The Greek Children's Doctor(57)

'I'll do the dressings,' Charlotte said immediately. 'She seems to have  taken to you so it seems a shame to upset her again. Keep her on your  lap and I'll sort it out.'

She bustled around the room, collecting various bits and pieces, and then pushed a dressing trolley close to Libby.

With the deft efficiency of a nurse who was well used to doing  dressings, Charlotte covered the burns and made the child comfortable.

'Carry her up to the ward,' Andreas advised softly, placing a large,  reassuring hand on the child's head. 'She's had just about all the  trauma she can take, poor thing.'

Libby nodded and shifted the child into a more comfortable position, careful not to hurt her injured legs.

'I'll take her up, then,' she said quietly, and Andreas nodded.

'I just want to get an update on the parents and then I'll join you with  this little one. It won't hurt to have her in overnight, given the fall  she suffered, and we can't exactly discharge her anyway until we know  what's happening with the parents.'

Libby nodded and left him to it, carrying little Jenny the short distance to the paediatric ward.

Bev was waiting for them, the room all ready, clucking with sympathy  when she saw the child. 'Oh, the poor mite-how are her parents?'

Libby shook her head. 'We don't know yet. Andreas is talking to Jago now.'

Bev sighed and pulled out a chair so that Libby could sit down. 'It  looks as though you're going to be occupied for the rest of the shift so  I'll reallocate the rest of your patients. Luckily we're not that  pushed today so it shouldn't be too difficult.'

'Thanks, Bev.' Libby cuddled Jenny closer. Like the ward sister, she  knew that staying with the child was the most important thing she could  do at the moment. 'What are we going to do with the baby?'

'We've got a spare cot in with Rachel,' Bev said, hooking Jenny's  infusion up to a drip stand. 'I thought we'd put her in there for now.'

'Good idea.'

Libby cuddled Jenny close, talking to her quietly until she fell asleep, her soft hair brushing against Libby's cheek.

'I'm glad she's asleep.' Andreas spoke from the doorway and Libby looked  up to find him leaning against the door-frame, watching them, his  handsome face inscrutable. 'You look good with a child on your lap,  Libby.'

She blushed and changed the subject. 'How are her parents?'

Andreas pulled a face. 'Not good. Her mother is in Theatre now-she  fractured both femurs in the fall so she's going to be in hospital for a  good while.'

'Poor lady.' Libby considered the implications of his words. The woman  had two young children. How was she going to manage? 'Did she suffer  burns?'



'Apparently not.' Andreas shook his head. 'She jumped out of the bedroom  window with the baby to get away from the smoke. How is the baby, by  the way?'

'Seems fine.' Libby spoke softly, careful not to wake Jenny who was  still dozing, snuggled against her chest. 'Bev's made up a cot in  Rachel's room and put her there for now. I suppose we'll need to find  out if there are any other family members to care for her. What about  the father? How's he?'

'Suffering smoke inhalation and quite severe burns to his hands where he  tried to remove Jenny's pyjamas.' Andreas ran a hand through his dark  hair, his expression suddenly weary. 'He certainly isn't going to be in a  position to care for a baby on his own for some time.'

Libby sighed. 'Have we managed to contact any other family? Do the neighbours know of anyone?'

'The police are looking into it,' Andreas told her, his eyes resting on Jenny. 'Poor little thing. She looks exhausted.'

'It's all that crying,' Libby murmured, bending her head and dropping a  light kiss on the little one's head. 'It's hardly surprising she was  upset. The one person you want when you're hurt is your mummy and hers  wasn't around.'

Andreas lifted his gaze. 'But she seems to have bonded with you.' His  voice was deep and the look in his eyes was extremely unsettling. 'You  have a very special gift with children, Libby. They love you.'                        
       
            



      

Her heart thudded in her chest and breathing was suddenly difficult.  'Better with children than adults,' she said lightly, dragging her gaze  away from his. 'Children don't let you down.'

'Neither do most adults,' he responded quietly. 'You've just been unlucky. And we have a conversation to finish, Libby.'

She didn't even pretend that she didn't know what he meant.

He wanted to talk about the possibility that she could be pregnant.

But there was no way she was going to take the morning-after pill and she didn't want him to try and talk her into it.

'It's fine, Andreas,' she said softly, lifting her eyes to his. 'It's not your concern.'

He frowned. 'If you're pregnant then it's my concern.'

She blushed, slightly embarrassed by the intimacy of the discussion and  desperately hoping that no one was in the corridor, listening to the  conversation. She wondered briefly what had happened to her notion of  discretion since she'd met Andreas. First they'd made love in the open  air where anyone could have discovered them and now they were discussing  the consequences in the middle of a busy hospital ward.

'I'm a modern woman,' Libby said lightly, looking away from him again.  'If it happens, rest assured that I'm not going to chase you for money.'

His gaze darkened ominously. 'Unfortunately, I'm not a modern guy,' he  responded icily. 'I'm Greek and Greek men are notoriously old-fashioned  about things like that. If you're pregnant, Libby, you'll be getting  much more from me than money.'

Without giving her a chance to respond, he strode out of the room, leaving her staring after him.



Chapter 8



Libby managed to avoid Andreas for the rest of the shift by staying with Jenny.

When the night staff arrived she was still in the little girl's room,  cuddling her, talking softly to her, making her feel more secure in her  strange surroundings. There seemed no hope that she'd be able to see  either of her parents before the morning.

Her mother was still in Theatre and her father was being treated for smoke inhalation.

'The neighbour thinks that there's an aunt living nearby,' Bev told her,  'but no one has any idea how to contact her. We'll just have to wait  for one of the parents to tell us. In the meantime, we'll keep the baby  overnight. Andreas seems keen to keep an eye on her anyway, given the  seriousness of the fall.'



'I can't believe she survived it,' Libby murmured softly, careful not to wake Jenny, who was dozing quietly.

'Well, the mother obviously took the brunt of the impact.' Bev looked at  the little girl lying on the bed. 'She seems more peaceful. Has she had  more morphine?'

Libby nodded. 'It will be good when she can see one of her parents. She needs the reassurance.'

Bev nodded. 'Well, hopefully we'll manage something tomorrow. We can  always carry her up to them if necessary.' Her eyes narrowed as she  looked at Libby. 'You look exhausted. You should have requested the day  off today. How late did you get to bed?'

Not that late, Libby reflected. But she'd been awake for most of the  night thinking about Andreas. Dreaming about fairy-tales and happy  endings.

'I'm fine.'

'What you need is some proper time off. You've got a few days' leave due. I want you to take them.'

Libby looked at her. 'Bev, we're far too busy for me to take leave.'

Bev shrugged. 'You're knackered, Lib. You're no use to me like this.  You've been working double shifts for as long as I can remember and you  need a rest. I'll ring the agency and see if I can get someone for the  week after next.'

Libby frowned. 'Holiday leave … '

'Yes, holiday leave,' Bev said firmly. 'You've got five days. For goodness' sake, go away somewhere.'

Libby looked at her blankly. She didn't really want to go anywhere. She  didn't have the energy. If she wasn't going to work, all she really  wanted to do was go to bed and sleep for ever.

'I'll see how things are,' she said vaguely, thinking that it might  actually be nice to have a few days at home, doing nothing. She could  lie in bed in the mornings and meet Katy for lunch. 'If you're sure,  that is.'

'I'm sure,' Bev said firmly, breaking off as Andreas strolled into the room.

Libby felt her stomach turn over. He was so good-looking he took her  breath away and she was starting to have really, really foolish  thoughts.                        
       
            



      

Thoughts about being pregnant and him insisting on marrying her.

Ridiculous!

She closed her eyes briefly, horrified by the way her mind was working.

What was the matter with her? She was thinking like someone who wasn't thoroughly disillusioned with men.

A holiday was definitely a good idea. It would mean putting space between her and Andreas. And she needed that space.

Her mind seemed to have a will of its own and she was starting to  believe that Andreas might be different from all the other men she'd  ever met.

She definitely needed a holiday.

Libby picked up her bag and left the ward, thinking longingly of her bed.