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‘Not even close.’ Clara smiled at him. ‘I started off as a paramedic with the London Ambulance Service and then spent two years as an Army Reserve medic. I’m working with Gabriel on a personal safety project.’
It was a good answer. Entirely truthful, and yet giving no cause for alarm. Gabriel wondered if Clara had put the same thought into the answers she’d given him at the hospital, and supposed she probably had.
Mike nodded. ‘Two years. You must have re-enlisted, then?’
‘Yes, I did. When I got back home after my first tour, things were...different.’ Gabriel thought he saw a flash of vulnerability on Clara’s face.
‘Yeah. Things are different all right. I served in an EOD unit.’
‘Then I probably owe you one. The EOD units in our area saved a lot of lives.’
‘I just did my job. Left my leg behind, though. Your lot made sure that it was below the knee and not above, so I guess I owe you one too.’
The respect between them was almost tangible. Perhaps Gabriel should be the one to go and make the tea, but he wanted to stay and listen.
‘So how were things different? When you came home?’ Mike had relaxed now.
‘Lots of ways. I found that I didn’t have my marriage any more.’
Gabriel swallowed hard. It shouldn’t come as any shock that Clara had been married. It was a little harder to understand how anyone could let her go.
‘Yeah? I managed to dodge that bullet, I never did get married.’
Clara grinned. ‘Well, there’s still time. Maybe you should try standing still.’
‘Oh, I’m good at that.’ Mike snorted with laughter. ‘Some days I don’t go out of the house. Triggers, you know...’
‘What are your triggers?’
‘Rain. I remember lying in the mud, watching a puddle fill up and listening for the chopper that was coming to evacuate me. The police had helicopters up last night and I didn’t get much sleep.’
Mike had described the night horrors to Gabriel already. He’d left out a few important details in this account, but it had been months before they’d got to that place of trust.
‘You need a break?’ Gabriel had told Mike that he could call him any time that things got too much, and he suspected that this was the purpose of his visit today.
‘I don’t want to go back to the clinic. I think I need to...move on. That course you told me about, I don’t suppose you could swing me a place?’
‘That’s not going to be a problem. I’ll make a few calls and see what’s available.’ A place in the near future was going to take quite a bit of swinging, but it was probably better that Mike didn’t know about that. ‘I’ll make some tea...’
Mike chuckled softly. ‘So it’s the doctors who make the tea now, then?’
Clara sat back in her seat, crossing her legs. ‘Seems so. Between you and me, I’m rather looking forward to that.’
* * *
He’d heard them talking from the kitchen. Clara’s voice was quiet and relaxed, and Mike was obviously beginning to leave the terrors of last night behind. When he delivered two mugs of tea to them, they were laughing over something, and Gabriel retreated back into the kitchen to make his calls. He hadn’t anticipated that Clara would be such an asset, and he’d wondered whether she might be persuaded to come and chat with a few more of his patients.
‘How does next week suit you, Mike?’ He’d had to call in a few favours, but he’d got the place that he wanted.
‘Next week would be great. I didn’t expect anything so soon, are you sure that’s okay?’
‘Yeah, no problem. They had a cancellation and they were pleased to fill the place. I’ve given Isabelle a call and she’ll drop in this evening and see how you’re going.’ Isabelle was the clinic’s outreach worker and she and Mike already had a good relationship.
‘Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it.’ Mike stood, leaning on his crutches as he shook Gabriel’s hand and Clara disappeared into the kitchen with the empty cups. ‘You didn’t say you had a security team following you around.’
‘It’s a minor problem. Nothing really to do with me, it’s my father’s company that’s in a bit of a bind.’ Gabriel frowned. ‘Clara told you?’
‘No, a little bird did.’ Gabriel raised his eyebrows and Mike chuckled. ‘I was talking about how difficult it was to get another job, and I mentioned that I’d been thinking about security work...’
