‘Another severe infection. What’s going on?’ She was on to it straight away.
‘I’m going to arrange further screening to see if there’s an underlying cause that we haven’t found yet. The cancer could be in other organs, though symptoms haven’t presented.’ Though that didn’t feel right.
Stacey’s face fell. ‘He doesn’t deserve that. He’s so sweet and nice to everyone, even when we’re doing awful procedures on him.’
No one deserved cancer, but he agreed with her. ‘Fingers crossed I’m wrong. Let me know as soon as you get the lab results.’ He turned for the lift, paused, and returned to Stacey, his heart hammering. She might think he wanted to soften any blow he might have for the future. But he hadn’t decided completely on what he had to offer yet, was afraid of getting it wrong and losing any chance of working this out so that all three of them were happy. ‘I thought we might go out for dinner on Friday night if that suits you.’
‘I usually spend the nights with Holly. If you’d like—’
The emergency buzzer screamed throughout the ward.
Stacey leapt around the counter to read the number flashing from the screen. ‘Bed eleven. Cardiac arrest. Jason, resus cart.’ And she was gone, Jason right beside her with the cart.
Noah was on her heels. ‘Who is it?’
‘Fifty-five-year-old female, post gastro surgery, history of cardiac arrest, last time six months ago.’ She raced into the room. ‘Keep doing compressions, Ada. Jason, prepare the defib.’ She tore the woman’s gown open and pressed the patches onto the woman’s skin before attaching the leads and reading the monitor.
Noah took the electric pads from Jason. The screen showed the heart had stopped. ‘Stand back.’
Everyone else put space between themselves and the bed.
Stacey watched the screen.
Noah tapped the button on the defib.
Melissa’s body jerked upwards.
Stacey watched the line on the screen, said calmly, ‘Prepare for another shock.’
Noah primed the defibrillator. ‘Stand back.’
The flat line rose and fell, trailing a pattern matching life. Then it stopped.
‘Prepare for another shock,’ Stacey ordered.
Shock. Jerk. The line rose, fell, rose, fell.
Noah was holding his breath, and when he looked around he saw everyone was doing the same. Except Stacey. She had a stethoscope to her ears and was listening to the woman’s chest. Not satisfied with the monitor? Not taking anything for granted? That was Stacey. Finally she straightened. ‘Well done, everyone. Jason, stay with Melissa. She’s your sole charge for the rest of the day. I’ll phone her surgeon and let him know what’s happened, though I doubt he’s going to be surprised.’ Then she turned to him. ‘Noah, do you think you could examine our patient so I can report back to her surgeon?’
‘Of course. Where are her notes?’
‘Here.’ Jason extended a file.
After a quick appraisal of the woman’s history of heart surgeries and the recent gastro op, her temperature, heart rate before and after the arrest, her blood flow before checking the wound for sepsis, Noah said, ‘All clean. She hasn’t complained of pain any time today?’
Ada shook her head. ‘No. In fact, she was saying she hadn’t felt so good for months.’
Hadn’t he heard that often enough to almost take it as a warning something was about to happen? After a thorough examination, he told Stacey and Jason, ‘I can’t find anything that might’ve triggered that attack other than her history of cardiac failures. But her surgeon should see her ASAP.’
‘He’s on his way,’ Stacey informed him.
‘Then I’ll get back to Theatre.’ He’d nearly reached the lift when he heard Stacey call out.
‘Noah.’ She approached with what he thought was apprehension. ‘About Friday night? We’re spending time together seeing your relatives on Saturday. Can we leave it at that for now?’
‘If that’s what you want.’ Disappointment at not having time alone with her touched him. But, then, he didn’t want to rush anything, did he?
‘I’ll bring Holly, too.’
That would cause a stir with the relatives for sure. But they had to find out sooner or later as he didn’t intend hiding his daughter from anyone. ‘Good idea.’
Relief poured into her face. ‘Glad you think so.’ She gave him such a sad smile he found himself wanting to banish it by saying they’d get through this okay and to haul her into his arms, hug her hard, but the lift doors opened behind him and Melissa’s surgeon, Connor Harrison, charged out.
‘Stacey, is Melissa conscious?’
‘Yes,’ she answered, still looking at him. ‘Noah checked Melissa over.’
‘Noah, thanks for that. Talk later. I need to see her.’ Connor headed down the ward.
‘I’d better join him,’ Stacey said, but she didn’t move.
‘I’d better get on with surgery. Talk to you later about Saturday.’
‘Looking forward to it.’ She gave him a wave over her shoulder as she chased after Connor.
She wouldn’t be looking forward to meeting Robert and Alice if she knew how cold they were. Not even Stacey’s friendly disposition would warm their hearts. Noah watched until she disappeared into Melissa’s room. She certainly did things to his heart that he wasn’t used to. Was this what he’d been looking for? The feeling of coming home when he’d walked into her parents’ house yesterday said so. How did he know for certain? By taking time to find out more, and waiting to see if he did love her, or if this was a passing fancy.
Time to get back to work. Phoning downstairs, he told them he was on his way.
CHAPTER NINE
STACEY’S STOMACH WAS tied in knots when Noah arrived to pick them up on Saturday. They weren’t going to stay long at his relatives’ house as Holly might get grumpy, as she did sometimes when she couldn’t do something because of the cast, and Noah said it wouldn’t work to put her down for a nap there. He wouldn’t explain why, just said that afterwards they’d go to his place for a while so he’d have more time with Holly.
As he opened the back door to his four-wheel drive, he leaned in and kissed Holly on the cheek. ‘Hello, Holly.’
‘Hello, No Daddy.’
&
nbsp; Stacey’s heart wobbled. At least these two were getting along. If only she and Noah could make headway. They got on fine at work, where nothing personal came up, but away from the hospital there was an undercurrent of uncertainty running between them that had started when she’d told him he was Holly’s father, and so far nothing had seemed to change it.
Then he surprised her with a kiss on her cheek. Chaste and still making her heart beat harder than normal. ‘Noah?’
He breathed deeply. ‘Citrus. That tangy, sweet smell always reminds me of you.’
‘Are you trying to butter me up?’ she asked, a little too abruptly.
‘Not at all. Just stating a fact.’ His smile was skewwhiff.
Trying for relaxed, she smiled. ‘Lemons and oranges, my lasting impression, huh?’
‘One of them.’
She wasn’t asking what the others were. She had enough of her own about Noah to make her blush if he knew what she was thinking. She handed Holly over to him to put in the car seat. ‘I’ve brought a colouring-in book and pencils to keep her occupied at the house. Do I need to grab some paper to protect any surfaces?’
Noah shook his head. ‘I’m sure Jackson will rustle up something.’
‘Who’s Jackson?’
‘The butler.’
Her stomach dropped. The butler. Just where were they going? Here she’d been worrying if Noah’s aunt and uncle would accept her and Holly, and now there was a butler in the picture. That spoke volumes, told her she had no idea what the morning would bring. She wasn’t against butlers as such, but a sense of being out of her depth was creeping in and they hadn’t left Harlow yet.
She climbed into the vehicle, laid the flowers she’d bought on the floor by her feet, and strapped herself in tight, then looked at her outfit. Black leggings under a short red skirt, a fitted floral blouse and a tight corduroy jacket. She’d splashed out in the winter sales for those items, and then had really blown the budget with new—no nicks and scratches—black, knee-high boots, so she was dressed up for the occasion, and now she felt cheap.