A Mommy for Christmas by Caroline Anderson Read Free Book Online Page A

clinic?’
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    â€˜How did the Farthings react?’
    James ran his hand round the back of his neck and frowned. ‘OK. She’s gone home to get some things and she’s coming back in this evening.’
    â€˜Have you set up a psych referral?’
    He shook his head. ‘I was going to ask you about that. I don’t know what your protocols are here, but she’ll need counselling and psychotherapy or she’ll just do it again. I think there’s a lot going on in her life that her mother doesn’t know about.’
    Kate laughed. ‘She’s a teenager. Of course there is. I’ll sort Psych out. What about Amanda Symes?’ she added, and watched a shadow pass over his face.
    â€˜I’ve referred her to the onco nurse and the Macmillan or Marie Curie people and given her a couple of websites to look up.’
    â€˜Good. Thank you. Right, we’re on call tonight. I’m just going to shoot up to the ward and check things are OK for tomorrow, then I’m going home to read up on the hairball op. Can you give me a ring if anything comes in that I need to know about? Jo’s here—she’ll help you.’
    He nodded, and she thought she could see tension around his eyes. ‘Will do,’ he said, and, picking up the notes for Tracy Farthing, he headed out of the door.
    She followed slowly, contemplated staying around, and told herself not to be ridiculous. He was paid to do a job. Let him do it—he was more than capable. And if he couldn’t manage it because of his family commitments, then he’d have to go, kids or no kids. She couldn’t carry him.
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    James headed up to the paediatric ward, wondering what the night would bring and if he’d manage to get through it without his children waking and refusing to let him out of the door if his pager went.
    Hopefully not.
    He introduced himself to the charge nurse, then told her, ‘I’ve got a fifteen-year-old coming in for tomorrow’s list. She’s got a trichobezoar—a hairball in her stomach—and we’re going to remove it in the morning.’
    She blinked and widened her already wide eyes. ‘Wow. That’s unusual.’
    â€˜Absolutely. I’ve never done one and neither has Kate. Hopefully she’ll be fine and won’t need to go to ITU, but she’ll need careful monitoring in case she gets gastric bleeding because of the abrasion of the hair on her stomach lining.’
    The charge nurse nodded. ‘We’ll make sure she’s got qualified cover for the first twenty-four hours. What about a psychiatric referral?’
    â€˜Kate was contacting them.’
    â€˜OK. I’ll follow it up. They can come and chat to her this evening, reassure her about the surgery.’
    â€˜Thanks. She’s called Tracy Farthing—oh, and mum’s a bit unaware of her social life, I think. She looked relieved about the negative pregnancy test, but the mother was indignant.’
    She laughed. ‘They always are. Don’t worry, we’ll look after her. I’ll put her with a girl who’s having a knee op tomorrow. They can keep each other company in our teenagers’ section.’
    â€˜Thanks. Jo’s around overnight, and I’m on call so I’ll be in and out. Page us if you need to, and I’ll pop in and make sure she’s OK at some point.’
    â€˜Cheers. I’m Trina, by the way. I’ll be on again tomorrow morning so, if I don’t see you later, I’ll see you then.’
    â€˜Great. Cheers, Trina.’
    He walked away, wondering if that had really been an invitation in her wide and welcoming eyes, and if so how he felt about it.
    Stunned, he decided. It was so long since he’d been in the marketplace he’d forgotten what it was like. Horrible, from what he could remember, but then for some reason an image of Kate flashed into his mind and took him by surprise.
    No fluttering