‘I don’t think so,’ Mrs Gillespie said, looking doubtful.
‘If you think of something later, just have a word with one of the nurses and they’ll come and get one of us,’ Rhys said. ‘Rosanna’s going to be in excellent hands. And you’ll find that feeding her is a lot easier when she can breathe properly through her nose again.’
‘She’s such a tiny scrap. All my friends’ babies are getting huge—I thought I was doing something wrong.’ Tears welled up in Mrs Gillespie’s eyes.
Katrina took her hand. ‘You weren’t doing anything wrong at all. You did absolutely the best thing, talking to your health visitor about it instead of struggling on your own and worrying.’
‘My mother-in-law said I should have weaned her ages ago, that’s why she isn’t growing and why she isn’t sleeping through the night yet.’
‘Absolutely not,’ Rhys said. ‘We don’t recommend weaning any earlier than four months. Rosanna was finding it hard to feed because it was hard work for her; she’s been eating little and often because it’s been easier for her. And babies decide when they’re going to sleep through the night—every baby’s different.’
‘Though that’s made it harder for you,’ Katrina added. ‘When you’ve had a lot of broken nights, you’re tired and everything feels much more of a struggle than it would if you’d had enough sleep. Things are going to be a lot better after today.’
Mrs Gillespie brushed away a tear. ‘Thank you. Sorry, I’m being stupid,’ she said shakily.
‘Not at all. You’re human, and you’ve had a lot on your plate.’ Katrina gave her a hug. ‘Would you like me to get you some water or something?’
Mrs Gillespie shook her head. ‘I’m all right. But thank you.’
‘We’ll come and see you again later,’ Rhys promised. ‘If you need anything, just ask. You’re not making a nuisance of yourself—it’s what we’re here for.’
The Gillespies, clearly still overwhelmed, just nodded, and Rhys shepherded Katrina out of the cubicle. ‘You,’ he said, ‘were brilliant. Thanks for your help.’
She shrugged. ‘It’s my job.’
‘That’s not how it comes across. You really care.’
‘It’s hard enough for parents to come to terms with the fact their baby’s not well or needs an operation—the least we can do is make it easier for them. And Will’s always taught the staff on this ward to treat patients as if they’re our own family—so we show them respect, dignity and kindness.’
‘Not all families are like that,’ Rhys said.
That, Katrina thought, sounded personal. Not that she was going to try to get him to talk about it. She knew he’d only back away from her again. ‘This one is,’ she said simply. ‘That’s why I love working here so much.’
Later that afternoon, Katrina was having a coffee break when Rhys walked into the staffroom.
‘Just the person I wanted to see,’ she said with a smile.
‘You want a second opinion on a patient?’ he asked.
She shook her head. ‘I’ve been looking at the listings. There’s a film festival on this week—and there are some really good ones showing tomorrow evening. Shall I book tickets for us?’
‘Tomorrow evening?’ He looked regretful. ‘Sorry. No can do. I’m absolutely up to my eyes in paperwork. If I don’t get some of it shifted…’
Katrina had the nasty feeling that he was making a polite excuse. Rhys’s predecessor had been a little bit slapdash when it came to paperwork, but things couldn’t be that bad, surely?
Well, she wasn’t going to push herself in where she clearly wasn’t wanted. ‘I understand,’ she said. Her mistake, thinking a shared love of film would be the basis of a good friendship. She could accept that he didn’t want to be more than friends—that suited her, too—but it was obvious that Rhys wasn’t interested in even that. ‘And I’d better get on,’ she said, glancing at her watch.
‘You’re not finishing your coffee?’
No. Knowing that she’d just made a fool of herself, she wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. Not that she was going to tell him that. ‘I’ve already had too much caffeine today. I don’t want to be still awake at 3:00 a.m.,’ she said lightly, then rinsed out her mug and left the room.
She managed to keep a lid on her feelings until Friday evening, when she was leaving the ward after a late shift. The light was still on in Rhys’s office; she knew he’d been in early and he should’ve gone home hours ago.