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.Could, because finally they were being honest.‘She asked if we could go out for dinner—there was something she had to say.So I went, I owed her that.’‘You did,’ Lorna admitted.‘So what did she say?’‘A lot!’ James rolled his eyes in the darkness.‘I was never into her, I never took her to work things, we’d been going out a year and I’d never even hinted that she move in, I was too wrapped up in work.She gave me a right earful actually.Then she said she deserved better, which I agreed with, and then Abby rang and asked me to come in, which she said proved her point exactly, so she took the phone, gave Abby an earful and then stomped out of the restaurant and I paid for dinner.’‘Oh.’‘I’m rubbish in bed too, by the way.’ James added glumly.‘It wasn’t a great night, but it had to be done.’‘She’ll be okay.’‘She will be,’ James said, ‘because she was right.She did deserve better.Now…’ He rolled on his side and faced her.‘About you.You’re going to see Henry Lowther.He’s the best gynaecologist—’‘I’ve had second, third, fourth opinions,’ Lorna said.‘Good, but Henry’s the best and he’ll do a wonderful job and hopefully sort out those adhesions too.Is that why you were on so many painkillers?’ He kissed her forehead when she nodded.‘Well, you won’t be soon.You shouldn’t have to live in pain.’And he was so nice and so accepting of it that it turned out there were some tears left after all.‘It’s been a bit better,’ she admitted.‘A lot better, actually—like going to the dentist and suddenly your toothache’s gone.’‘Go and see Henry.’‘He’s at the same hospital, though.’ Lorna cringed but James just laughed.‘I’m sure he’s seen it all before!’He had.He waded through her medical history, which was as thick as a telephone book from the car accident alone, looked at all her scans and reports and medications and then he examined her.‘Hmm.’ He was one of those eccentric old-school doctors who wore a bow-tie on a Tuesday.‘I will want to have a look before I proceed to a hysterectomy.’ This made her groan because so many doctors had had so many looks.‘You still look a bit anaemic.I’ll run some bloods but I’d like you to up your iron, and my secretary will arrange an ultrasound, then I’d like to do a quick laparoscopy and have a look before we decide how to proceed.’And she was about to say no, to just go with the doctor she was with, because she’d been through it so very many times, but he was rather thorough and reassuring, and it was her only womb and, yes, as she rolled up her sleeve and the needle slid in, Lorna knew that even if it just made James realise she’d done everything, it was worth just a bit more discomfort.Chapter Twenty-Two‘THERE, there, pet.’ May chatted away to Rita who was back for a pap smear.Emergency wasn’t really the place for such a routine procedure, Lorna knew that and Abby had also wasted no time pointing it out, but she left Lorna to get on with it and for Lorna it was good to see that Rita was taking care of herself.She’d specifically asked for the Scottish doctor, she hadn’t even added ‘posh,’ and as was often the case, it wasn’t just the pap smear she was there for.As Lorna asked the right questions a couple of other problems Lorna was expecting cropped up.‘I’m going to get the gynaecologist to come down and talk to you,’ Lorna said when Rita was sitting up with her blanket back on.‘There are lots of different treatments…’‘Is it a male or female doctor?’‘Lowther’s team,’ May said, because she knew things like that without checking.‘He’s got a female registrar.’ Lorna smiled.‘I’ll page her and ask if she can come down.’‘Can’t I just make an appointment?’ Rita asked, but Lorna didn’t want her flying out of the door never to return.‘Let me just have a word with her.’May was heading off to the canteen for lunch as Lorna wrote her notes.‘Can I get you anything?’‘Roast beef, spinach and horseradish roll with a bottle of orange juice, please.’‘Good girl!’ May clucked, taking the money and picking up the ringing phone, then putting on her posh voice for a moment.‘It’s Lowther…’‘I haven’t paged him yet.’ Lorna frowned.‘Anyway I want his reg.’ Her voice faded as she took the phone, tears pricking her eyes as she listened to his calm, matter-of-fact voice, and her hand was shaking too much to put back the phone so May did it for her.‘He wants to see me.’‘That’s okay.’‘No.I’ve had some tests.’‘And no doubt your iron’s in your boots.I could have told you that from just looking at you.’‘A consultant wouldn’t call for that.’ She had never been more scared, terrified at what he might have found.‘You’re a doctor,’ May calmly pointed out.‘He probably thinks he’s doing you a courtesy, not scaring the living daylights out of you.Now…’ Ever practical, ever calm, she sorted things out.‘Ring the reg and get poor Rita seen, then I’ll walk you up to Lowther’s rooms.’Lorna was glad James wasn’t on duty.She wanted to deal with whatever it was herself first, instead of worrying him.But the cloud she’d been walking on these last few days seemed to have dissipated
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