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'I don't think I'm going to be leaving here,' Sarah said. 'I need to be close to my family.'

'I know that. I do understand, but this job isn't going to be available for a month or so yet. By then Hannah and Ryan could both have made a recovery.'

'Maybe. I'll think about it,' Sarah said. She looked around and saw that Jamie was standing in the doorway, watching them. He came into the room and put a toy car down on the table in front of his grandad.

'The wheels have come off,' he said. 'Can you mend it for me?'

Her father picked up the toy. 'Let's have a look,' he murmured.

Sarah stood up and began to clear the plates from the table. She stacked them in the dishwasher and Owen came to help. She glanced at him. Was he hoping that the two of them would get back together again? Was that what was behind this visit? Somehow or other she would have to explain to him that it wasn't going to happen.

She broached the subject just before he was about to leave. They were alone in the living room, and she tried to make him understand that she would always be his friend, but nothing more than that.

His expression was rueful. 'I think I realised that when I left to take up my new job. You tried to tell me then, but I sort of lived in hope for a while.'

'I'm sorry if I've hurt you,' she said softly, 'but I didn't want you to get the wrong idea.'

'I know. I understand—but it makes no difference about the job. I still think it would be a good idea, and I think you would make a terrific children's doctor. I don't want you to dismiss the idea out of hand.'

'I won't. You'll have to give me time, though. I have too many things on my mind just now.'

He frowned. 'I hope that things go well for Hannah-—Ryan, too. Sometimes people come out of comas quite unexpectedly, you know. It could help, of course, if you keep talking to him and try to stimulate him with familiar voices and sounds.'

Sarah had already been doing that. She had visited Ryan on several occasions, and had even taken Jamie with her once or twice. It had been difficult to know whether Jamie would be upset, seeing his father so helpless, but he had reacted reasonably well.

She took Jamie with her to the hospital the next day.

While her father was visiting Hannah, she took him to Ryan's room, and she chatted quietly to Ryan as though he could hear what she was saying. There was no response.

Jamie said, 'Is my daddy going to get better?'

'I hope so,' Sarah said. 'The doctors and nurses are all looking after him. He loves you, you know.'

The little boy nodded, but he was quiet for a while and then he said, 'Can we go and see my mummy now?'

'Of course.' She held out her hand to him and then said goodbye to Ryan.

She and Jamie walked to Hannah's room and joined her father. A few minutes later Mark put his head around the door and Sarah felt her heart give a funny little jump.

'Do you mind if I come and say hello?' he asked.

Sarah shook her head, and he approached Hannah, smiling. 'How are you feeling?' he asked. 'Is everyone treating you well?'

Hannah was lying flat on the bed. 'I'm all right,' she said. 'I think they're going to do some tests today. I'm not sure, but I think I can feel some tingling in my spine. They said that's a good sign.'

Mark nodded. 'It is. You should be pleased about that.'

'Maybe, but I'm not sure about anything. I still can't feel my legs, and I can't go home and be with Jamie, and then there's Ryan—he's very ill and I don't understand how it could have happened. One minute we were driving along and talking, and the next we were both being brought to hospital. I just can't take it all in.'

'You need to give yourself more time,' her father put in. 'You've been through an awful lot and it's bound to make you feel low. It's difficult for anyone to comprehend.'

They talked for a while, and when it was time for Jamie to leave so that his mother could rest, Sarah led the child away, and Mark went with them. As before, her father stayed for a while with Hannah.

'I'm on my way back to A and E,' Mark said, 'but I'll walk with you as far as the cafe.' They turned into the corridor, and he added, 'It's good for Hannah to see Jamie, even if it's for just a short time. It will help her with the physiotherapy, and give her more of a reason to work on her recovery.'

'I know. She loves to see him.'

Jamie looked up at Mark. 'I like it when I come to see Mummy. Can I bring Kingston with me next time? Nantie Sarah says no, but you could let me, couldn't you?'

'I'm sorry, Jamie,' Mark said, 'but dogs aren't allowed in hospital. What you could do, though, is help get Kingston ready for when your mummy comes home. Perhaps you could teach him how to fetch things for her, or make him sit when you tell him. Your mummy will be pleased if he's really good, won't she?'

Jamie nodded. 'You like Kingston, don't you?'

'I do.' Mark smiled at him. 'So does Auntie Sarah.'

'I know.' Jamie frowned, and then the frown was replaced with an impish grin. 'Owen doesn't like Kingston.'

'Doesn't he?' It was Mark's turn to frown. 'Why do you think that?'

'He had to go out of the kitchen 'cos Kingston growled at him. Kingston doesn't like Owen. Owen wants to take Nantie Sarah away, and Kingston doesn't want her to go.'

Sarah was startled. Had Jamie heard their conversation in the kitchen yesterday and put two and two together?

Mark's dark brow rose. 'Oh, I see.' He obviously didn't, because a crooked line etched its way into his forehead. He glanced at Sarah. 'I take it that Owen has been to see you?'

'Yes. He was on his way to a meeting and he stopped by the house.'

'So what's this about him taking you away?'

Sarah lifted her shoulders in an awkward gesture. 'He mentioned a job opportunity that was coming up— a post in paediatrics at his hospital. He thought perhaps I should apply for it.'

'Doesn't he know that you still have to finish your contract here? Is he trying to poach my staff?'

Sarah's mouth made an odd shape. For a brief moment she had dared to hope that he might not want to lose her for reasons other than work, but of course she was fooling herself. 'He just thought that I might be interested. When this posting comes to an end, I'll have to look for something else.'

'You could go on working in A and E, couldn't you?'

'I suppose so, but I'm not sure what I want to do. I'm not convinced that I'd make a good A and E doctor. Perhaps I need to look around for alternatives.' She was wistful for a second or two. 'I did enjoy my stint in Paediatrics.'

Mark was still frowning, and she guessed that he didn't like the idea of Owen trying to persuade people to move away from the hospital. She doubted that there was much he could do about it.

They had arrived at the cafe, and his bleeper suddenly sounded. He drew it from his pocket, glanced down at it and said, 'I should go. Things are turning out to be more hectic than usual today.' He looked as though he was reluctant to leave them, but he knelt down and had a quick word with Jamie and then straightened. Looking at Sarah, he said, 'I expect I'll see you tomorrow, won't I? You said that you felt ready to come back to work.'

'Yes, I did. I'll be there.'

She was glad to be getting back to work. It was good to be able to keep busy.

She had been on duty for some time the next day when a spate of patients suffering from violence-related injuries started to come in.

Mark came out of a treatment room and walked towards her. 'There was a football game at the local stadium this afternoon,' he said, 'and it looks as though we're getting the fallout from that. The police have come along with one or two of our customers.'

He handed her a chart. 'You can take the patient in treatment room two. You probably need to check for fractures.' He glanced at her, adding, 'You should take care. Some of these people are a bit fractious.'

'I will.' Sarah went into the treatment room and carefully examined her patient. His nose was a mess. Apart from the general disfigurement, there was bleeding and tenderness and she was concerned about the swelling, which was obstructing the nasal passage. '

'Were you in a fight?' she asked.

'You shub shee the ubber one,' he managed.

Sarah didn't quite make out the words, but she guessed the other man in the scuffle hadn't come out of it too well.

'Andy,' she murmured, 'it looks as though you have a broken nose, and I'm a little concerned about some of the swelling. I think it might be what we call a septal haematoma—which is a collection of blood that can cause certain problems.'

Andy stared at her. 'Ig thab dab?' he asked. He was holding tissues to his bloody nose.

'Is that bad?' she repeated, and he nodded. 'Well,' she murmured, 'it could be, if it isn't treated straight away. I'll need to give you antibiotics to prevent any infection setting in and I'll make sure that you have something for the pain. The X-ray film isn't particularly helpful, so I'm going to send you for a CT scan.'

'Dow?'

'Yes, right away. That will give us a better picture of what's happened, and then, if my diagnosis is correct, you'll need to see an ENT surgeon who will drain the blood that's causing the swelling, and then he'll be able to realign the broken bone.'

She turned to the nurse in attendance and said, 'We'll give him ibuprofen for the pain. He needs to go for the scan now, and I'll see him when he gets back.'

'OK.' The nurse turned away and Andy started to get to his feet.

'No,' Sarah said. 'You should sit down. We'll put you in a wheelchair, to be on the safe side, in case you've sustained any kind of head injury.'

He subsided into the chair, and the nurse wheeled him out of the room. Sarah followed, and as she moved to the desk to write out the relevant forms, a huge man came out of nowhere and almost knocked her over. He had a cut and bruised eye, and there was a considerable amount of swelling, so that he was squinting as he looked at Andy. He looked as though he was spoiling for a fight.

'What's he doing here?' he growled, his expression furious. 'Let me get at him.' He started towards her patient, and Sarah hurriedly intervened.

'You shouldn't be here,' she said. 'This is a restricted area.'

'Not to me, it isn't. I'm not letting him get away with it.' He pushed Sarah forcefully out of the way, sending her flying into the desk, and then made to lunge at Andy, who was out of the chair by now and ready to fight all over again.

Sarah was winded, but she shouted for Security and then went back to remonstrate with the man. He made a grab for her arm and missed, but then swung her around and sent her thudding against a trolley. The trolley swivelled and crashed into a wall. She crumpled, the breath knocked out of her as she hit the metal bar, and she banged her head as she fell.

'What's going on here?' Mark had appeared and he took hold of her assailant by the collar. Taken unawares, the man was spun around and forced against the wall, his cheek pressed up against the noticeboard and his flailing arm twisted behind him.

'We don't tolerate that kind of behaviour in here,' Mark ground out. 'You should take your temper outside and cool off.'

Security arrived, and the man was bundled away, cursing and resisting with every step. Sarah had managed to scramble to her feet, and now she supported herself against the trolley and looked at Mark, astonished by the swift moves he had made and the sureness of his touch.

'Where did you learn to do that?' she gasped, struggling for breath.

'Martial arts classes,' he answered. 'Are you all right?'

She nodded. 'I'm fine.' She tried to straighten up, but a wave of dizziness swamped her and she realised that her head was sore and a vein in her temple was thumping.

'You don't look it,' he said, his mouth set in a grim line. He came over to her and put a supportive hand under her elbow as she went to move towards her patient.

'Shaun will take over here. You're on a break as of now.'

She made to object but he led her away, taking her back into the treatment room that she had just left and sitting her down in a chair. He shut the door behind them.

'Did you bang your ribs?' he asked. 'Let me see.'

'No way,' she said, holding on to her shirt when he would have lifted it. 'I was just winded for a while, that's all.'

His mouth made a crooked line. 'All right,' he conceded, 'but you've a nasty gash on your temple. I'll deal with that for you.'

She sat quietly while he cleaned up the wound. He was gentle, his touch light, and he did everything in a relaxed, unhurried, way, as though he wanted to give her time to get herself together.

'It's not too bad,' he said, taping a dressing in place. 'You might have a headache for a while, but there's no major damage.'

'I must look a mess,' she said awkwardly.

He gave her a rueful smile. 'Isn't that just typical of a woman? She starts to worry about her looks.' He shook his head. 'I think you'll be fine.. .your hair will cover most of it. It always was a riotous affair, and your curls are falling down over it already. You'll look as beautiful as ever before too long.'

She sent him a swift, shaken glance. Did he really think that she was beautiful? His mouth slanted, and she came to her senses with a feeling of letdown. No, of course he didn't. He was just trying to make her feel better about things.

'Thank you for coming and helping me,' she said huskily. 'I was so afraid. He looked fearsome and I didn't know what to do. You were wonderful. I was terrified.'

He put out a hand and stroked her cheek, his thumb gently brushing her soft skin. 'I'm not surprised. You shouldn't have to deal with those sorts of situations. You're a doctor, not a bouncer.'

'But we have to, don't we? I mean, it's part of the job these days. More and more we find ourselves up against aggressive patients.' Her mouth trembled. 'I'm just not cut out for this. I should have been able to look after my patient, and instead he very nearly suffered another injury.' She began to shake, her whole body suddenly racked with small tremors. She tried to keep herself still, stop herself from falling apart.