Free A Nightingale Christmas Wish by Donna Douglas Page A

this once? I’m begging you. I’ve tried everyone else.’
    ‘So I’m your last resort? Thank you very much.’
    ‘Actually, Sister Wren is my last resort. She’s been hinting.’
    Helen smiled. ‘That would serve you right. Come to think of it, Sister Wren is probably the one woman who hasn’t succumbed to your charms.’
    ‘Only because her heart belongs to Mr Cooper.’ William wrung his hands in supplication. ‘Please, Helen, even you wouldn’t be that heartless.’
    ‘We’ll see.’
    ‘Thank you.’
    ‘No promises,’ she said, but she could already feel herself weakening.
    ‘Of course not,’ William agreed, solemn-faced.
    As Helen finished cleaning up, she said, ‘So is your girlfriend very angry with you?’
    ‘Utterly furious. It makes life rather difficult, actually, since now none of the staff on Wren is talking to me.’
    ‘Serves you right. I can’t feel sorry for you, William, because you bring these things on yourself. When are you going to learn that romance between doctors and nurses is a recipe for disaster?’
    ‘So there’s no chance for you and Dr McKay, then?’ he teased.
    Helen shot him a warning look. ‘Don’t even mention that man’s name to me.’
    ‘You two still not getting on?’
    ‘Hardly.’ Helen sighed. In fact, things were even more frosty since their confrontation. He had stopped trying to humiliate her in front of the nurses, but now he barely spoke to her at all. It made the atmosphere inside the Casualty department almost as icy as the weather outside. ‘I’ve tried everything, William. I’ve done everything I possibly can, but no matter how hard I try, nothing I do is right.’
    William frowned. ‘That doesn’t sound like the David McKay I know. I’ve always found him to be a thoroughly decent chap. Do you want me to have a word with him?’
    ‘No, thanks. I’ve got to fight my own battles.’
    On Thursday afternoon, just over a week before Christmas Eve, Richard Webster surprised everyone by waking up.
    Jess told Effie about it when she came off duty that night.
    ‘Everyone was amazed,’ she said. ‘They’d all given up on him after he’d been unconscious for so long. You should have seen Sister Holmes’s face, anyone would have thought she’d witnessed a Christmas miracle. She practically ran to fetch the doctor, which of course is unheard of.’
    ‘How is he now?’ Effie asked.
    ‘Well, there’s still some spinal damage and they don’t know if he’s going to make a full recovery, but at least it’s looking brighter than it was yesterday. I thought you’d want to know, so you can pass on the good news to your friend?’
    ‘Adam Campbell isn’t my friend,’ Effie said emphatically. If anything, he treated her worse than any of the other nurses. But unlike the others, Effie felt sorry for him. She wasn’t sure why, but she sensed that somehow under that gruff, surly exterior he was very sad.
    He seemed to go out of his way to push away anyone close to him. Like the way he treated his father, for instance. When poor Mr Campbell had turned up on the previous visiting day to see his son, Adam had barely looked at him, let alone spoken. Effie wondered if he’d been as offhand with his girlfriend. Perhaps that was why the mysterious Adeline hadn’t come to see him?
    As they got ready to go on duty the following morning, Effie asked Jess if she could go with her to Holmes to see Richard Webster for herself.
    ‘Certainly not!’ Jess replied, shocked. ‘Sister Holmes would have a fit. She’d never allow a student to wander in and out of her ward.’
    ‘She doesn’t come on duty until eight, I’ll be long gone by then,’ Effie said. ‘I have to be on duty myself by seven, so I’ll just pop in for a minute. Please? I want to make sure before I give Mr Campbell the news. I don’t want to raise his hopes.’
    ‘I don’t suppose I can stop you, can I?’ Jess said grudgingly. ‘But only a quick look, mind. And if the Night Sister