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‘She’s fine,’ Annie said gently, touched on the baby’s behalf that it was the first thing Rebecca had asked. ‘She never stopped breathing—she was just a bit cold and shocked when the ambulance brought her in. Babies lose heat very quickly.’
‘I rang for an ambulance for her,’ Rebecca gulped. ‘I know somebody found her, but I had rung for an ambulance. . .on the phone outside the toilets.’
‘I know that, too,’ Annie said. ‘She’s up in Maternity now and, no doubt, being spoilt and cuddled. She’s a little bit small so they’re keeping a bit more of an eye on her, but she seems to be doing fine. Now we have to look after you.’
‘What am I going to tell my mum and dad?’
‘First,’ Annie said firmly, ‘I’m going to do some obs, and then have a quick look at you—then we’ll get the doctor in andthenwe can work that one out.’
‘Your mum and dad are in the waiting room.’ Melanie came in quietly as Annie checked Rebecca, and she didn’t really have to ask if she’d been right, so she didn’t, just held Rebecca’s hand instead. ‘How are you doing?’
‘Scared.’
‘I’ll bet.’ Melanie gave her a nice smile and a little wink. ‘I’ll stick with you—I’m good at that!’
‘She is.’ Annie nodded. ‘Right, I’ll go and get Jackie.’
‘She’s in a meeting,’ Melanie said. ‘Try Iosef.’
‘Sorry to disturb you... ’ Knocking on his open door, his jacket on and lanyard off, Annie forced a tired smile.. ‘The baby’s mother has just come in. Her family brought her—they think she’s just got abdo pain.’
‘How is she?’
‘Young, scared...’ His eyes closed as she answered and stayed closed as he voiced another question.
‘Did she ask after the baby?’
‘First thing she did when she worked out I knew.’
‘That’s good,’ Iosef answered, but even if it was the right response, it was so forced it made her frown, and for the first time she actually looked at him properly. His eyes were still closed in his ashen face, his breathing was rapid, and for an appalling second Annie thought he must have had bad news, that he must have found out his father had died.
‘Is everything OK?’
‘Fine.’ He snapped to attention. ‘I am just finishing...’ He stood up without looking up, closing down his computer and picking up some papers. ‘Has George rung the obstetrician?’
‘George hasn’t even been in to see her, just Melanie and I. She’s literally only just come in and we thought it better if one of the senior staff see her.’
‘You said she seemed OK.’ It was Iosef frowning now—frowning at Annie who was staring at him. He was suddenly more remote than usual, impossible to reach, to touch, and the anger boiling inside her now was not solely on behalf of her patient. Even if every word voiced related to work, Annie knew on a deeper level,knewas sure as eggs were eggs, that there was another conversation going on entirely. ‘George can manage her care!’
‘This from a doctor who barely lets George suture his own patients, a doctor who runs around giving out drugs, policing everyone—butnow,when a fragile woman is brought in, someone whoneedsa senior doctor...’ his face was as white as chalk as she confronted him, a muscle pounding in his cheek as black eyes refused to look at her ‘.. .you’re suddenly only too happy to pass the buck. Whatisyour problem, Iosef?’
‘Right now...’ His voice was surly, eyes narrowed to two slits as he glanced at his watch. ‘My problem is a terminally ill father andhisdoctor who I am supposed to be meeting in ten minutes to discuss his pain regime. You know, I have spent five years working in a place where most of the babies filling the orphanages are abandoned. Don’t question me when this is something I used to deal with on a daily basis.’
‘I understand that you—’
‘Understand?’ he interrupted her with a sneering, mirthless laugh, the black mood that had rumbled all day reaching its tipping point. ‘You understand, do you? You have the temerity to stand there and say you understand how I am feeling when we had a four-year-old in this morning who had nearly drowned, we lost a thirty-nine- year-old woman to cancer at nine minutes past two—and I know the time because I was the one who wrote the death certificate. Why isn’t that on the news? Why isn’t the whole department wringing their hands about that, instead of creating a circus over two relatively healthy people? Understand. This—is—nothing—new—to—me!’
‘Haven’t you gone yet?’ Jackie, back from her meeting, popped her head around the door, her smile fading as she picked up on the thick tension in the room. ‘Is everything OK?’
‘I was just letting Iosef know that the baby’s mother has come in.’ Annie cleared her throat, her cheeks burning with anger, her throat dry at his brutal words and her heart weary with it all. Hell, she’d wanted emotion, wanted to know how he was feeling—but not like this! ‘The parents don’t seem to have a clue and I thought it more appropriate that a senior doctor—’
‘I’ll do it,’ Jackie said easily, clearly assuming she now knew what was going on. ‘Iosef has to dash off this evening, don’t you? Anyway, it might be more comfortable for her to speak to a woman.’
‘Thanks,’ Iosef called to her departing back, picking up his keys and heading to the door. He paused to wait for her to exit so he could lock up, but still she stood there. And, yes, clearly he hadn’t been lying, maybe hedidhave somewhere he needed to be—but hewasbeing evasive.
‘I’m glad.’ She could feel his impatience,knewhe wanted her to leave, wanted this conversation to be over, but somehow she also knew that something had seriously rattled him, that on some level she didn’t understand she was seeing a side of Iosef he didn’t usually choose to reveal. ‘I’m glad!’ Annie said again, only more loudly this time, ignoring the hiss of his breath as she refused to move. ‘Glad that it is on the news, glad that I live in a country that balks at the thought of anyone abandoning a baby, that still has the heart to be shocked that a parent could leave their own child—’
‘Leave it!’ he barked. ‘Just leave it, Annie!’
