A Daddy for Her Twins
Auteur
Scarlet Wilson
Lezers
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Hoofdstukken
14
CHAPTER ONE
ARTHUR FLETCHER WAS TIRED. More than tired. And it was all entirely his own fault. He’d landed at Singapore Changi airport, remembered he’d been told it was the finest in the world, and lost himself in the dazzling array of butterfly gardens, canopy park, waterfall fountains, not to mention the delicious eateries and shopping opportunities.
He’d been warned of course. But Arthur had decided—instead of immediately grabbing his suitcase and leaving the airport as he’d done on every other occasion in cities all around the world—he would take some time to enjoy the experience.
If everything worked out the way it should, it would likely be two years before he was back at Changi airport and moving on to a new post. St David’s Children’s Hospital—where he’d landed his latest paediatrician post—was only five years old and was already developing an illustrious reputation around the world. Set in one of Singapore’s busiest districts, it rarely had empty beds, and the teaching and learning opportunities were vast. The chance of the promotion had appealed, as had the chance to go back to Singapore—a place he’d loved and worked in before.
Everything would have been great if he’d actually managed to collect the keys to his apartment and move in as planned. But it seemed that life had decided to throw him a few spanners and he’d unexpectedly ended up in a hotel overnight. He was just hoping he could get things sorted out quickly.
He tugged at the collar of his short-sleeved shirt, trying to adjust to the warmer climate again. His appointment as a paediatric consultant who would be involved with the doctors’ training programme at St David’s had gone smoothly. He’d worked previously in Singapore after qualifying as a doctor, and after taking an appointment in the US, and then in Germany, he’d been pleasantly surprised to be headhunted for the new role.
His official meeting and tour of the hospital wasn’t until ten o’clock, but his late-night ventures at Changi airport had made him edgy about oversleeping, meaning he hadn’t really slept at all. He’d finally got dressed just after seven, and was now sitting in the main entranceway of the hospital, in the visitors’ café.
Even though it was early, the streets of Singapore had been bustling, and the hospital foyer was entirely the same. He knew there was a shift change, with staff leaving and entering in a whole rainbow variety of scrubs. Scrub colour was usually dependent on role, and there were a few he hadn’t yet identified.
His phone buzzed and he had a quick check. He gave a sigh and sent a text back. Lisa. He also noticed a message from Jess. He sent her a message back too. Both ex-girlfriends. Fletch had a habit of being a serial dater who could never last longer than six months. He was always up front about it. He had no plans to settle down in the near future, and when any relationship he was in reached that ‘next stage’ point, he always had the hard conversation and walked away amicably.
He’d lived all his adult life like this. While he’d like eventually to have a family of his own, he just didn’t feel ready yet—likely because of his own upbringing as a child. His mother had dated a few men after his father had left, always saying she was ‘trying before buying’. It had taken her a while to finally meet his stepfather and settle down. And the behaviour had kind of imprinted on Fletch.
Most of his exes had moved on successfully with no hard feelings. He was lucky like that. But they all kept telling him one day he would meet ‘the one’. Fletch gave a smile and put his phone back in his pocket. Maybe in a few years.
As he sipped his coffee, he could feel the buzz through his body. He was excited about this new job. Excited about moving back to Singapore for a spell. He’d always loved this country, with its pleasant climate, friendly people and world of opportunities.
He watched as there was some jostling near the main entrance. A woman had her hands full, holding the hand of one young child, the other, grasped in her arms was clearly having a bad day, and she was struggling with a stroller and several bags.
He stood up without thinking and automatically walked over. ‘You’ve got your hands full, let me help you.’
She blinked as she blew a wayward strand of hair out of her eyes. Fletch was always cautious when offering to assist, knowing that some people didn’t appreciate it, but this lady was different.
‘Brilliant,’ she said, placing her squirming child in his arms. ‘Meet Mr Cranky, also known as Justin.’ She rejigged her bags, organising them on her stroller, and nodded to the young girl beside her. ‘This is Mia.’ She wrinkled her nose as she kept walking, now keeping the stroller under control. ‘I’m Madison, I don’t think we’ve met before.’
She was wearing a pair of navy scrubs, her light brown hair tied up in a ponytail and he could see freckles on her nose. She also had a hint of an accent. Scottish? Irish? He wasn’t sure.
‘Arthur Fletcher,’ he said, walking alongside. Mr Cranky was looking at him suspiciously, but hadn’t yet objected to being held by a stranger. ‘I’m starting as a paediatrician this morning.’
Her footsteps slowed for a second and she gave him a broad smile. ‘You are? That’s fantastic. You’ll love it here,’ she said without hesitation, and then looked a bit thoughtful. ‘I’ll see you, then.’ She glanced down at her scrubs. ‘I’m one of the physios and part of my role is rehab, so I’m sometimes on the children’s unit.’ She looked over at Justin and gave a sigh.
‘I don’t know what’s going on with my boy these last few days. He’s been cranky and irritable.’ She held up a hand and laughed before Fletch could speak. ‘No, I’m not asking you to look at him. He’s just out of sorts. Nothing serious.’
Fletch smiled. ‘So, I’m Arthur Fletcher. But call me Fletch. The only person who calls me Arthur is my grandad.’
Madison’s eyes twinkled. ‘Named after him?’ There was something about those eyes...
He nodded. ‘You got it.’
They reached the elevators and she pressed a button. ‘We’re heading to the crèche. Have you been shown around yet?’
He shook his head. ‘Well, allow me.’ She smiled. ‘You might as well know where the crèche is, as they’ll hold some of your potential clientele.’
He nodded as the elevator rose, trying not to notice the shadows under Madison’s eyes, or the paleness of her skin. She was clearly tired. But he didn’t want to ask intrusive questions.
‘I love your accent,’ he said.
She laughed. ‘Scots. But I’m not really sure why. My mum and dad are both from Scotland, but Dad was part of the British Consulate so I’ve lived all over the world.’
‘You have?’ He adjusted Justin, letting the little guy fold into his neck.
‘Germany, Italy.’ She nodded her head. ‘We were in Singapore twice. I did most of my high school time here and always knew I wanted to come back.’
‘So, you live here for good now?’
She nodded towards her children. ‘Family ties. I love it here.’
He looked again. Her children clearly had some Asian heritage and his eyes went immediately to her hand. No ring. But he assumed nothing. He knew better than to do that.
The elevator doors pinged open and she led him down the corridor to a brightly coloured room, where children were clearly separated by age. The crèche was well staffed and children were signed in and out. A staff member came over with her arms outstretched to take Justin. ‘How’s my favourite?’ she said to him as Madison’s daughter skipped off to play with some friends. ‘Did they have a good time in Scotland with your parents?’ she asked Madison.
‘They loved it,’ she replied quickly. ‘But getting them back into a routine is proving a challenge. This is Jen,’ said Madison, ‘and this is Fletch, one of the new children’s doctors who was gracious enough to help me.’
Jen’s eyes flicked over to Fletch with a hint of curiosity. ‘Nice to meet you,’ she said as she stroked Justin’s hair. She glanced back to Madison. ‘Still feeling a bit off?’
Madison nodded and took a deep breath. ‘He didn’t sleep well last night—well, none of us did. But he was just unsettled. I honestly wonder if he’s a bit jet-lagged. They’ve only been back three days. No temperature, no cough. Just...irritable.’
Jen gave a brief nod. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll keep him close, and call you if I’m worried at all. You okay if I let him sleep today?’
‘Of course,’ said Madison. She watched as Jen walked away with Justin, talking gently in his ear. Fletch could see the strain on her face.
Like any mother she was clearly worried. He knew it was none of his business, but did she have any help? And why was he even wondering? He hadn’t even met this woman for more than five minutes and he had the weirdest feeling around her—almost as if she were pulling him in, and making him curious.
His phone buzzed as they walked back down the corridor. ‘Where are you headed?’ she asked as the elevator doors opened again.
He glanced at his phone. ‘Finally, keys for my apartment.’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘You haven’t moved in already?’
‘No, there was a bit of a hiccup and I stayed in a hotel last night.’
She folded her arms, looking amused. He was almost relieved to see the worry lines disappear from her face. ‘That sounds like a story.’
‘It is.’ He turned his phone around and showed her the apartment.
‘Wow.’ She took the phone from his hand and started swiping through the photos, then gave a shudder and laughed. She handed the phone back. ‘Too much glass for a mother of two three-year-olds.’
Fletch gave a conciliatory nod. ‘You’re right. I’ll spend two years trying not to touch it at all. But I’m happy with the amenities. There’s a gym, a swimming pool and a garden.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘All I really needed was the keys.’
‘So, what happened, then?’
‘The agent got delayed. His flight got cancelled and his partner’s father was sick.’ He held up his hands. ‘I wasn’t going to go to another hospital to harass someone for keys when their father was sick, so I said I’d book into a hotel for a night or so.’
‘So, you get your keys today?’
‘Thankfully, yes. I’ll need to do some shopping. Get a few bits and pieces, and some food.’ He paused for a second, and then just asked. ‘Would you be able to point me in the right direction? I’ve been to Singapore before, but stayed in a different part, so I’m not as familiar with the shops and markets near where I’m staying.’
She waved her hand as the elevator doors opened, depositing them at the paediatric unit. ‘Absolutely no problem. Give me a shout before you finish today and I’ll give you a list of where, and when, to shop.’
He opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but she winked at him and disappeared into another room.
Fletch gave an amused laugh and walked down the corridor, shaking his head, not quite sure what to make of Madison.
She was friendly, obviously had her hands full, but there was something else about her. He was intrigued. He wanted to ask questions. But could well be reading things that weren’t there at all. Maybe he was still jet-lagged? Yes, that was it. Once he’d given himself a few days to meet people, and see around the city again, he might finally get his head on straight.
A woman appeared in front of him, with a steely demeanour. She looked him up and down, and he realised instantly he hadn’t collected his ID badge yet. ‘Dr Fletcher,’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘I’m the new paediatrician, and Madison—’ he gave a sideways glance to see if she was anywhere in sight, ‘—had started to show me round.’
The woman’s nose wrinkled for a second as she clearly decided if she was on board or not. ‘Rui Lee,’ she said quickly, ‘Sister of the Paediatric Unit. Come with me, Dr Fletcher. I think you have a meeting in a few hours.’
He held in a grimace and followed the fleet-footed woman down the corridor. As he looked out over the city landscape he couldn’t help but smile. From the moment he’d set foot in St David’s this morning he’d had a good feeling. A vibe. Something that was hard to explain. But he could see it in the faces around him. Staff wanted to be here. People wanted to work here. There was no drama. No chaos or rush. Everything seemed controlled. Parents were at the sides of the beds with children. Staff were intermingled amongst them. He could hear short bursts of childhood laughter, and low voices murmuring around him.
Inquisitive medical students, clearly wearing new white coats, were gathered around a whiteboard in a room as a pharmacist was going through the chemistry aspect of medications. In another room, he saw some student nurses in mid-discussion with a tutor about childhood vaccinations. Teaching sessions weren’t confined to universities or lecture halls. Teaching was happening directly on the wards. This was the reason he’d come here. This was part of the programme he was to lead, and he could already see the benefits before his eyes.
The good feeling kept rolling through his body as Sister Lee took him along the corridor towards the management offices. ‘Settled in?’ she asked over her shoulder.
He was slightly surprised at the social question. She’d seemed the tiniest bit hostile. ‘Eh, almost,’ he said. ‘I had a bit of an issue getting access to the apartment I’ve rented. But hopefully that’s solved now. I spent last night in a hotel, but I couldn’t really sleep, so I arrived here early and had a coffee.’
She gave him a curious glance. ‘So, you don’t already know Madison Koh?’
Ah, so this was why she was being sociable. He shook his head. ‘I met her downstairs for the first time.’ He gave a soft laugh. ‘She seemed to have her hands full so I offered to help.’
This time the glance he was shot was careful. ‘Madison is one of our best physios. She does have her hands full. It’s such a shame that she lost her husband a few years ago.’
His footsteps faltered but he quickly recovered. His brain automatically going into backwards mode, making sure he hadn’t blundered unintentionally when talking to Madison. He didn’t think so.
‘That’s such a shame. She seems a very nice woman. I’m looking forward to working with her.’
Rui’s eyes were steady. ‘She is a very nice woman. Her husband was a radiologist here. He’s missed. We’re all lucky in a way, because we get to see their children every day. I can see elements of Jason in each of his children.’
‘That’s nice.’ Fletch meant that sincerely. ‘I’m glad you mentioned it,’ he added. ‘I would have hated to put my foot in it around Madison.’ His steps slowed as they reached the management offices.
‘I’ll leave you here,’ said Rui. ‘It was nice to meet you. I’ll go over some procedures and electronic systems with you later.’ She gave him a half-smile. ‘Hope you get your apartment situation sorted out.’
She left him next to an unusual arched window that gave a spectacular view of the city landscape. He stood for a few moments, his head full of what he’d just heard. Madison seemed nice. Now he understood why she looked so tired. She was on her own.
He knew it shouldn’t matter. But she was a colleague, so it did. He made a note to be mindful where he could when working together. For the second time today it struck him how curious he was about her, and he shook his head as he tried to imagine why he was drawn to this new colleague. A pull. That was all he could describe it as.
Smiling to himself, with one more glance at Singapore, his new home, he knocked on the door.
Madison finished typing up her notes and checked her emails for new referrals. Her hair had escaped from its too-loose hair scrunchie again and she attempted to tame it back into some kind of submission. A text appeared on the watch on her wrist and she had a quick glance. It was the crèche, reassuring her that Justin had settled. Thank goodness.
It was odd. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what was wrong with her son, she just knew he wasn’t himself. There wasn’t anything to scare her, or to make her rush to her own paediatrician. There was just...something.
He was irritable. He was restless, and, even though he was clearly tired at times, he didn’t sleep well—which then meant that no one slept well. She’d checked all the usual things. His temperature was fine. He was eating and drinking. Peeing and pooing. He had no unusual rashes. He was up to date with his vaccinations. And there were no outbreaks of any normal childhood diseases that she knew about. She’d even sounded his chest. But still, there was nothing to explain why her boy wasn’t his usual self.
Madison had worked hard at keeping a happy work-life balance since the death of her husband. She was careful to give equal attention to her children, and happily had the ongoing help from her in-laws. She used the crèche while at work, and the twins were enrolled for nursery and due to start soon.
But the sleepless nights were getting to her. She’d thankfully accepted the offer from her in-laws to have Justin and Mia overnight. The whole family had shared her devastation when Jason had been killed in a cycling accident, a few months after their children had arrived. Her parents had arrived from Scotland, and Jason’s sister and parents had flocked around her, helping her keep things together and continue to function.
Her parents had finally needed to return to Scotland, but continued to visit and had even taken their grandchildren back to Scotland for a few holidays to help Madison out with childcare when necessary. The kids were just back from a fortnight with her mum and dad in the Scottish Highlands. Her in-laws were also there on a weekly basis, always only a telephone call away. She was lucky. She knew that. But learning to adjust to life without Jason had taken some time.
Now, she was getting there. The perpetual sadness had started to lift. She was determined to not miss out on the joy of her children and making memories with them. It helped she’d continued to work in the same place. There were no awkward questions from her colleagues. They knew her circumstances. They accepted her and her children with open arms and she was eternally grateful.
She lifted one of the nearby slimline tablets, logged in, and pulled up the referrals. Two from Paediatrics and two from the adult rehab ward. She already had ten patients on her list, but she could cope with four new referrals. She might even have time to grab a snack today. She took off her watch and tucked it into her pocket alongside the tablet, heading down to the wards.
By the time she’d finished her adult patients, the lack of sleep from last night was starting to hit her in all the worst ways. She hurried into Paeds and gave Rui a wave before ducking into the staffroom to heat up some soup. The staffroom was filled with comfortable sofas, a sink, microwave, and coffee machine. Madison set the timer for two minutes and sat down on a bright red sofa, considering the box of snacks in the middle of the table. The staffroom was empty. Most staff had already had their lunch by now and she was running late.
A hand touched her shoulder and she bolted to her feet, eyes wide, head going from side to side.
‘Sorry.’ Fletch was standing behind her, looking sheepish. He’d changed into a set of green scrubs and had his hospital ID clipped to his uniform now and his name badge on his chest.
For a few seconds her brain tried to compute. She recognised him, of course. But he looked different in his doctor scrubs than he had in his shirt and suit trousers. Scrubs seemed to reveal more. Whether anyone wanted them to or not.
Fletch had a broad frame, defined shoulders and muscular arms. He worked out. There was no flab. This guy worked out. With the v in his scrubs she could see a peek of chest hair and alongside a hint of a tan. Did he work out with nothing on? And why were the only words that would register in her brain ‘work out’?
Madison gave herself a jolt, as her brain tried to settle. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d let her thoughts linger on the physical attributes of a male colleague. What was wrong with her?
He remained apologetic. ‘I didn’t mean to wake you.’
Heat flooded her body and she could feel it in her cheeks. She was embarrassed. Of course, she was. She’d never fallen asleep at work before. That was disgraceful. She was on duty. She was supposed to be seeing patients. And this guy was brand new—what on earth would he think of her?
‘I wasn’t sleeping,’ she said automatically without thinking. Denial seeming like the best defence.
He winced. ‘You were snoring.’
The heat in her cheeks multiplied and she could feel tears brimming in her eyes. She’d worked so hard to keep her reputation impeccable at work, especially because her colleagues knew everything she’d gone through. The last thing she wanted anyone to think was that she couldn’t cope being a single parent, or that she wasn’t doing the best job possible for her and Jason’s kids. Even the thought of that made her heart ache.
Somehow, falling asleep at work seemed to fit in the category of not coping.
‘I don’t snore!’ she snapped.
Fletch jerked backwards as if he’d been stung. She could almost see a shield forming in front of him as he straightened. ‘Of course, no problem. I’ll leave you to it.’ He turned and walked out of the room without another word and Madison cringed.
Her stomach growled as she stepped over to the microwave, her appetite gone. She stared at the soup for two minutes and then poured it down the sink, putting the carton in the bin.
She closed her hands over her face for a few minutes and took a few deep breaths.
Get it together, she told herself.
She tried to be rational. Okay, so she’d now just snapped at—and likely offended—the new doctor, who, from this morning’s meeting, had seemed like a perfectly nice bloke. He was going to think—she couldn’t even imagine what he might think, but this was someone she wanted to have a professional, respectful relationship with. She didn’t want awkwardness, or tension. She certainly didn’t want him to write her off as either someone to feel sorry for, or someone who might be unreliable because he’d caught her sleeping at work.
She sat back down and leaned her head forward into her hands. She was tired. She was overtired and, hopefully, that would be sorted for her tonight, thanks to her in-laws.
Her stomach growled and she absent-mindedly opened the biscuit box and took one. The very last thing she needed to happen was to go back to work and start to be light-headed because she hadn’t eaten.
The biscuit was gone in two bites and she stood up, brushed her uniform down and washed her hands.
She took herself back out onto the ward. Rui Lee was discussing a patient with another member of staff, and Madison gathered some equipment to assess her two new patients. By the time she’d gathered what she needed, Rui was finished.
‘I’m going to do the two new assessments.’ She took a breath and tilted her chin. ‘Is Dr Fletcher still around? I wondered if he might want to observe as part of his orientation?’
Rui gave her a careful look. ‘He’s gone down to Radiology. He wants another set of films on a child and wanted to see if they could be shot another way.’
Her eyes were steady on Madison. It made her feel as if Rui were steadily unpeeling her skin like an onion. She’d taken other new employees with her as part of their orientation, so it wasn’t that unusual for her to show someone around. ‘No problem,’ she said with a forced cheeriness she didn’t normally have to use at work. Again—what was wrong with her?
She was aware she’d been feeling restless lately—wondering if it was time to start thinking of herself as a woman again, and not just a mother. Her thoughts always went back to one thing—was she ready? It was hard to know, but her mind was starting to go places it hadn’t in the last few years, maybe her brain was trying to tell her something?
She disappeared to assess her patients, concentrating only on work for the next few hours. The words about Fletch going down to Radiology made her the tiniest bit uncomfortable and it was utterly ridiculous. Radiology was where her husband, Jason, had worked. She could imagine them both meeting. Discussing the possibility of different films to get a better view of the issue. Jason would have bent over backwards to ensure his service assisted in the best possible way for a patient’s outcome.
She swallowed, a lump in her throat. She’d tried hard over the last two years to keep those kinds of thoughts in a careful place. The first time she’d walked back into work after Jason’s death had been like a throat punch. She’d almost turned around and walked back out. But she couldn’t do that. She had a family to support. Children to bring up. A life to lead.
Her workmates had all been a great help. And, in Madison’s head, she still just took things a day at a time.
She had moved on. She didn’t spend all day thinking about Jason. Sometimes, when one of the kids did something, she saw a glint of Jason in them. It was amazing the mannerisms that seemed to be inbuilt—the twins had been too small to have any real memories of their father—but occasionally one, or both, of them would do something that really reminded her of Jason. It gave her comfort. It reassured her that she still had a little part of him.
The first few times it broke her heart. But now, the pain wasn’t raw. He would always hold a piece of her heart. But she couldn’t spend the rest of her life grieving. She was happy to be settled with the children and getting on with her life. If only she could get to the bottom of what was going on with Justin.
