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He shook his head, leaning back in his chair. ‘I’m glad you came, Megan. There are a few things I’d like to discuss with you. And some news that I’d like to share, because I f
eel that all the staff who worked with Dr Clarke have a right to know.’
‘Is something the matter?’ Megan shivered, feeling guilty about all the times she’d cursed Dr Clarke’s behaviour in her head.
‘Yes, but now we know about it, we’re hoping we’ll be able to help him. The problems here came as a surprise to us because Dr Clarke had worked with us for some years in Indonesia and had an excellent track record. But it seems that his marriage was in difficulties and he had been self-medicating with increasing doses of sleeping pills and amphetamines.’
Suddenly, things began to make sense. Dr Clarke’s uncertain temper and mood swings, the way he used to lock himself in his bungalow for hours, even when he was needed at the clinic. How he’d neglected most of the administrative side of his job, leaving a large pile of paperwork for Megan to pick up as soon as she’d arrived.
‘And then his wife became ill?’
‘That was the reason he gave for going back to London. It wasn’t true. Things just got too much for him and he needed to go home.’
Megan shook her head. ‘I wish we’d known. We could have at least tried to help him.’
‘I don’t think...’ Jaye’s gaze grew suddenly softer. ‘From what I hear, you did try to help him. You picked up a lot of the things that he’d neglected and smoothed over a lot of the discord that he created.’
‘I didn’t know what else to do. Looking back, I just facilitated his behaviour when I should perhaps have called him on it.’
‘That was our responsibility, not yours. And there was no way you could have known. It seems that Dr Clarke had been taking the drugs for a while—it all started when he was at home for a year before he came here. He was good at covering up.’
‘It’s... I hope he finds his way through this.’
‘We’re doing all we can to support him and his wife. John Ferris only found out the full extent of the problem yesterday, and he phoned me and told me last night.’
This...this was why it was so important that she stay strong. That Jaye stay strong. Because if they failed, if they allowed their personal lives to take over, there were consequences that didn’t bear thinking about.
‘Thank you for telling me.’ Her own voice was little more than a whisper. ‘It’s...a lesson, I suppose. For all of us.’
‘Yes, it is.’
Silence curled around them. Maybe Jaye was making the same resolutions that she was. The damage would be repaired.
‘So...what next? How do we move forward from this?’
He smiled. ‘I was hoping you’d ask. I’ve offered Ranjini a new post as director of the clinic, and she’s accepted.’
‘That’s great news. I’m so pleased for her.’
Jaye nodded. ‘Yes, and long overdue. She’s going to be training a new senior nursing officer and transitioning into her own role over the next two months, and I’ll be staying here to work with her over that time.’
There was a hint of awkwardness in his tone. Megan wasn’t sure how she would have reacted to the news before now, but she’d seen how much good he’d done already.
‘That’s good. We need you here, Jaye.’
‘Thank you. And as for you...’ He grinned. ‘I’d like you to be more involved in the clinical side and to see more of the practical problems that people here face. Ranjini’s going to be looking at ways she feels we can expand our services and I want you to liaise very closely with her on that. She’s taking on a lot, and she’ll need all the help you can give her.’
‘Thank you. When can I get started?’ Megan grinned back. This was all that she’d hoped this job would be. And Jaye had made it happen.
‘Speak to Ranjini tomorrow. In the meantime, I’m going to be doing some home visits every Friday. I’d like you to come along with me at the end of this week.’
‘Not Dr Stone? He’ll be here by then.’
‘No, I’m easing him in gently. His clinical skills are excellent and he’s enthusiastic, but he doesn’t have much experience of working outside the UK. I’m keeping him here for a few weeks while he finds his feet. Ranjini’s going to be supervising him. I want that relationship to be clear from the start.’
Jaye had thought of everything. And it was all falling into place. He was a great boss. Or at least he would be as soon as she could stop thinking about how great he might be in bed. And that was just a matter of time and concentrating her mind on other things.
‘Thank you. I’d like to come with you.’
