Chapter Twenty-Two

‘THERE, there, pet.’ May chatted away to Rita who was back for a pap smear.

Emergency wasn’t really the place for such a routine procedure, Lorna knew that and Abby had also wasted no time pointing it out, but she left Lorna to get on with it and for Lorna it was good to see that Rita was taking care of herself. She’d specifically asked for the Scottish doctor, she hadn’t even added ‘posh,’ and as was often the case, it wasn’t just the pap smear she was there for. As Lorna asked the right questions a couple of other problems Lorna was expecting cropped up.

‘I’m going to get the gynaecologist to come down and talk to you,’ Lorna said when Rita was sitting up with her blanket back on. ‘There are lots of different treatments…’

‘Is it a male or female doctor?’

‘Lowther’s team,’ May said, because she knew things like that without checking.

‘He’s got a female registrar.’ Lorna smiled. ‘I’ll page her and ask if she can come down.’

‘Can’t I just make an appointment?’ Rita asked, but Lorna didn’t want her flying out of the door never to return.

‘Let me just have a word with her.’

May was heading off to the canteen for lunch as Lorna wrote her notes. ‘Can I get you anything?’

‘Roast beef, spinach and horseradish roll with a bottle of orange juice, please.’

‘Good girl!’ May clucked, taking the money and picking up the ringing phone, then putting on her posh voice for a moment. ‘It’s Lowther…’

‘I haven’t paged him yet.’ Lorna frowned. ‘Anyway I want his reg.’ Her voice faded as she took the phone, tears pricking her eyes as she listened to his calm, matter-of-fact voice, and her hand was shaking too much to put back the phone so May did it for her.

‘He wants to see me.’

‘That’s okay.’

‘No. I’ve had some tests.’

‘And no doubt your iron’s in your boots. I could have told you that from just looking at you.’

‘A consultant wouldn’t call for that.’ She had never been more scared, terrified at what he might have found.

‘You’re a doctor,’ May calmly pointed out. ‘He probably thinks he’s doing you a courtesy, not scaring the living daylights out of you. Now…’ Ever practical, ever calm, she sorted things out. ‘Ring the reg and get poor Rita seen, then I’ll walk you up to Lowther’s rooms.’

Lorna was glad James wasn’t on duty. She wanted to deal with whatever it was herself first, instead of worrying him. But the cloud she’d been walking on these last few days seemed to have dissipated. Her legs were like lead as she walked along the long corridors, with May chatting away beside her, trying to keep her mind off things, except nothing would.

‘Will we be keeping you?’ May asked, as they sat outside his room and Lorna waited to go in. ‘You’ve really picked up in these last weeks.’

‘I’m not sure…’ Distracted, only half listening, Lorna’s brain struggled to work out an answer. James had suggested she stay on, but both wanted to talk properly about the dynamics of working and living together.

Living together. Her head tightened as she recalled the bliss she’d awoken to that morning and she didn’t want to shatter it, didn’t want Henry Lowther piercing their fragile new dream of having found each other.

She was holding her keys, holding the silver L he had bought for her. She had never felt more alone in her life; she had to talk to May. ‘I’m having a hysterectomy soon.’ Her terrified eyes turned to May’s who just gave her a soft, sad smile that helped. ‘I’ve got so many medical problems, I’m so scared, May. Maybe I should call James…’ She clamped her mouth closed because they had decided to keep it quiet, but she knew he’d forgive her, knew she hadn’t just blurted it out on her morning coffee break. ‘We’re sort of back together.’

‘Tell me something I don’t know!’ May smiled. ‘Now, just let’s hear what Lowther has to say before you go worrying about something you don’t know about,’ May said. ‘He’s a wonderful doctor. I’ve been in for a service and repair with him a few times myself, there’s no man more thorough. Do you want me to come in with you?’

Intensely private, Lorna shook her head, but when May squeezed her hand as the secretary called for her to go in, Lorna changed her mind. ‘Please.’

It was the longest walk of her life.