Free The Midwife's Little Miracle by Fiona McArthur Page B

age.
    ‘So you’ve managed to get her here finally, Andy,’ she said as she took Montana’s hand and pumped it. ‘Welcome, welcome to my nightmare.’
    Andy grinned. ‘It’s not that bad, Joan. You’ll scare Montana off with your negativity.’
    ‘Pshaw,’ Joan scoffed. ‘Young people aren’t scared of anything these days. Especially a challenge. If I was twenty years younger I’d take it on myself but I find changes and bureaucrats exhausting. Still, it’s my fault. I won’t learn to e-mail and the fax is broken.’
    Andy shook his head. ‘You should have told me your fax was broken. I’ll have a new one here this afternoon.’
    ‘You don’t need to be running after me, as well as everyone else, Andy,’ she said, but Montana could tell Joan was touched by Andy’s care.
    ‘You know I don’t mind.’ Andy changed the subject. ‘I thought I’d show Montana what a great little hospital we have with a quick tour. Do you want to come?’
    ‘Sounds good, but I’m expecting a call so I’ll pass. But you have fun.’
    Joan waved them off and they left by a side door to cross the garden and enter into the larger building.
    ‘So you mentioned to Joan a while ago I might be interested in helping her?’ Montana slanted a look at him as he walked beside her to the next building.
    He didn’t meet her eyes. ‘I could have done.’
    ‘Cagey, aren’t you?’ She stopped and waited for him to stop, too, then narrowed her eyes at him. ‘When?’
    He smiled. ‘About a month ago. I was waiting for you to get bored.’
    ‘What faith you have in me, sir.’
    ‘I do, don’t I?’ She wondered why that comment of his hit a hollow nerve under her rib cage but decided it was probably a need for coffee. Things had been a little hectic that morning and she’d missed out.
    They entered by the side door of the emergency department. The area housed an observation ward, two triage bays and a minor operating theatre. The office looked over the half a dozen plastic chairs in the waiting room, two of which were occupied.
    Andy gestured with his arm. ‘We have facilitiesto keep three patients in beds here and two in the triage bays if we have to.’
    A nurse was undressing a familiar looking man’s bandaged arm and Andy paused beside her to check the healing process on the patient.
    ‘You remember Paul, from the flying club? He burnt his arm last Friday at another barbecue and Chrissie’s been dressing it every day. Chrissie is our registered nurse on duty. Chrissie, this is Montana—she’s the midwife staying with Ned and I.’
    Paul waved his unbandaged hand. ‘You’ll have to wait for me to heal before I can take you up,’ he said, and Montana nodded sagely.
    Chrissie smiled. ‘Hi, there, Montana. I hear you made quite a hit with Emma yesterday.’
    Montana smiled at the tall blonde woman. ‘Word gets around.’
    ‘Not much misses the bush telegraph around here.’ Chrissie put her hand to her ear and pretended to listen. Her hand dropped and she grinned. ‘Actually, her father is my cousin.’
    Montana smiled back. ‘I’ll remember that.’
    Andy nodded at Paul’s arm. ‘It’s looking a lot better, Paul. I reckon your wife could bandage that now. Just come back Monday for a final check or sooner if you have any worries. OK?’
    ‘Thanks, Andy. I’ll drop a turkey off for Louisa. We’re culling at home and she said she’d like one for Ned’s party.’
    ‘Thanks. Just don’t get germs in your burn,mate.’ Andy grinned and tapped him on the back before he turned to Chrissie.
    ‘Anybody you worried about in the waiting room, Chrissie?’
    She shook her head. ‘Not at the moment. Just two for dressings. And Bill said Eva’s observations are fine so we’ll continue with your plans to send her home after four hours. The base hospital rang and confirmed the X-ray shows no skull fractures. She wasn’t unconscious for more than a few seconds.’
    A male nurse filled out a patient chart at the end of