‘Where have you been? I was told you’d be here in ten minutes.’
Jennifer’s eyes widened at his tone and she quickly glanced at the clock. ‘It’s only been ten minutes.’
‘It’s been thirteen.’
She headed over, realising that if he was quibbling over a few minutes things probably weren’t going too well. ‘What do you need me to do?’
‘Hold this retractor,’ he ordered. The patient was a large man, covered in tattoos, and from what she could recall from when he’d been brought in had suffered a comminuted fracture of the right femur and fractures to the scapula and humerus. The pelvis, according to the X-rays that were up on the viewing box, showed a dislocation to the right acetabulum and an undisplaced fracture of the left acetabulum.
‘I thought you were going to wait to deal with the pelvis in a few days’ time, when the fracture had had time to settle a bit.’
‘Oh, everyone’s a critic.’ Jasper’s tone was heavy with fatigue and sarcasm.
‘I was simply making a comment, Jasper.’
‘No. You were criticising. Suction.’
‘Hardly, but if that’s the way you want to take my comments, don’t let me stop you.’
‘I won’t.’
‘Well, in that case, do you mind telling me what you’re doing? This sort of fracture is best left for a few days or sometimes even a week.’
‘This is you not criticising?’ He glanced up at her and Jennifer saw that his earlier fatigue had been replaced by veiled humour. It was then she realised he needed to debate, to discuss, to enliven his mind through the fatigue, and that what he was saying wasn’t what he really meant. It wasn’t the first time she’d come across this sort of method to help the surgeon to stay alert. Personally, she preferred to have music on in her theatre, and not the soothing strains of classical music like most of her peers preferred. She was a rock ’n’ roll girl.
‘Yes, it is,’ she retorted, lifting her chin in the way that he liked. Ah, she was quite a woman. ‘Are you going to make something of it?’
He could see in her eyes that she understood what was happening, that she knew she was helping him to relax, and he thoroughly appreciated her efforts. ‘I might,’ he said, then chuckled. It was a good moment. The atmosphere when she’d walked in had been so taut she could have cut it with a scalpel, but now that Jasper had released his own tension, everybody else seemed to relax a little more, making it easier to concentrate.
‘However, I’d like to state for the record that I hadn’t planned to deal with the pelvis right now but I had no choice. I need to pin this section to increase stability. I’ll revisit it in about a week’s time.’
‘Fair enough. Retract further,’ she said to the nurse. ‘Angle the light a little to the right, please.’ Jennifer took a good look. ‘Can we have some music on?’
‘Eddie doesn’t like to work to music,’ Theatre Sister remarked crisply.
‘What do you like listening to?’ Jasper asked. ‘Strauss? No, I know. How about Beethoven? His “1812 Overture” would be enough to wake the patient up, let alone keep the surgeon alert.’
‘Well, I don’t think we want the patient regaining consciousness just yet, Jasper.’
‘Good point. So what tickles your fancy? Er…I mean, as far as music goes,’ he quickly added, and a few of the staff laughed. Her eyes met his across the operating table and the look they shared in one brief second was enough to let her know he didn’t only mean music.
‘I’m a rock ’n’ roll girl.’
‘Really? Dr Thorngate, you are full of surprises.’ He looked over at the scout nurse. ‘Do we have any rock ’n’ roll for Dr Thorngate?’
‘We do, Eddie. Dr Thorngate still has a CD here from yesterday.’
‘But, Eddie?’ Theatre Sister was taken aback by his request.
‘It’s in the patient’s best interests.’ His tone was calm yet clearly brooked no argument. ‘Dr Thorngate needs to stay alert and awake so she can keep the rest of us in line.’
‘Hmph.’ Theatre Sister wasn’t at all happy and a few minutes later the first few opening bars of ‘Johnny B. Goode’ came through the speakers.
They worked on, stabilising their patient’s fracture before Jasper did a final check and announced himself satisfied. He left Allan to close the wound and headed out with Jennifer, both of them degowning.
‘Is there more?’ Jasper slumped into a chair. ‘Please say the answer is no.’
‘I’m not sure.’ She walked over to the phone on the wall and called through to the nurses’ station. ‘Is Maryanne there?’