Saving His Little Miracle (Mills & Boon Medical) (6 page)

She placed an oxygen mask over Poppy’s face but it didn’t help very much. The child was still having problems breathing so as soon as Amy came back Lowri asked her to page Simon Rivers, the surgeon who had operated on the child. She sighed when Amy came back to tell her that Simon was in Theatre and couldn’t leave his patient. How typical that this should happen when the consultant was unavailable.

‘He’s sending Cameron Howard instead,’ Amy informed her, and grimaced. Cameron was one of the registrars and highly unpopular on the unit. He had an overbearing manner that didn’t go down well with either the staff or patients.

‘How long will he be?’ Lowri asked, adopting a neutral expression. Cameron had become rather a nuisance lately. He had asked several of the single nurses out and she had a nasty feeling that she was next on his list, seeing as they had all refused. She sighed. She could only hope that he wouldn’t start pestering her today. She had enough to cope with without thinking about dating him or anyone else.

The thought immediately reminded her of Vincenzo and she felt heat flow through her. As she checked Poppy’s sats again, Lowri could feel her heart racing. As soon as the DNA results came back, they would have to proceed to the next stage in her plan. Whilst part of her wanted to get it over with as soon as possible, another part balked at the idea of what needed to be done. It seemed so
cold-blooded
to conceive this child through artificial insemination and yet what was the alternative? That she and Vincenzo should sleep together, turn what was in truth a practical solution to this problem into a romantic assignation?

Lowri snorted in disgust and saw Amy look at her in surprise. Fortunately, there was no time for the nurse to ask any questions because Cameron had arrived. He came striding into the unit, brimming over with self-importance.

‘Problems?’ he demanded, stopping by the bed.

Lowri quickly outlined what had happened, quashing the thought that he could see for himself what was going on if he cared to look. However, if Cameron enjoyed the feeling of power it gave him to have her explain, then so be it. He nodded when she finished, adopting his gravest expression, the one they all believed he practised in front of his mirror: brilliant young doctor graciously sparing the time to educate the minions.

‘Hmm, it looks as though something has gone wrong. I’ll need to send her for a scan, of course, before I can determine exactly what.’

‘Of course,’ Lowri agreed dryly, wondering if he honestly thought she hadn’t worked that out for herself. ‘I’ve phoned Radiology and they can fit her in right away.’

‘Have you indeed?’ Cameron didn’t look happy about her taking the impetus from him. He frowned. ‘It might be best to wait a while, see if her breathing settles down, rather than rush things.’

‘I don’t think we can afford to wait,’ Lowri protested. She glanced at the monitor and shook her head. ‘Her sats are already low and we don’t want them dropping any further.’

‘I shall be the judge of that, Sister Davies,’ Cameron said repressively. He looked up when Donna Wilson, one of the newest additions to their staff, appeared. ‘Yes? What is it, nurse? If you have a message for me then be quick about it. As you can see, I’m extremely busy.’

‘I...um... It’s not for you,’ Donna said hurriedly. She turned to Lowri. ‘There’s a gentleman asking to speak to you, Lowri. He said it was urgent or I wouldn’t have interrupted you.’

‘Oh. Right. Did he give you a name?’ Lowri asked, wondering who it could be, unless it was the parent of one of their young charges, of course.

‘Lombardi...or at least I think that was what he said,’ Donna told her, and blushed. ‘I may have got it wrong, though. Sorry.’

‘No, it’s fine.’ Lowri only just managed to stop herself blushing too. What was Vincenzo doing here? she wondered as she turned to Cameron. They’d already agreed that he would telephone her when he received the DNA results so it couldn’t be that. What did he want? Unless he was having second thoughts and had come to tell that he wouldn’t be going through with their plan after all.

The thought was more than she could bear. Ignoring the annoyance on Cameron’s face, she tersely informed him that she would be back shortly and hurried to the office. Vincenzo was standing by the window when she went in and he turned when he heard her footsteps. Just for a moment his expression was unguarded and Lowri felt her breath catch. Why was he looking at her that way, as though he had never really
seen
her before? She had no idea what it meant and before she could attempt to work it out, the shutters came down again.

‘I thought I should let you know that I was in England,’ he said curtly, moving away from the window.

‘I...ehem... So I can see.’ Lowri took a quick breath and used it to chase away any more such fanciful notions. Vincenzo hadn’t looked at her any differently from how he had looked at her when they had last met, she told herself firmly, yet, oddly, the reassurance had less effect than it should have done. In her heart she knew that something had changed.

‘Is there a reason why you decided to come here?’ she said, refusing to dwell on the thought. What difference did it make how Vincenzo looked at her? Her only concern was that he hadn’t changed his mind about them having this baby.

The thought brought a rush of heat to her face and she looked away, needing a moment to calm herself down. Every time she thought about what needed to happen if she was to have this child, she found herself shying away from it. However, she couldn’t keep ignoring the facts, couldn’t pretend that it was going to be an immaculate conception. She was going to have to impregnate herself with Vincenzo’s sperm if this child was to be born.

‘I decided it was time that I met Megan. Bearing in mind that you contacted me specifically to help her, I thought it only right.’

He gave a very Latin shrug, his shoulders moving lightly beneath his perfectly tailored jacket. He was wearing formal clothes that day—a dark grey suit teamed with a cream shirt and a grey and tan silk tie. He looked every inch the wealthy, sophisticated man she had met in Milan yet Lowri found herself thinking that she much preferred how he had looked when they had sat in the garden of the villa. He had seemed so much more approachable that day, less aloof. It had made it that much easier to understand why she had slept with him.

She drove that foolish thought from her head. Vincenzo had agreed to help her and she needed to be sure that he hadn’t changed his mind. ‘So you haven’t had second thoughts?’

‘Second thoughts?’ he echoed, his dark brows rising steeply.

‘About the baby. Because if you have, Vincenzo, then I’d much prefer it if you told me straight away rather than lead up to it.’ She stared back at him, struggling to ignore the thunderous beating of her heart. If he had changed his mind, she had no idea what she was going to do, how she was
ever
going to help Megan.

‘Of course not.’ His tone was icy. ‘I am not in the habit of going back on my word.’

‘Then you must be a rare sort of a man indeed.’ Lowri wasn’t sure why she’d said that. After all, the last thing she should do was alienate him. Nevertheless, the words slid out before she could stop them and she saw him stiffen.

‘Don’t judge me by your past experiences. All men are not alike.’

‘I’m sorry.’ She gave a little shrug, knowing that she deserved the rebuke. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. I apologise.’

‘No, you shouldn’t. But maybe it’s to be expected in light of what’s happened.’

His tone softened, took on a seductive note that made her skin prickle with awareness. Lowri’s breath caught as she felt it run through her, starting at the top of her head and working its way down to her toes, a sensation of light and heat and recognition that was all the more disturbing when she couldn’t recall experiencing anything like it before. Her mind was still struggling to deal with what was happening when he continued.

‘You haven’t had an easy time in the past few years, Lowri, and it’s understandable if your view of men is somewhat jaded. However, I can only repeat what I told you before: I don’t go back on my word. Ever.’ His eyes held hers fast and she found it impossible to look away. ‘I promised to give you another child and that’s exactly what I shall do, although I’ve decided that we may need to alter our plan.’

‘Alter our plan?’ Lowri repeated uncertainly. Her heart began to race when she saw the way he was looking at her. It was hard to force out the question when she had a feeling that she wouldn’t like the answer but she didn’t have a choice. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Simply that artificial insemination isn’t anywhere near as successful as the old-fashioned method.’ His eyes held hers fast. ‘If you are committed to having this child, Lowri, we need to sleep together. That will give you a much better chance of conceiving.’

CHAPTER FIVE

‘
S
ORRY
ABOUT
THE
delay. I couldn’t leave Theatre.’

Vincenzo swung round when a man suddenly appeared in the doorway. He heard Lowri take a deep breath and knew that she was as shocked by his suggestion as he was himself. He certainly hadn’t planned on saying that! Definitely hadn’t come here with the express intention of asking her to sleep with him. However, now that he had, he realised that it was what they needed to do.

Artificial insemination
was
nowhere near as effective as the natural method of conception. Although he couldn’t quote the statistics, he knew for a fact that far too many things could go wrong and adversely affect the outcome. There simply wasn’t time to waste if they hoped to help Megan so they needed to give themselves the best chance of succeeding. Even then Lowri might not get pregnant immediately. It could take several attempts before it happened. The thought made his blood heat. They might need to sleep together more than once.

Vincenzo drove that thought from his head as she turned to him. He didn’t want her to know just how much the idea appealed to him. He couldn’t afford to get too deeply involved with her, although how he was going to stop it happening in view of what he had suggested was anyone’s guess.

‘I’m sorry but I have to go,’ she said flatly. ‘Where are you staying?’

‘One of those new hotels, near the Alfred Dock.’

‘Albert.’ She gave him a quick smile and his heart lifted when he saw the amusement in her eyes and realised he was responsible for it. ‘It’s Albert Dock, not Alfred.’

‘Of course. My mistake.
Mi scusi!
’

Vincenzo smiled back, enjoying the fact that he could make her smile even at such a tense moment. It struck him all of a sudden that he wanted to do it again, wanted to watch her eyes light up and her mouth soften, wanted to see the strain melt from her face. He breathed in sharply, stunned that he should feel this way. When had someone else’s feelings been so important to him? Why did he care if she was happy or sad? He couldn’t explain it but he knew that he cared how she felt and that he cared an awful lot too.

‘I hope I’m not speaking out of turn but are you Vincenzo Lombardi, by any chance?’

Vincenzo looked up when the other man addressed him, although it was an effort to drag his eyes as well as his thoughts away from Lowri.
‘Sì.’

‘I thought so!’ The man laughed as he stepped forward and held out his hand. ‘Simon Rivers. I was lucky enough to hear a lecture you gave a couple of years ago about brain injuries. It was most enlightening, I can tell you.’

‘Grazie.’
Vincenzo shook his hand. ‘I assume you have an interest in neurosurgery, Dr Rivers?’

‘Very much so, although I’m not in your league.’ Simon turned to Lowri and smiled ruefully. ‘Dr Lombardi is in a class of his own, although I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that.’

The implication was only too clear. Vincenzo felt heat run through him when he realised that Simon believed he and Lowri were an item. He was about to correct him when one of the nurses came rushing into the office.

‘Can you come, Lowri? Poppy’s sats have dropped again.’

‘Of course.’

Lowri hurried out of the door with Simon Rivers hard on her heels, and after a moment’s hesitation Vincenzo followed them. They were already bent over the child when he reached the bed so he stood to one side and watched as they went through the familiar routine of checking her obs. He glanced at the monitor and frowned when he saw how low her oxygen levels were. The situation needed to be addressed urgently.

‘It looks like another bleed,’ Simon concluded. ‘We need to get her into Theatre pronto.’ He looked up. ‘I don’t suppose you’d care to observe, would you, Dr Lombardi? I would appreciate your advice.’

‘Of course. I’d be honoured,’ Vincenzo replied, and realised that he meant it too. It had been such a long time since he’d been in Theatre, far too long, in fact.

It was all systems go after that. Poppy was taken straight to Radiology and by the time they had scrubbed up, the results of the scan were up on the screen. Vincenzo nodded when Simon Rivers pointed to a darkened area that could only have been caused by another bleed. The area in question was worryingly close to the medulla, the part of the brain that relayed signals to the muscles involved in speech. It also contained groups of nerve cells involved in the regulation of heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure and digestion. Operating in this area was always nerve-racking as there was so much at stake.

Simon wasted no time. Vincenzo stood to one side, close enough to observe what was happening and yet not so close that he would get in the way. Simon worked swiftly and neatly and Vincenzo voiced his approval.

‘
Bene
. It is good to have confidence in your own ability. You are less likely to make mistakes that way.’

‘Thank you.’

Simon didn’t labour the point but Vincenzo could tell he was pleased and was glad that he had complimented the younger man. It was something he wouldn’t normally have done and he found himself making a note to do it in the future. People responded far more positively to praise than they did to criticism.