A Mother for His Twins

Jennifer nodded. ‘You’re with me, Maryanne, and the service registrar on duty as well. Make sure any interns are being put to good use. I don’t want to see anyone standing around without a job to do.’

‘Yes, Doctor.’ Maryanne snapped to it.

‘Jasper, you take treatment room one, I’ll go into two. We’ll work from there. Now, if we could take a look at the reports which are coming in, please?’ She held out her hand for the papers and was in the middle of scanning the third one when the wail of the sirens could be heard getting closer.

‘Action stations,’ she murmured.

‘What did you say?’ Jasper asked, a smirk on his face.

‘Nothing.’

‘Yes, you did. You said, “Action stations.’”

‘Perhaps I did.’ She put the piece of paper from she’d been reading back onto the desk, then turned to look at him, lifting her chin slightly, the action causing Jasper’s smile to increase. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen her do that and he’d realised it was usually when she was uncomfortable. It was cute. ‘What?’ she asked when he continued to look at her, making her feel highly self-conscious.

He shrugged a little and stood from where he’d perched himself against the nurses’ desk. ‘Nothing. I guess it’s just not something I’d expect you to say.’

‘Why, not?’ she asked as they both headed over towards the treatment cubicles.

‘Well it’s sort of…I don’t know…a military expression.’

‘And you don’t see any resemblance between the military and a hospital?’ she quizzed.

Jasper chuckled. ‘I’m not denying that. I was just surprised to hear the words come out of your mouth. That’s all.’ He looked down at her as though excited about a new discovery. ‘I like that about you. You’re so different from other women.’ With that, he headed into treatment room one whilst she went to number two.

While she pulled on a protective gown and gloves, Jennifer couldn’t believe how warm his words made her feel. It had been an extremely long time since any man had said such sweet things to her and it was wonderful. Although, she rationalised, he was around females a lot, not only here at work with colleagues but at home with his daughters. He was obviously a father who was used to giving little compliments, to stroking the fragile female ego, and she’d probably do well not to put too much weight on what he said.

She’d come back to Parramatta hoping to find healing, to find the real Jennifer again, and accepting Jasper’s easy banter and teasing was a good start. He had the ability to make her feel the way she had back in medical school before the weight of the world had been thrust on her shoulders. Arturo’s death had affected her life because when he’d died she’d felt as though all of the life had gone out of her as well. If it hadn’t been for close friends, such as Sara and Matt, she might have faded away into nothingness. Thankfully, though, she’d held on and now, coming back to Parramatta, back to where it had all begun, she was really starting to feel like her old self…willing to get out there and try to find her life once again. And Jasper was helping her.

Her first patient was wheeled in and she pushed all thoughts of Jasper to the back of her mind. The hours ticked by and after she’d seen one patient, ordered tests and X-rays, she moved on to the next. Apparently a truck had lost its brakes coming down an embankment on the freeway, and had not only collected the cars in front of it but also a few on the other side of the multiple-lane highway. Several cases had been transferred to Sydney General Hospital but as the accident had happened closer to Parramatta, their hospital would be responsible for the most urgent cases.

Eight hours later, just after midnight, Jennifer received a phone call as she was suturing a wound after inserting a nail that would stabilise the patient’s femur.

‘Dr Thorngate,’ the scout nurse said. ‘I have Eddie on the line. He says if you’re free, could you meet him in Emergency Theatre Two, please? He needs your assistance.’

‘Right. Thanks. Tell him I’ll be there in ten minutes.’ Jennifer looked across at Maryanne. ‘You can close here, then you may as well grab a quick drink and check the status of future patients who may require our services tonight.’

‘Yes, Dr Thorngate.’

Jennifer stood back from the table and put the instruments down, leaving the theatre staff to carry on while she pulled some extra energy from her already depleted reserves and went to assist Jasper.

When she entered Theatre Two, Jasper looked up from the table.