Emergency Doctor and Cinderella. Melanie Milburne

said. ‘That’s the one with the suspected appendix, right?’

      ‘Yes, I’ve got his history here,’ Lydia said, handing her a file. ‘He’s been in before for a resection of gangrenous bowel about two years ago.’

      ‘That should make for interesting surgery,’ Erin said. ‘Who’s the surgeon on call?’

      ‘Mr Gourlay,’ Lydia said. ‘Your all-time favourite.’

      This time is was Erin who rolled her eyes. ‘Maybe I should have gone on that ward-round after all.’

      

      When Erin got home from work, Molly wound her plump body around her legs, mewing in delight. Erin smiled and scooped her up, burying her face in the cat’s luxurious fur. The phone rang inside her bag, and she gently put Molly down to answer it. When she saw the number on the screen, she felt a hand of dread clutch at her insides. ‘Hello, Mum,’ she said in a flat tone.

      ‘Ezzie, I need your help,’ Leah Taylor said. ‘Things have been tough just lately, you know how it is.’

      Erin whooshed out an impatient sigh. ‘No, Mum, strange as it may seem, I don’t know how it is.’

      ‘There’s no need to be nasty,’ Leah said. ‘All I want is a bit of cash to get me through until my next pension payment.’

      Erin began pacing; it was almost unconscious every time she spoke with her mother. Back and forth she went across the carpet, like a caged animal desperate for freedom. She could even see the slightly worn area when she’d last vacuumed. ‘Mum, you know what the social worker said about me giving you money all the time,’ she said. ‘You just shoot it up or drink it.’

      ‘I’m going straight now, Ez,’ her mother said. ‘I haven’t touched a drop for three days.’

      Erin rolled her eyes. ‘And what about Bob or Bill or Brad, or whatever his name is? Is he going straight too?’

      ‘Just because you can’t pull a man doesn’t give you the right to slag me off. If you would just tart yourself up a bit you wouldn’t be living all alone with just a stupid cat for company.’

      Erin felt anger rising in her like the froth of a soda poured too rapidly, threatening to overflow the glass of her control. She had to fight her temper back, knowing from experience it never worked with her mother. There was no hope of a rational conversation with someone in the grip of addiction. She had learned that earlier than any child should have to learn. Some people loved their fix more than their children. Leah Taylor was one of them. The drink and the drugs would always come first, her unsavoury boyfriends a close second. ‘Mum, I’m going to hang up now, OK?’ she said in a cool, calm voice. ‘I’ll call you in a couple of days.’

      ‘How can you turn your back on your own mother?’ Leah asked in a whining tone.

      Erin closed her eyes as she thought of all the times her mother had abandoned her, leaving her to fend for herself until the authorities had finally stepped in. Years of being shunted from one foster home to another, with short periods of being reunited with her mother in some of Leah’s all-too-brief periods of sobriety. Yes, Erin could easily turn her back on her mother. It was either that or get hurt all over again. ‘I’ll call you later, Mum,’ she said again.

      ‘Selfish little cow,’ Leah snapped. ‘You’re just like your father.’

      ‘And that would be…?’ Erin asked pointedly.

      Her mother slammed the phone down.

      CHAPTER THREE

      ERIN wasn’t sure why she went to that particular movie at that particular cinema, but at the time she had figured it was much better than spending the evening alone with her demons. The film was an art-house foreign-language one she had read a review about in one of the weekend papers. She took her seat and sipped at a diet soda; she barely read the subtitles, she just looked at the images flashing across the screen while her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

      When she came out of the cinema the streets were crowded with people on their way home from dinner, or on their way to nightclubs for drinking and dancing. The noisy chatter and laughter of everyone having a good time as they enjoyed the balmy autumn evening made Erin wish she hadn’t come out after all.

      She had never felt more alone in her life.

      

      Eamon picked up his takeaway meal from his favourite restaurant, thrilled that the same people were still running it since he had left to work in the UK a couple of years ago. Right now he could think of nothing better than a cold beer and a madras curry, maybe watching some cricket on television or catching up on some current affairs on the Net.

      He suddenly noticed a slight figure in the small crowd that was milling out of the local cinema, her shiny chestnut hair loose about her face instead of tightly pulled back. She was wearing jeans and a loose shirt over a camisole top, with ballet flats on her feet. Her eyes were downcast as she weaved her way through the knots of people, as if she didn’t want to be noticed.

      Eamon was on his way to her when he saw a boisterous couple coming the other way jostle against her, almost knocking her over.

      ‘Hey, watch where you’re going,’ the young male half of the couple said belligerently.

      Eamon quickly broke through the crowd and put his arm around Erin’s waist, pulling her close to his side. ‘Sorry I’m late, sweetheart,’ he said. Then, turning to look at the obstreperous pair, he gave them the full force of his commanding gaze. ‘Is there a problem here?’

      The couple exchanged a glance, the young man eventually giving a shrug. ‘It’s cool, mate. I guess I wasn’t watching where I was going.’

      ‘That’s what I thought,’ Eamon said, and stood with his arm still around Erin’s waist until they had moved on.

      Erin felt the nerves beneath her skin tingle with feelings she had never felt before. The weight of his arm was unfamiliar, but not in any way unpleasant. With him standing so close to her she could smell his light citrus-based aftershave; she could even see the individual points of stubble on his jaw. The most primal feelings swept over her. No one had ever sprung to protect her before. It awakened such deep yearnings she had trouble disguising how affected she was. To cover her vulnerability, she stepped out of his embrace and dusted herself off, as if his touch had contaminated her in some way. ‘Thanks,’ she mumbled. ‘But the sweetheart thing was a bit over-the-top, don’t you think?’

      His mouth curved upwards in a smile. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘It worked, didn’t it?’

      Erin found her lips wanting to return his smile, but she controlled them by biting the inside of her mouth.

      ‘So, where’s your date?’ he asked, looking up and down the street before returning his gaze to hers.

      ‘What date? Oh…’ She felt her face colour again. ‘Um…they couldn’t make it at the last minute.’

      ‘Another doctor, huh?’

      ‘Um…’ She looked away. ‘No. Just a…Someone who couldn’t make it.’

      ‘Story of my life,’ he said with a hint of wryness.

      Erin looked at him. ‘You got stood up?’ Her voice came out slightly incredulous.

      ‘You didn’t turn up for the first ward-round,’ he said, skewering her with his gaze.

      Erin bit her lip and turned away. ‘I know. I’m sorry, I had a tough case to deal with. I lost track of time.’

      ‘I realise it won’t always be possible to attend each one, but the plan overall is to improve continuity of care,’ he said. ‘Today’s round showed up a few holes in the system, so it will be good to work on those. I can fill you in on what went on so you don’t feel out of the loop.’

      Erin