AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Seems like we need it.’
‘Don’t beat yourself up over this,’ Annie heard Iosef say as she slipped out, and as she walked through the department and glanced up at a clock that showed Iosef should have been home hours ago, she was really glad that he’d stayed. Emergency contained such an eclectic mix of patients and problems and even though Mark’s problem didn’t seem that serious, to Iosef it had been. He had been treated just as thoroughly as a critically injured patient. Unlocking his office and stepping inside, Annie concluded Iosef may not have saved a life tonight but he’d certainly given someone a very good chance of turning theirs around.
And with a little nudge from Annie he’d taught George an awful lot, too.
His office was in darkness, but his computer provided enough light for Annie not to turn the overhead one on. She just waltzed over and picked up his jacket.
One file lay on his desk.Mickey Baker’s.
The meaniestillhad his notes—he had just been taunting her with them. A smile on her face, she started to go and jumped slightly as the mobile phone on his desk lit up and vibrated into life.
She wasn’t snooping but she felt like an intruder, especially when she read the name that popped onto the screen of his phone. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and she headed for the door.
Candy.
‘Thanks.’ He was back at the nurses’ station, and glanced up as she handed him his jacket and keys and he fished out his wallet. ‘Could you give them this card for me? I can’t risk getting caught up again—I’m already running terribly late.’
‘For what?’
Would she have asked anyone else that question? Annie wondered as she swore she saw his jaw tighten a fraction. Was that bringing things to work, or just two colleagues talking? She honestly didn’t know.
‘Just late getting off—I should have been out of here two hours ago. I’d better go.’
‘You left your computer on in your office,’ Annie reminded him. ‘And your phone.’
‘Thanks.’ He checked that no one was around and for the first time at work he spoke to her intimately. ‘Are you OK?’
‘Of course I am.’
‘I’ll give you a call a bit later when your shift’s finished—maybe I can drop by...’
‘I’m really tired, actually.’
‘I’m not asking to be entertained.’
‘I really just want to go home, have a bath and go to bed.’ Which was a rather long way of saying she would prefer it if he didn’t come over.
And he couldn’t really push for answers when he refused to let her ask questions, Annie realized as he headed back to his office, wondering if when he picked up his phone he might work out what was upsetting her, wondering if he’d even give it a second thought.
The Taylors were actually talking as she entered— OK, not sitting around gossiping like old friends exactly, but there was a conversation taking place and even though Mark looked like he’d been crying, he looked a whole lot less tense than he had.
‘Dr Kolovsky asked me to give you this.’ Annie handed Mr Taylor the card. ‘He’s sorry not to pass it on himself, but he had to go.’
‘That’s quite all right. I’m aware he stayed behind to help us. I’ve told him how grateful we are to him for his directness and no-nonsense approach, but if you can pass our thanks on to him again when you see him, that would be appreciated.’
‘I will.’
‘Look at me! ’ George called from the mini-theatre as she walked past, washing his hands at the sink and making her laugh. ‘Iosef’s actually gone home and left me Mark to suture.’
‘See!’ Annie said. ‘He does trust you after all.’
‘Nice try at boosting my ego.’ George grinned as he put in the boot. ‘But I think a certain ex-supermodel might have had some small part in his haste to get out of here tonight.’
Strange, Annie reflected later as she lay in the bath, barely making a ripple, her body quite still and her mind curiously quiet. For someone who insisted on straight talking, who seemed utterly unabashed by confrontation, for someone who could so easily discuss other people’s issues, he certainly wasn’t good at talking about himself.
Quickly Annie heaved herself out of the bath. Her mind was starting to race now, the image of the blue screen of his phone flashing before her eyes, that name branded on her brain, but, pulling out the plug, wrapping herself in a towel, Annie refused to go there.
Iosef had told her she had nothing to worry about with Candy. He’d told her that things would be difficult for the next few weeks with his father so ill.
