Angels In The Snow

‘You mean you tell him you like computer games and he tells you he likes playing with Lego?’

‘Something like that.’

‘What if he’s lying just so that you’ll be friends with him?’

Stella lifted her hand and ruffled his hair. ‘Smart, aren’t you?’

‘Not really. Harry Trent did that to me,’ Alfie grumbled. ‘He said he loved Lego, so I invited him to my house for a sleepover but when he got here he just wanted to nose around. And he kept asking questions about how much money Dad has. He wasn’t interested in Lego.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Stella said softly. ‘And if this guy is lying to me, I won’t see him again.’

‘Why can’t you just meet someone normally? It’s going to be really weird going out with someone you’ve never met.’

‘Sometimes it’s hard meeting someone “normally”.’ Stella stroked the kitten gently. ‘We lead busy lives and the chances of just bumping into someone you want to spend the rest of your life with are pretty remote.’

‘Why can’t you just be with Uncle Dan? You were going to marry him. Two Christmases ago you sat on my bed and read me that story and you showed me the ring Uncle Dan had given you.’

Remembering how quickly her best Christmas had turned into her worst Christmas, Stella bit her lip. ‘We managed to have fun that Christmas despite everything, didn’t we?’

‘Oh, yeah.’ Alfie shrugged, more adult than child. ‘It was hard at first, when Mum left. Christmas was the final straw for her. She was screaming and yelling like she’d gone mad. At first I thought it was my fault for opening one of my presents early, but Dad told me it was his fault for going to deliver those triplets on Christmas Eve when Mum had dinner on the table.’

‘I remember the triplets. Your dad saved their lives.’

‘I know. He’s cool. But Mum didn’t think so. She hated his job. And she hated Christmas.’ Alfie looked puzzled. ‘I don’t get that, do you? How can anyone hate Christmas? Dad says it stressed her out.’

Finding it hard to feel sympathy for a woman who could leave her children on Christmas Eve, Stella leaned forward and hugged him tightly. ‘Alfie …’ she discovered that she had a huge lump in her throat ‘… this Christmas is going to be the best ever. I promise. And no one is going to be stressed out.’

‘If Dad has to cook a turkey, he’ll be stressed out,’ Alfie predicted, with insight beyond his years. ‘And I’ll probably be stressed out if I have to eat it. Dad is better at delivering triplets than cooking. He needs lessons. He’s going to advertise for someone who wants a kitten. Do you think I could advertise for someone to come and cook Christmas lunch?’

‘You don’t need to advertise. I’ll give him a lesson,’ Stella promised, kissing him on the forehead and then pulling a face. ‘Sorry—are you too old to be kissed?’

‘I don’t mind it,’ Alfie said generously, ‘as long as you don’t do it in front of my friends.’

‘I’ll remember that.’ Stella shut down her computer. ‘Have you made your Christmas list?’

‘Yes. And I’ve posted it up the chimney.’

Stella looked at him, unsure whether he still believed in Father Christmas. ‘And did he pick it up?’

‘It wasn’t there when I looked so, yes, I guess so.’ He picked up the tiny kitten and kissed it. ‘I hope no one wants the kittens. Then we’ll have to keep all of them.’

‘It would be a lot of work for your dad.’

‘I take care of them.’ Alfie tucked the kitten back on his lap. ‘I wish you’d married Uncle Dan.’

Stella thought, Me, too, but managed a smile. ‘Your Uncle Dan isn’t the marrying kind.’

‘I know. He thinks marriage sucks.’

Stella blinked. ‘Are you supposed to use that word?’

‘Probably not, but I know you won’t tell.’ Alfred slid off the chair. ‘If you don’t want to marry Uncle Dan, you could always marry my dad. Then you could cook the turkey. And be my mum. That would be cool.’

‘Being your mum would be cool,’ Stella agreed, closing her laptop. ‘But unfortunately your dad and I don’t love each other. Not in that way. And people who get married should love each other.’

‘You’d have to have sex, and I guess that would be gross.’

Stella gulped. ‘Alfie!’ she floundered, not sure how to respond, but Alfie had already moved on.

‘What’s his name? This guy you’re meeting?’

‘Edward.’

Alfie wrinkled his nose. ‘I don’t like that name.’

‘It’s just a name, Alfie.’

‘Does he drive a cool sports car like Uncle Dan?’

‘I have no idea.’

‘Is he in the mountain rescue team like Dad and Uncle Dan?’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘I’m going to be in the mountain rescue team when I’m old enough. I think it’s so great, going out into the mountains to save people. You get to slide down ropes and sometimes go in a helicopter. I’m going to get muscles like Dad and Uncle Dan.’

Dismissing a disturbing mental image of Daniel’s muscular physique, Stella gave a weak smile. ‘I’m sure you will.’

‘Last winter he went all the way to South America and climbed a mountain no one else has ever climbed. How cool is that?’

‘Pretty cool.’

‘Does your guy climb?’

Stella took a deep breath. ‘He isn’t my guy and, no, he doesn’t climb.’

‘He sounds a lot different from Uncle Dan.’ ‘Yes,’ Stella said breezily. ‘He is.’

She was counting on it.

CHAPTER THREE

THE weather grew colder still and the emergency department was busier than ever.

Which was good, Stella reminded herself as she worked her third double shift with no break, because work took her mind off Daniel.

‘I’ve never had a headache like it,’ the woman moaned, holding her head as Stella checked her blood pressure. ‘It feels as though someone is splitting my skull with an axe. We saw the GP yesterday and he said that we’ve all picked up this virus that’s going around, but today when I woke up I felt so bad I was scared I was having a stroke or something.’

‘The whole family has had the same bug?’

‘My husband John has been really sick, but he had the headache, too. And the kids feel rough. They’re supposed to be doing nativity plays and Christmas parties but they’re too ill to be excited about anything. I left them sleeping this morning. Billy wouldn’t even wake up when I went to tell him I was coming here and he’s usually the first one up in the morning.’

‘He wouldn’t wake up?’ Stella recorded the woman’s blood pressure, but something in the patient’s story made her uneasy. ‘Are you sure? Did you try waking him?’

‘Yes. This bug has totally wiped him out, poor thing.’

Stella looked at her for a moment, a suspicion forming in her mind. ‘And your husband?’

‘He was asleep, too. I wanted him to drive me here,’ Diana muttered, ‘but I couldn’t even rouse him so I had to catch the bus. Still, I suppose he needed the rest after being sick yesterday.’

‘Perhaps.’ Stella glanced at the clock. ‘What time did you leave the house?’

‘An hour ago. Eight o’clock.’

‘Right. Just wait there—I’m going to ask a doctor to take a look at you.’ She hurried out of the cubicle and bumped straight into Daniel.

His fingers closed over her arms, steadying her. ‘What’s the rush? Or have you suddenly realised that there’s only another twelve shopping days until Christmas?’

Stella didn’t laugh, partly because she was too conscious of his hands on her body and partly because she was still distracted by her patient. ‘I have a woman in cubicle 2 complaining of a severe headache.’ She pulled away from him, alarmed that even when she was talking to him as a doctor, she was still aware of him as a man. ‘The whole family is down with a virus.’

‘And?’ His gaze lingered on her face, dropped to her mouth. ‘What are you thinking?’

That she must have been crazy to think she would ever get over Daniel. ‘I’m thinking that it might not be a virus.’ Yanking her mind back to her work, Stella gave an embarrassed laugh. ‘I’m probably overreacting.’

‘I’ve never known you overreact.’ His voice was soft. ‘I have known you see things other people miss.’

Stella was silenced by the praise. Thrown, it took her a moment to focus. ‘She’s had this headache for a while,’ she croaked, looking past him down the corridor rather than at his face. ‘Yesterday her husband and the kids were sick—’

‘They saw their GP?’

‘Yes, and he said virus. Gastroenteritis.’

‘Sounds reasonable. There’s plenty of it going around.’

‘Yes.’ Stella rubbed her fingers over her forehead and sighed. ‘I’m definitely overreacting. If one member of the family has it then it’s perfectly reasonable for the whole family to go down.’

Daniel’s gaze was fixed on her face. ‘Why are you worried?’

‘Because when she left the house this morning she couldn’t wake her kids or her husband. She thought they were just tired, but—’

‘Are you telling me you think it might be carbon monoxide poisoning?’

‘I hope not. I—I’m sure it isn’t,’ Stella stammered, suddenly feeling foolish. ‘If it was just her husband who was tired, I wouldn’t have been worried, but it’s a bit odd not being able to wake a child who is normally bouncing around thinking of Christmas, don’t you think?’

‘How hard did she try?’

‘I don’t know.’ Stella waved her hand. ‘Will you take a look at her? See what you think? If there’s a chance I might be right, we should call the police and the paramedics.’ It occurred to her that she trusted his judgement implicitly. Whatever their differences, she’d never doubted his abilities as a doctor.

Daniel stared at her for a moment, his expression inscrutable. Then he turned and strode into the cubicle. ‘Diane? I’m Daniel Buchannan, one of the consultants here. Tell me about your headache.’ He questioned the woman as he examined her, his eyes sharp and attentive as he listened to the history and took some blood samples. ‘And the other members of you family had nausea, vomiting and headache?’

‘Yes,’ she groaned, closing her eyes. ‘I did wonder if it was something we’d eaten, but the GP said there is a gastric bug going around.’

‘Her sats are fine,’ Stella murmured, looking at the monitor.

‘The saturation level equals the sum of oxyhaemaglobin and carboxyhaemoglobin, so it’s unreliable. It isn’t going to tell us what we want to know,’ Daniel murmured. ‘I want to give her the highest concentration of oxygen possible—use a rebreathing mask. I want to check her COHb levels. And let’s do an ECG. Diane …’ Daniel turned back to the patient ‘… I don’t think this is a virus. I agree with Stella—I think you might have carbon monoxide poisoning.’

The woman looked at him blankly. ‘What?’

‘There’s been quite a lot about it in the papers. It’s a tasteless, odourless gas—it basically lowers the oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood. What sort of heating do you have at home?’

‘We’re in a rented flat,’ Diane gasped. ‘We have a gas fire in the living room. We tend to congregate there to save on heating bills. Do you think—?’

‘I suspect that the fire might be a problem.’

‘Oh, my God—the kids are in the house.’ Panic flaring in her eyes, Diane struggled to sit up. ‘My husband—’

‘We’re going to deal with it, Diane. Right now. Lie down and think about yourself for a moment.’ Her tone soothing, Stella put the oxygen mask on the anxious woman, adjusted the flow to maximum and then looked at Daniel. ‘Do you want me to call the house?’

‘I’ll do it. You do that ECG.’

Stella attached the leads to Diane’s chest and had just switched the machine on when Daniel strode back into the room.

‘Diane, there was no reply from your house,’ he said gently, ‘so I’ve called the fire brigade and the paramedics. It’s just a precaution, but if we’re right, we need to get the rest of your family in here as soon as possible.’

Diane’s eyes were bright with tears. ‘I had no idea! I just left them. I thought they were asleep!’

‘We’re getting someone round there now, Diane,’ Stella said soothingly, but Diane just shook her head.

‘What if it’s too late?’

Daniel’s mobile rang and he answered it swiftly, giving instructions to the paramedics.

‘They’re at the door now and there’s no answer—is there a key anywhere?’

‘Flower pot,’ Diane murmured weakly, and Daniel relayed that message to the emergency services on the scene. Moments later he was nodding and smiling.

‘You’re sure? OK. Yes, I’ll tell her that.’ He dropped the phone into his pocket and smiled at Diane. ‘Your husband is awake, Diane. They’re getting the children out of the house now and they’ll assess them in the ambulance.’

Diane closed her eyes briefly. ‘Are they OK? Please tell me they’re OK.’

‘They’re going to give them oxygen and transfer them straight to us.’

‘Dan? Do you want to look at this ECG?’ Stella stood to one side and Daniel scanned the strip of paper.

‘That looks all right. Nothing there that worries me.’

‘Why did that GP tell me it was a virus?’ Diane fretted, and Daniel slipped the ECG reading into the notes.

‘Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to miss.’

‘You didn’t miss it.’

‘We’re a busy emergency department—we’re more alert to the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning than the average family doctor.’

‘But if you hadn’t thought of it—’

‘You can thank this nurse.’ Daniel’s gaze slid to Stella. ‘She was the one who was suspicious. And rightly so.’ His eyes rested on her face for a moment and she smiled and then turned away, part of her wishing that they didn’t work together so well. Maybe if she didn’t admire him as much as a doctor …

A siren sounded outside the department and Daniel moved towards the door. ‘That will be the rest of your family. I’ll go and see to them and then I’ll come back. Stella, if you need me, shout.’ He strode out of the room, leaving Stella with a very worried Diane.

‘Can I go and see them?’

‘You’re not well enough.’ Stella encouraged her to stay on the trolley. ‘Give Daniel time to assess them, and then I’ll go and find out what is going on.’

But she didn’t need to because Daniel walked into the room less than ten minutes later. ‘I’ve done a preliminary examination and it does seem to be carbon monoxide poisoning, but they’re going to be fine,’ he assured Diane. ‘Your husband is conscious and talking and the boys woke up once they were removed from the house. Your husband has contacted your landlord and the fire department will be dealing with him.’ He checked the blood results. ‘Her COHb levels are high,’ he murmured to Stella. ‘I’m going to talk to the infirmary—I’m wondering whether she would benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy.’

‘I thought that was controversial?’

‘I think it might be appropriate in Diane’s case. I’ll call them.’ He strode out of the room again just as Ellie walked in.

‘Diane? I’ve been looking after your lovely boys,’ she said, ‘and I wanted to let you know that they’re doing fine. We’ve given them oxygen and they’re sitting up and chatting. They’ve told me everything that’s on their Christmas lists and all I can say is I hope you won the lottery recently.’

‘They’re all right?’ Diane clutched Stella’s hand. ‘It’s because of you,’ she said hoarsely. ‘It’s because of you they’re alive. I can’t believe I just thought they were tired. You saved our lives.’

‘She’s a miracle,’ Ellie agreed, winking at Stella, ‘but don’t tell her too often or she’ll expect a pay rise and we don’t do things like that around here.’

Stella smiled at her friend and squeezed Diane’s hand. ‘I’m just relieved that your family is all right.’

‘If you hadn’t thought of it—or if that doctor hadn’t taken you seriously—’

‘I always take her seriously,’ Daniel drawled from the doorway, a gleam in his eyes as he glanced briefly at Stella. ‘Diane, I’ve spoken to my colleagues and I’m transferring you for some special treatment, and the others, too.’

Stella helped with the arrangements and once Diane had been transferred, she went back to the room to clear up.

‘Well done. You just made someone’s Christmas.’ Daniel stood in the doorway and her heart danced an uneven rhythm because the way he was looking at her was achingly familiar.

‘I’m just glad it turned out all right.’ She pushed the ECG machine to the end of the cubicle, reminding herself to keep it professional. If they just talked about work, it would be fine. ‘How are the children? Ellie said they should be fine.’

‘Their COHb levels were quite high, but hopefully they won’t suffer any long-term problems. The fire brigade wore breathing apparatus when they went in. Apparently the gas fire was lethal. Blocked flue or something.’ He strolled into the room, his eyes on hers. ‘Good job, Stella. I’ve missed working with you.’ His gruff male tones melted her bones to liquid.

‘I’ve missed working with you, too,’ she breathed, her hands tightening around the side of the trolley. ‘You’re a good doctor.’

There was a painful silence and Stella stood there, so aware of him that he may as well have been touching her.

‘Look at me, Stella.’ His soft command made her heart skip and she lifted her head and looked at him. And instantly regretted it. With a murmur of confusion, she gave a little shake of her head and his eyes darkened.

‘Stella, I—’

‘Daniel?’ A crisp, female voice came from behind him and they both glanced guiltily towards the door.

A woman stood there. She was slim and businesslike, dressed smartly in a navy suit and a white shirt, and in her right hand she held a briefcase. Her glossy red hair was neatly contained in a professional-looking French plait and her make-up was immaculate.

‘Andrea.’ Daniel hesitated and then cast a wary glance towards Stella.

And she understood instantly who the woman was.

His lawyer.

‘I’ll just go and check the waiting room.’ Stella intended to slide out of the room, but the woman stopped her.

‘Don’t run away on my account. I’m due in court in ten minutes so I don’t have long. Dan—about tonight. Don’t pick me up. I’ll meet you there. I’d rather drive myself.’ She was all crisp efficiency. ‘And I have a breakfast meeting tomorrow, so I won’t be staying overnight.’

Stella dug her nails into her palms, horrified by the agonising pain she felt. She was supposed to be over him, wasn’t she? She wasn’t supposed to care any more. So why did it hurt to meet his latest girlfriend? And to hear her talking about ‘staying over’, as if it was a regular occurrence.

Well, of course it was. What had she expected? Daniel was a red-blooded male. Just because he had no interest in marriage and children, it didn’t mean he had no interest in other things.

Shaken by the depth of the pain she felt, Stella mumbled an excuse and slid past the two of them, avoiding eye contact with Daniel.

He had his life and she had hers.

And that was the way she wanted it.

‘Caring of Cumbria’ was going to be her type, she reminded herself. And he was going to stop her thinking about Daniel.

‘What do you know about this guy she’s seeing?’ Daniel stood in his brother’s kitchen, staring across the yard towards the converted stable. A light shone behind a curtain and he assumed that Stella was getting ready to go out for the evening. For some reason that he didn’t understand, the thought set his teeth on edge.

‘Nothing.’ Patrick drained the pasta. ‘Posy, sit at the table.

Alfie, help your sister. God, I’m tired. I can’t remember the last time I spent a whole night in my bed. The labour ward is crazy.’

‘You’re the boss. You’re supposed to delegate.’

‘I don’t delegate life-and-death situations. Why are so many babies born near Christmas?’

‘I don’t know.’ Daniel leaned forward and stole a piece of pasta. ‘You’re the obstetrician.’

‘Can I have extra cheese on my pasta?’ Alfie picked Posy up and sat her on her chair. Then he went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of milk.

‘Not milk,’ Patrick said absently, cursing under his breath as the water scalded his fingers. ‘Give her water. Otherwise she’s too full to eat.’

Daniel felt something pressing on his ankle and looked down to see a kitten looking up at him hopefully. ‘About this guy that Stella is seeing …’

‘I don’t know anything about the guy Stella is seeing.’

‘I do.’ Alfie replaced the milk and poured water into two cups. ‘I know he’s not in the mountain rescue team.’ He put the cup in front of his sister. ‘And I don’t think he has muscles. But I know he wants to get married and have kids. That’s why she’s picked him. I just hope he doesn’t turn out to be a real creep. She’ll find out tonight. Ellie is going to phone her at nine and if he’s really yucky then she’s going to pretend there’s a crisis at home. I guess that will work. She hasn’t given him her address or anything.’ He scooped up the kitten that was winding itself around Daniel’s legs and sneaked it onto his lap under the table, casting a furtive glance at his father.

Stunned into silence by the volume of information that Alfie had delivered, Daniel gaped at his nephew and then turned to his brother. ‘He’s ten years old.’

‘He inherited his intelligence from me.’ Patrick put a bowl of pasta in front of his golden-haired daughter. ‘Alfie spends every available minute with Stella. He knows far more about her than I do.’

Daniel turned his attention back to his nephew. ‘You’ve been spending time with her?’

‘Why not? She’s got this brilliant laptop. It’s so cool. And she does this dating thing. You ought to do it, Dad.’ Alfie squirted ketchup onto his plate. ‘Stella had three hundred and fifty replies. If you had that many they could each come here and cook a meal and you wouldn’t have to cook again for a whole year.’

‘What’s wrong with my cooking? And I know you’ve brought that kitten to the table again, Alfie. I’m not blind or stupid. Put her on the floor. And don’t eat with your fingers, Posy.’ Clearly distracted, Patrick put the fork into his daughter’s hand. ‘Alfie, eat, please. I’ve got to go back to the hospital in a minute.’

‘Dating agency?’ Feeling as though he was five steps behind everyone else, Daniel stared at his nephew. ‘Stella is using a dating agency?’

‘Yup.’ Ignoring his father, Alfie kept the kitten on his lap. ‘On the internet. It’s the only way she’s going to meet a decent man. She’s been through three hundred and fifty people and she’s chosen someone who isn’t a bit like you.’

Patrick gave a choked laugh and Daniel glared at him and then pulled out a chair and sat down next to Alfie.

‘So she’s meeting a complete stranger?’

‘Not really. She knows loads about him. I think he sounds really boring, but I’m not a girl.’ Alfie stuffed a forkful of pasta into his mouth. ‘She’s really excited. Dad—how long does it take to make a baby?’

A baby?

Daniel had to physically stop himself from sprinting across the courtyard and bolting the stable door from the outside.

There was no way Stella would be intimate with a guy that quickly, he told himself. She wasn’t that type of girl, was she? It had been ages before she’d eventually slept with him.

‘Nine months,’ Patrick said absently. ‘Alfie, Mrs Thornton is going to sit with you tonight.’

Alfie groaned. ‘Not Mrs Thornton. She’s so old.’

‘She isn’t old.’

‘She smells funny and her mouth is really red. Can’t I stay on my own?’

‘You’re too young. I won’t be late.’

‘You always say that, but babies are never predictable,’ Alfie grumbled. ‘They just don’t do what you expect them to do. You’ll be at the hospital all night, like you always are. If Mrs Thornton is here, can I watch that DVD? She’s so shortsighted, she won’t know.’

‘Which DVD?’ Only half listening, Patrick fished his mobile out of his pocket and scrolled through his messages.