The Nurse by J. Corrigan (list of ebook readers txt) 📕

We drank tea in the kitchen. My mum was comfortable with Daniel. Finally I addressed the elephant in the room.

‘Mum, I’m keeping the baby.’ I glanced at Daniel. ‘We’ve decided together.’

She moved closer to me. ‘You need to get it confirmed with your GP, Rose.’

I squirmed a little, hating to lie, although I wasn’t lying exactly, just not telling the entire truth. ‘I have.’

‘Mrs Trahern, you don’t have to worry,’ Daniel interjected gently. ‘I know this is all very quick, but I love your daughter and I want our child.’ He leaned forward in his chair. ‘I haven’t asked her yet,’ he glanced at me, ‘but I’m booked to go to Spain in a few weeks and I’d love it if she came too.’ He glanced at me again. ‘I know you’ll kick back at this idea, but you should consider it… and I hope your mum agrees.’ He was being so proper, and despite everything, it made me smile. I liked it.

‘Seems like a good idea to me,’ Mum said. Her easiness with Daniel was wrong-footing me a little. ‘Give you time to think, love.’

‘I’ll take good care of her, Mrs Trahern.’

She glanced at me. ‘What about your placement?’

Wrong-footed twice. She never remembered the finer details of my course. I looked at Daniel. ‘I do have to prepare for my placement.’

‘You can revise and work by the pool at the villa,’ he said.

‘Is it your villa?’ my mum chipped in. I stopped myself doing an eye roll at her response.

‘My dad’s actually, Mrs Trahern,’ he replied.

‘I’ll come to Spain with you, Daniel. It’ll do me good,’ I said.

‘It’ll put some colour into those grey cheeks,’ my mum said, grinning at Daniel.

I checked my watch. ‘We have to be going.’ I got up and Daniel followed suit. ‘Say hi to Sam when you see him.’ But then I heard the front door.

‘Bloody hell!’ Sam shouted from the hallway. ‘Whose car’s that outside?’ We’d come in the MG. Sam was a car fanatic.

He blundered into the kitchen, all gangly and uncoordinated like a colt. God only knew how he’d fare in the army.

He clocked Daniel first, then me. ‘Hi, sis.’ He peered. ‘You look… good.’ His eyes flicked to Daniel and his grin widened. ‘Your car?’

‘It is. I’m Daniel. Fancy a drive in it? I mean, me drive you up to Junction 23 and back?’

‘Now?’ Sam asked with enthusiasm.

Daniel took his car keys from his pocket and they left.

‘You could do worse,’ my mum said.

‘I’m going up to my old room. Some stuff I want to take with me.’

‘As you will.’

Back in the car with Daniel, I felt exhausted. It was always that way after spending time with Mum.

‘Did Sam like the car?’ I asked.

‘Loved it. It’s a bloke thing.’

‘I can’t believe my mum’s working at Bluefields.’

‘I really had no idea she was your mum. I only met her briefly. I don’t remember everyone. What I do remember is Personnel being delighted that we’d found someone who spoke good English.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘Just someone who could understand instructions properly. It’s a medical institution. We have to be strict about cleanliness. We need someone with good English.’

‘Do you know about her… history?’

He glanced at me. ‘The shoplifting convictions? Yes, I was told about them.’ He took a corner quickly. ‘She’s only human, and she deserves a chance. Anyway, on to more important things. You’re really coming to Spain with me?’

I glanced sideways at him: hair dishevelled, colour on the defined bones of his cheeks, a day’s worth of dark and appealing stubble. I nodded.

Everything would be fine. Life was all about flux. I’d made my decision. I sat back in the seat and laid both hands on my stomach.

‘So you’ve already seen your own GP, to get confirmation?’

‘I have.’

He inclined his head a little. ‘I’ve taken the liberty, and really hope you don’t mind, to make an appointment for you at Bluefields for tomorrow.’

‘Of course I don’t mind. Thanks for doing it.’ Would I have to come clean with the obstetrician at the private hospital about my appointment with the NHS doctor who had found it so difficult to smile? No, I’d keep quiet. I didn’t want Daniel to know that I’d even contemplated a termination. I stroked my stomach. I felt too guilty.

Daniel placed his hand on mine. ‘This is perfect. You are perfect.’ He grinned. ‘And finally I have a reliable cleaner for the hospital.’

29

20 June 1991

I’d stayed over at Daniel’s house and woke up with a wooden curl right next to my nose and Daniel putting a mug of herbal tea on the bedside table.

‘It feels early.’ I looked at the clock: 7.43 a.m.

‘I’m making a flying visit to Herefordshire to see my sister. Something’s come up that she wants to talk to me about. To do with our dad.’

I hauled myself up. ‘Does your dad ever come to England?’

‘Rarely.’ He moved hair away from my eye. ‘I’ll take you to see him in Morocco when we get a chance.’

‘I’d like that.’

He checked his watch. ‘Gotta go, I want to miss the traffic. I may well stay over. Stay here if you want to. The fridge is stuffed.’ He paused. ‘And I told Ed not to come round. I know you two rub each other up the wrong way.’

‘We do. I’m sorry, but I find him really odd. Thanks for the offer, though. If you don’t mind, I’ll raid your fridge and take its contents back to my place.’ I winked at him.

‘That’s fine. See you tomorrow, and good luck today.’

He kissed me on the forehead and left.

I took the bus to Bluefields, which was located in the centre of Nottingham, although nestled away from the hubbub in a small patch of green. The sign, Bluefields Hospital, was huge and sat neatly on the iron railing surrounding the building.

An efficient-looking middle-aged receptionist took my name and didn’t bat an eyelid, although I suspected she had no idea about my connection with the hospital’s manager.