also been attempting to maintain between them part of that next move? Was his next move to ensure he stayed as far away from her as possible?
Too many questions.
When Iris finally managed to remove the stick, Juanita was at the ready with gauze to pack the wound the instant the obstruction was removed. They debrided the area and had a good look around.
‘She’s been very lucky,’ Iris said softly. ‘No major organ damage. She’ll be fine.’ Dex reversed the anaesthetic and together they monitored Hope’s recovery.
‘How are you feeling?’ Dex asked.
‘Fine, fine, fine.’ The words were mumbled one over the other as she started to regain proper consciousness. Hope was lying back on the white pillows, her dark hair and skin stark in contrast.
‘You don’t need to protect whoever did this to you.’
‘Yep. I do.’
‘No.’ Dex was adamant. He looked at Iris, almost as though he was silently seeking some sort of approval. Iris nodded, encouraging him on in whatever he had in mind. If he had some sort of hunch as to what had really happened to their patient, he needed to play those cards in order for the truth to come out.
‘You know…’ His voice was calm, as smooth as silk, reassuring. Iris liked hearing those deep tones of his. So soothing. ‘Nancy’s brother has been in trouble with the law before and if you don’t say anything, he’s going to think he can do to other people what he’s done to you.’
‘But Nancy. He’ll hurt Nancy.’ Hope closed her eyes and shook her head.
‘We can protect Nancy. We can protect you, Hope. You need to speak up about this.’
Iris looked at the girl, who was wavering on the edge of sleep, seeing worried lines mar her brow, and her heart went out to the child. She was only thirteen and yet her life didn’t seem at all simple right now.
‘She’s asleep,’ Juanita announced.
‘Monitor her,’ he said as he headed for the door.
‘Where are you going?’ Juanita asked, but Dex didn’t reply.
‘He’s going to call the police,’ Iris answered, knowing he was a man who not only cared about his patient but cared far too intensely about this entire community. Despite what she thought of him, despite the attraction she felt for him, there was one thing she knew for certain. Dex Crawford was a good man and they were definitely hard to find.
*
Two and a half weeks after the emergency with Hope, Iris went into her apartment and sank down on the lounge, pulling her hair from its plaited bond. Hope had stayed in hospital for over a week, Bub and Dex coaxing the teenager to own up to the truth. Finally Hope had been brave and done the right thing, pressing charges against Nancy’s older brother.
Iris had taken to counselling both girls on a regular basis as a social worker only came to Didja once a month. It was something that had drawn her right into the heart of the community. She’d assisted with Nancy being temporarily taken from her home where her apathetic father couldn’t care less about her, and had placed her with her aunt, who’d been trying to get guardianship of the teenager for quite some time.
‘What a day!’ Iris had now been in Didja for a whole month and she doubted she’d ever get used to the heat, the constant need to swat flies and the overly chatty patients. Not that she minded. She liked people. She’d always classified herself as a people person but today, for some reason, everyone who’d come to see her in the clinic had wanted to tell her their life stories, and in return they had wanted to know hers.
She’d had to field questions and speculations and to top it all off, she’d ended up finishing far later than she would have liked. Joss and Melissa had been away all day, doing house calls, which had left a busier clinic than usual for herself and Dex.
Iris closed her eyes and rested her head back on a cushion.Dexter Crawford. The man was an enigma and one she’d been trying to stop thinking about for the past month.
Too many questions.
When Iris finally managed to remove the stick, Juanita was at the ready with gauze to pack the wound the instant the obstruction was removed. They debrided the area and had a good look around.
‘She’s been very lucky,’ Iris said softly. ‘No major organ damage. She’ll be fine.’ Dex reversed the anaesthetic and together they monitored Hope’s recovery.
‘How are you feeling?’ Dex asked.
‘Fine, fine, fine.’ The words were mumbled one over the other as she started to regain proper consciousness. Hope was lying back on the white pillows, her dark hair and skin stark in contrast.
‘You don’t need to protect whoever did this to you.’
‘Yep. I do.’
‘No.’ Dex was adamant. He looked at Iris, almost as though he was silently seeking some sort of approval. Iris nodded, encouraging him on in whatever he had in mind. If he had some sort of hunch as to what had really happened to their patient, he needed to play those cards in order for the truth to come out.
‘You know…’ His voice was calm, as smooth as silk, reassuring. Iris liked hearing those deep tones of his. So soothing. ‘Nancy’s brother has been in trouble with the law before and if you don’t say anything, he’s going to think he can do to other people what he’s done to you.’
‘But Nancy. He’ll hurt Nancy.’ Hope closed her eyes and shook her head.
‘We can protect Nancy. We can protect you, Hope. You need to speak up about this.’
Iris looked at the girl, who was wavering on the edge of sleep, seeing worried lines mar her brow, and her heart went out to the child. She was only thirteen and yet her life didn’t seem at all simple right now.
‘She’s asleep,’ Juanita announced.
‘Monitor her,’ he said as he headed for the door.
‘Where are you going?’ Juanita asked, but Dex didn’t reply.
‘He’s going to call the police,’ Iris answered, knowing he was a man who not only cared about his patient but cared far too intensely about this entire community. Despite what she thought of him, despite the attraction she felt for him, there was one thing she knew for certain. Dex Crawford was a good man and they were definitely hard to find.
*
Two and a half weeks after the emergency with Hope, Iris went into her apartment and sank down on the lounge, pulling her hair from its plaited bond. Hope had stayed in hospital for over a week, Bub and Dex coaxing the teenager to own up to the truth. Finally Hope had been brave and done the right thing, pressing charges against Nancy’s older brother.
Iris had taken to counselling both girls on a regular basis as a social worker only came to Didja once a month. It was something that had drawn her right into the heart of the community. She’d assisted with Nancy being temporarily taken from her home where her apathetic father couldn’t care less about her, and had placed her with her aunt, who’d been trying to get guardianship of the teenager for quite some time.
‘What a day!’ Iris had now been in Didja for a whole month and she doubted she’d ever get used to the heat, the constant need to swat flies and the overly chatty patients. Not that she minded. She liked people. She’d always classified herself as a people person but today, for some reason, everyone who’d come to see her in the clinic had wanted to tell her their life stories, and in return they had wanted to know hers.
She’d had to field questions and speculations and to top it all off, she’d ended up finishing far later than she would have liked. Joss and Melissa had been away all day, doing house calls, which had left a busier clinic than usual for herself and Dex.
Iris closed her eyes and rested her head back on a cushion.Dexter Crawford. The man was an enigma and one she’d been trying to stop thinking about for the past month.
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