Christmas Kisses Collection. Louise Allen

from the examination table. Although his tone returned once again to something more formal and detached.

      ‘I’ll email you the updates, Dr Turner.’

      She felt she had been successful. The atmosphere in the room had cooled and for that she was grateful. It was just the way she wanted it.

      ‘I appreciate that, Dr Warren.’

      ‘Great, I’ll leave you both in the A&E’s care and head up to visit with Georgina and Leo. They’re waiting for my update on their babies’ treatment plan, because since the diagnosis it appears the recipient twin is now struggling.’

      Juliet froze on the spot. ‘Georgina and Leo Abbiati? The quads’ parents?’

      ‘Yes.’

      ‘But that’s why I’m here. Why would you not include me in that consultation? And why would you not update me immediately?’

      ‘Because you just excused yourself.’

      ‘No, I didn’t,’ Juliet argued with her nostrils beginning to flare. ‘I excused myself from our meeting. Not the meeting with the quads’ parents. I thought that was scheduled for this afternoon.’

      ‘It was, but yesterday I decided to bring it forward since the condition had deteriorated slightly. Which is what I just mentioned.’

      ‘What exactly do you mean by “deteriorated slightly”?’

      ‘There’s more amniotic fluid so the uterus is almost at capacity. It might be a good idea to do an amniotic reduction.’

      ‘I’ll need to assess her immediately,’ Juliet told him. ‘And I wouldn’t be considering the reduction if we are undertaking the laser surgery in a few days.’

      ‘Whether the laser surgery will go ahead is still to be decided by the Abbiatis.’

      ‘And without me, it would appear. Didn’t you think that it would be nice to consult with me about treatment plans? I thought we would meet at ten this morning, you would brief me on the current viability of all four babies, the affected babies’ condition and the mother’s status and I would take that into consideration and then, with a consolidated treatment plan, meet with the parents late today.’

      ‘I scheduled it for now as I thought you’d want to meet with the parents immediately.’

      Juliet drew a deep breath. She needn’t have worried she was warming to him because Charlie Warren had very quickly given her a cold shower when he’d returned to being a dictator with a medical degree. She wasn’t sure if he had taken her cue or it was his intention all along but either way any attraction she had felt instantly disappeared.

      Juliet had to think on her feet. She would not be made to appear less than professional by not attending the consultation. This was about the option of surgical intervention. Not Charlie Warren’s conservative treatment plan. Waiting for the birth was not in her expert opinion the best way forward. The best chance was surgery to remove the offending artery and save all four babies and she wanted the Abbiatis to have all the facts before they made their decision.

      ‘I want to meet with them as soon as possible.’

      ‘Then let’s go. I’m meeting with them in fifteen minutes.’

      ‘What about Bea?’

      Charlie looked down at Bea’s little face and his heart began to melt. If life had been different he would have been looking at the face of his own child every night. He or she would have been younger than Bea but he and his wife had planned on children. Four of them if possible. Leaving the hospital every night to return to his wife and those much-loved children, to read them bedtime stories and tuck them in to sleep, was his dream but instead he returned to an empty house in the middle of renovations that he didn’t care about. His life was as empty as his house.

      And suddenly the daughter of the overbearing woman who shouldn’t have any effect on him was doing just that. He wasn’t able to define what made her special—perhaps it was because she was like a tiny angel with a broken wing. Although he did not feel her mother had fallen from heaven.

      ‘I said, what do you propose I do with my daughter?’ Her voice was firm but not much more than a whisper. She didn’t want Bea to feel she was in the way or not wanted.

      ‘Bring her along to my office and I’ll ask one of the nurses to keep an eye on her,’ he told Juliet as he patted Bea’s hand.

      ‘I don’t feel comfortable with that.’

      ‘Then go home…’

      ‘Go home?’

      ‘I meant go back to the hotel and we’ll arrange a second consultation tomorrow.’ Charlie walked over and opened the door. ‘We’re all finished in here,’ he told the nurse as he left A&E.

      ‘So you won’t postpone the consultation until this afternoon, then?’ she asked, exasperated with his attitude and following slowly on his heels with Bea in tow.

      ‘No, definitely not. Postponing has the potential to make both parents extremely anxious, not to mention Leo’s taken time away from the family business to be here.’ Charlie pressed the elevator button for OBGYN on the second floor and turned back to face her.

      Juliet’s gaze swept the hospital corridor as she rubbed her forehead. In her mind, the Abbiatis needed to be provided with both treatment plan options to consider. Charlie would no doubt suggest a ‘wait and see’ treatment plan or next propose medication as an option. After sleeping on it, the second option of surgical intervention, she conceded, would be the scarier of the two to Georgina and Leo. The delivery gap between both might sway them to what was not in their best interests. Nor the interests of the babies.

      She felt trapped.

      ‘Fine, we’ll do it your way. I’ll attend,’ she said as the three of them stepped inside the empty elevator. ‘But I’ll need a few minutes to find the crèche and settle Bea in.’

      ‘Fine, you have ten minutes.’

      ‘Can’t you delay the consultation for half an hour?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘No?’ she repeated incredulously. ‘Not, perhaps…or I’ll see what I can do? Who made you the final decision maker? Oliver Darrington actually seconded me here, not you.’

      ‘But I’m Georgina’s OBGYN, so I make the final decision on this case. It’s how we run it at Teddy’s. Check with Oliver if you like, but he will without doubt defer to me.’

      ‘I don’t have time to chase down Mr Darrington.’

      ‘Good because I’m already running behind.’

      The doors of the lift opened into OBGYN. The waiting room was full and all eyes turned to them. Charlie considered compromise was in everyone’s best interest. ‘I’ll give you twenty minutes to settle Bea into the crèche, Dr Turner. Then I’ll begin the Abbiatis’ consultation in Room Two-Thirteen.’

      With that, Charlie disappeared down the corridor leaving Juliet and Bea standing opposite the nurses’ station. Juliet realised immediately that the middle ground he had offered had more to do with circumstance than generosity of spirit. The patients were all looking in their direction and had clearly been the impetus for the change in tone. She was well aware that he had the potential to be a medical ogre when out of earshot of others.

      ‘Dr Turner?’

      Juliet looked up to see a very pretty willowy blonde nurse smiling back at her. ‘Yes.’

      ‘Hi, I’m Annabelle Ainsley. I’m the head neonatal nurse,’ the blue-eyed woman told her. ‘We’ve been expecting you.’

      Juliet guessed the nurse to be in her mid-thirties as she stepped out from behind the station with her hand extended.

      ‘Juliet Turner,’ she responded as she met