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‘You’d tell me if it wasn’t.’
‘Of course. This is too important—’ Thea broke off as a reporter with a camera appeared right in front of them.
‘Can I have a picture?’
‘Delighted. You’re from…?’ Suddenly Lucas was there, and it seemed that the camera was no longer pointing her way. Thea realised that she’d instinctively taken a few steps back, shrinking from the lens, and that Lucas had put himself in between her and the cameraman.
‘The local paper. You commented on our article.’
‘Ah, yes. I thought that was going to print over the weekend.’ Lucas’s smile took on a hint of confrontational charm.
‘We held it until today, so that we could include what’s been said at the press conference. In the interests of fairness.’
‘That’s good to hear.’ Lucas shot a quick look in her direction and started to steer the cameraman away from her. ‘Michael, perhaps you’d like to be in on this one?’
Michael raised his eyebrows but followed dutifully, leaving Thea to make her escape before anyone else could catch her. It would be a while before anyone noticed she’d gone and by then she’d be up on the ward and away from the circus of curious eyes and jutting lenses.
CHAPTER FIVE
Week Four
THEA SURVEYED THE empty waiting room. Three TB nurses had been working at full tilt all day to keep the numbers in the waiting room down, but it hadn’t been easy. There were forms to be filled out, questions from worried parents and real and imagined symptoms to be investigated and advised on.
Lucas had seemed to expect all this, and was standing by to help when the flood of people wanting a doctor’s advice had threatened to overwhelm Thea. He was relaxed and cheerful, his sleeves rolled up in a certain indication that he meant business, his demeanour inviting the world in general to tell him what was on its mind. She’d seen a new side to him today. Passion, tempered by professionalism.
‘That’s everyone?’ He gave a farewell nod to a woman who’d gone into his consulting room looking as if she was on her way to a funeral and come out again looking as if she was vaguely considering going to a party.
‘That’s it. You were a long time with that last patient.’ Everyone else had packed up and gone home, leaving Thea to try and make some inroads into the pile of paperwork on her desk.
‘She was telling me all about the new leisure centre that’s been built just down the road. Apparently they’ve got a dance studio down there with a proper sprung floor.’
‘Really? They do classes?’
‘Yeah, apparently. Thinking of going?’
For a moment his smile tempted her and Thea considered the prospect. She hadn’t danced for ages, and suddenly she missed it. But she had no partner.
‘I don’t have the time these days.’ Thea picked up her pen and then threw it back down again, deciding that she’d get through the stack of files much quicker if she took them home with her and had something to eat first. ‘Besides, I’d rather take a course that’s more practical. Something like self-defence maybe.’
‘You’re worried about your safety?’
Thea ignored the question. She really didn’t want to get into that.
Lucas shrugged, and let it go. ‘Would you like a lift? I’ve got my car with me today.’
She couldn’t think of a good reason to say no. Other than the truth, and it wasn’t for him to know that she was enjoying working with him far more than she should. Thea returned his smile. ‘Okay, yes. I could do with a lift tonight, I’m tired.’
They locked the door of the clinic and walked to the car park. ‘If you find a good self-defence class, let me know. I might suggest it to Ava.’
‘Okay. Ava and I could go together perhaps.’
‘I think she’d like that. I’m all for it.’
He drove slowly towards the hospital gates, stopping to let an ambulance through to the forecourt of the A and E department. As he stopped again to let someone run across the crossing in front of him, the screech of brakes and a dull thud sounded from somewhere. Something right at the periphery of her vision, moving fast, made Thea instinctively shrink back in her seat, one hand flying up to shield her face.
The engine shrieked in protest as Lucas changed gear and reversed, fast. A large chunk of metal hit the road a few feet in front of the car, just about where Thea had been sitting a few seconds ago. There was a moment of silence and then the sound of someone shouting.
‘You all right?’ Lucas had instinctively flung one arm protectively across her.
