AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘It’s certainly a very innovative idea,’ the Minister commented.
‘And one with considerable media appeal,’ Blake told her.
Richard saw the slightly sharp look she gave him, her mouth pursing slightly as she told him, ‘It’s the health of our patients that is our prime concern, not the approval of the media.’ But then her expression softened slightly as she added, ‘But you?
?re right, of course, Blake. It would be good publicity—show that we are forward-thinking and not wholly bound up with cost-cutting and bureaucracy, as so many of our detractors appear to think.
‘The PM is very anxious to improve the Health Ministry’s public image——’ She broke off, frowning. One of the aides behind her leaned forward to murmur something in her ear, and looked significantly at his watch.
‘It’s been interesting talking with you,’ she told Richard as she shook his hand a second time, her mouth curled into a small smile as she added, ‘I shall look forward to seeing the results your new unit achieves, although not, I dare say, its budgets. However, health care can never be wholly about finance. Good money-management is important, of course—we must never forget that we are housekeepers of the nation’s funds, not our own—but good health is even more so.’ Her eyes darkened a little and became slightly shadowed as she turned to Blake and told him, ‘We must arrange to have dinner and talk properly, Blake. It’s been a long time since Romania…’
* * *
‘You should have seen David’s face when she made that comment about looking forward to seeing the results of the new unit,’ Richard told Elizabeth later as he related the day’s events to her. ‘He looked as though he was about to have a thrombosis…’
‘But I thought you said he was going to recommend the Northern for the unit…’
‘He was, but the Minister never gave him the chance…’
‘Can she do that? Go against his recommendations…?’
‘She is the Minister,’ Richard told her drily, ‘and before she left she apparently saw Brian and confirmed to him that we were to get the unit. He’s cock-a-hoop with it… and——’
‘He’s not the only one,’ Elizabeth interrupted him with smile.
‘You should have seen David’s reaction when the Minister saw Blake Hamilton. It seems the two of them met when he was out working in Romania for one of the relief agencies and she was there as a government adviser.’
‘That kind of experience must have a bonding effect on the people who share it,’ Elizabeth responded. ‘Those poor children, I don’t think any of us will ever forget the news footage we saw. To have witnessed the reality of what their poor little lives were at first hand must have left its mark on the people who were there.’
‘Mmm. Well, Blake had obviously impressed the Minister.’
‘And not only Blake. To judge from what you’ve told me, you did your fair share of impressing her yourself…’ Elizabeth commented.
‘Oh, she made some remark about the good publicity we’d got,’ Richard agreed, ‘but without Blake I doubt that it would have been enough to swing her decision our way… He’s a very clever man, is our Blake. Very clever…
‘After she’d gone I asked him why he encouraged her to come down on our side, when he could quite easily have put pressure on David to use him at the Northern where he could have had equally easy access to the new unit.’
‘What did he say?’ Elizabeth asked him curiously.
‘He said that, like me, he believed saving people’s lives should come before saving money, and that he felt that Christopher Jeffries was too easily influenced by David. “He’s a good surgeon,” he told me, “but rather too easily put upon…” The Minister wants the new unit to come into operation as soon as possible and she’s told Brian that she wants estimates in straight away—and she’s given him the go-ahead to make enquiries about that specially equipped ambulance-cum-mobile-operating unit we wanted.
‘God, half of me still can’t believe it. The relief… after what I’d been dreading… You’ve no idea…’ He stopped and smiled at her, buoyant with enthusiasm and excitement. ‘Call Sara; see if she and Ian are free this weekend; we’ll take them out somewhere to celebrate.’
‘Richard…’ Elizabeth began, and then stopped. Now was perhaps not the time to raise the subject that was troubling her. It seemed unkind to broach it while he was so ebulliently happy, but the issues raised by his reaction to his threatened retirement were still there, even if events had pushed them into abeyance.
One day, ultimately, they would have to be faced, even if right now she felt a cowardly relief that they were not going to have to face them yet.
Whether Richard chose to see his brief foretaste of what ultimately lay ahead as something constructive or destructive could only rest with him.
And if he chose to ignore what he had learned?
‘Liz…’
She looked up to find he was watching her.
‘Let’s enjoy today for what it is…’
‘And forget about tomorrow?’ she suggested wryly.
