A Mother's Secret (Mills & Boon Medical) Read online

  On his instructions she started to run through the neurological exam. Asking David his name, the day, the date and asking him to follow certain instructions. It was a complicated process, with her relaying all the details to the experienced consultant at the end of the phone. David barely responded to some of the questions, mumbling at best. It took the consultant only a few minutes to decide to arrange transport for David to the hyperbaric chamber in Millport and issue a few other instructions that Gemma noted down. Even though this was a critical time, she couldn’t help the surge of relief that was flowing through her.

  She’d followed her instincts. And she wasn’t crazy. For a few seconds she’d felt totally out of her depth. The long hours of research she’d put in over the last few weeks while Isla had been sleeping had been a lifesaver. Literally. ‘Do I have to do anything else?’

  ‘Just monitor him. If he maintains consciousness, try and encourage some fluids. Don’t worry. You’ll be met by the specialist team at Cumbrae as soon as you land.’

  She finished the call and took David’s BP and saturation levels again. He was still giving her cause for concern. Julie appeared at the door. ‘I’ve called the ambulance.’

  She must have taken in the confused expression on Gemma’s face. She reached over and touched her shoulder, giving David and Pam a reassuring smile. ‘The helicopter’s landing bay is at the hospital. The ambulance will get you there in two minutes. I’ve also arranged alternative transport for Pam.’

  ‘I won’t be able to go in the helicopter?’

  Julie shook her head. ‘I’m sorry. There’s only room for one other person...’ she nodded towards Gemma ‘...and that has to be Dr Halliday.’

  Gemma could hear roaring in her ears. She had to do the transfer in the helicopter?

  Heaven help her. She’d never been near a helicopter in her life, let alone ridden in one. ‘Did you manage to get Logan?’ Please let him appear. Please let him be the one to go on the helicopter. But she didn’t even have time to think about it. Julie had pushed a wheelchair next to the door and was escorting Pam to the door. She was being much more help than Gemma would have expected. It was only at the last second she saw a little mad panic on her face. ‘I’m sorry, Gemma, I couldn’t get hold of Logan at all. I’ve left about four messages on his mobile,’ she hissed.

  Gemma gulped. She would have to do this all on her own. But she didn’t have time to let it terrify her. She had a patient to look after.

  She put her arms gently on David’s shoulders, careful not to hurt his shoulder joints. ‘David?’ She spoke quietly. ‘I know you’re sore, but I need you to get in the wheelchair. We need to get you to the helicopter.’

  For the first time in the last ten minutes he opened his eyes. It had been clear during his neurological exam he was starting to become a little muddled. ‘What’s happening?’ The confusion was written all over his face.

  Gemma took a few moments to kneel in front of him and touch his hand. ‘We think you’ve got decompression sickness, David, caused by flying too quickly after your multiple dives. It’s likely that the pain in your joints is caused by nitrogen bubbles. It can also be the reason you’re feeling a bit disorientated and your skin is itching. We’re really lucky—Millport is only a few minutes away in the helicopter and there will be a team waiting to treat you in the hyperbaric chamber.’

  There had better be. Because she didn’t have the expertise to deal with that.

  ‘I’ll be with you for the transfer and get you settled.’

  ‘What about my wife?’ His voice was weak, his throat sounding dry—probably from the high-dose oxygen. She lifted a glass of water and moved the mask to put it to his lips, letting him take a few sips. ‘We’re making arrangements for Pam, don’t worry. She’ll be with you.’

  There was a flash of green beside her—a paramedic suit. He raised his eyebrows at her. ‘Are you ready, Dr Halliday? We’ve already had radio contact with the emergency helicopter. It’s on its way. ETA is ten minutes.’

  ‘That quick?’ She was surprised.

  He gave a little shrug. ‘Once it’s taken off from Prestwick it covers the miles really quickly. Our weather conditions are good so there’ll be no problems with landing.’ He gestured towards the door. ‘Okay if I take our patient?’

  She nodded and grabbed her jacket, stopping at the door and putting her hand on Julie’s elbow. ‘Thank you so much, Julie. I don’t know what I would have done without you.’

  For the first time ever, normally frosty Julie gave her a smile. ‘That’s what I’m here for. And to tell you the truth, it’s the most exciting thing that’s happened in ages. Logan will be sorry he missed it.’

  She felt a little lurch in her stomach. She almost wished that she’d missed it, and Logan had been here to deal with everything. Hopefully—whether he was in a mood with her or not—he’d sit down later and do a debrief with her and talk her through anything she might have missed.

  She rushed out the door and jumped into the back of the ambulance. It took less than five minutes to reach the landing pad in the hospital grounds. The paramedic opened the back doors of the ambulance and looked up at the sky. ‘I’m just going to do a few observations on David while we’re waiting.’

  Gemma nodded. Something was pressed into her hand. She looked down. Ear defenders. She hadn’t even considered the noise. Then again, she’d never been around a helicopter before.

  David was lying back again with his eyes closed. He was still unconsciously scratching at his skin. Was it wrong to pray for the helicopter to get here quickly?

  After a few minutes she could hear the thump-thump of the spinning blades. It seemed only seconds before the speck in the sky was getting closer and closer.

  She put the ear defenders on. The noise was incredible. As she jumped out of the back of the ambulance and stood at the side of the stretcher used to transport David, her hair was flying backwards and forwards—across her eyes, in her mouth. It was freezing. The glorious sunny day was no match for the helicopter blades.

  After a few seconds there was a shout. The helicopter had touched down safely and the side door slid back.

  She didn’t know which was louder, the sound of the helicopter blades or the sound of her too-fast heartbeat in her ears. She’d forgotten her jacket—it was still lying in the back of the ambulance—and it felt as if any second now her shirt would be ripped from her body. Sure enough, one of her buttons pinged off and disappeared into the wind. She didn’t have time to make a grab to cover herself. The stretcher was already being run towards the helicopter.

  The transfer was seamless. The ambulance team pushed the stretcher towards the helicopter and the legs automatically collapsed underneath it as it slid easily on board. A hand stretched out towards her, ready to pull her in. The helicopter was higher than she’d thought, but someone gave her a boost from behind and a new pair of ear defenders was placed in her lap. She swapped them over, handed the first ones back. The door slid shut and seconds later they took off.

  She didn’t have time to think about the flight. Or the turbulence around them. It was almost like being in a bit of a bumpy car ride. The noise was still incredible, but her reactions were automatic. Years of being in emergency situations seemed to stand her in good stead and she helped the paramedic attach David to a monitor and set up an IV line, all with a series of hand signals.

  Eventually she got a sign to strap in as they prepared for landing. She almost couldn’t believe the time had passed already. Millport—or the Isle of Cumbrae—was smaller than Arran with a similar old-style hospital. Walking into the unit with the hyperbaric chamber and state-of-the-art equipment was almost like walking into a space station. From the outside you would have no idea all this was here. Thankfully, another doctor and nurse were waiting. They took her paperwork and started making calculations quickly. One grabbed the card for the dive school from her hand and walked through to an office, quickly picking up the phone. It literally took minutes for
them to reassess David’s neurological status and set him up to go in the chamber.

  It was fascinating. The specialist consultant was on video call with them the whole time. He even took part in the conversation with the dive school in Egypt. Learning foreign languages was obviously part of his skills. And the whole scenario was something so specialist it was totally out of her realm of expertise. Another call came in for the emergency helicopter—a climber injured in Fort William—and before she could even think they were gone.

  A nurse appeared at her side and touched her elbow. ‘I’m Jill, can I get you a coffee to tide you over before you head back?’

  Back. It hadn’t even occurred to her. Not for a second. The helicopter was gone. How on earth was she going to get back to Arran? She looked around her—she hadn’t even taken her handbag from the surgery.

  Jill smiled. ‘Stop panicking.’

  She shook her head. ‘I don’t have my bag. I don’t have any money. I have no idea how to get from Millport to Arran. What on earth happens now?’

  Jill laughed and waved her hand. ‘Don’t worry about any of that. Logan Scott has already phoned to say he’ll pick you up.’

  She frowned. ‘But how can he pick me up?’

  Jill raised her eyebrows. ‘In his boat?’ It was obvious that Gemma wasn’t proving to pick things up very quickly. Everything had happened at such a pace she hadn’t considered any of these things. ‘Come on. I bet you missed lunch. You can have something free of charge in our canteen. It’s not every day the emergency helicopter lands.’

  ‘Isn’t it?’ The way the staff had acted she’d thought this was a routine occurrence. ‘How often do you use the hyperbaric chamber?’

  ‘It varies. Anything from around ten to twenty divers a year need treatment here. Not all get transferred by helicopter, some come via the lifeboat service.’

  She steered Gemma into a similar canteen to the one in Arran hospital. It was smaller but she was able to grab some soup and a sandwich and take a seat at the window for a moment to try and catch her breath.

  Wow. Helicopter trip. Hyperbaric chamber. And a think-outside-the-box crazy diagnosis.

  A smile crept across her face. When she’d told her colleagues in Glasgow that she was moving to Arran, some of them had told her she’d be bored.

  If anyone had told her three weeks ago that this was how life would pan out she wouldn’t have believed them.

  And now Logan was coming to pick her up. Logan, who had hardly been able to look her in the eye for the last two weeks. What on earth was going on with him? And why did the thought of being confined to a small space with him make her stomach do flip-flops?

  How long did the sail between Arran and Millport take? She had no idea at all. At least an hour or more.

  She and Logan in a confined space together?

  She hoped they would both survive it.

  * * *

  There was a buzz in his pocket that quickly cut off again. Darned reception. Shortbank Farm was in one of the only valleys in Arran, which made it difficult to get a signal. Old Peter Gallacher had managed to take a huge chunk out of his leg this morning and Logan was going to have to get the district nurse in for the next few weeks, along with a supply of antibiotics.

  The phone buzzed again and cut off. Someone desperately wanted to get hold of him. Was it work, or was it personal?

  Could it be Claire in a crisis? Surely not—she was supposed to be spending the day with his mother and little Miss Dynamo—his latest nickname for Isla. Or could it be Gemma at the surgery?

  He blew his hair off his forehead. Things would have to be really bad for Gemma to phone him. He’d barely been civil to her over the last few days.

  It was ridiculous behaviour and he knew it.

  He just couldn’t help it.

  Everything about her drew his attention. He’d found himself thinking about her during the drives to patients’ homes, or when he’d been having a conversation with someone else. None of which were good signs.

  He couldn’t understand why this tiny brunette, with her even tinier red-haired child, was invading his thoughts so much.

  He didn’t really have time for it. It wasn’t to say he didn’t want children. Just not right now. Especially when things were this way with Claire. It would be insensitive, to say the least.

  He was already cringing at the thought of Claire appearing at his mother’s one day when Isla was there. Neither he nor his mother had mentioned the fact she was looking after Isla three days a week during the summer holidays. The immediate, temporary solution of childcare for Gemma was now feeling like an elephant sitting on his back. More so because Isla and his mother appeared attached at the hip. They were both relishing the other’s company.

  At first he’d thought it was nice. And he would still think it was nice if he wasn’t worried about the impact it might have on his sister.

  The phone buzzed again. He was starting to get a bad feeling about this. He pulled it from his pocket. As he’d suspected—one intermittent bar that seemed to vanish and reappear before his eyes.

  ‘Pete, can you excuse me? Someone’s been trying to get hold of me. I’m guessing it’s kind of urgent.’ He looked at Pete’s temporarily patched-up shin on the little footstool. ‘Once I get a better signal I’ll get the district nurse to pick up some antibiotics for you and come and do a proper dressing.’ He glanced around the farmhouse. ‘I’ll make you a quick cup of tea before I go. I don’t want you to move until she gets here.’

  Pete gave a little nod of his head and rested his head back on the chair, folding his arms across his middle and closing his eyes. He needed to rest. He’d had a shock that morning after the accident and had been lucky his intermittent mobile call had gone through to the surgery. Pete’s own regular phone line had been down for months and the phone company had left him with a mobile phone that resembled a brick. Logan would need to try and talk to someone about that too.

  It only took a few minutes to make the tea and leave it, with a supply of biscuits, next to Pete.

  Logan jumped into his car and put his foot to the floor. As soon as he got out of the valley he would start to get a better signal and find out what was going on. It only took a few moments, but as his car climbed the hill the phone started to go crazy.

  He had hands-free in his car, but that only worked properly for real calls. If he wanted to know about texts and messages he still needed his phone in his hands.

  As he reached the crest of the hill he pulled over. Six missed calls and three messages. Oh, no.

  All of them from the surgery—none of them from Claire.

  For a second he felt a tiny, selfish surge of relief. His family was okay. But almost instantaneously guilt descended. He was a professional. While his family was okay, someone else’s obviously wasn’t.

  He listened to the first message. It was Julie, asking frantically for him to call back. He pressed for the second. Julie again, this time to say Gemma really, really wanted to talk to him. Third message, and this one sounded a little garbled, they’d had to phone Aberdeen, something about a patient with decompression sickness. Really?

  He couldn’t believe it. Part of him was annoyed he hadn’t been the one to see the patient and make the diagnosis. He’d spent a few days last year doing in-depth training but since then had limited contact with the staff at Millport and the hyperbaric chamber as their patients came from all over the west coast of Scotland.

  He pressed the button to call the surgery back, and almost immediately became aware of the drone above him. The emergency helicopter. Things must have been really bad.

  The phone was just ringing out—and he knew exactly why. All the surgery staff were dealing with transferring the patient for the pick-up. Had he been there, he would be doing exactly the same.

  Poor Gemma. She was relatively inexperienced in GP land, but if he was honest, he was secretly impressed. What a call to make! She’d only told him the other week that she didn’t know that
much about diving ailments and she’d have to read up on them.

  She’d obviously meant it, otherwise she would never have been able to make the diagnosis. He placed his phone on the passenger seat and put his foot to the floor. His colleague had obviously been looking for support. And had he received the call he would have given it to her.

  She didn’t have a clue what was going on in his family. She had no idea how much she’d invaded his thoughts. Sure, she’d responded to a few casual flirtations, but she wouldn’t have any idea why he’d been so abrupt lately.

  As the helicopter swooped above him he did the only thing he could. He accelerated even more and tried to make it back in time to help out.

  CHAPTER SIX

  IT WAS A calm, easy sail. He’d almost been glad of the excuse to take the boat out.

  Almost.

  As soon as he’d heard the helicopter coming in to land he’d realised there must be something serious going on. But by the time he’d finally got hold of Julie and found out what had happened he’d felt sick. He could only imagine how out of her depth Gemma must have felt. Would he have recognised the signs of decompression syndrome? Would he have asked David Robertson the right questions to determine what was wrong with him? He wasn’t sure.

  But Gemma had. The woman who’d only been on the island for three weeks and had admitted to knowing nothing about hyperbaric chambers had come up trumps.

  Thank goodness.

  And now, as a means of apology for not being there to help her when she’d needed it, he was picking her up in Millport.

  Julie had been talking at a hundred miles an hour when he’d got back to the surgery. Bill, the local paramedic, had been much more sensible—and very complimentary about their new doctor.

  But give praise where praise was due. Gemma had done a good job and by the sound of it Julie had been there to assist. When her mind was on the job she could be excellent.

  She’d nearly burst into tears when she’d realised Gemma had forgotten her bag in the rush to leave the surgery. And when she’d remembered she hadn’t given Gemma any instructions for getting back...