Worth the Risk(56)

For a long moment he didn’t move and she sensed that he wanted to say more, but in the end he just muttered a low curse and crunched the gears of his new car as he accelerated out of the car park.

* * *

Get up, get dressed, see patients, cook Charlie’s supper, go to bed. If she just kept to that routine the days would pass. Wouldn’t they?

Ally stared at the notes in front of her and they blurred as tears filled her eyes. She blinked rapidly and took a deep breath. She couldn’t cry now. Not when she’d spent so long in the bathroom at home repairing the damages caused by a night of crying. She’d never worn so much make-up in her life. She spent all day lecturing herself, forcing herself to get on with the next task. Why was she being so pathetic? She’d known what she’d been doing when she’d asked him to make love to her. She’d known that Sean wasn’t a for ever sort of person. So it was no good her moaning on like a wet hen.

Jack was her first patient, and she fixed a false smile on her face, hoping he wouldn’t see the traces of tears.

‘You’re pale. Are you OK?’

Oh, great. So much for the make-up job.

‘Fine,’ she lied with a smile. ‘Just a bit tired.’

Jack watched her for a moment and then nodded. ‘Right.’

‘How’s the stomach?’

‘Still pretty uncomfortable, to be honest.’

Ally was all brisk efficiency. This was what she needed to take her mind off Sean. Work, work and more work.

‘Jack, just to be on the safe side I’m going to refer you for a gastroscopy and ask them to test for Helicobacter pylori.’

Jack laughed. ‘What on earth is that?’

‘It’s a bacterium that sits in the stomach and is thought to cause ulcers in some cases,’ Ally explained. ‘If the test is positive then the treatment is a short course of drugs which clear it up completely.’

‘Fine.’ Jack nodded and Ally explained what the gastroscopy would involve and promised to refer him quickly.

Her next patient was Pete Williams, now discharged from hospital and looking well and happy.

‘I came to say thanks, actually, Dr McGuire.’ He perched on his chair, his brown hair tousled. ‘The hospital arranged for me to have one of those tiny blood glucose meters you told me about and it’s great! I don’t even have to stop running when I test so I can join in with all the rest—brilliant.’

Ally smiled. ‘I’m glad. And how are you feeling now, Pete?’

‘Oh, I’m mended, really.’ He blushed. ‘I still feel like a total idiot, though.’

Ally thought of how close she and Sean had come to getting into trouble in the mountains and gave a wry smile. ‘Well, don’t. Everyone does something silly from time to time so don’t give it another thought. I’m just glad it’s turned out all right.’

She watched him go and thought that if it hadn’t been for Sean, Pete would have died on the mountain that day. Sean. Wherever her thoughts turned he was there, lurking.

By clever use of her time she managed to avoid seeing him after surgery, going straight out on her calls without going near the staffroom. Noticing that the duty doctor had been called out to Kelly Watson the night before, she drove to the house and pulled up outside. It was time to get to the bottom of this.

Mrs Watson opened the door, looking tired and drained. ‘Hello, Dr McGuire, come in.’

‘I gather you had a bad night.’ Ally followed her through to the kitchen and set her bag down on the floor. ‘What happened?’

‘I don’t know.’ Mrs Watson flicked the kettle on with shaking hands. ‘She just suddenly got worse.’

Ally watched her thoughtfully. ‘I must admit I’m baffled. The steroids that Kelly is taking should be controlling these attacks.’

There was a long silence and then Mrs Watson sighed, rubbing her fingers along her brow to ease the strain. ‘She doesn’t take them.’

So Lucy had been right. ‘What do you mean, she doesn’t take them?’

‘You wouldn’t understand…’

Ally settled herself on one of the kitchen chairs, her expression sympathetic. ‘Try me.’

Mrs Watson stared at the floor for a long minute. ‘It’s because of my nephew. He takes steroids and they’re affecting him so badly. It’s awful—his growth, the shape of his face…’ She sniffed. ‘I don’t want that happening to my Kelly.’

‘Is your nephew asthmatic, too?’

‘No.’ Mrs Watson blew her nose and shook her head. ‘No, he isn’t. He’s got ulcerative colitis, but steroids are steroids, aren’t they?’