Page 27 (1/2)
CHAPTER ONE
‘RESUSCITATED CARDIAC ARREST coton Central Hospital’s eed the wall phone back on its hook ‘Male, fifty-two, revived by bystander using CPR ETA less than five minutes’
‘Thanks, Cody,’ Dr Harper White replied ‘Resus Then he gets here’
Cody Brand added quietly so that only she heard, ‘Apparently intoxicated as well’ Thehis head ‘Seems a bit early in the day’
Harper’s gaze flicked to the wall clock Eleven forty-five Early? Hardly Not in the world of accidents and incidents ‘Hopefully now a very subdued man’
‘You think he’s thanking his lucky stars and swearing off the booze for good?’ Cody grinned ‘Good luck with that’
That grin could get the h not fro in to the zingy feeling ski’ Harper watched as Cody strode into Resus Two and began checking equip been restocked and double-checked less than an hour ago after a ic reaction to so she’d eaten for breakfast
The new nurse left nothing to chance—so Harper appreciated but which also annoyed her at times Other staff in the depart Maybe Nurse Brand was still settling in and she should leave him to it No one else had co slack
Turning away, she rubbed her te to relieve the tension building behind her eyes She did not need a raine She had a fun weekend to look forward to, with a birthday party not to befor the next patient file on the stack, she deterhs and wide shoulders that blue scrubs did little to hide distract her
‘Why pick up a file when any moment now the aot tirinned ‘Hottie’s got to you, hasn’t he?’
‘I don’t think so’ She hurriedly dropped the file back in place
‘You’re made of stone?’
Harper tried not to smile but it was impossible not to ‘The man’s built, no doubt about it’
‘I’d be worried if you hadn’t noticed’ Karin picked up the file Harper had discarded
‘Like I’lanced at her sidekick, as also staring after Cody
‘Maybe not looking for, but you were definitely looking at’
Yeah, she had been ‘You’re single, so what’s holding you back?’ Harper retorted
‘Not et back in the saddle and—’
‘Don’t go there,’ Harper interrupted, grateful for the shrill ring of the e made her happy, if only because it would shut Karin up No doubt only briefly, as the wos she should keep her mouth closed on
Nurse Brand had picked up the phone instantly, and Harper couldn’t help but take another appreciative glanc
e He’d been here five days and labelled ‘Hottie’ by the feue with the name No one could He was made to be looked at—drooled over, even—but that here it stopped as far as she was concerned
For one, she worked with hiroup of highly skilled people all focused on helping their patients coping with difficult and often tragic situations So far, what she’d seen of the latest nurse to join theoing with those he worked with, but thein any way at all came near him they had his undivided attention as he took care of them
And, if she needed another reason to not be interested in him, it was that she’d had all the disappointment from men she ever needed The ink was barely dry on the divorce papers from her last blunder
Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself? The guy treats you the sa disposition, his easy smile and relaxed wit Why would you be special?
The phone was sla in from the international airport,’ Cody infors she had no right to be thinking of sounded cal her in her place without even trying ‘Twenty-three-year-oldan intervieith Custo indicated on him’
Harper groaned inwardly She hated these cases If the guy was carrying internally and had collapsed it suggested a balloon containing heroin or cocaine had burst She’d lost a young female mule last year, and had seen another die years back when she’d been specialising in Auckland It was a fast but very painful way to die But she was getting ahead of herself It was only supposition that the e had burst and that he’d die as a result ‘ETA?’
‘Ten Resus One?’ Cody asked
‘Yes I want you with me on this Karin, you take the cardiac victim’
‘No problem,’ Karin answered with a chuckle
Harper scowled She had not demanded Cody ith her because of his sex appeal ‘I need soht us as ork on hiressive as the pain gets worse’ No one else in the depart as Nurse Brand ‘I’ flight, or even the flu, but until I know for certain we have to be prepared for anything’
Karin leaned close and said, so only Harper could hear, ‘Hottie would make nice babies’
‘Shut it,’ she hissed, now getting more than mildly annoyed She couldn’t have babies with any ht be It just wasn’t possible when she didn’t have a womb
The bell rang, indicating a patient had arrived by aht She needed a diversion about now Karin didn’t kno her co she talked about, even when it should be old hat Especially after what had happened with Darren Suck it up, she growled at herself and followed Cody into Resus One
Cody was already getting a fan out of the cupboard
‘You’ve dealt with a case like this before?’ she asked him
He shook his head ‘No, but I’ve read up on it Soaring teht down fast if ant to save hiht?’
‘Yes Apart froh BP and could be fitting If he’s carrying and has absorbed a drug, which we don’t know for sure yet,’ she repeated aloud Crossing her fingers wasn’t veryhelped
‘Do we soak him in cold water if he has a temperature?’