping her hands on her hips, she took her confusion out on him by growling, ‘Quit hassling me, Sam, before I do something I regret.’

‘This I can’t wait to see.’

She poked his chest with a finger, bounced on her toes. ‘I’m exhausted, but I’m also feeling wired.’ Energiser bunny in disguise.

‘In other words, overtired.’

‘Thank you, Doctor.’ Throughout her body muscles tensed, ready for action of some kind. Any kind.

An annoyingly big smile hit her in slap bang in the stomach, winding her up so fast it wasn’t funny. At the same time her insides resembled melted jelly and all her tension evaporated. How did he do that? She, of all people, knew better than to be taken in. Not just by Sam, but by anybody. Yet... Her thigh stung where her palm landed hard. Sam smiling at her just—just got to her in ways no one had for a long time. Make that in ways she hadn’t allowed for a long time, ways she’d fought hard to remain immune to. And tonight she had no fight left, was exhausted beyond measure. Spinning around, she aimed for the door. ‘See you tomorrow.’

Sam followed her outside as though nothing bothered him, like he wanted her company. ‘Come for a walk around the perimeter.’

That’s what she was about to do. Alone. ‘You go and eat. You must be hungry.’

Get away from me, give me space to douse the warmth you’ve created so that jelly sensation can solidify back into concrete.

‘You’re jumping off the walls from an adrenalin rush brought on by operating.’ His hand on her elbow did nothing to cool her down. Quite the opposite.

‘As I already said, yes, Doctor.’

His hand remained on her elbow. He matched his strides to hers. ‘Throw in exhaustion and you’re more than hyper. A fast walk will help quieten you down. Followed by food, you’ll then sleep the sleep of the dead.’