Chapter NINE
AN HOUR later Eden was in Sasha’s room when a call came through from David to say that Dr Gray needed her.
‘Apparently, a second urine sample has come back showing traces of uric-acid and protein,’ David informed her.
‘He’s going to induce the labour?’ she stated.
‘I would presume so.’
‘OK. Thanks. I’ll head to Maternity now to check on things.’ She was about to ask him if he was all right, but found that he’d already hung up the phone and she was listening to the dial tone. Something was wrong, and while she wanted to go and find him and get him to tell her exactly what was bothering him, she decided to give him some space.
When she arrived in Jacquie’s room she realised that Paul, Jacquie’s husband, had arrived and was busy pacing up and down, not bothering to keep out of the staff’s way. Dr Gray had already set up a magnesium drip, which would help reduce the swelling in Jacquie’s limbs, and a catheter bag hung beside the bottom of the bed.
He was intent on trying all the options, as Jacquie wanted to have a natural birth, but three hours later things had become steadily worse.
Eden had spent those hours forcing herself to keep away from David, yet all the while trying to figure out what had made him so touchy towards her. What had she done wrong? Was she not supposed to discuss his past marriage with him? She hadn’t meant anything by her questions—it had been purely for medical reasons she’d asked them.
Now, though, she needed to concentrate, and she reluctantly pushed thoughts of her delicious David to the back of her mind.
‘We’ve tried the Cytotec and it hasn’t worked,’ Dr Gray was explaining. ‘We’ve tried the Foley bulb, and still you’re only three centimetres dilated. Your waters have broken, and although that’s brought you a bit of relief it’s made things worse for Alyce.’
‘Dr Gray’s right,’ Eden confirmed. ‘Alyce is compressing her cord because there’s no fluid to keep the pressure off. This means her heart-rate is decelerating faster and she’s not recovering as well as she was before. To top it all off, you’re exhausted. Even if you dilated the full ten centimetres in the next hour, there’s no way you would have the energy to push a baby out. It’s not your fault,’ Eden added, seeing the tears trickle down her patient’s cheeks. ‘It’s just the way things are. What’s important now is to get Alyce out, and quickly.’
‘My wife wants to have her child naturally,’ Paul stated firmly, glaring at Eden with total distrust, as though she was responsible for what was happening to his wife.
‘Paul, be reasonable,’ Dr Gray said. He was a sweet, passive man, not at all comfortable with the confrontation Paul seemed intent on starting.
David walked into the room at that point and came to stand by Eden. ‘Problem?’ He nodded to Jacquie’s husband. ‘Paul.’
‘What Jacquie wants, she gets,’ Paul said. ‘If she wants to have this baby naturally, that’s exactly what’s going to happen—or I’ll be suing not only the three of you, but the hospital as well. My family and my company make very important donations to this institution, and as such I demand my wife receives not only the treatment she desires, but that everything goes smoothly.’
David could see Dr Gray looked ready to pass out at being spoken to in such a way. But Eden, it seemed, was on the other end of the scale, and about to bubble over with anger. It would be up to him to keep the situation calm and under control.
‘I understand, Paul.’ His voice was smooth but firm, brooking no argument. ‘However, as a successful businessman, you may want to weigh up your options a bit more. If it is deemed necessary to administer an epidural, for either pain relief or surgical needs, then that’s what will happen, regardless of Jacqueline’s wishes, and I’ll tell you why.’
Paul glared at David, and Eden realised that although Jacquie and David may have divorced amicably that same polite friendship didn’t apply to Jacquie’s present husband. ‘I’m waiting.’
‘Because you want your wife and daughter to live.’ David’s words were spoken clearly and calmly, laced heavily with sincerity.
Paul scoffed. ‘You’re over-dramatising things.’
‘No. We’re informing you of the risks. Pre-eclampsia is a very real risk—not only to your daughter’s health, but to your wife’s as well. As doctors we take our patient’s health seriously, and we do whatever it takes to save lives. If that means urging Jacqueline to have a Caesarean section, then so be it. You can’t always get what you want, and it’s time both of you started to think of your baby rather than yourselves. You’re going to become parents, which means there will be a little girl who will need you to consider her needs before any personal or society wants.’ He glanced at Eden briefly. ‘That’s just the way things are now, and I strongly urge you to listen to Dr Gray’s and Eden’s recommendations.’
‘You’re just trying to scare her,’ Paul retaliated, although it was clear that the wind had definitely been taken out of his sails. ‘All of you.’
‘Believe me,’ Eden said, more calm now thanks to David stepping in when he had. ‘It’s not my practice either to lie to my patients or to scare them into treatment. You’re being given honest medical recommendations, taking into consideration Jacquie’s and Alyce’s well-being. The ultimate decision is yours, but the longer you wait the less chance Alyce will have of fighting once she’s born. She’s eight weeks early and she needs all the strength she can get.’
‘We’ll give you a few minutes to talk it over,’ Dr Gray remarked, and the three doctors headed out of the room.
‘Thanks.’ Dr Gray held out his hand to David. ‘I was so shocked by what he was saying, I was just…’ He shrugged.
‘Flabbergasted?’ Eden provided.
‘Exactly.’
‘I was livid.’ She smiled at David, unsure of the reception she’d receive from him. ‘Just as well Mr Cool, Calm and collected stepped in.’
David merely nodded at her words, but didn’t return her smile. That wasn’t good. It meant something was really wrong—but what?
‘I need to get back to the ward. Call me if I’m needed.’ He couldn’t stand there looking at Eden’s bewildered eyes any longer. He knew he should explain, tell her why he was acting the way he was, but it was hardly the time and place to let her know the truth. Her questions about his marriage had thrown him completely. He could understand why she’d asked them, knew it was for medical reasons alone, but in that instant he’d been swamped not only with the failure of his marriage but with the fact that he’d never have the children he’d wished for.
He headed off, feeling her gaze upon him. He turned at the top of the corridor to look back at her. ‘By the way—you do have good malpractice insurance, right?’
She smiled at his words, the pressure on her heart lifting a little at his question. ‘Why? Are you offering to share?’
He returned her smile before walking off, and it was a much happier Eden who returned to her work of helping Dr Gray.
Twenty minutes later Jacquie was being wheeled round to Theatre, and after having an epidural block administered, Dr Gray began the C-section. David was in the room, near Eden. She couldn’t see him, but she could feel him. Her body seemed to know exactly where he was at all times during the short but successful operation.
Once Paul had cut the cord, and Alyce had been shown to Jacquie, Eden took over. She performed the baby’s observations, shaking her head at the poor APGAR score. She put an oximetry probe on the small foot, which would check the baby was receiving the correct amount of oxygen.
Next she put in an umbilical venous catheter, as well as an arterial catheter, and finally a nasogastric tube so the little girl could be fed.
They transferred Alyce to the NICU, and although Eden was the doctor treating the little girl, she was pleased David was nearby if for no other reason than to give her strength. He had become a very important lifeline to her, and it was one she never wanted to let go.
‘Give her a bolus dose of ten percent dextrose,’ Eden ordered the nurses. ‘And check her sugar levels again. Her lungs are stiff, so administer surfactant via syringe before turning on the ventilator.’
‘What are you doing?’ Paul demanded, coming up behind Eden and almost scaring her. David turned to face him, and Eden saw the mask of the professional in place. Any arguments Paul had were about to be overruled.
‘We’re making sure your daughter can breathe properly. Even though Dr Gray was able to get quite a few doses of steroids into Jacquie to assist in increasing Alyce’s lung function, it still wasn’t enough,’ David said.
‘Alyce’s lungs are stiff,’ Eden continued. ‘We need to keep the moisture up around her so she’s able to breathe in the necessary amount of oxygen. At the moment her lungs can’t expand and contract properly, which isn’t a good thing.’
Eden decided she’d had enough of his blustering and bull ying. Niceness was something he might not be used to, and catching him off guard might be just what they needed to keep him quiet.
‘Come with me,’ she said softly, holding out a hand to him. Paul looked at her hand and backed away as though she were insane.
‘What do you want?’
Eden continued to keep her voice as calm as possible. No doubt Paul hadn’t had the best of days either. She didn’t know what was going on in his life, what had made him the blustering pain that he was, but right now, she could do one thing for him. ‘Over here. To the sink. If you wash your hands you can touch her.’
‘Touch?’
Eden’s smile was warm and genuine, her words soft. ‘Alyce. You do want to touch her, don’t you? I know what she means to you, Paul. How special this little girl is. Your daughter has arrived. Your daughter. You’re a daddy.’ She smiled as she said the last words, watching the way Paul gaped at her in astonishment. ‘Now, wash your hands and go and make first contact. She needs you. Alyce really needs you.’
David watched as Eden calmed the savage beast, and in the next instant Paul had his hand in the humidicrib, rubbing his finger on Alyce’s cheek. ‘She’s so…tiny.’
Eden smiled. ‘Enjoy it while you can. Before you know it she’ll be running up your credit card bills and borrowing your BMW.’
Paul smiled, and it completely changed his face.
‘We’ll give you some privacy, but let me know if you need anything.’ Eden took David’s hand in hers, nodding to the nurse as they walked by.
‘And she does it again.’
‘Pardon?’ Eden looked up at him as they headed out of the NICU.
‘I have never seen that man smile before.’
‘He’s never been a father before,’ Eden returned softly.
David stiffened at her words, and after a moment let go of her hand. His tone, however, was controlled and even. ‘You truly have a gift, Eden.
You’re able to see to the heart of a person and provide them with exactly what they need. Take Chelsea, for example. She’s kept the drip in for the past two days and is actually engaging the staff in conversation. Of course, she’s asking them all about the travel experiences they’ve had, but it’s better than being the confused child she was when she came in.’
‘She’s an intelligent girl,’ Eden agreed. ‘If she’d been older it would have been more difficult to get through to her.’
‘But you knew exactly what she needed.’
‘No. I saw a spark. I tried something. It worked. That’s all, David. Listen, I’m going to go check on Jacquie, and then see Sasha before heading off to get ready for our date tonight.’ She stopped at a junction in the corridor.
‘Date?’
David’s face registered his bewilderment, and she couldn’t resist reaching up to stroke his cheek. The poor man had so much on his mind.
She wished he’d let her in, trust her enough to tell her what was really bothering him, but she couldn’t force him.
‘Sasha and Robert? We’re having dinner with them tonight.’
‘Yes. Yes, I remember now.’ He tried not to lean into her hand, but couldn’t help himself. Her touch was so comforting, so supportive, and exactly what he needed. Could she read him as well as she could read everyone else? That thought made him step back. ‘I’m going to the ward.’
‘Right.’ She dropped her hand, telling herself she had to be content with the fact that he’d at least accepted the compassion she’d been offering. ‘Seven o’clock. Sasha’s room.’
He nodded before turning and heading off in the opposite direction. She watched him walk away and wondered if she’d be able to get through to him or whether she would lose him for a second time.
Robert met Eden at the entrance to the hospital. ‘Sorry,’ she said, getting out of her taxi. ‘I’m running late.’
‘Fine by me,’ Robert said, coming forward to kiss her cheek, a bag in his hand. ‘You look fantastic, Eden. David’s going to pop a gasket when he sees you.’
She was dressed in a pair of black boots, black trousers, and an emerald-green top which highlighted her vibrant eyes. She carried a black fitted coat over her arm, and funky earrings twirled near her neck. She’d scooped her hair back and up into a simple ponytail, which revealed a decent expanse of skin from her neck to her cleavage.
‘Here’s hoping,’ she laughed. ‘So…ready for some fun?’
‘Exactly where are we going?’ Robert asked when they were in the lift.
‘Ahh, a surprise for you as well, I think. You’ve both been through so much, it’s about time you broke free of this institution for a few hours and let loose.’
Robert laughed. ‘Sash has told me about some of the crazy things you’ve done, but I never thought I’d witness any of them, let alone be a part of one.’
The lift doors opened and Eden smiled. ‘I’m not planning anything crazy for tonight—sorry to disappoint—but I guarantee you’ll have fun.’
‘Same thing in my book.’
‘What? Fun and crazy? Oh, Robert, dear Robert, you’ve got a lot to learn. Now, you go to your wife, help her finish getting ready, and I’ll be there in a moment. I just have to make a few quick phone calls.’
Eden went to the nurses’ desk and called the maternity ward first to check on Jacquie. After receiving a good report, she called through to the NICU.
‘How’s Alyce doing?’ she asked the nurse.
‘I was just about to call you, Dr Caplan.’
‘Problem?’
‘I’d like you to review her. She tried to stop breathing about two minutes ago, but she’s a stubborn one. Fighting for her life.’
‘I’ll be right there.’ Eden left a message for the nurse to pass on to Sasha and headed towards the NICU. She opened the door to the stairwel and ran slap-bang into David. His arms came about her, holding both of them steady.
‘This is getting to be a habit.’
‘One I’d love to continue,’ she returned, loving the way he could make her tingle all over. ‘Right now, however, I need to see Alyce.’
David’s concern was instant. ‘Problems?’
Eden explained as the two of them headed to the stairs. When they arrived at the NICU, it was to find all of Alyce’s vitals were back in the normal range. Eden checked and rechecked all the tubes and wires, then checked and rechecked the machines—even though she knew the nursing staff would have done their own thorough checks.
Once she was satisfied that Alyce was doing as well as could be expected, they headed back out—but not until she’d made sure the nurses had her cell phone number.
‘ I don’t have your cell phone number,’ David said as they headed back to Sasha’s room.
‘That’s because you’ve never asked for it,’ she retorted. She could feel his gaze on her as they climbed the stairs and it warmed her through.
‘You look lovely,’ he ventured when they came to the top of the stairs.
Eden angled her head. ‘Lovely? A book can be described as lovely.’
‘Pretty.’
‘Now I’m a little girl with blonde pigtails in a floral dress. Come on. Dig a little deeper.’
‘Eden. Now is not the time to tease.’
‘Why? Why don’t you want me to tease?’ She eased closer, using the confined area to her advantage. ‘Is that what you really want, David? For me to stop?’
He closed his eyes and groaned, placing his hands at her waist and hauling her against him. He looked down into her upturned face. ‘You are driving me insane, lady.’
‘Getting better,’ she murmured, and leaned in to press a feather-light kiss to his lips.
‘You’re wild and fun and sexy and intoxicating,’ he ground out.
‘Now you’ve got the hang of it.’ She kissed him again, revelling in the feel of his body against hers.
‘Sasha’s waiting,’ he whispered against her lips.
‘She’ll understand,’ Eden returned, but knew he had a point. After a few more teasing kisses she shifted back and opened the stairwel door, pleased when he didn’t immediately let go of her.
When they walked in to Sasha’s room, it was to find her friend tucked warmly into a wheelchair, impatiently waiting.
‘There you two are. Right, now, let’s get out of here before any emergencies happen or before someone comes and tells me I can’t go.’
‘You have permission to go,’ Eden said as Robert wheeled Sasha’s chair out to the lifts.
‘I know, yet I still feel as though I’m escaping. Honestly, Ede, being stuck in this place for the past few weeks has started to feel worse than that time we ended up in gaol.’
Robert raised his eyebrows. ‘You were in gaol?’
Sasha laughed and started to recount the story, and that set the tone for the rest of the night. The four of them enjoyed a lovely meal at a glitzy restaurant. The food was good. The company was better, and they laughed for most of the time.
‘How are you feeling?’ Eden asked later, as she pressed her fingers to Sasha’s wrist to take her pulse. Both she and David had kept close tabs on Sasha’s health throughout the night.
‘Getting tired.’
‘Not surprising,’ David dropped a kiss to his sister’s head. ‘You’ve done well to make it this far—especially after such an eventful day.’ When Sasha had told him that she’d stood up on her own tears had welled in his eyes. In those few words he knew that with hard work and determination his sister would one day walk again. His sister wasn’t the sort of person to back down from a challenge. Besides, she’d have himself and Robert to support her throughout the entire ordeal. Would Eden stay for that long? It could take months—even a whole year. Would she stay?
After they’d returned Sasha to the hospital, David took Eden back to her hotel. ‘Coffee?’ she asked.
David pointed to the hotel lounge area in the lobby. ‘Down here? Sure.’
She smiled. ‘Not in my room?’ She fluttered her eyelashes at him. ‘Ooh, David. Why ever not? Is it because you find me wild and fun and sexy?’
‘You forgot intoxicating,’ he added as he led her to a comfortable lounge chair, making sure he sat opposite her rather than next to her. To be too close to Eden only meant torturing himself even further. ‘And that’s precisely the reason.’
They ordered drinks and discussed their patients and the exhausting day they’d both had. When David had checked on Dart before coming out this evening, the boy had had colour in his cheeks and was beginning to complain about ‘yucky meddy’ again.
‘And Mrs Wilman?’
David shook his head. ‘She’s in the psychiatric ward under strict observation tonight. Dart’s father has cancelled his business trip and will be here tomorrow morning. He’s as astounded about what has happened as everybody else.’
‘I hope she gets better. Her condition can be helped, so long as she’s willing to help herself.’
‘Just like Chelsea?’
‘Just like any patient. People in general have the ability to work through situations and problems, taking things one step at a time, getting help from counsel ors or psychologists or even just talking to a friend. Life is far too short to be wrapped up in the what-ifs and maybes of the world.’
‘Is that why you let me pressure you to see your family?’
‘You didn’t pressure me, David. You supported me. And that’s why I knew I needed to see them.’ She smiled. ‘Sometimes knowing and doing are very difficult things to combine, but with will-power and support it can be achieved.’
Their drinks were delivered, and David eased back in his chair, looking at her for a moment.
‘Why do I get the strange feeling you’re talking about me here?’
‘I guess I’m not so subtle, eh? There’s a cloud hanging over you, David. I’m not saying I know what it is, but it’s there, and it’s stopping you from moving on with your life.’
‘Is this because I’ve said that things wouldn’t ever work out between us?’
‘Sort of. You say cryptic things, you don’t give me explanations for them, and then you kiss me as though you just can’t help yourself.’
‘I can’t.’ He rubbed a hand across his brow, massaging his temple for a moment. ‘It’s true, though, Eden. It can’t work out between us.’
‘You need to give me a solid reason why not, David. I am in love with you. I know it for a fact. And although you may not believe me, I am not the sort of girl to fall in love with just anyone.’
‘Not Tony or Jett or the plethora of other men you’ve mentioned?’
‘All of them friends. Most of them colleagues. Despite that, it’s beside the point—because none of them make me feel the way you do.’
‘Eden, we can’t. Don’t love me. Don’t want to be with me.’
‘Why not? You told me that I didn’t know who I was, that I spent my time helping everyone else and never spent enough time just being myself.
Well, I listened to you and I’ve realised you’re right. I didn’t know who I was, what I wanted out of life. Of course I’m happy with my job, with helping people, but I do want more.’
‘You want marriage and a family.’
‘I want you.’
‘You want what every other woman wants. I can’t provide it.’ His voice had taken on a coolness she’d never heard before, and for a moment she actually believed he believed the words he was saying.
‘Just for me, or for any woman?’ she asked, determined to keep her voice calm and controlled. This could turn out to be the most important conversation of her life, and she needed to make sure she didn’t blow it. She tried to mask the confusion and hurt she was experiencing.
She thought she’d dealt with the pain of his first rejection, but it was surging back tenfold and she felt as though she was a teenager again, having him tell her to keep her distance and not to pursue him.
‘Any woman.’
Eden sighed and felt a weight lift from her. It wasn’t just her. She could work with this. ‘I’ve done a lot of soul-searching these past few days—
deep soul-searching. I’ve listened to what you’ve had to say, I’ve processed it. And I’ve made peace with my family and myself with regards to the past.’ She pulled her hair from the band and flicked the locks over her shoulder, massaging her scalp a little.
David was mesmerised for a second, just watching her as she pulled her fingers through her gorgeous curls. His mind went blank and he completely lost track of what they’d been discussing. He loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt. It was always like that around Eden.
He would try to talk sensibly with her, but then she’d distract him and he would become mesmerised by the way her eyes darkened to a deeper shade of green whenever she became passionate about something. Now was no exception, and although she wasn’t getting riled up, the emotions were still there…She was just better at controlling it now that she was older.
She was so amazingly attractive he was having a difficult time keeping his breathing even, not to mention his train of thought. He needed to be harsh, to let her see that this time he wasn’t going to give in, wasn’t going to let her talk him around. It was for her own good.
‘I know exactly what I want to do with my life, David, and that in itself is very freeing. It’s something I couldn’t have done without your help.’ She was having difficulty forming the words, especially when he was looking at her as though he was about to toss aside the coffee table which separated them, not caring if drinks got spilt or if he wrecked the lobby. His eyes told her he wanted her, wanted her so badly he was willing to throw all sense and reason out of the window. So how could his mouth say that he didn’t want to be with her, that she was better off without him?
‘Because you’ve helped me, because I’ve taken those boxes out…the ones I’d hidden for so long…because I’ve looked inside them and really tried to figure things out, I think it’s only fair that I return the favour. That I help you figure out what it is that you want out of life.’
‘I know what I want, Eden.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘Peace.’
She waggled her eyebrows up and down suggestively. ‘I can give you peace.’
He laughed without humour. ‘You give me anything but peace, Eden. You’re the one who ties me up in knots, who makes me forget where I am, what I’m doing. Who makes me wild with jealousy if I hear you talk about another man—friend, colleague or otherwise.’
‘And why aren’t these good things?’
‘Because I want peace.’
‘Peace is boring. Well …not all the time, but you know what I mean. There needs to be a balance, David, and you’re never going to get that until you talk to me—until you can trust me enough to tell me what it is that has you one hundred percent certain that we can never be together.’
‘Maybe I just don’t love you.’
Eden heard the words, felt them pierce her heart, and then instantly rejected them. ‘That’s not the case.’
‘Are you saying that I am in love with you?’
‘You must be—otherwise your actions would be far more rational than they are. You love me. I love you. But we also need to trust each other, David. Please. ’
Her tone was imploring, and before he realised she’d even moved, she’d reached forward and taken his hands in hers. The touch filled him instantly with desire and need. This woman was everything he’d ever wanted and more. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, he did, with every fibre of his being, but he’d known this conversation had to happen at some point.
Why not now? Why not confess the truth? She would be mortified, hurt, and then she’d leave him alone. It would mean the rest of the time she spent in Sydney they’d just carefully avoid one another until she finally went back overseas to work with PMA.
‘OK.’ The word was spoken very quietly, and Eden’s eyes widened. She didn’t say anything, instead waiting for him to gather his thoughts, to tell her what it was that had been keeping them apart ever since she’d returned to town.
‘When I was an intern—’ He broke off, looking into her eyes, seeing the reassurance there, feeling it in her touch. This was it. He was going to do this. He took another breath and slowly let it out. ‘When I was an intern, there was an accident—a radiation leak.’ His voice was strong, matter-of-fact, as though removing all the emotion from what he was saying helped him to deal with it.
‘David!’ Eden was astounded, and couldn’t help voicing her concerns. ‘Were you sick? Poisoned? How bad was it?’
‘I suffered radiation sickness, but after a few months I made a complete recovery.’
‘Does Sash know?’
‘No. I was living in Melbourne and I didn’t want to worry her. She’d just started her first job as a teacher and was having the time of her life. She didn’t need to be worried about me.’
‘So you recovered, then?’ Even as she said the words Eden started piecing together all the information she’d inadvertently gathered during the past few days. Such as the number of times David had raised the fact that she would want children. Such as Jacquie saying she’d had trouble conceiving for years. Such as David saying there were other reasons for his marriage failure.
‘None of us who were affected suffered permanent damage—or so we thought.’ David paused, looking down at their entwined fingers. This was it, and he wanted to savour this last moment—her hands against his, the love he saw in her eyes, the way she cared too much. He was going to hurt her and he was sorry for that.
‘When Jacquie and I wanted to start a family, we had difficulties conceiving.’ He swallowed, forcing himself to go on.
‘The radiation had made you sterile.’ Eden spoke before he could get the words out.
‘Yes.’
She waited, wondering if there was more. When he didn’t say anything else, she pressed. ‘And?’
‘And that’s it. I can’t father a child, Eden.’ He was a little exasperated, and annoyed with her for playing dumb. ‘Ever.’ He withdrew his hand from hers and clenched his jaw, trying to summon the strength to say the next words. ‘So you see, there’s no future for us. There never can be. It’s over.’