‘What was all that about?’ Jamie asked as Pav approached the group. They’d all finished their lunches and were starting to collect their things together.
‘Is she okay?’ Libby’s face was awash with concern. To Pav’s knowledge Libby was the only other hospital worker who did not seem to hold any animosity towards Dr Morrison. Dr M. had even looked after Libby’s little girl in the past, which was a shock in itself, seeing as people in general did not seem to be the radiologist’s forte. As Libby was a medical student and a single mother (well, not quite so single anymore thanks to Jamie), Dr Morrison’s help had been a much needed lifeline – but it was still a bizarre choice of childcare in Pav’s opinion.
‘I didn’t mean to piss her off so much that she’d scald herself,’ Kira put in, shifting uncomfortably on her feet. ‘You know I can’t control my mouth sometimes. It’s just that she can besucha mega-bitch.’
Dr Morrison had an unfortunate but well-earned reputation around the hospital for her cold manner and her ability to make you feel stupid when you requested a scan. Consultants like Pav and Jamie took that sort of humiliation on the chin, but it was a bit mean-spirited when it came to students like Kira. There had been a couple of times over the last month when Kira had come back from the radiology department with a pale face and without her usual relentless banter. Pav knew that Kira’s confidence clinically had been knocked recently, when she’d failed an anatomy viva, so the last thing she needed was for Nuclear Winter to make her feel even more substandard.
Pav reached for his phone and tucked it into his back pocket.
‘Is she okay?’ Libby asked, a small frown marring her forehead.
‘She’s fine,’ he told them with a confidence he didn’t feel. His mind flashed back to the red burn marks on her hand and the bruises he’d seen on her forearm, and his stomach tightened. ‘Maybe you could go check on her though Libs? You seem to be the only one she’s comfortable with.’
Kira snorted in agreement.
‘You know, Ki-Ki,’ Pav said after a moment, ‘I’m not sure she means to be a bitch. Maybe she’s just … shy.’
‘You think?’ Kira’s forehead was creased in a frown and her head cocked to the side so that her long red hair fell over one small shoulder. ‘I have to say she’s pretty high up on my list of People Who Need a Slap With a Wet Fish.’
Libby sighed. ‘I’ve told you all before,’ she said in an exasperated tone. ‘You don’t know Millie. She’s got … issues.’
‘Yeah, well, you’re bang on there,’ Kira muttered, and Libby shot her an annoyed look.
‘She’s really good with Rosie, Kira. But you’ve got to be a bit less …’ Libby paused and looked up at the ceiling before she shrugged and focused back on Kira with a small smile, ‘… you.’
‘A bit less me?’
‘Yes. I think you intimidate her.’
‘Iintimidateher?’ Kira rolled her eyes. ‘Her heart is carved of ice Libs. I doubt any human could intimidate her.’
‘Just give her a chance.’
Kira paused. ‘Well … I guess she did call me to sort you out when you were ill. She can’t be a complete robot.’
‘I think we should all make a bit more effort with her actually,’ Pav cut in. ‘I’ve certainly got to try and get her on side if I want to get her to present at the Grand Round.’
Pavneededto talk Dr Morrison around. So far she’d refused to even consider speaking about her research in public. Pav knew this because, as the Director of Surgery, he was the one who received the emails from conferences, when they had no luck with her. Apparently she’d turned down every one of them. Pavlos could not understand why anybody would turn down that opportunity. He himself would give his right arm to present his new surgical technique for minimally invasive prostatectomy. Knowing this, and desperate for Dr Morrison to speak at his conference, the organizer of the European Urological Association meeting had contacted Pav last week with an offer of a slot to speak to the main lecture hall,ifhe could convince Dr Morrison to take a slot as well. So far her study had only involved orthopedic and urology patients; both specialties were vying for who could convince her to talk first, and Pav’s assistance would give the urologists the edge. The conference was in six months. Pav had told the organizer ‘no worries’.
‘Millie needs genuine friends, Pav,’ Libby said with more than a hint of reproach in her voice. ‘Leave her alone if you’re just trying to get her to speak at that bloody conference you’re always on about.’ Pav had told them all about the stalemate he was involved in with Dr Morrison. Libby had been adamant that he not push ‘Millie’ too hard to present.
‘You’ve no chance, mate,’ Jamie chuckled. ‘Even the legendary Pavlos rays of supercharm won’t be enough to warm up Nuclear Winter.’ Libby punched Jamie in the arm.
‘Don’t call her that,’ she snapped. ‘And Pav, I’m serious about you leaving Millie alone. Jamie’s being a dick, but he’s right about the conference; there’s no way she’ll do that.’
We’ll see, Pav thought as he clenched his jaw in frustration. Thwarted ambition was not his style.We’ll just see.
*****
Millie’s body tensed as she heard the far softer knock on her door.
‘Millie?’ At the sound of Libby’s voice she sagged slightly in relief but also a little, tiny bit of disappointment. It was official: she was losing her mind. Her office door was pushed open and Libby’s head appeared around it, followed by Rosie’s underneath.
‘We’ve come to fix your hand,’ the five-year-old bossed as she pushed her way into the office and planted her little feet wide with her hands on her hips. Her bright blue eyes, so similar to her mother’s, were sparking with determination and she shook her dark curls behind her shoulders. Rosie had turned five last month. Millie knew that her party had been at Jamie’s house, as she had been invited – another surprise. Of course she couldn’t go. Apart from anything, she’d known He’d be there, and after the club incident Millie was avoiding Him at all costs. Something that had backfired spectacularly today.
‘You, young lady, have come to watch.I’vecome to check on Millie,’ Libby said, trying to gently draw Rosie to the side. The little girl, however, was not in the mood to be pushed aside. She shook off her mother’s hand and moved to Millie, climbing up into her lap and putting her strong little arms around her neck, before giving her a squeeze. Millie swallowed past a lump in her throat as she closed her arms around the warm curled body. Since she’d been babysitting for Libby (at first it was in the mornings so that Libby could go to the ward round before the hospital nursery opened, but Rosie had since started school, which meant Millie was now only allowed the odd evening babysit) she had become used to Rosie’s affection. The only reason she’d even become sort-of friends with Libby was because Rosie had marched into Millie’s office a few months ago after Millie had refused a scan request from Libby, and asked her straight out why she was ‘being mean to my mummy?’. Libby had been mortified – she’d been trying to keep the child hidden behind the door whilst she asked for the scan (as a single mother and restricted by the nursery opening times Libby hadn’t had much choice), but Millie had been enchanted by the child from the start.
In fact now she looked forward to the evenings Libby needed babysitting so much it was almost pathetic. The casual affection she found so difficult with other people came easily with Rosie. Maybe because the social cues Millie found impossible to interpret with adults were easier to read with this child; there was no artifice, no small talk, no double meanings. Everything was clear and on the table. Affection was genuine. Millie had no idea why the little girl had taken to her so much, but she was not going to turn her away. In the company of this child Millie almost felt normal, something she hadn’t experienced in a long time – if she was honest there was never really a time when the word normal would have applied to her.
