A Very Special Child

“You will be all right here by yourself? I hate to leave you like this in a strange place.…”

“But you don’t have any choice.” Laura smiled, appreciating his consideration when he must have more pressing things on his mind than her or Robbie. “We’ll be fine, Mark. Why shouldn’t we be? We have everything we need after all.”

“Have you?” There was a strange note in his voice all of a sudden, an intensity to the look he gave her that made a tremor run down her spine. Laura stared back at him, her greeny-blue eyes the color of a stormy sea.

He gave her a gentle smile before he suddenly bent and brushed her cheek with a kiss.

“Don’t wait up,” he said softly, and then he was gone.

Dear Reader,

One of the joys of writing medical romances is the opportunity it gives me to touch upon so many fascinating subjects. A Very Special Child tells the story of Laura Grady, the widowed mother of a four-year-old Down’s Syndrome child.

Several years ago I helped organize a production of ballet and modern dance performed by a group of teenagers who all had Down’s Syndrome. The group’s enthusiasm and sheer joy in performing touched everyone’s heart. Afterward, one of the dancers’ mothers told me how she felt privileged to have such a very special child. That phrase stuck in my mind and this book is the result of it.

I am sure that you will take Laura and little Robbie to your hearts as you watch Laura falling in love with pediatric resident Mark Dawson. I know you will feel as I did—that she found the perfect man to share her life with and help care for her very special child.

My very best wishes to you all.

Jennifer Taylor

A Very Special Child

Jennifer Taylor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CONTENTS

Cover

Dear Reader

Title Page

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

EPILOGUE

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

‘AM I GLAD to see you! Here…catch!’

Nurse Laura Grady deftly caught the plastic apron her colleague, Rachel Hart, tossed towards her. She shot it a quizzical glance, but before she had chance to ask what it was for Rachel had headed out of the office door.

Laura’s greeny-blue eyes shimmered with amusement as she fastened the apron over her brand-new uniform dress. Nothing had changed, it seemed. There was still too much work and not enough staff to do it, from the look of things!

She quickly followed Rachel into the ward, realising that it was a relief to know that some things were the same as they had always been. It was her first day back at work after an absence of almost five years and she couldn’t deny that she’d spent a sleepless night, worrying about how she would cope.

Would it take her long to slip back into the old routine? Could she cope with the demands of working in a new department? She had been a midwife in the maternity unit before she had left, so the children’s ward was a new departure for her, although she’d worked in paediatrics before. Granted, she had taken a refresher course to brush up her skills, but what if she wasn’t up to the job?

‘It’s OK, poppet. Don’t cry. We’ll soon have you cleaned up.’

Rachel’s soothing tones cut through Laura’s introspection and she gave herself a mental shake. This was neither the time nor the place to start having doubts!

She joined the ward sister at the side of the bed, her heart aching as she saw the expression on the child’s wan little face. The little girl couldn’t have been more than six years old and she was looking very sorry for herself.

Rachel turned to Laura and grimaced. ‘This is Katie Watson. Admitted with recurrent urinary tract infection. We’re going to check for any renal anomalies or scarring. And, as you can see, she’s been very, very sick.’

‘Too right!’ Laura grinned commiseratingly at the little girl. ‘Hello, Katie. My name is Laura and I have to say that I think I’d be sick if I had that cover on my bed. It’s horrible!’

She cast a disparaging look at the bedcover, which was printed with a gaudily coloured jungle scene. Katie gave her a wobbly smile. ‘I have a nicer one at home,’ the child whispered shyly. ‘It’s got puppies on it.’

‘Oh, wow, I bet that’s really great. I love puppies, don’t you?’ As she was speaking, Laura began to strip the soiled cover off the bed, swiftly rolling it up to put it into a plastic laundry bag. She nodded as Rachel murmured that she’d be back in a moment as the office phone began to ring. Laura turned her attention back to Katie.

‘So, do you have a dog at home, then?’

‘Yes. But he isn’t a puppy. He’s three. I miss him.’ Katie’s lower lip wobbled ominously and Laura hurriedly set about distracting her.

‘Three? So he’s still only a baby really. I bet he does all sorts of silly things, doesn’t he, like chewing your slippers?’

Katie shook her head, her huge blue eyes full of scorn. ‘Sandy doesn’t do that! He’s a good dog. He sleeps in my room when I’m at home, on my bed.’ The little girl looked momentarily unsure. ‘You won’t tell Mummy that, will you? She might make him sleep downstairs if she finds out.’

Laura shook her head so that her reddish-brown curls danced around her pretty heart-shaped face. Her hair was baby fine and the bane of her life, defying all her attempts to keep it neatly styled. She kept it cut short in an effort to tame it, but the soft curls seemed to have a life of their own most of the time.

‘No, I won’t tell her, sweetheart. It will be our little secret. Now let’s get you cleaned up then I can remake your bed and you’ll feel a lot better.’

Stowing the last of the soiled linen into the plastic sack, she carried it to the linen chute then filled a basin with warm water. She took it back and drew the curtains around the bed to give them some privacy as she set about stripping off Katie’s night-dress. The child looked painfully thin once she was undressed, her arms like sticks and her ribs protruding. Laura sighed softly as she ran the damp washcloth over her emaciated little body.

Anorexia was a frequent symptom of urinary tract infection in children of this age, and a worrying one. She made up her mind to read through Katie’s notes the minute she had chance to bring herself up to date with the case. She smiled as she dropped the damp cloth into the basin and reached for a towel. Already she was finding herself getting involved, which was a good sign. Maybe it wouldn’t be that difficult to pick up the threads of this new job after all.

Once the little girl was dry, she found a fresh nightie in the bedside locker and popped it over her head. ‘Right, that’s better, isn’t it? Now I’ll go and find some clean bedding. And I’ll make sure it’s prettier than the last lot…promise!’

Leaving Katie giggling happily, she hurried off to find the linen cupboard. Rachel was nowhere in sight and the other two nurses on duty were busy with the morning’s drugs round. Laura hesitated, wondering if she should ask them to direct her, but it seemed silly to make a fuss. It couldn’t be that difficult to find where the supplies were kept, for heaven’s sake!

After a few false starts she finally located the linen cupboard and hurried inside to hunt through the shelves for something suitable. In common with a lot of hospitals, Dalverston General steered clear of the usual starched white linen for use in its children’s ward so that the shelves were stacked with brightly patterned covers and sheets bearing all manner of designs. However, it was on the very top shelf that Laura finally spotted exactly what she wanted—a bed set printed with playful grey kittens and fluffy yellow ducklings, which would be sure to appeal to Katie.

Hefting over the stool, she climbed up to get it, but she was just that bit too short to reach the shelf. She heaved a sigh of annoyance. It wasn’t the first time she’d had occasion to rue her diminutive five feet two inches of height, nor would it be the last, but she refused to be beaten!

Standing on tiptoe, she made a grab for the linen then gasped in dismay as she felt the stool skidding from under her. She closed her eyes as she felt herself tumbling backwards, waiting for the inevitable to happen, then found them winging open again as a pair of strong arms fastened around her before she could hit the floor.

‘Mmm, so my horoscope was right after all.’

‘I…um. Pardon?’ Laura took a quick breath as she struggled to make sense of what was happening. One minute she’d been heading straight for disaster and the next she found herself staring into the most beautiful pair of grey eyes she had ever seen. It was little wonder that she was having difficulty following what was going on!

‘Uh-huh, in the paper this morning. I always read my horoscope, you see, not that I always believe what it says.’ The grey eyes crinkled at the corners as the man chuckled softly. ‘I tend to be a selective believer, you understand. But it does make me wonder if maybe I should take it more seriously when something like this happens.’

‘Something like this…’ Laura took another quick breath but it didn’t seem to achieve any more than the first had done. The feeling of bewilderment certainly didn’t decrease; in fact, it seemed to have grown worse. In desperation she tried a third breath for good measure and was rather pleased with the results when she found that she could manage a simple question at last.

‘What do you mean?’

‘That my horoscope said not to let any opportunity slip through my fingers today.’ He chuckled again and she shivered as she felt the vibrations which rippled through her body. It was only then that she realised their position, that this man—this stranger—was still cradling her against his chest.

The realisation brought a flood of colour to her cheeks. She opened her mouth to ask him to put her down but he seemed to guess what she’d been about to say. He set her gently on her feet and stepped back, his grey eyes assessing as they skimmed over her.

‘Anyway, enough of such nonsense. Are you OK? You haven’t hurt yourself?’

There was genuine concern in his deep voice and Laura hastily shook her head. Now that the shock was beginning to wear off she was starting to feel like a fool. Why on earth hadn’t she accepted her own limitations, instead of nearly causing an accident like that? A broken arm or leg certainly wouldn’t have been a good start to her first day back at work!

‘I’m fine. Thank you,’ she replied stiffly, carefully avoiding the rather too astute gaze so that he wouldn’t see how embarrassed she felt. Her averted eyes widened as she suddenly realised what he was wearing, which was very little, quite frankly.

Jogging shorts and a sleeveless vest in well-washed grey marl weren’t the usual clothes one expected to see in a hospital corridor, but he wore them well, she had to admit. She knew that she was staring but she couldn’t seem to stop as her eyes feasted on the perfection of his well-toned physique. His skin was lightly tanned, gleaming smoothly in the glow from the single bulb which was all the linen cupboard boasted by way of lighting. Laura’s hands tightened against a sudden urge to run her fingers over his skin to see if it really did feel as marvellously smooth as it looked.…

She dragged her eyes away from the powerful conformation of muscles, deeming it wiser to let them home in on other aspects of his appearance, and immediately noticed how tall he was. He had to be at least six feet tall, with light brown hair which fell casually over a wide forehead.

His features were craggy rather than conventionally handsome, she decided thoughtfully, very masculine with that square jaw, impressive nose and chiselled cheekbones. However, it was only when he spoke that she became aware of the silence which had fallen while she’d been taking stock.

‘Sure? It must have given you quite a scare.…’

‘I’m fine. Honestly,’ she said quickly, uncomfortable with the way she was acting. It had been a long time since she’d been so aware of any man, and that she should be aware of this stranger now shocked her, made her feel guilty. Surely the fact that she had loved Ian so much should have made her immune to any other man’s appeal?

She took another of those pitifully ineffectual breaths then gave him a cool smile, hoping that he would take the hint and not pursue the subject. She had no idea who he was, but the way he was dressed could be a clue. A lot of parents stayed in the hospital with their children so it seemed likely that he was one of them. The thought that he might be the father of one of her new charges didn’t ease her mind. What caring parent would be impressed by a nurse who was incapable of getting linen off a shelf without causing a near-disaster?

The thought made her inwardly groan, although she took care not to let him see how flustered she felt. ‘Anyway, thanks again. You saved me from a nasty tumble.’

‘My pleasure.’ He returned her smile readily enough but she could tell that he’d sensed her embarrassment. It made her feel more uncomfortable than ever that he should be able to read her mind so easily. However, before she had time to dwell on it, he reached up to lift the bedding off the top shelf and handed it to her.

‘I think this was what you were after. Here you go.’

He gave her a last brief smile then left before Laura could thank him, his long legs carrying him swiftly along the corridor in the direction of the lifts. She stared after him for a moment then deliberately turned round and made her way back to the ward.

Katie was as delighted with the bed linen as Laura had hoped she would be, and chatted away non-stop as Laura set to work making the bed. She was glad of the distraction because it meant that she had no time to brood about what had happened. The encounter had disturbed her and not just because of the fright she’d had either. It was very odd.

Once the bed was neatly made again, Laura tucked Katie up then went to find Rachel. She was in the office, going through a stack of papers, and she grinned ruefully as Laura tapped on the door.

‘Oh, hi! Sorry to drop you in it like that, Laura, but, as you’ve probably guessed, we’re short-staffed. Anyway, come and sit down while I give you the introductory talk I had planned! Mark’s not due for another half-hour yet so we’ll have time to get you acquainted with how things are done around here.’

‘Mark?’ Laura queried as she sat down.

‘Mark Dawson, our paediatric reg. You haven’t met him?’ Rachel frowned as she got up to plug in the kettle.

‘No. David White was here the last time I visited the ward,’ she explained.

‘When Robbie was here as a patient?’ Rachel smiled as she spooned instant coffee into two mugs. ‘How is he? Up to all sorts of mischief, I’ll bet!’

‘How did you guess?’ Laura laughed softly, her face lighting up as she thought about her son. ‘He started school a few months ago and has been leading the teachers a merry dance!’

‘He’s a real little sweetheart. We were all sorry when it was time for him to leave us, and we don’t say that about all our patients, believe me!’

Rachel sat down behind the desk and frowned. ‘It’s hard to believe that it’s only a few months since that train crash you and Robbie were involved in, isn’t it?’

‘Ten months to be precise.’ Laura sighed reminiscently as she thought back. ‘I’m just grateful that both of us came through it all right.’

‘You must be. It must have been a horrible experience for you, something you never expect to happen,’ Rachel suggested with a shudder.

‘It was. And yet in a way it had a postive effect because being in hospital afterwards made me realise how much I missed the job. It spurred me on to come back to work.’

‘Really?’ Rachel smiled. ‘Well, it’s great to have you back, Laura. I just want to say how pleased I was when I heard that you’d accepted this post. We’ve been desperate to fill the vacancy, and to get someone with your experience is a real bonus.’

‘Thank you. To be honest, I didn’t expect to be so lucky as to find a job with such marvellous hours.’ Laura took a sip of her coffee. ‘Obviously, I need to work but I also need to be there for Robbie. Knowing that I can work nine to five each day makes all the difference.’

‘You can thank Mark for that because it was his idea,’ Rachel explained. ‘He’s very keen to encourage women who have left nursing to start a family to come back. His view is that it’s not only a waste of valuable training when they leave the workforce but a waste of their experience as well. That’s why he suggested we adapt the hours for this post to suit someone with family commitments.’

‘Well, I’m really glad he thought of it!’ Laura grinned. ‘I’m starting to like this Mark Dawson already and I haven’t even met him!’

‘Oh, give it a couple of days and you’ll be like the rest of us…totally besotted with the guy!’ Rachel laughed as she saw Laura’s expression. ‘Honestly! David was great and we were sorry to lose him when he moved to Glasgow, but Mark…well, Mark is something special. We all love him to bits. If I had to sum him up I’d say that he has to be one of the nicest, most caring men I’ve ever met—’

Rachel broke off and laughed as she looked towards the door. ‘I bet your ears are burning. We were just talking about you!’

‘Nothing bad, I hope?’

Laura felt a frisson inch its way down her spine at the sound of a familiar voice. Slowly, she turned, her eyes widening as she saw the man who was lounging against the doorjamb. The last time they’d met he had been wearing a lot less than he was wearing now, but the impact he made on her senses was much the same.

She took a quick breath but once again the giddiness was closing in, the same confusion and inability to think straight she’d experienced after he’d saved her from that potentially disastrous fall. As though it were happening in slow motion, she watched him walk towards her. He stopped a few feet away, his grey eyes holding a warmly intimate light which made her feel as though they shared some particularly delicious secret.

‘We didn’t get chance for introductions before, did we?’ He held out his hand and smiled at her. ‘I’m Mark Dawson and you must be Laura Grady. I’m very pleased to meet you, Laura. Welcome to the team.’

‘So, that brings us to Katie Watson. How has she been today?’

Mark Dawson sat back in his chair and tossed the steel-framed spectacles he’d been wearing onto the desk. He’d spent the past half-hour running through the case histories of all the children in the ward, and Laura had to admit that she was impressed. Although he had their notes in front of him, he’d referred to them only briefly, obviously needing the most minimal reminder to bring each child’s details to mind.

She found herself thinking back to what Rachel had said earlier, about him being the most caring man she had met, and silently agreed. It didn’t take a genius to see that Mark Dawson was deeply committed to the welfare of his young patients.

She quickly focused her attention on what Rachel was saying, realising that she couldn’t afford to let her mind wander. One of the reasons Mark had asked her to sit in on the meeting that morning had been so that she could get an overall view of the patients in the ward, and she had to admit that it had been a great help. She wouldn’t like him to think that she wasn’t taking full advantage of the opportunity, or that she wasn’t as dedicated to the job as he so obviously was…

She frowned, wondering why it seemed so important that he think well of her.

‘How was she when you left her, Laura?’

Mark’s deep voice cut through her musings and she quickly retuned her mind to the question, not sorry to let that disquieting thought disappear. ‘Fine. She was telling me about her dog and that seemed to cheer her up and take her mind off the fact that she’d been so sick, poor little mite.’

Mark smiled, his grey eyes lighting up with an inner warmth which was very attractive. ‘Well, that’s more than any of us have achieved so far!’

He laughed when he saw her confusion. ‘Katie has been extremely withdrawn since she was admitted two days ago. We’ve all tried to get through to her but without much success. Obviously, you’ve managed to find something to spark her interest. Well done!’

Laura couldn’t help smiling back at the genuine pleasure she heard in his voice. ‘It was more luck than anything else, I imagine. I just happened to ask her if she had a dog and that was it.’ She frowned. ‘Is she worried about being in hospital? Is that why she’s been so withdrawn, do you think?’

‘That, plus the fact that her mother hasn’t been in to visit her as yet.’

Mark’s tone was grim as he got up. There was barely concealed impatience in the way he strode to the window then swung round. Laura felt a shiver dance down her spine as she saw the anger that darkened his eyes. Mark would never compromise where a patient’s welfare was concerned, she realised.

‘Katie’s mother, Lisa, has found herself a new boyfriend, it appears. He’s taking up most of her time so that she doesn’t seem to have any to spare for her daughter.’

‘How awful for the poor child!’ Laura exclaimed, understanding immediately what had sparked his anger. ‘I can’t understand how any mother could put her own needs before those of her child.’

‘No, I don’t imagine you can,’ Mark agreed softly. His eyes held hers for a moment before he turned to Rachel, and Laura forced herself to concentrate once more, although it wasn’t easy. There had been something in the way Mark had looked at her which had set every nerve in her body tingling, though she couldn’t understand why

‘Any luck contacting Katie’s father?’ he asked the sister.

‘No. The number we had on file for him has been disconnected and, with Lisa not having been in to visit, I haven’t had chance to see if she knows how to get in touch with him,’ Rachel explained.

She turned to Laura with a sigh. ‘This isn’t the first time Katie has been admitted with UTI. She’s been in once before, only her parents were still living together then. Since they split up things seem to have got progressively worse.’

‘Worse? In what way?’ Laura queried. However, it was Mark who answered. Coming back to the desk, he sat down again and ran his hands through his hair with weary impatience.

‘Meaning that Lisa has been very lax about making sure that Katie takes her medication. We put Katie on a daily low dose of trimethoprim after her first admission. She was diagnosed with vesico-ureteric reflux when she was a baby, so we decided prophylactic antibiotics were called for.’

‘I see. What grade of reflux was there?’ Laura asked in concern.

‘Two. Urine was flowing back into one of the ureters and the pelvis, but there was no dilation.’

‘I see.’ Laura frowned as she thought about what he’d said. It was rare for urine to flow back towards the kidneys but, unfortunately, some children were born with this problem. Instead of urine passing into the bladder and being stored there, it flowed back up the ureters. In Katie’s case this meant that urine had actually refluxed into the complex system whereby her blood had been filtered of impurities.

‘So how long did this go on for?’ she asked in concern. ‘And did Katie need surgery to sort out the problem?’