A Father for Baby Rose. Margaret Barker

smiled. “Nothing at all to worry about. I was so pleased when the doctor suggested he would like to try this new drug. I’ve had three miscarriages and I’m so anxious not to lose this one.”

      After giving the injection, Cathy turned round to put the kidney dish back on her trolley.

      Yannis was standing in the doorway, watching her. “How are you getting on?”

      No smile, no sign that they were anything but medical colleagues. Exactly how it should be, Cathy thought, ignoring the confused feelings inside her.

      “Fine!”

      “I’d like to take you up to Theatre before I start on my list. I may not have time to show you around before I need you to assist me some time in the near future so I’ve told Sister Maria I’d like to take you away from Outpatients for a short time.”

      He moved into the cubicle and smiled down at the patient. “Looks like you’re going to be fourth time lucky with this baby, Tatiana. I had a word with your obstetrician over on Rhodes after your last appointment there and he’s very pleased with your progress.”

      Tatiana beamed up at the handsome doctor. “I won’t have to go over to Rhodes for the birth, will I? I’d much prefer to be here.”

      “Unless some complication develops, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be delivered here.”

      “My husband’s already planning the celebration. You’re invited, of course, Dr Yannis. You were the one who suggested I should go over to Rhodes and see this doctor who specialises in women who’ve miscarried. I understand that he’s also a friend of yours.”

      “Yes, he was at medical school with me…a long time ago.” Yannis swung round. “Must go. Take care of yourself and that precious baby, Tatiana.”

      Cathy increased her speed to keep in step with Yannis as they went down the corridor together. His face was solemn again, but she was glad she’d noticed the easy, friendly manner he adopted with the patients.

      Tatiana had been obviously delighted to see him. Patients and staff alike seemed to regard him as a heart-throb, from what Tanya had told her before she’d gone off to Australia. But Yannis seemed totally oblivious to the effect he had on the opposite sex.

      “I thought it would be a good idea for you to familiarise yourself with our operating theatres before you’re called on to work there. I’ve checked up on your CV and found you’ve had considerable experience in surgery.”

      “Yes, I was fortunate to have a lot of experience in my early career. I toyed with the idea of specialising at one point but decided to gain wider experience so that I could possibly train as a GP after I’d settled down and had a family.”

      He turned to look down at Cathy, realising for the first time that he was walking too quickly—as often happened when he was nervous. And he was nervous now. Cathy had that effect on him. He’d no idea why—well, he had, but now wasn’t a good time to dwell on it.

      “So you always intended to settle down and have a family?” He slowed his pace to a halt so that he could take a proper look at the attractive woman beside him.

      She smiled up at him, relieved that he’d called a halt. “I never actually made any firm decisions about anything in my early career. Things just sort of happened and I went along with the flow. I always wanted to be a doctor but…what kind?” She spread out her hands in front of him. “That changed as I went along, always becoming enthusiastic about the project I was on at the moment and…”

      “That’s good! To be enthusiastic about your job, I mean.”

      He couldn’t help admiring the way her clear blue eyes shone when she found a subject that interested her.

      “Not unless you end up as a kind of jack of all trades, master of none.”

      “I think you underestimate your career progress so far,” he said quietly as he decided he really should make the effort to move on.

      “You’ve got a wealth of experience, which will come in useful in a hospital like ours. Here on the island we have a certain amount of autonomy. In emergencies we have to take decisions whether to operate on a dangerously ill patient or to have him or her transferred over to the bigger hospital in Rhodes. If time is against us or if, due to adverse weather conditions, the helicopter ambulance is grounded, we have to go ahead with the necessary surgery here.”

      A couple of nurses had just passed by, giving them inquisitive glances. He didn’t want to give any cause for tongues to start wagging. “As far as I can see, you’ve steered a steady course since you qualified, gaining a great deal of valuable experience. And this was to achieve your aim to become a GP, you say?”

      “I figured it would make sense if I were to find my life partner and settle down to have a large family.”

      “Your life partner?” His brown eyes were searing into hers. She held her breath, mesmerised by being the centre of his attention. “Do you believe there is a designated person who is meant to be your life partner, your soul-mate?”

      Oh, heavens! She wished she hadn’t started opening up to him like this.

      “Possibly,” she said softly, her eyes searching his face. “At least, I did when I was much younger, before I became… disillusioned.”

      “Oh, you must never become disillusioned about love,” he said in a husky, deeply sensual voice.

      Looking down at Cathy now, he was trying hard to remind himself that he’d already experienced what it was like to have a soul-mate. His hand moved as if by someone else and gently touched her face, her skin so soft, her expression so vulnerable.

      “You’ve just been unlucky,” he finished off quietly. “But don’t give up hope.” He put his hand under her elbow. “We’d better get on. I’m expected to in Theatre shortly.”

      As they walked along together again, he was telling himself that he would like to see Cathy settled with a life partner. It would suit her. She was obviously a devoted and competent mother, running a career and parenthood at the same time with no help from a partner. He swallowed hard. How ironic it was that he’d lost his partner and his unborn child and here was a young woman with a child and no man to love her.

      He was bound to Maroula even though she wasn’t there. And Cathy, with her unfortunate, if mysterious, experiences in the past making her wary of forming another liaison certainly wouldn’t want to take on a grieving widower.

      They were reaching the surgical suite. He gave Cathy a whistle-stop tour of Theatre number three which he knew to be empty. It would be easier to look around without having staff members there.

      She was nodding. “It’s very well equipped!”

      He smiled. “Oh, yes, we’re equipped for general surgery and most specialist procedures.”

      A nurse pushed open one of the swing doors. “We’re ready for you now, Dr Yannis.”

      “Is the anaesthetist here?”

      “Yes, he’s waiting for your instructions.” She paused. “I’m afraid your assistant hasn’t arrived yet. The morning boat from Rhodes is late due to the high wind that blew up during the night. Sister is trying to arrange for someone to take his place but—’

      “Tell Sister not to worry. I’m sure Dr Meredith would assist me, wouldn’t you?” He turned to Cathy. “They’re well staffed in Outpatients this morning. You’d be more use up here in Theatre. What do you say?”

      “If that’s where you’d like me to work,” she said evenly.

      “Just for the first operation. It’s an appendectomy so shouldn’t take long. The patient has been having tests to check why she experiences occasional pain in the area of the appendix. After studying the results of the tests and scans, my conclusion is that it would be best to remove it. I put her first on the list and