Free The Army Doctor's Baby (Romance Novella) by Helen Scott Taylor

and enthusiasm for life right out of him. But even here, so far away from England, the memory of being with Olivia and George made him smile, giving him a reason to live that he'd not known he was missing before.
    The familiar sight of the hospital came into view. Radley straightened, rubbed a hand over his face, and composed himself. This was the busiest NATO hospital in Afghanistan, fitted out with everything the medical team needed to offer emergency treatment to wounded military personnel and local people.
    The jeep stopped and Radley jumped out.
    "Radley. Major Knight." His father's booming voice had Radley standing to attention.
    He saluted formally, then moved forward to shake his father's hand and accept a brief hug. "Where do you want me?"
    "Have you slept?"
    "On the plane."
    "Good." His father nodded as they entered the building, medical personnel jumping out of the way as Brigadier Knight approached. "This might be a long stint. We have three seriously injured in the recent attack; two have already been in the OR. One is now being prepped to fly back to the military hospital at home. We need to stabilize the other before he can go. Unfortunately we haven't been able to do much for the third, Sergeant Kent. He's going to lose his arm unless you can save it."
    The last trace of Radley's weariness fell away as he focused. Determination ran along his nerves. A nurse helped him don scrubs and prepare. Then he entered the OR.
    A prayer whispered through his mind as he nodded to the medical team who would work with him, noticing some familiar faces and acknowledging a few of them by name. "Good morning, I'm Major Knight," he said as he approached the table and scanned the patient.
    He made eye contact with the anesthetist. "Ready?"
    "Yes, sir."
    She was a captain like Cameron, a young doctor probably on her first tour of duty. But she must have proved she could cope or she wouldn't be here.
    "Good." Radley indicated where he wanted the lights positioned, donned his surgical eye loupes that gave him a magnified view of the injury, and moved in to examine the arm of the man on the table. It was severely damaged, the trauma so serious any normal surgeon wouldn't even try to save it. But Radley had worked on a special microsurgery program to deal with just this sort of injury. He was one of only a handful of doctors who could save this man's arm.
    This was why he'd worked so hard to master his skills, to help men like Sergeant Kent. For the first time since his leave had been canceled, he was glad they'd called him back.
    ***
    "Leave canceled. Sorry. Talk to you when I can. Love, Rad."
    Olivia stared at the screen of her phone and reread the text from Radley for the hundredth time. He must have sent it before he left the UK, but she hadn't received it until Sunday morning. At least he had thought of her in his rush to leave.
    George whimpered in her arms. Olivia moved him over to her other breast and continued to feed.
    "How are you doing?" Sandra asked, coming through the sitting room door with a cup of coffee in her hand.
    Olivia tucked away her phone and smiled. "Okay, I guess."
    Sandra set down the hot drink and dropped into a chair with a sigh. "I'm sorry about last night. I can't believe Cameron let you come home alone, and then later…" Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. "I thought he'd grown up."
    Olivia's thoughts went back to the early hours of the morning when Cameron had finally come home. A noise had woken her around four a.m. The sound of someone crashing around downstairs had brought her from her bed.
    Cameron had been staggering around the entrance hall, having knocked a vase of flowers off the hall stand. Sandra joined her at the top of the stairs, tying the cord on a pink dressing gown.
    "Bathroom," Cameron slurred, his hand covering his mouth.
    Olivia and Sandra dashed downstairs and guided him to the toilet where he threw up.
    "Oh, Cameron," Sandra said, her tone full of exasperation.
    Olivia