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‘Logan? Can you hang about a bit? I’ve got a problem with a patient who will need to be transported off the island.’
For a second he looked as if he was about to say something else. But whatever it was, it vanished in an instant. Logan was the consummate professional. ‘Who’s the patient?’
‘Lynsey Black. Pregnant with twins, possible placental abruption.’
Logan’s face paled but Gemma held up her hand. ‘It gets worse. She’s starting to have contractions.’
Logan pointed towards the phone. ‘Make the call, Gemma, and I’ll stay with the patient.’
She breathed a sigh of relief. She’d known if it was a matter of a patient Logan would be fine. He was always professional at work. His patients always came first.
In a way it was reassuring. She knew she could always depend on her colleague.
Too bad that only related to work matters.
* * *
Gemma appeared back in the room in minutes. She walked over to where Logan was monitoring Lynsey’s contractions. Her voice was low. ‘There’s a problem,’ she whispered in his ear.
He turned his head away from Lynsey, who was deep in conversation with someone on her mobile phone.
‘There are no neonatal beds at the local maternity hospital. The helicopter is going to have to take us to the Princess Grace Maternity in Glasgow.’
Logan resisted the temptation to let out a curse. ‘Can they give us an estimate of how much time that will add onto the journey? I have to tell you that now she’s started having contractions, things are moving quickly. We don’t have a lot of time here.’
‘I know that. The helicopter will be here in the next ten minutes. But they’ve asked for two doctors—one for each potential delivery.’
Logan nodded. Of course they had. Their paramedic would have to deal with a mother who was potentially haemorrhaging. It made sense to have two other professionals to deal with possibility of two premature babies.
He put his hand on her shoulder. Gemma looked ready to burst into tears. She’d already had to make a transfer in a helicopter, and he knew she hadn’t enjoyed it. This journey would be longer, and fraught with even more danger. Three lives were at risk here.
‘I’m happy to come along, Gemma.’ Then he added, ‘And I’m even happier to have an experienced paediatrician on board. You might need to give me some tips.’ He wanted to give her a little confidence and some professional reassurance. Personally, he wanted to wipe the look of terror out of her eyes, which she was obviously trying to hide.
He should have sat her down and talked to her the minute she’d come in this morning. The trouble was, he still didn’t really know what to say to her, or how to say it. So, as usual, he’d been waiting for an opportunity to present itself. Too late.
She shook her head and put her hand up over his. There was a tremble to her hand. This was freaking her out more than she would ever let on.
‘What about Edith? Can we take the midwife too?’
Logan shook his head. ‘It will be a tight fit as it is. There will only be room for you, me and the paramedic. As it is, you might have to sit in my lap.’
He was deliberately joking with her. Trying to take some of the tension out of the air. He needed her to be calm. He didn’t doubt her professional capabilities for a second. But he could almost sense her fear.
He gave her hand a squeeze. ‘Don’t worry, Gem. We’re in this together.’
Her brown eyes met his. There were grateful tears in the corners of her eyes. It didn’t matter what he thought about her history. It didn’t matter about the fights they’d had. Deep down, he knew Gemma was a good doctor. A good person. Even if he didn’t understand her reasons, she’d been right about one thing. He had absolutely no right to stand in judgement of her.
She was his colleague and they had to work together to try and keep this patient and her babies alive.
But it was so much more than that.
Gemma Halliday and her beautiful daughter had got under his skin. When he heard a little girl laugh, he automatically looked over his shoulder to see if it was Isla. And even though he tried to fight his own thoughts, Gemma was permanently among them.
Edith signalled to them. She was holding the bag of IV fluids in one hand and gesturing to a stretcher with the other. ‘Bill is here to transport us over to the landing pad. Are we ready to go?’
Gemma had already turned back round, her professional face once more firmly in place. ‘Let’s go,’ she said, as she headed towards the door.
Logan smiled. He picked up her bag from the floor and her jacket from the peg behind the door. ‘Gemma? Forgotten something?’
‘What? Oh.’ Her face flushed red as she ran the few steps back and grabbed her bag and jacket. ‘Thanks.’
Her hand brushed against his again. ‘No problem.’
She was gone in an instant and he was left staring at his hand, at the skin she’d just touched.
There it was again. No matter how much he tried to deny it, there was no getting away from the effect Gemma had on him. It was electric.
* * *
The journey was a nightmare. By the time they’d arrived at Grace Maternity one baby had been delivered and the second was well on its way. Lynsey had been haemorrhaging significantly and they’d ended up with two lines in her veins, both pumping fluids into her.
Logan had never been so relieved to see the delivery team waiting for them as soon as they’d opened the doors of the helicopter. Lynsey was swept away on a stretcher, with an incubator and neonatologist waiting for the first baby. The second incubator was raced along the corridor after Lynsey’s trolley and disappeared into the nearest theatre.
Logan stared down at his gloved hands. Even though he’d pushed his shirtsleeves out of the way they were still stained with blood. Lynsey’s haemorrhaging had been severe. He only hoped this second baby could be delivered safely.
He pinged off the gloves into the nearest clinical waste bins. One of the staff at Grace gestured him towards a trolley. ‘You’ll get a scrub top in there. Showers are just along the corridor on your left if you want to get yourself tidied up.’
‘Thanks.’ He grabbed a navy scrub top and started down the corridor in the direction he’d last seen Gemma heading. They would need to make arrangements to get back to Arran. He didn’t want her to think he’d just disappeared.
She was standing with her nose pressed up against the glass in the theatre door, watching the proceedings from a safe distance. She jumped as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
‘Logan! Sorry, you startled me.’
‘How are things going?’
She pointed through the door, ‘They’ve already got her on a rapid transfuser. She’s lost a lot of blood.’
‘And the second baby?’
‘Just about to be delivered.’ She glanced down, first at his shirt then at her own blood-splattered one. ‘Can you show me where you got that? I think I need to change too. Then I’d like to stay long enough to make sure Lynsey and the babies are okay.’
‘No problem. Why don’t we get changed then go for a coffee?’
She held up her bag. ‘I can pay this time. Someone reminded me to bring my bag.’
They showered and changed quickly, their dirty clothes stuffed into a patient clothing bag and stored behind the reception desk to be collected on their way out.
As they made their way back along the corridor they could hear some raised voices. ‘I want to see her. She’s my wife. Let me in.’
Someone was speaking in a calm, quiet manner. ‘I’m sorry, sir, your wife is currently being assessed by the doctor. If you take a seat in the waiting room, someone will come and get you in a few minutes.’
Gemma froze, her steps halting in the long corridor. Logan’s arm had been behind her body and it knocked into her backside. She didn’t even notice. She looked shocked.
‘You’re not listening to me! I want to be there when my wife is being assessed. Don?
?t you know who I am?’
Logan bristled at the angry voice. All patients’ relatives could become anxious, but this was getting ridiculous. He could glimpse the older woman, who was tiny, squaring up to the large red-haired man.
