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Lucas looked down at his shaking hands. ‘In that case…’ he took a deep breath ‘…take me through it. Step by step. What should I do?’
‘You want me to tell you? That’s one hell of a responsibility, Lucas.’ This was serious. Questioning Lucas’s motives was one thing. Being asked to share in a decision that involved Ava was quite another.
He nodded. ‘Yeah. Tell me about it.’
‘I’m not used to this.’
‘Practice doesn’t always make it easier.’
‘All right.’ She took hold of his hand, not sure whether it was to comfort him or steady her own racing heart. ‘What do you think Ava would want?’
He pulled his hand away from hers. ‘It doesn’t matter what she wants, Thea. She’s a child.’
‘Yes, I know that. But I imagine she’ll have an opinion, and you may as well listen to it. You don’t have to do what she says.’ She felt tears pricking at the sides of her eyes. This was harder than she’d imagined.
‘Ava would say that it’s my duty to treat her the same as everyone else. That I have to stand up and be an example to the other parents.’
‘Good grief. You taught her well, then.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah, I know it’s my fault. Don’t rub it in.’
Now he knew how she’d felt. Loving an idealist was never easy. ‘All right, moving on. Do you think that our testing and treatment programme offers the best to our patients?’
‘Yes. I already said that.’
‘I know, just taking things in order.’ She glared him into silence. ‘And do you think there’s anything that the private sector can offer her that we can’t? Leaving the posher consulting rooms and the better coffee aside for a moment.’
He thought for a long time and then shook his head. ‘Not in this case, no.’
‘Right. Well, bearing all that in mind, what do you think you should do?’
He shook his head. There was another question somewhere that Thea had missed. She thought hard.
‘Is it just that you feel that loving someone automatically means you have to trash your ideals?’
His lip curled suddenly. She’d hit a nerve. ‘Back off, Thea.’
‘Okay, okay. I’m sorry.’ She felt herself flush. She hadn’t meant to make this about Lucas and her. ‘This is just with regard to Ava. About what’s best for her.’
‘Yeah. I’m sorry.’ His chest heaved as he sucked in a draught of air. ‘I think… Will you supervise her testing? Personally.’
‘Of course. I’m going to insist on that.’
‘And you’ll make sure I know everything? Every last detail, even the ones that don’t matter?’
‘Every last one. I appreciate that you’re the parent here, and I know you’re worried.’
‘And you’ll call round this evening? If I put an extra steak on the barbecue and get a bottle of red?’
‘What, in my official capacity? Not sure about that, I’ll never make it round to everyone.’ She grinned at him, and finally he smiled.
‘As a friend. Who doesn’t mind talking sense, even when I don’t want to hear it?’
‘I don’t know. Were you thinking of getting a decent bottle of red?’
He chuckled. ‘You mean not the stuff we used to drink?’
‘Yes. Exactly.’
