THE MAVERICK DOCTOR AND MISS PRIM/ABOUT THAT NIGHT... (14 page)

“Is something wrong with Callie? Does she have symptoms?” It was only natural for her to jump to the most obvious conclusion.

“No. It’s not that. I kissed her.”

“You did what?”

Well, that had got her attention. Other than their last conversation, he couldn’t remember the last time Violet had ever shouted at him. But, then again, she was also defying Evan Hunter left, right and center, which was also unheard of. It seemed his sister had turned into a whole new person over the last six years. All while he’d been hiding in the outer parts of the planet.

“I kissed her.” He flopped back down on the bed. The words seemed so much worse now he’d finally said them.

But they felt so much better. It was nice to finally offload.

“Why on earth did you kiss Callie Turner?” her voice hissed down the phone. She was obviously trying to keep anyone from hearing.

Sawyer felt like a teenager. Why did any guy kiss a pretty girl? “Because I wanted to. And I think she wanted me to.”

“You mean she didn’t slap your face?”

“Not quite.”

Violet was obviously a bit stunned. “So, what’s the problem?” She hesitated a second. “I mean, this isn’t the first time you’ve kissed someone since Helen, is it?”

He let out a snort of laughter. “I think I can safely say no to that. But this is different.”

“Different how?”

She’d put him on the spot now and he didn’t quite know how to answer. “Different because I don’t want to hurt her. But there’s a definite attraction between us. And I know she feels it too.”

“Has an alien inhabited your body?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that for the first time in years you’re talking to me about your feelings. Since when have you done that?”

He couldn’t answer.

“Okay, brother, I’m only going to say one thing. I like Callie. I mean, I
really
like her.”

“Well, I think I like her too.” There. He’d admitted it. To someone other than himself.

“Then don’t mess this up. Don’t hurt her.” The words were blunt and straight to the point. Violet had never been one to mess around with how she felt.

“Can’t you give me something else? Can’t you tell me to handle this? You know her better than I do.” He was beginning to sound desperate, but right now he didn’t care.

“Really? Well, here’s the clincher—I haven’t been in a lip-lock with her, Matt. And I’m sorry but you don’t reach the grand old age of thirty-six and ask your sister for dating advice. That ship sailed a long time ago, buddy. Probably around the time you told everyone about my high-school crush.”

He cringed but it brought a smile to his face. He’d made a poster and stuck it up outside the school. Violet had locked herself in her room and hadn’t spoken to him for days. She still hadn’t got over it.

“So, no advice, then?”

“Absolutely not. Not on your love life anyway. Just stay safe, brother. And phone me if there’s any problem. Any
work
-related problem.”

“What about Evan?”

Her voice had a hard edge to it now. “Leave me to worry about him. I’m hoping I’ll be out of his hair soon enough.” She hung up before Sawyer had a chance to ask her what she meant.

He stared at the ceiling. Potential smallpox day five. Great.

CHAPTER TEN

“W
AKE
 
UP
, S
AWYER
.
”

One of the nurses stood above him. Liz? Julie? He really couldn’t remember. He sat bolt upright in the bed, not even thinking about hiding himself.

She turned sideways. “Cover yourself up, boy. And get dressed. Some guy from the DPA wants to talk to either you or Callie, and I can’t find her.”

Sawyer pulled the sheet half across his body, lifting a crumpled pair of scrubs from the floor and tugging them on. He smirked as the nurse rolled her eyes and handed him the matching top.

He let out a laugh as she walked to the door then stopped and threw him a can of deodorant. Then something registered with him. “What do you mean, you can’t find Callie? Where can she be?”

The nurse shrugged. “I just know the guy said he had to speak to either one of you. He’s been holding for a few minutes because I tried to find Callie first. When I couldn’t, he said to wake you.”

“Where’s the phone?”

“At the nurses’ station.”

He jogged along the corridor. His brain was in overdrive. It was day seven. This had to be a diagnosis. But where on earth was Callie?

He picked up the phone. “Frank?”

“Finally. Sleeping beauty wakes up.”

“Have you got something?”

“Is this Frank? Is this the man who is supposed to be in Hawaii with his devoted and gorgeous wife, who’d bought eight different bikinis for our long-awaited vacation?”

Seven days. He’d waited seven days for this. “Frank?” He couldn’t hide the impatient tone in his voice.

“It’s monkeypox.”

“What?” Sawyer was stunned. He’d never seen monkeypox before. It had never really been on his radar.

Frank seemed to know exactly what to say. “You’ll need to examine the boys again for bites, scratches and abrasions. Monkeypox usually only occurs in Western or Central Africa but strangely enough the last known case was in the U.S. in 2003, caused by prairie dogs.”

“What?” Nothing about this made sense. His brain couldn’t process what he was hearing.

“Monkeypox can be spread by squirrels, dogs, rats, mice and rabbits. That’s why your boy had swollen glands. It’s one of main differences in symptoms between smallpox and monkeypox.”

Sawyer ran his hand through his hair. Where was Callie? He had to talk to her about this straight away. Things were starting to register in his brain. Should he have guessed this? He hadn’t given too much thought to the swollen lymph glands—even though they were unusual in smallpox. He’d just assumed it was a viral response.

“What are our options?”

Frank cleared his throat. “None, really. No known treatment. It’s less severe than smallpox and the smallpox vaccine can lessen the symptoms. But it can still be fatal—monkeypox can have a one to ten percent mortality rate. All the smallpox infection controls should remain in place.”

They spoke for a few more minutes then Sawyer replaced the receiver. “Wow.” He leaned against the wall.

His head was spinning. His eyes swept across the room. Everyone was going about their business quietly and efficiently. What effect would this news have on the people here?

In a way it was a relief to finally have a diagnosis but with no known treatment it still made things difficult. He racked his brain, trying to remember what he could about monkeypox. It wasn’t much.

He only hoped there was a plan.

Had he just thought that? Him, Sawyer, wondering if there was a plan?

Callie was obviously rubbing off on him.

Callie—where was she?

He started walking along the corridor, stopping people on the way past. “Have you seen Callie? Do you know where Callie is?” Time after time his colleagues just shook their heads.

Finally, one of the contact tracers furrowed his brow. “I saw her go down there a little while ago.” He pointed down one of the long corridors.

Sawyer strode along. He couldn’t remember this part of the building on the plan. It was well away from the small labs and isolation ward. He reached a double door at the end of the corridor and pushed it open.

It took his breath away.

The tiny little room was extraordinary. A small stained-glass window was set into the facing wall, with the sun streaming through causing a kaleidoscope of colors across the white walls. It was like a magical light show.

Callie hadn’t even heard him enter. She was sitting on one of the wooden pews near the altar at the front. There was no particular religion celebrated here. It was one of those non-denominational rooms that could be used by anyone.

A quiet place. For contemplation.

He walked along the carpeted aisle and sat down next to her. She jerked, conscious of no longer being alone, and opened her eyes. He slid along a little. She was sitting directly in the stream of coloured light. Her face and skin were lit up like a rainbow. It was dazzling. He’d never wanted to reach out and touch anyone more than he did right now.

Papers were scattered all around the floor at her feet.

“What do you want, Sawyer?” She sounded weary, exhausted. The relief that had instantly flooded him when he’d heard the diagnosis disappeared. All of a sudden he could hear the countdown in his head. Now they had a definitive diagnosis, it was another step closer to getting out of there.

It was a step closer to getting away from the dreaded DPA. It was also a step closer to getting away from Callie.

And he wasn’t prepared for the way that made him feel.

“Sawyer?”

He was still looking at her pale skin bathed in myriad colors. It was taking his breath away. As were the feelings sweeping over him.

He took a breath. “We have a diagnosis. It’s monkeypox.”

“Monkeypox?” Her voice rose automatically then she looked around her, as if conscious she shouldn’t shout in a place of worship. She fell to her knees on the paper-strewn floor where papers had been tossed in all directions.

He joined her. “Do you think there’s something about monkeypox in here?”

She nodded. “There is. It isn’t much, just some basic information and guidelines.” Her head shot back up, “Who did you speak to?”

“Frank. And before you ask, he was positive. He said you could call him back. He’ll stay at the lab until he gets a chance to speak to you.”

“Here it is!” She pulled a few crumpled pieces of paper from the floor. Her eyes started racing across the text. She was mumbling under her breath, “Same transmission precautions, slightly shorter incubation period.” Her eyes lit up. “I’m not entirely sure—I’ll need to check—but I think this is good news for Alison. It seems to be a larger droplet infection. There’s a good chance she won’t have been infected.”

He nodded. “Actually, it still has a seventeen-day incubation period. She’ll need to wait a little longer before she can go home.”

Callie nodded but the smile reached all the way up to her eyes. “It’s something. I was dreading a smallpox diagnosis.”

“Me too.” He looked around him. “How did you find this place?”

She let out a little laugh. “Curiosity got the better of me. It wasn’t marked on the plans and I wanted to find out what was down here.” She put her hands out. “Once I’d found this place I wanted to keep this little piece of paradise to myself.”

“I don’t blame you.” His eyes met hers. He didn’t want to fight. He didn’t want a confrontation. Both of them knew they needed to talk. But this just wasn’t the right time or place.

She looked down at the mess she’d made on the floor. A bright red folder had been pushed under one of the pews. “I came here to escape. To get out of the rat race.” She edged the folder with her foot. “I had a bit of a disagreement with the plan. It sort of ended up all over the place.”

He folded his arms and gave her a lopsided grin. “Shock, horror. Callie Turner threw the plan away?”

“I guess I did.” She was biting her lip as she stared at the scattered papers. Didn’t she know how much that distracted him?

He rested back against the wooden pew. Not exactly designed for comfort. Any minute now Callie would be off, her brain kicking into gear and taking off at full speed. He could picture her talking nineteen to the dozen and shouting instructions to everyone.

That’s why he kind of liked this place.

“How long have you had this hidden gem?”

She arched her eyebrow at him and had the good grace to look embarrassed. “A few days. Right after we bumped into each other in the kids’ cinema room. I needed somewhere I could have a little space.”

“From me?” He didn’t want her to say yes. He
really
didn’t want her to say yes. But somehow it was more important that she was honest with him than that his feelings were hurt.

She sighed. “From you, from me, from everything.” She threw up her hands but her voice was remarkably steady. “I had to sort a few things out in my head.” She gave him a sad sort of smile. “I spoke to Callum. He wanted to call you—to interfere—but I wouldn’t let him.”

It was probably the first time in his life that he didn’t automatically jump to his own defense. He didn’t need to. He knew exactly what she would have said to Callum and exactly what he would have said in response.

“So, is he going to kick my ass?”

She let out a little snigger.

“Just as well I changed my number, then.” He turned to face her. “Seriously, is he well enough to call?”

She nodded.

“Do you mind if I call him and tell him about the monkeypox? It might be the only thing that distracts him from tearing me off a strip or two.”

“I think that would be fine.” She stood up, her feet brushing against her paperwork. She looked a little lost. “I’ll come back for this later. I still haven’t really figured out if this is the place for me. I need to do a little more thinking.”

“The place for you?” He looked around him in confusion. “A chapel?”

She shook her head slowly and took a deep breath. “No. The DPA.”

There it was, he thought. The thing that was bothering her most. Him kissing her had only been a distraction.

And it was obviously the first time she’d said it out loud.

The underlying issue was still there. She was uncomfortable. She wasn’t truly happy in her work—he knew it and she knew it. He’d known it right from the beginning. So he wasn’t the main cause of her problems, only an antagonist.

“You’re doing a good job, Callie.” It seemed important to tell her. It seemed important to rally her confidence.

“You think so?” She’d reached the door now and turned back to face him.

He nodded. “I do. And don’t think about things too long, Callie. Take it from someone who knows. Sometimes while you’re doing all that thinking, life passes you by.”

She pulled her shoulders back as if she was a little startled by his words. Her hand wavered on the doorhandle and then she came back and sat down beside him again.

It didn’t matter that she had other things to do. Other news to spread. Other plans to follow. Sometimes you just had to act on instinct. To take the moment before it passed.

“Is that what happened to you, Sawyer? Life has just passed you by?”

He froze, lowering his eyes and taking a few breaths. Her hand crept over and held his, interlocking their fingers.

He nodded, still looking at the floor. “I’ve lost six years,” he whispered “being angry at everyone and everything.”

His gaze rose again and fixed on the wall in front of him, staring at the beautiful light streaming through the stained-glass window. She squeezed his hand. Sometimes it was better to say nothing. Sometimes it was better just to give someone the time to say what they needed. Sometimes the best gift to give to someone was just to listen.

It struck her like gold. This was part of what she wanted to do. Not just for Sawyer but for her patients too.

“I was angry with Evan for sending her into the field. I was angry with myself for not knowing my wife was pregnant. I was angry with Helen for not realizing she was pregnant.”

He turned to face her. His eyes were wet with tears and he wrinkled his brow. “I was angry that the plan didn’t have any contingencies for things like this—a member of staff needing surgical intervention in the middle of nowhere.”

He took a deep breath. “But most of all I was angry at myself for not being able to save her. I was her husband. I should have been able to save her...”

She let his voice tail off. She wanted to put her arms around him. She wanted to hug him as tightly as she could.

But there was a balance here that could so easily be tipped. He’d shared something with her that she doubted he’d shared before. What did that mean?

It seemed almost like a step towards her. But she couldn’t be sure. And was she ready to take a step like that while she still had demons of her own?

Something twisted inside her. Could she talk about Isabel? Was she ready to share? She was still faltering. She still had to step out of Isabel’s shadow before she could do anything else. Too much was happening all at once, so where did Sawyer fit into this equation?

She rubbed her hand over the top of his. Words seemed so futile now but she had to say something so she kept it simple. “Thank you for sharing, Sawyer. I know it was hard. And I’m glad you did.” Her words were whispered and he gave her a little smile.

“I think it’s time you went outside and faced the masses. Better share the good news and tell them what they need to know.”

She nodded and slowly stood up. He needed some time. He needed some space. She could appreciate that.

And if she really cared about him, she had to give it.

“Come out when you’re ready.” She gave him a little nod and walked out.

Sawyer leaned back against the pew. In a matter of minutes it would be chaos out there again. Everyone would have questions and be looking for answers. The people currently quarantined would need up-to-date information. They would need to know what would happen next. Everything would have to be reassessed, re-evaluated, reconfigured.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Sawyer felt the air in the room become still. He didn’t feel any urge to hurry after her. It would all still be out there in a few minutes—or a few hours. It was truly peaceful in here. No outside noises and far enough away from the clinical areas and staff to shield it from any external influences. Not even the noise of the birds tweeting outside.