Reawakened by the Surgeon's Touch (5 page)

‘So tell me now,' he said flatly, stripping off the top of his scrub suit and tossing it into the dirty-linen hamper. There was a stack of clean towels on a shelf, so he picked one up and flung it over his shoulder then glanced round when she didn't reply. ‘Look, I don't want to rush you but I would like to take a shower this side of Christmas, if it's all right with you.'

‘Yes, of course. Sorry.' A rush of colour swept up her face as she hurried on. ‘You need to sign in every time you come into work and sign out again each time you leave. The sheets are kept in the office, so if you could sign out after you finish up here that would be great.'

‘And what do I do after that?' He shrugged when she looked blankly at him. ‘Am I supposed to stay in the hospital, or what? I've no idea about our living arrangements.'

‘Oh, I see. I should have explained it all to you before, but things got a bit hectic after we found the truck—' She broke off, obviously reluctant to talk about what had gone on earlier.

Jude sighed as he realised that his assessment had been spot on. She
did
harbour a grudge about the way he had railroaded her and it was going to make life extremely stressful in the coming weeks if she didn't get over it. He was just debating whether he should rustle up some sort of apology when she continued.

‘The Worlds Together team doesn't actually live in the hospital. They use the old college as their base, so you'll be staying there.'

‘I see. And how do I get there? Do I walk, in which case I'll need directions. Or is there transport available?' he asked, deciding there was no point worrying about what might happen. He would just have to take each day as it came and hope that she would do the same.

‘You'll be ferried to and from the hospital in one of the trucks. It not only saves time but it's safer.' She glanced at her watch and frowned. ‘In fact, the day shift should be leaving in about ten minutes' time, so you can catch a lift back to the college with them.'

‘It doesn't sound as though it's going to be a whole lot of fun working here if we have to sign in and out,
and
use only the official form of transport,' Jude observed dryly. ‘The last time I had restrictions like these imposed on me, I was at boarding school.'

‘We aren't here to have fun, Dr Slater. We're here to help the people of this country. It certainly won't help them if you get yourself killed.'

‘It wouldn't be too great from my point of view, either,' Jude retorted. She had the knack of making him feel as though he was lacking in some way and it wasn't a feeling he enjoyed. ‘Anyway, I'd better take that shower,' he said, swinging round. ‘I'd hate to blot my copybook again by keeping everyone waiting.'

‘You'll be picked up outside the main doors. I'll let the driver know you're coming,' she said shortly, ignoring his final comment.

Jude sighed as she left, aware that it had been extremely childish to say that. There was no point antagonising her when they were going to have to work together. It was just that he wasn't used to people taking such an obvious dislike to him and definitely not a woman. Despite the fact that he made no bones about the fact that he wasn't interested in commitment, most women seemed to enjoy his company and were eager to spend time with him, but not this woman. He'd got the distinct impression that she had only come to find him out of a sense of duty and the thought rankled. He turned on the water, wondering why he was so bothered about her opinion. It shouldn't have mattered a jot what she thought of him but it did. He wanted her to like him—how pathetic was that?

Jude finished showering and dressed then made his way to the front entrance. There was a group of people sitting on the steps, obviously waiting to be collected, so he went and joined them. One of the women grinned at him as he sat down.

‘So you're the new guy, are you? I heard that Claire was going to the airport this afternoon to collect you.'

‘Jude Slater at your service.' He smiled as he held out his hand. ‘And you are?'

‘Lesley Morris. One of the nurses,' the woman explained as they shook hands.

‘Nice to meet you, Lesley. So far I've met Bill Arnold and a couple of the local staff but that's basically it. How many of us are there on the team?'

‘Nine at the moment, although it can and does fluctuate. There are five nurses and four doctors now that you've arrived.' Lesley pointed to a group of women in front of them. ‘That's Kelly, Amy and Sasha—they're all nurses. Lola, who's our administrator, is also a nurse and helps out whenever necessary. Javid and Matt are the other two doctors on the team. Matt's working tonight, so you'll meet him at dinner before he goes on duty. And Javid should be along any second now.'

‘What about Claire?' Jude frowned as he looked at the women. ‘You said there were five nurses, so where does Claire fit in?'

‘Oh, she's not part of our team,' Lesley explained. ‘Although I don't know how we'd manage without her. If you need something doing around here then Claire's the woman to ask. We call her our very own miracle worker!'

‘Praise indeed,' he replied lightly, wondering who Claire worked for if she wasn't part of the Worlds Together team. Although his knowledge of the agency's set-up was pretty sketchy, he didn't recall anyone mentioning at his interview that they would be working with another aid agency, yet who else could she be working for? He was just about to ask Lesley when the truck arrived and everyone stood up.

Jude followed them down the steps and waited his turn to board. Lesley had moved to the front. She patted the seat, indicating that he should sit next to her, so he climbed over everyone's legs and squeezed into the gap. The driver was just about to fasten the tailgate when Jude saw Claire coming out of the hospital and he felt his heart give an almighty lurch. She had shed the ugly old boiler suit and was wearing a light grey dress with a prim little white collar and cuffs. She had also got rid of the baseball cap and her blonde hair was caught back at the nape of her neck.

Jude's pulse began to drum as he took stock of the gently rounded curves of her breasts and hips, the purity of her profile. There was no doubt that she was a very beautiful and desirable woman and he would have needed to be dead from the neck up
and
down not to notice that fact...

‘Do you want a lift, Sister? I can call at the convent on my way back if it will save you having to wait.'

Jude heard what the driver said but it was a full minute before the words registered and he gasped. It felt as though everything was happening in slow motion as he watched Claire walk over to the truck and climb on board. She was obviously popular because everyone greeted her with a smile although he didn't. He couldn't. He could neither smile nor speak as he watched her take her place on the bench. He closed his eyes, wondering if his mind was playing tricks. It had been a stressful day and it was understandable if he was a little...well, confused.

The truck set off with a lurch and Jude opened his eyes, expecting that the scene would have changed. It hadn't. Claire was sitting serenely on the bench, her hands lightly clasped in her lap. A breeze suddenly blew into the truck and he saw her lift up her hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Jude felt a huge great wave of regret wash over him. Even though he knew he had no business feeling that way, he couldn't help it. It just seemed like such a terrible waste. Claire might be beautiful and desirable but she was also strictly off limits to him or to any other man.

The fact was that
Sister
Claire was a nun!

CHAPTER FOUR

C
LAIRE
COULD
FEEL
Jude Slater staring at her although she didn't look at him. Seeing him standing in the changing room had awoken feelings that she had never imagined she would experience again. She had honestly thought that she was incapable of feeling desire after what Andrew had done, but there was no point pretending. The sight of Jude's leanly muscular body had unlocked a whole host of emotions and now she just wanted to forget about them.

When Javid Khan asked her what had happened on the way back from the airfield, she sighed under her breath. She would have preferred not to talk about what had gone on but she could hardly say so in case it started people speculating. The last thing she wanted was everyone thinking that she had a problem with Dr Slater even if it were true.

‘It was a bit of a rough ride,' she said lightly, trying to avoid going into detail. ‘Basically, the rebel fighters had set up a trap and we walked straight into it. We were lucky to get back here.'

‘That's an understatement if ever I heard one.' Javid grinned at her. ‘I saw the state of that truck. There were so many bullet holes in it that you could have used it as a colander!'

Everyone laughed, although Claire noticed that Jude didn't join in. She shook her head when Kelly asked her how the driver was doing. ‘I wasn't there during surgery, so you'll have to ask Dr Slater.'

Kelly repeated the question to Jude and Claire felt her heart skip a beat when she heard the edge in his voice as he explained that although the driver had come through the operation, the next twenty-four hours were critical. She shot him a wary glance but for some reason he seemed reluctant to look at her. Claire frowned as she studied the rigid set of his jaw. He hadn't looked this uptight when they had been fleeing from their attackers, so what was wrong with him?

The question nagged away at her for the rest of the journey. When the driver pulled up in front of the college, Claire realised that she wouldn't be able to rest until she found out the answer. Maybe it had nothing to do with her but the least she could do was to ascertain if Jude had some sort of a problem. After all, she was supposed to be helping him settle in and, so far, she had done very little towards that goal.

She told the driver that she had decided to spend the night at the college and followed the others out of the truck. She had stayed there many times before, mainly when there had been a problem getting back to the convent. There was no real reason why she should continue living there, in fact. Her role as an observer for the WHO had long since ended but it had seemed easier to stick to the arrangements. She knew that the nuns had come to rely on her. Most of them were elderly and she helped out as much as she could with the children they cared for. What would happen when she left Mwuranda was open to question but she knew that the nuns wouldn't be able to continue running the orphanage if they didn't get extra help.

‘Oh, great! You've decided to stay over, have you?' Lesley looped her arm through Claire's as they walked into the building together.

‘I thought it'd be easier than asking the driver to take me all the way back to the convent,' she explained, skirting around the real reason for her change of plans. She glanced round when Jude and Sasha followed them inside and couldn't help noticing that once again he avoided looking in her direction.

‘I don't know why you don't move in with us,' Lesley declared. ‘Oh, I know you like to help the sisters, but they're going to have to do without you at some point, Claire. You're due to return to England soon, aren't you?'

‘I suppose so.'

‘Don't you want to go home?' Lesley demanded, frowning. ‘I'd have thought you would have had more than enough of this place by now. How long is it since you first came out here?'

‘Almost two years.' Claire replied distractedly as she watched Jude drop his bag by the door then wander into the communal sitting room. If she was to find out what was troubling him then it would be best to get it over sooner rather than later, she decided. If he did have a problem then she knew from experience how quickly it could affect the smooth running of the team and that was something she wanted to avoid. They were under so much pressure as it was that even the smallest problem could rapidly turn into a major issue.

She turned and smiled at Lesley. ‘I just need a word with Dr Slater—make sure he's up to speed about what's expected of him. I didn't get chance to run through all the dos and don'ts with him before.'

‘No wonder. You were too busy dodging bullets from the sound of it,' Lesley retorted.

Claire laughed. ‘Something like that. Anyway, is it OK if I use the spare bed in your room?'

‘Be my guest. Another pair of hands to swat the bugs is always welcome!'

Lesley sketched her a wave and headed up the stairs. The rest of the team had already disappeared and Claire guessed that they would be using the time to shower before dinner. It was the ideal opportunity to speak to Jude on his own.

She went into the sitting room, feeling her pulse leap when she found him standing by the window. He had his back towards her and there was an air of dejection about the way he stood there, staring out across the grounds. Had he suddenly realised what he had let himself in for? she wondered. From what Lola had told her, this type of work was a million miles away from what he was used to and she couldn't help wondering what had prompted him to apply for the job in the first place. Had it been just a desire to help his fellow man? Or had there been another reason?

He suddenly turned and Claire hurriedly squashed the thought when she saw him stiffen as he caught sight of her. He seemed less than entranced to see her and she found herself wishing that she hadn't bothered seeking him out. So what if he had a problem: why should she care? However, deep down she knew that she owed it to the team to find out what was troubling him.

‘I just wanted to check that you're all right.' She shrugged. ‘I didn't get chance to discuss any issues you may have earlier, I'm afraid. There was too much going on.'

‘Don't worry about me. I'm fine.' He moved away from the window and she could see a nerve beating in his jaw as he crossed the room.

‘Oh, right, well, good. I know it must seem a bit restricting to have to stick to all these rules and regulations, but we have to be careful.'

‘Of course. And I'm sure I'll get used to it.' He stopped, one dark brow arching when she failed to move out of his way. ‘Was there anything else you wanted to say to me?'

‘Er...no, not at all.'

Claire hurriedly stepped aside to let him pass, wondering why she had the feeling that he was upset about
her
. She gave herself a mental shake because now she was being ridiculous. He was probably tired and stressed after everything that had happened that day and the best thing she could do was to give him some space. A lot of new recruits found it overwhelming to be thrown in at the deep end, and Jude Slater had been thrown into deeper water than most. The fact that he had coped so well was to his credit.

The thought was more than a little alarming in view of the fact that she was determined not to find anything good about him. Claire hurried from the room and headed upstairs. Lesley was in the bathroom when she got to their room, so she sat down on the spare bed and waited for her to finish. She didn't have a change of clothes with her but she knew that her friend would lend her something to wear.

She sighed as she pulled the clip out of her hair and shook it free. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had anything decent of her own to wear. Normally she wore scrubs in work and either overalls or one of the nuns' dresses after she finished her shift. It was safer not to draw attention to herself when she was travelling to and from the hospital and the plain grey dresses the nuns wore allowed her a certain anonymity. However, all of a sudden she found herself wishing that she had something pretty to wear that night, something that would make her feel like a woman. And it was such a shock to want to proclaim her femininity that she felt fear sweep through her. She had honestly thought that she would never feel this way again, so what had changed? Was it the fact that the scars had started to heal and she was feeling more confident, or was there another reason?

Unbidden a face sprang to her mind and her heart began to pound when she recognised Jude Slater's handsome features. Did she want to look pretty and feminine for
his
sake? Hadn't she learned her lesson, learned how foolish it was to allow a man that much power over her? Obviously not. However, there was no way that she was going down that road again. No way at all!

* * *

Jude collected his bag from the porch and made his way upstairs, pausing when he came to the first-floor landing. Sasha had told him that he could choose whichever bedroom he fancied but he didn't want to invade anyone else's territory. He had made enough gaffes for one day.

Jude's mouth thinned at the thought as he made his way along the landing. The doors to most of the rooms were standing open and it was obvious from the clutter lying around that they were in use. He came to a room halfway along the landing and glanced inside, pausing when he spotted Claire sitting on one of the beds. She had removed the clip and her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders like a silken waterfall. Jude's palms began to tingle as he stared at the shimmering mass of gold. How he ached to touch her hair, to bury his face in it and savour its softness...

He forced himself to move on, feeling like the lowest kind of lowlife. She was a nun, for heaven's sake! A woman who had taken a vow of chastity. Thoughts like that were totally abhorrent and needed to be nipped in the bud yet it was far more difficult than it should have been. Crazy though he knew it was, he couldn't help wondering if she might be persuaded to change her mind about her chosen vocation...

‘Idiot!' Jude didn't realise he had spoken out loud until a head poked round a door further along the corridor.

‘Far be it from me to disagree with you, but that seems a tad harsh. Who or what is the idiot in question?'

‘Me.' A couple of strides took Jude to the room and to the owner of the head who turned out to be a man roughly his age with dark red hair and what looked like a million freckles on his face. Jude held out his hand and grinned ruefully. ‘I'm the idiot. I'm also Jude Slater, the new recruit. How do you do?'

‘Nice to meet you, Jude.' The man uncoiled himself and straightened up, towering over Jude's not inconsiderable six-foot frame. ‘Matt Kearney at your service. As well as being one of the doctors, I'm the general dogsbody around here—I do a bit of this and a bit of that, plus a lot of the other. If there's anything you need then I can usually get it for you. Within reason, of course.'

‘That's good to know.' Jude laughed, taking an immediate liking to the other man. He glanced into the room, taking note of the colourful rugs on the bare floorboards and the bright cotton throw on the bed, and nodded. ‘Hmm, not an idle boast from the look of it. You've made it very cosy in there, I must say.'

‘It all helps, doesn't it?' Matt looked around with an air of satisfaction. ‘Everything is locally made, so it's a win-win situation. I get to enjoy some home comforts while I'm here and at the same time help to boost the local economy. The best thing we can do to help the people in this country, apart from patching them up, of course, is to provide them with a living. That's why I'm hoping to get one of the big designer stores on board when I get back to Blighty. I mean, the Chelsea set would go a bomb for stuff like this, wouldn't they?'

‘They would indeed,' Jude agreed, thinking how very true that was. Indigenous arts and crafts were very much of the moment with those who had the wherewithal to pay for them. Why, he himself had spent a small fortune on some rugs very similar to the ones on Matt's floor. He had never given any thought to who had produced them, just liked them and handed over the money for them. How much of it had gone to the people who had made them? he found himself wondering. Probably very little, he decided, and the thought made him feel uncomfortable. Maybe he needed to think more about the ethics of what he bought in future.

‘Right. I'd better go and find myself a room. Is there one free on this floor or should I try the floor above?' Jude said briskly because he was becoming heartily sick of all these reminders as to his shortcomings.

‘Oh, stick to this floor unless you're a fan of bats and don't mind sharing with them.' Matt grinned. ‘They're not bad roommates, especially when you're on nights as they prefer to sleep through the day. However, their personal hygiene does leave a lot to be desired.' He pointed along the corridor. ‘The end room is free, so help yourself. The women prefer to bunk up together, but we guys don't go in for communal living in quite the same way. Dinner's at seven but don't bother with the black tie. We're very informal. So long as you're wearing clothes, you'll do.'

Matt went back into his room, leaving Jude to get settled in. He unpacked his bag and laid out his shaving gear on the old marble-topped washstand. He hadn't noticed a bathroom on his travels but he would track it down at some point. Glancing at his watch, he kicked off his shoes and lay down on the bed as exhaustion caught up with him. He had been on the go for the past twenty-four hours and a nap would help to recharge his batteries. He was certainly going to need them charging too. From what he had seen so far, this definitely wasn't going to be a walk in the park. No, he would be kept busy from dawn to dusk which wasn't a bad thing if it stopped him thinking thoughts he had no right to harbour.

Closing his eyes, Jude let his mind drift, his heart sinking when it immediately sailed off towards the one direction it was banned from taking. Claire was off limits! If he repeated it often enough then surely it would sink in?