Page 47 of A Scottish Love Story
‘Okay. I’ll get myself sorted straight away. Some fresh clothes would be welcome, though, if you wouldn’t mind.’
A short time later Ciaran tapped on the door.
‘I have your big suitcase here, Roxy.’
‘Just a second.’ She hastily wrapped herself in a large bath towel and opened the door.
‘Ah, what a golden opportunity.’ Ciaran’s eyes gleamed with mischief, and something like desire. ‘Pity this isn’t the right time.’
‘Good job we have no time to spare,’ she replied. ‘Can you put my suitcase inside so I can close the door?’ she added in a hasty whisper. ‘Donald is coming down the stairs.’
Ciaran grinned ruefully as he pushed her suitcase inside the small washroom.
* * *
‘Are you sure we shall be allowed in this early in the morning?’ Roxie asked as they arrived at the hospital a short time later. ‘I can wait in the car until you’ve seen your mother if you like?’
‘I don’t like. I need you beside me, my darling girl. Anyway, the nurse who phoned said Mum has asked for you by name.’
When they were shown into the small side room where Amy was, it was obvious from her pale face that she was in severepain. The Baxters were sincere in their loving warmth, but they were not normally a demonstrative, kissing family in public. This morning, Ciaran bent and kissed his mother’s cheek and his voice was gruff with emotion.
‘No use asking how you feel, Mum, I can see you are suffering a lot of pain.’
‘Yes, but Mr Whittaker has come all the way from Glasgow to see what can be done. And Roxie, lassie—’ she lifted a hand feebly in greeting — ‘I knew you would come back to me. I am so very pleased to see you.’
‘Of course I’ve come back. I promised,’ Roxie murmured softly, her voice quavering a little. She had never seen Amy looking so small and vulnerable as she did in the white hospital bed.
‘You will know what I need and where to find everything. Depending what the X-ray shows, Mr Whittaker is going to try to make arrangements to operate here, along with the chief surgeon, if they can arrange to get a theatre.’
‘Is it the same surgeon who did your operation before?’ Ciaran asked anxiously.
‘Oh, no. I think he retired. He is not here now anyway.’
Minutes later two men entered the room together. Ciaran and Roxie quickly stood up, prepared to leave, but Amy made a protesting gasp and beckoned them closer.
‘This is my son, Ciaran, and—’
‘And my fiancée,’ Ciaran said swiftly. Amy’s eyes flew to Roxie’s face, her eyes wide and suddenly bright. Roxy smiled and gave an imperceptible nod.
‘Roxie is the best friend an old woman like me could have,’ Amy told Mr Whittaker. ‘If you can only set me on the right path, Roxie will give me all the care I need.’ Her voice was warm and sincere, if rather weak. Roxie breathed a sigh of relief, but Ciaran doubted if his mother had fully taken in their own news.
The surgeon looked directly at Roxie, his eyebrows raised questioningly.
‘I am not a nurse, but I live with Amy and she knows I shall do my very best to look after her, and get her well again and on her feet.’
‘Now that will be a great help. It deals in part with what Mr Morgan and I were going to ask,’ Mr Whittaker said with satisfaction. ‘Mr Baxter, you are next of kin, I presume?’
‘Yes, that’s right.’ Ciaran nodded.
‘You would be aware that your mother had agreed to have the operation done privately in Glasgow in about a fortnight’s time?’
‘Yes, she was looking forward to you being able to take away the pain, and hopefully make her walk more easily.’
‘And you were agreeable to paying?’
‘Of course. In any case, my mother was intending to pay herself. She is a very independent person,’ he said with an affectionate smile.
‘Unfortunately, the pain is too severe to move her to Glasgow now. The fall has complicated things. She was admitted here as an emergency. While they cannot take private patients, Mr Morgan, the orthopaedic surgeon in charge here, is willing to let me perform the operation as an emergency, with him acting as my assistant, if Mrs Baxter will agree to have it done immediately? And if you also agree?’ He smiled down at his patient and his expression was gentle and understanding, Roxie thought. ‘By immediately we mean right now, so that we may use the theatre before the usual rota for the day begins. I am afraid we shall almost certainly need to insert a metal plate. This second break is not as clean and simple as I would have liked. It has made things slightly worse than they were on the X-ray a month ago.’
