through, cooped up in this cell of a room when over in the theatre block his team were operating without him! Damn the accident, damn Diana, damn the whole lot of them, including the trainee dragon regarding him with synthetic concern. If he hadn't forgotten his keys he could have spent the night at the apartment and then this … this nightmare would never have happened.
There was a knock on the door and an auxiliary came in with the elevenses tray which she handed over to Mr Galvan's poor nurse. The new lass looked drained already. Really, really pale. She'd last no longer than the others. Still, she'd got him into his pyjamas and that must have taken some nerve.
Kate poured his coffee and swung the bed table round so that his drink was in reach. This was hospital coffee, not finest Arabica. She wasn't letting him anywhere near the tray. 'Sugar?'
'Certainly not. Sugar's worse than fats. You should know that, you're supposed to be looking after me.'
'I want you up now, Mr Galvan. I shouldn't need to remind a surgeon that after surgery it's not good to lie in bed.'
'I have been getting up,' came the grumpy response, 'but it's easier to deal with these application forms when I'm in bed.'
'Oh, is that what they are.' Kate fetched his tartan dressing gown and turned back the covers for him to swing his legs out. Tom groaned as if it was all an immense effort.
'The light's much better by the window. Maybe I can help. Pass you things.' She took hold of his good arm in case he should be unsteady on his feet.
It was a shock to be reminded how tall he was, towering over her, physically dominating the confined space. No wonder the agency nurses had been frightened of Tom Galvan in a rage. Herself a tall girl, Kate felt dwarfed and fragile beside him. She was taken aback when the grumbling suddenly ceased and tightening his dressing gown cord Tom looked down at her and grinned. She smiled back uncertainly, mistrusting her instinctive reaction to be charmed by this charismatic man.
'What am I supposed to call you?'
'Gertie,' said Kate, silently congratulating herself on being ready for this one.
'Well you look a darn sight better without your goggles, Gertie. Seem to see a lot better without them too.'
'Oh, I—er— took them off to help with the beds. They slip down my nose.'
'Really. Why's that, Gertie. Didn't you have them properly fitted?'
'I – er – lost a lot of weight. Yes, I was … em … really … this uniform used to be quite tight.'
'You had a fat nose. How unfortunate.'
Oh god , thought Kate. This is one smart guy, I'm going to have to watch my step if I'm to keep up this charade. 'Which pile of forms do you want to start with?' she asked hurriedly.
Five minutes passed in which Kate bustled back and forth with fresh linen and Tom Galvan resumed his work.
'Coffee okay, Mr Galvan? Another cup?'
He flung down his pen with a sigh. 'I trained myself to be ambidextrous—always useful for a surgeon. But my right hand's not used to this and I'm getting writer's cramp.'
'Perhaps I could help you.'
'We-ell, this is strictly confidential, I can't let you read the applications.' Tom rubbed his chin as he considered her tempting offer … He could wait for his secretary to come up in the late afternoon. Or he could get stuck in with Gertie's help. 'I guess you could help me draw up my shortlist.'
Kate brought over a visitor's chair and settled herself alertly at his elbow with the clipboard.
'Going to be able to manage all right without your goggles, Gertie?'
'It's OK, I just wear them for reading,' said Kate without a second thought.
Tom gave her an odd look but left it at that. 'These are applications for the post of registrar on my neuro-surgical firm. I'm drawing up a shortlist of ten names. '
' All these? But there must be over a hundred!'
He gave a grunt. 'We've had a very high response and Kingsley's checked through the lot and weeded out the no-hopes. Every one of these surgeons has
There was a knock on the door and an auxiliary came in with the elevenses tray which she handed over to Mr Galvan's poor nurse. The new lass looked drained already. Really, really pale. She'd last no longer than the others. Still, she'd got him into his pyjamas and that must have taken some nerve.
Kate poured his coffee and swung the bed table round so that his drink was in reach. This was hospital coffee, not finest Arabica. She wasn't letting him anywhere near the tray. 'Sugar?'
'Certainly not. Sugar's worse than fats. You should know that, you're supposed to be looking after me.'
'I want you up now, Mr Galvan. I shouldn't need to remind a surgeon that after surgery it's not good to lie in bed.'
'I have been getting up,' came the grumpy response, 'but it's easier to deal with these application forms when I'm in bed.'
'Oh, is that what they are.' Kate fetched his tartan dressing gown and turned back the covers for him to swing his legs out. Tom groaned as if it was all an immense effort.
'The light's much better by the window. Maybe I can help. Pass you things.' She took hold of his good arm in case he should be unsteady on his feet.
It was a shock to be reminded how tall he was, towering over her, physically dominating the confined space. No wonder the agency nurses had been frightened of Tom Galvan in a rage. Herself a tall girl, Kate felt dwarfed and fragile beside him. She was taken aback when the grumbling suddenly ceased and tightening his dressing gown cord Tom looked down at her and grinned. She smiled back uncertainly, mistrusting her instinctive reaction to be charmed by this charismatic man.
'What am I supposed to call you?'
'Gertie,' said Kate, silently congratulating herself on being ready for this one.
'Well you look a darn sight better without your goggles, Gertie. Seem to see a lot better without them too.'
'Oh, I—er— took them off to help with the beds. They slip down my nose.'
'Really. Why's that, Gertie. Didn't you have them properly fitted?'
'I – er – lost a lot of weight. Yes, I was … em … really … this uniform used to be quite tight.'
'You had a fat nose. How unfortunate.'
Oh god , thought Kate. This is one smart guy, I'm going to have to watch my step if I'm to keep up this charade. 'Which pile of forms do you want to start with?' she asked hurriedly.
Five minutes passed in which Kate bustled back and forth with fresh linen and Tom Galvan resumed his work.
'Coffee okay, Mr Galvan? Another cup?'
He flung down his pen with a sigh. 'I trained myself to be ambidextrous—always useful for a surgeon. But my right hand's not used to this and I'm getting writer's cramp.'
'Perhaps I could help you.'
'We-ell, this is strictly confidential, I can't let you read the applications.' Tom rubbed his chin as he considered her tempting offer … He could wait for his secretary to come up in the late afternoon. Or he could get stuck in with Gertie's help. 'I guess you could help me draw up my shortlist.'
Kate brought over a visitor's chair and settled herself alertly at his elbow with the clipboard.
'Going to be able to manage all right without your goggles, Gertie?'
'It's OK, I just wear them for reading,' said Kate without a second thought.
Tom gave her an odd look but left it at that. 'These are applications for the post of registrar on my neuro-surgical firm. I'm drawing up a shortlist of ten names. '
' All these? But there must be over a hundred!'
He gave a grunt. 'We've had a very high response and Kingsley's checked through the lot and weeded out the no-hopes. Every one of these surgeons has
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