Just Friends to Just Married?

Viv shook her head and took Lien’s hand. ‘Okay, this is the point you stop being a doctor and I start being your midwife. I’m going to phone Ron. I’m going to get him to order you to stop working, get some rest, and get started on an IV. You’re dehydrated, Lien. We need to get this under control.’

Lien’s eyes were glassy now, but she nodded and Viv understood. She’d needed someone to take the decision away from her, otherwise she’d just keep working until she finally collapsed.

Viv opened the treatment-room door and led her through to a single side room, grabbing a sick bowl on the way. ‘Have a seat on the bed and I’ll get things organised. And,’ she said slowly, ‘I’ll go and grab Joe, and tell Duc he needs to come in and see you.’

Lien nodded. She already looked secretly relieved. Then she held up her hands. ‘Take my bloods first, otherwise that pair will try and do it. I’d prefer it if it was you.’

‘Of course.’ Fifteen minutes later the bloods were taken, Ron had consulted with them over the phone, insisting he’d be in that evening to see Lien, and the IV was in situ.

Viv walked down the corridor to Theatre and shook off the headache she was having. Last night had been weird. She’d had chills, actual chills, and had woken up sweating so badly she’d had to change her pyjamas. When she’d checked her temperature it had been high. Truth was she’d felt kind of weird the last few days. She’d hoped she wasn’t coming down with something so she’d taken some paracetamol then, and a few more this morning. She still wasn’t feeling a hundred per cent, but she had a job to do. There wasn’t time to be sick. She pushed open the door to where Duc and Joe had just finished and were changing into clean scrubs.

‘Hey, guys,’ she said, as the door banged open.

Both looked up, surprised. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen either of them in a state of undress before—the theatre changing room was shared. It was just unusual for her to come in unannounced.

‘Something wrong?’ Joe asked immediately.

She gave him a nod. ‘I have a new patient in room seven. Hyperemesis gravidarum. Eleven weeks. Dehydrated and hooked up to an IV.’

Joe let out an expletive and walked straight out the door.

Duc was clearly confused. ‘What am I missing? Is Ron not available?’

It was clear he was thinking about the patient and symptoms. This wasn’t usually the kind of patient Viv would bring to him.

His frown deepened as he processed Joe’s reaction, then she could see recognition forming in his brain. She nodded. ‘It’s Lien. I said I’d come and get you both.’

He finished pulling a fresh scrub top over his head. She couldn’t miss the broad shoulders and abs, but she was telling herself not to look at them, just to focus on his face because that was safer. But was it?

Ever since that second kiss, she’d had dreams every night that were filled with Duc. Every morning she woke up angry with her subconscious for letting him in. He would be leaving soon. She had to stop associating this place with him. Particularly when she liked this place so much.

The previous fleeting thoughts about this place feeling like home had been pushed from her head. She’d recognised that she’d started to associate Duc with feeling like home. That wouldn’t happen. She’d been crazy to even think about things for a second. It was a waste of time and energy, and if she focused on the angry part, she could try and forget the hurt part.

Because if she thought about it too much, it played havoc with her senses. Her brain was so glad she didn’t have to contemplate the thought of Duc not wanting to leave, because where would that leave her? She’d have to face up to how much her feelings towards him had changed, and what that was doing to her. Even at the club, that guy who’d asked her to dance had been her ‘safe’ option. The type she always chose. Because there was no attachment, no relationship potential. She could keep that shell around herself perfectly in place. But if it was Duc...

She was trying hard to keep things on an even keel between them.

Things had been awkwardly casual. It was the way it had to be.

She appreciated that he hadn’t pressed her on what had happened between them. But it meant that once again there was a tension in the air between them, both of them finishing conversations as quickly as possible and moving on.

He still hadn’t told her about returning to his surgical position, and she almost understood that. The old ease between them had gone. Previously she would have expected him to tell her almost everything. But now? Would he be the first person she would tell about any life-changing plans? Probably not.

Now he gave her a half-scowl. ‘Why didn’t you tell me Lien was pregnant? Why didn’t you tell me she was sick?’

He’d started down the corridor with long strides and she had to run to keep up. She grabbed his hand, making him stop. ‘If I have to explain patient confidentiality to you, Duc, it’s a bad day between us.’

There was a flash of fury in his eyes. She almost expected him to spit out, ‘Isn’t that normal for us now?’

Instead, she watched him take a deep breath. ‘I thought we practically had a shared brain, Viv. You tell me, I tell you. It doesn’t go any further.’

She met his gaze head on as a surge of anger pulsed through her. She could so easily spit out that she’d seen his email. But she didn’t. She just shook her head. ‘So did I,’ she said instead, and walked past him into Lien’s room.

Joe was sitting on the bed next to her with his arm around Lien’s shoulders.

He looked at Viv straight away. ‘Did Ron give you a time?’

She nodded. ‘He just sent me a text. He’ll be here at five-thirty.’

Duc walked around her and bent to kiss Lien on the side of the cheek. ‘Congratulations, Mumma. Now, what can I do to help you?’

Lien laid her exhausted head back on the pillow. ‘Cover her shifts,’ Viv answered for her. ‘Lien needs some time out. Sometimes this passes—sometimes it can last a whole pregnancy, and right now we have no way of knowing.’

Duc nodded. ‘Fine. I had some enquiries the other day. A doctor who worked here with my mother and father wondered about coming back for a spell.’

Joe looked up. ‘That would be ideal. You know that your mum and dad will already have checked them out. It would save the time of having to advertise and interview for a job.’

Duc nodded. ‘I’ll get Sen to pull out their file. Unless there’s anything to give concern, I’ll see when they can start.’

Lien’s brow furrowed. ‘Do you have a name? I might have been here when they worked here before.’

Duc nodded and pulled his phone from his pocket checking his emails. ‘Yip, here it is. A French guy, Emile Dupont?’

Lien smiled as she closed her eyes. ‘Ah, I remember him. He’s in his fifties. He’s a great doctor, very lyrical.’

Viv frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

Lien kept her eyes closed. ‘He’s like a walking poet. His grasp of the language is good, and he can talk to patients for hours. They get almost mesmerised by him.’ She opened her eyes for a second and met Duc’s gaze. ‘He’s a good fit. He’ll do well. I hope he can make it.’

‘Consider it done.’ Duc sounded determined. Viv could see the worry on his face as he looked at his friend.

She liked that about him. Part of her felt a little guilty for not telling him about Lien, but her professional head reassured her she’d done the right thing. The good thing was she was confident he would do anything he could to help Lien—as would the rest of the staff.

She gave a nod. Joe was stroking Lien’s hair and she could tell they needed a little time alone. ‘Hey, guys, can I pick up Regan for you at nursery?’

Joe shot her a grateful look. ‘That would be great. I’ll call and tell them you’ll be there. Thanks so much.’

‘No problem.’ Viv checked Lien’s IV

one more time, filling in her charts before leaving the room and giving a quick handover to the nurse in charge.

Duc followed her out of the room. ‘Viv.’ She turned, thinking he was going to complain, but instead he gave her a grateful glance. ‘Thanks for looking after Lien. I’m sorry I snapped at you. Of course you couldn’t tell me, and I know she’s in safe hands with you and Ron.’

She breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Don’t worry, Duc. If I need to consult at some point, I will.’

He nodded, reassured, then paused, and she could tell he was going to say something else. Her stomach clenched as she waited.

‘Could you give me a hand with something later?’

‘Sure,’ she said cautiously, wondering what on earth she’d just got herself into. That headache was still nagging away at her.

‘I need to have a clearout—for the goodwill store. I should have done it earlier, but I guess—’ his brown eyes met hers ‘—I wasn’t ready yet.’