Page 112 of Doc Rock
“Telling her what?”Ford took another swig of the beer.
“That you forgive her and that you love her,”Donnie said.
Ford waited for the sarcastic comment that was sure to come from both Joel and Scotty, but neither of them said anything; they were just looking at him expectantly.
Ford sighed. What was the point in lying to his best friends?“I dunno. What if I tell her too quickly and freak her out? I don’t want her to run again.”
“Mate. The way that woman looks at you. She’s not going anywhere,”Joel said, gesturing to the corridor that Sie had left down.
“She did before. I believed that she would never leave me. Then she did.”Ford pushed his hair back off his forehead.
Donnie put a hand on his shoulder.“You can never guarantee anything in life. I’ve told you before: give her a chance, or you’ll regret it forever.”
Ford picked up his beer and finished it.“I’ll take that under advisement.”
Chapter 39
Mai
“What do you mean the locum has refused to come back this week?”Mai rubbed tiredly at her eyes as Nora—the hospital manager she loathed the most—stoodthere, delivering news she didn’t want tohear.
“He said, and I quote:‘The doctors in Burra Creek are intolerable. I will not be undermined in my clinical decisions by a poorly trained quack who takes unnecessary risks.’”The manager sneered at Mai.“So, it seems you wanting to play the hero in front of Taylor Anderson has led to our short staffing problems.”
Mai bit her lip to stop herself from answering the accusation.Therewas no point in arguing with Nora; she was a total witch to all the female doctors while at the same time sucking up to the men.
“Doctor Johnson is away. So what are you going to do about this issue?”Nora demanded.
Mai managed not to roll her eyes, maintaining her professional facade.“Let me have a look at the roster.”
Nora thrust some paper at her, and Mai controlled herself enough not to snatch it out of the older woman’s hands.
“Thanks.” Mai smiled nicely.
She cursed inside her head. She was on-call today, and the locum was meant to do Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Her boss was away, and Nora wouldgetin the other consultants’ ears, telling themit wasMai’s fault they didn’t have a locum.
So there was only one solution.
“No problems. I can fill in over the weekend.”Mai smiled even more sweetly, waiting for Nora to make some catty remark.
“Quite right too, it’s your fault we’re in this mess. You should be ashamed of yourself, trying to impress a married man.”
Mai’s eyebrows rose. Bloody hell, was the old bat suggesting she wanted to attract Taylor? What a total lunatic.
Nora sniffed.“I’m sure you’ll be after that singer too.”
Mai maintained the smile on her face, but her cheeks were stiff.“Hmm,”she answered non-committedly.
She was hardly about to tell Nora that she wasmarriedto‘that singer’.
“Anyway, now that’s sorted. I’ve got actual important issues to deal with, not a petty argument between staff.”Nora sniffed again.
Mai hadnoticedshe sniffed a lot and wondered if shecouldsuggest that the managerseean ear, nose, and throat surgeon.
No, she better not.
One, two, three, four, five. Mai counted in her head, trying to maintain her cool. Although sheknewshe would need to count to a hundred to regain any semblance of calm.
