Single Dad for the Heart Doctor
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Karin Baine
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CHAPTER ONE
DEATH NEVER GOT EASIER.
Lily picked up a handful of shingle from the beach, pocketing the frosted, sea-tumbled aquamarine glass and the pottery shards. There were several fragments of blue and white willow-pattern treasures for her to repurpose along with the glass. The Victorians’ rubbish and broken crockery, tossed into the sea, was now her treasure. When she had some free time she’d make it into some jewellery...something beautiful. Give it new life.
She pulled her cardigan tighter around her body as the wind began to pick up, but she didn’t mind the cold. This was her happy place, where she could forget her worries and concentrate on spotting little gems and giving new life to those broken pieces. It wasn’t so easy in the real world.
Losing a patient was always difficult. In her job as a cardiologist, death was not something she could always conquer and she did her best. But events such as tonight’s made her job harder than ever, and reminded her of her own mortality. She had chosen this career path to give people a second chance at life but sometimes, through no fault of her own, she didn’t even get to play her part.
The ambulance had taken too long to get to their remote village, Glen Nesbitt, on Northern Ireland’s Antrim coast. There hadn’t been anywhere close by for the emergency medical helicopter to land, even if it had reached the place in time.
In cardiac cases every second counted and, from her point of view, a thirty-eight-year-old mother of two had died unnecessarily. On this occasion the medical profession had failed her and her family with their poor response time. Lily knew she could have saved the woman if she’d got to her sooner and that would keep her awake tonight.
Usually it was thoughts of her father and her sister—of how she hadn’t been able to save them. Of her mother, who had died of a broken heart years later, even without inheriting the condition which had stolen half of their little family. Not least the ticking time bomb in Lily’s chest which would eventually take her too.
She had inherited the same faulty gene and now, with her confirmed diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy, premature death was something she had to consider. DCM left the heart muscle stretched thin, too weak to contract enough to pump blood properly around the rest of the body.
Her sister hadn’t had any warning, suddenly collapsing after they’d been racing along the beach, dying from heart failure before anyone had known there was anything wrong. Lily had been the younger of the two but losing Iris at the age of ten years, then her father only days later, killed by the shock, meant she’d grown up from the age of seven as an only child. Then an orphan from the age of seventeen when her mother passed away too.
They’d been unaware of the deadly spectre of the illness haunting their family until it was too late. She didn’t know if it had been a blessing or a curse to test positive for the same gene when she’d been young, having lived the rest of her life fearing the same fate as her sibling. Her mother too had feared for her, never wanting her to take part in anything too strenuous or stressful, leading to a somewhat isolated existence.
Although losing her mother too before she’d fully entered into adulthood had been traumatic, it had given her the independence to go to university, to train for a job where she could help others.
Her own diagnosis had come five years ago when she’d begun to experience some symptoms of having the same condition—fatigue, swelling in her ankles and belly. It had almost been a relief when her suspicions had been confirmed after spending her whole life waiting for them to appear, so she could deal with them instead of simply worrying what might happen.
For now, her symptoms were under control with medication, but if they worsened she might need a pacemaker to deliver electrical impulses to regulate her heartbeat. The worst scenario would be if she needed a heart transplant should a pacing device and medication fail to work, and that thought was always at the back of her mind.
It was probably why it was so important for her to make a difference for as long as she could, and why one unnecessary loss was too many.
The sound of sirens and the sight of flashing blue lights blazed through the twilight gloom as a fire engine from the local station raced by. Hopefully they would get there in time to save whoever was in trouble.
The two incidents were uppermost in her mind as she made the short walk back across the beach to her small bungalow, population one, ever since her diagnosis. Relationships had never been easy for a woman who insisted she never wanted children. There had been a few partners who had professed to the same thinking, only to later change their minds as time wore on and they were faced with their own mortality. For her, it seemed selfish to bring another generation into this world, only to pass on the same death sentence her father had unwittingly given her and her sister.
The knowledge of the condition was both a blessing and a curse. Her parents had been able to live their lives freely until illness interrupted it. Lily had been hyperaware of that same illness from an early age and it had affected all of her life decisions. Her career, her relationships and her future were all based around the medical condition and it was the reason she was alone. With no family or significant other to mourn her, she would never leave anyone as devastated as she and her mother had been by loss.
She would do everything in her power for the wider community to avoid that same heartache too.
Charlie ‘Finn’ Finnegan heard the click-clack of heels long before he spotted the woman who had recently become a royal pain in his backside. This was the first time they had actually met in person but, judging by the phone conversations and email exchanges, they were in for a major personality clash. The local community centre had been commandeered especially for this mediation meeting, all departments keen for them to set aside their differences and co-operate on the matter. It seemed pointless when she had already gone above his head to the Fire Service Group Commander to get the green light for her harebrained scheme after he had raised objections. Nevertheless, he would fight his corner for the sake of his team.
Lily Riordan couldn’t have been more than five foot two—a good foot shorter than him—but she seemed to project a much bigger personality. Wearing a figure-hugging royal blue dress which matched her eyes, she exuded confidence. Her loose honey-blonde curls danced on her shoulders with every step and her full red lips were drawn into a tight line, looking as though she was preparing to go into battle. Finn couldn’t help but smile when he saw her.
‘It’s nice to meet you, Ms Riordan.’
Although she shook his outstretched hand she didn’t look any happier about this than he was. ‘I wish it was in more congenial circumstances. I don’t believe in wasting anybody’s time, Mr Finnegan, including my own.’
She clearly wasn’t one to suffer fools gladly and he already liked that about her. A person who wore their heart on their sleeve was easier to deal with than someone who hid what they were really thinking.
His mind flitted briefly to the dark memories he tried not to revisit too often. Of his wife asleep, or so he’d thought, until he couldn’t wake her. He’d known she was tired, having trouble sleeping, but she hadn’t confided in him about how much she was struggling with her workload at the hospital. If he had known he would have kept a closer eye on her, monitored the medication she had been secretly taking. Although he would never know if the overdose had been an accident or not, he liked to think she would never purposely have left him and their girls. Instead, he preferred to imagine she’d simply been so tired she had mistakenly taken more than the prescribed dose of sleeping tablets. Either way, the loss had left him devastated and with the guilt of failing his family. To have someone unafraid to tell him exactly what she thought was refreshing and Finn appreciated it.
‘I appreciate that, but do call me Finn. Now, shall we?’ He stood back to let her enter the room first, with their mediator following behind.
They took their seats on either side of the large table, with the mediator at the head. Leaving them no choice but to face each other. Lily leaned across the table, hands clasped, ready to do business.
‘Now, my name is Joe Mussen, and we’re here tonight to discuss the involvement of the local fire service in a new cardiac care initiative and resolve any issues or concerns so we can press ahead.’ The mediator took out his notes from his bag and set them on the table. Finn wondered if he should have put his thoughts in writing, but Lily didn’t seem to have a list of statistics or facts to bamboozle him with. This apparently was just a discussion to iron out any wrinkles, when the hospital board and the fire service had already decided this was going ahead.
Finn did not want to be responsible for overworked, stressed members of his team when he knew how that could end up. If someone had stepped in for his wife, seeing the adverse effect the extra hours and responsibility was taking on her, his life would be very different.
‘So, Finn, as local watch commander, the hospital board would prefer to have your co-operation.’
He noted she did not include herself in that statement.
‘I don’t see why, when it’s going ahead with or without my approval.’ It had been made apparent to him that he would not have the final say on the matter and, with the good press the scheme was going to generate, his opposition was in the minority.
‘That may be so, but they want you involved.’
‘Ah yes, the face of the campaign,’ he sneered. For some reason the department had deemed him the most suitable for the job. Apparently he would add some gravitas to the campaign or some such nonsense. It was probably the greying hair. There were much younger, more attractive men on the crew than him who would have jumped at the chance. He would rather not have been involved at all but even he had orders to follow. It didn’t mean he had to be gracious about it.
Lily raised an eyebrow. ‘I don’t know about that, but as commander it would look odd if you weren’t there for the launch. I will be representing the hospital.’
‘It was your idea...’ He’d be surprised if she let anyone else take the credit for something she was obviously very passionate about. Finn couldn’t fault her for that, but he couldn’t agree with her plans. Not at the possible expense of his crew’s mental health.
‘My idea, yes, but I’m also the lead cardiologist. You hold the most senior position locally too. They want us both present for the public launch.’
‘On Valentine’s Day, I’m led to believe. Don’t you think that’s a bit corny?’ He hated the commercialism of the day anyway, but now that he didn’t have his wife to celebrate it with he would have preferred to treat it as any other day. Instead, he was supposed to join in some elaborate publicity campaign, no doubt littered with hearts and flowers, to promote this enterprise.
Lily had the decency to blush, her pale complexion taking on an attractive rosy hue. ‘That wasn’t my idea, but I understand the board wants as much public awareness as possible. The premise of providing emergency cardiac care does tie in with the day, I suppose. Look, I have no desire to be paraded in front of the cameras either, but it’s for the greater good.’
He scoffed at that. ‘For the greater good’ implied someone else had to make a sacrifice. In the past, his wife had been one of many nurses who had given up time with their families to take on extra shifts and look after the sick. She had undoubtedly saved more lives with her selfless attitude, but it had ultimately cost her and her family everything. He did not want the men he worked alongside to make the same sacrifice.
The mediator, who had been silently taking in all they had to say until now, coughed. ‘Perhaps we should focus on the reservations you have, Mr Finnegan, and address those one by one.’
Lily cocked her head to one side, waiting for him to begin and listening, a smug smile spreading across her lips. As though she was merely humouring him.
‘First, and most importantly of all, my crew are not medical professionals. Asking them to attend emergency cardiac cases goes beyond the remit of our jobs.’
‘We have fire crew with first aid training and defibrillators in local access points. My suggestion is to combine the two. In instances where cardiac patients aren’t going to be reached quickly enough by paramedics, we could equip your team to attend and treat emergencies. It could make all the difference between someone living and dying if they’re treated before they get to me at the hospital.’
‘I appreciate that. However, I have to consider the welfare of my crew. Isn’t this opening them up to all sorts of law suits if something goes wrong? It’s an extra responsibility none of us signed on for. Which I have repeatedly pointed out to you.’ It had been his first reaction to oppose the scheme for this very reason and it still was when he was the one tasked with looking after his crew.
‘And, as I have told you on several occasions, they will be given full training in the use of a defibrillator. All that is expected of them is to follow the instructions on the use of the machines. We will also provide additional assistance over the phone until paramedics are in attendance and able to take over. We’re not expecting miracles, Mr... Finn. Just a little extra time, which can make all the difference in cardiac care. I understand your concerns, but we are talking about saving people’s lives here. I’m sure we can find some way of safeguarding your crew.’
‘I’m sorry, but that’s not good enough. It will put extra stress on my men, along with the additional hours involved. I admire your dedication to your job and patients but they’re not my responsibility.’ Finn had enough on his plate with work and raising his two young daughters without the added stress of Ms Riordan breathing down his neck.
‘Ms Riordan, can you offer any further support to Mr Finnegan’s team from the cardiology department? It could help to have a member of your team available, at least until the scheme is up and running.’ The mediator, who had been watching their verbal tennis match across the table until now, spoke up with a suggestion which seemed neither of them could really object to. Much to Finn’s annoyance.
‘If I, or one of my colleagues are available we could attend the first callouts too. I’ll do whatever it takes to make this work.’ Lily, of course, jumped in to offer her personal assistance, leaving Finn floundering and grasping for other reasons to object.
‘What about the extra work involved? I assume this is a voluntary scheme?’ Although he hadn’t volunteered his services, it seemed he would be the one to coordinate it all.
‘It will be, but I intended it to run alongside your regular shifts.’
‘I can’t afford for my crew to be caught up elsewhere if a shout comes in.’ That meant leaving them vulnerable in two areas and that wasn’t going to work for any of them.
‘Perhaps we could have one person per shift with a response vehicle dedicated to emergency medical calls, liaising with the hospital team.’
‘That’s a lot of responsibility for one person and it means I’m a team member down every shift.’
Lily sighed, letting him know she was exasperated with the hurdles he kept putting in her way, but this was what this meeting was for—to find solutions.
‘You could put it to your crew and see what they think. I’m sure you will have volunteers. You might even be able to do it yourself.’ She was goading him, unaware that he had taken more of a back seat role these days in his new position as watch commander.
It was his job to co-ordinate response to large scale incidents and, rather than the adrenaline rush of running into fires, he got his buzz making sure everyone stayed safe and did their own jobs well. One way he’d been able to reassure his daughters they weren’t going to lose him too.
If anyone was going to dedicate themselves to this new position it made sense it would be him, but that would entail working closely with Miss Riordan on a regular basis and he wasn’t sure either of them would survive that. One wrong move and he knew she would rip him apart. The thought did nothing to garner his support for her cause.
For two people who were virtual strangers, they’d seemed to get under each other’s skin very quickly. It was as intriguing as it was frustrating to Finn, who was used to being the one in charge of everything. Including his emotions.
‘Of course.’
Just as they appeared to be making progress, with Finn realising he was fighting a losing battle, the mediator gripped the edge of the table, head bowed, sweat breaking out over his forehead.
‘Are you okay?’ Lily was first on her feet to check on him. He stumbled and Finn got out of his chair to go and support him.
‘Perhaps you should sit down. I’ll get you a glass of water.’
‘I’ll be fine. I just felt a little woozy.’
‘You look a bit pale. Finn’s right, I think you should take a seat and maybe loosen your tie.’ Lily did her best to convince the mediator to take their advice but he shook them both off.
‘I’ll be fine,’ he insisted and shooed them back to their own seats.
Finn and Lily reluctantly backed away and took their positions on either side of the table again, their gaze never leaving the clearly ailing man, who was dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief.
‘Now, where were we?’ He shuffled through his papers, then suddenly grabbed his left arm and crumpled to the floor.
‘Men are so damn stubborn when it comes to their health,’ Lily complained, though she was rushing to help.
‘That’s why we need people looking out for us. Just as I’m doing with my crew.’ He used the moment to reiterate the reason he’d gone to war in the first place. They were both simply trying to do the right thing by others.
‘Hmph.’ She huffed out a breath as she knelt down beside the prostrate figure of the man who had been sent to corral them. Finn hoped they weren’t the cause of his sudden illness.
‘Joe? Can you hear me? Finn, he’s not breathing.’ Lily had already loosened his tie and opened the top button on the man’s shirt.
‘I think I saw a defibrillator on the wall outside. I’ll get it if you can start chest compressions?’ He trusted Lily knew what she was doing in that department and he bolted out to get the medical equipment needed to save this stranger’s life, calling an ambulance from his mobile phone on the way.
By the time he came back she was pumping the man’s chest and counting every compression. ‘No response. I need you to follow the instructions on the defibrillator so we can try and get his heart restarted.’
Finn nodded. He had basic first aid training but this was the first time he’d actually had to use one of these machines. It seemed relatively straightforward and once he had undone their patient’s shirt he was able to adhere the sticky pads to the skin.
The defibrillator provided vocal instructions for each step and Lily and Finn had to stand back as the electric shocks were delivered to the heart. After each one, Lily checked again for a pulse until eventually they could both see his chest begin to rise and fall.
‘Joe? It’s Lily. Can you open your eyes for me? Finn, we need to get him into the recovery position until the ambulance gets here,’ Lily directed.
After disconnecting the defibrillator, Finn assisted in moving the patient onto his side. Once they were sure he was no longer in immediate danger, they were both able to relax a little but remained on the floor with their backs against the wall, watching over the mediator they’d apparently driven to cardiac arrest.
‘I’m going to phone the ambulance again. They should have been here by now.’
Lily gave him a half smile. ‘Do you see now how important the response time is for cardiac patients? If we hadn’t been here, or had the means to shock his heart, he wouldn’t have made it.’
He couldn’t argue with the facts and, without time to consider what he was doing, Finn had been part of saving the man’s life. When it came down to it he knew that was the thought uppermost in both of their minds and if he had to do it again he would. The burden of responsibility or culpability had not come into the equation and they had both acted purely on instinct. Something he knew the rest of his crew would have done in the same circumstances.
‘Okay. You’ve made your point. Although I think causing a man to have a heart attack just to get your own way was going too far.’ He couldn’t resist one more tease and was rewarded with an exaggerated sigh for his efforts.
This man would be the death of her. Lily had never met anyone who seemed to enjoy antagonising her so much, or she let bother her so much. Usually, she did not waste energy on people who apparently brought nothing but trouble to her door. If her time on this earth was limited she didn’t want to have it taken up with toxic relationships. She was sure they could even have got this project off the ground without Finn’s compliance but he pushed her buttons so hard she was determined to show him it would work and get one up on him.
‘So, have you had a change of heart? No pun intended.’ She afforded him a smile since he had done so much to assist her. Whilst she was used to these sudden life-or-death situations, it was probably new to him. At least outside of his work environment. If he had stuck to his belief that non-medical professionals should not get involved in a cardiac emergency, it would have made things very difficult for her. However, Finn hadn’t taken time to consider the consequences, acting on pure instinct to help. Exactly what she had been counting on by including another emergency service in attendance on cardiac calls.
Finn smiled back, and for the first time she noticed how blue his eyes were, now they weren’t narrowed at her. The man was fit for his age, in all senses of the word. She guessed him to be in his late forties, his dark blond hair flecked with strands of barely noticeable silver. Yes, he was a handsome man, undoubtedly with a line of women who swooned at his stubborn macho persona, but she wasn’t easily swayed by good looks.
It was his willingness to help tonight, despite his reservations, that made her see him in a different light. Though doing so was a futile exercise. If she was ever going to have one last fling, it would be with someone passing through town who she would hopefully never see again, to avoid hurt on either side.
‘I’m willing to work together if you are.’
It wasn’t a definitive answer to her question but sufficient to get the project up and running at least. Whether they could work together without causing further ructions remained to be seen.
