it out of him.’
‘Like what? Was Flynn really upset?’
To Meg’s utter revulsion Kathy dunked her toast in her drink. Normally Meg would have scolded her, but not this time. She wanted to hear what Kathy was about to say next. ‘The opposite. Flynn just accepted it there and then. Told Jake how lucky he was to have had her for so long, how the last thing Lucy would want was for him to mourn her.’
‘So why was Jake worried?’
‘Come on, Meg, they’d been so close, so happy. No one deals with death that easily. Anyway, next thing he threw in his job in Emergency—said he was going to make Lucy’s death count and go into research to find out more about the ‘‘Golden Hour’’. What is that, by the way?’
‘The hour after an accident,’ Meg answered automatically, but her mind was on Flynn. ‘Dependingupon the treatment the patient receives then, it dramatically affects their chance of survival.’
‘Well, whatever it is, Jake was really worried about him. For the first six months we went out I think Jake spent more time with Flynn than me, sure that each night was going to be the night that Flynn would actually crack, show a bit of emotion.’
‘But he didn’t?’
Kathy shook her head. ‘That’s just the problem— he never has.’
‘But he seems so together, so laid-back,’ Meg mused. ‘Maybe he just deals with things privately. Not everyone wears their heart on their sleeve. And as to Flynn going into research—well, I can understand that, see why he might want to do something pro-active; his wife died in an accident, which is his speciality after all.’
Kathy didn’t answer for a moment. ‘It’s worse than that, Meg. Flynn was on the Mobile Accident Unit that went out to her.’
‘No!’ Unimaginable scenes flashed through Meg’s mind; her attempts to justify Flynn’s laid-back attitude were dashed in that instant. Every fatal accident she’d been out to had left its mark, but to have actually known one of the victims, to have loved them? The pain Flynn must have experienced, the sheer hell he must have been through was impossible to fathom.
‘Apparently he recognised the car as soon as they pulled up at the accident, but Flynn didn’t tell the paramedics it was Lucy involved. I guess he knew they’d make him stay back.’
‘Was she…’ Meg swallowed. ‘Was she already dead?’
Kathy shook her head and her eyes filled with tears. ‘No. But her injuries were so appalling that they knew within moments of freeing her she’d be dead. Flynn sat there with her in the car, held her hand and talked to her…’ Kathy stopped as Meg noisily blew her nose.
‘He told her he loved her, how happy she’d made him, that sort of thing.’
‘Did Flynn tell Jake that?’
Again Kathy shook her head. ‘Flynn never spoke about it. Jake got it all from Ken, one of the paramedics.’
‘How does he do it?’ Meg asked. ‘How did he go through all that and still manage to come back to Emergency?’
‘I honestly don’t know. The job at Bayside Hospital came up and apparently Flynn jumped at it. Jake was worried what might happen if there was a fatal car accident, he even confronted him about it, but Flynn was his usual laid-back self. ‘‘Come on, Jake, stop worrying. I’ll be fine. And anyway, it might be months till I’m called out.’’’
‘And look what happened,’ Meg said slowly. ‘Half an hour into his first shift and I go and wrap my car around a tree.’
‘Go gently, Meg.’ Kathy’s voice had an ominous note to it. ‘For all Flynn’s easygoing, fun-loving attitude, you’re the first person he’s asked out since Lucy. I know you’ve been hurt, but if it’s a temporary fix you’re after then steer clear.’
‘I thought you were on my side, here,’ Meg interrupted.
‘I am,’ Kathy said. ‘I’m just warning you to think twice before you jump in. There’s a lot of pain there. I know you think you’re over Vince…’
‘I am over
‘Like what? Was Flynn really upset?’
To Meg’s utter revulsion Kathy dunked her toast in her drink. Normally Meg would have scolded her, but not this time. She wanted to hear what Kathy was about to say next. ‘The opposite. Flynn just accepted it there and then. Told Jake how lucky he was to have had her for so long, how the last thing Lucy would want was for him to mourn her.’
‘So why was Jake worried?’
‘Come on, Meg, they’d been so close, so happy. No one deals with death that easily. Anyway, next thing he threw in his job in Emergency—said he was going to make Lucy’s death count and go into research to find out more about the ‘‘Golden Hour’’. What is that, by the way?’
‘The hour after an accident,’ Meg answered automatically, but her mind was on Flynn. ‘Dependingupon the treatment the patient receives then, it dramatically affects their chance of survival.’
‘Well, whatever it is, Jake was really worried about him. For the first six months we went out I think Jake spent more time with Flynn than me, sure that each night was going to be the night that Flynn would actually crack, show a bit of emotion.’
‘But he didn’t?’
Kathy shook her head. ‘That’s just the problem— he never has.’
‘But he seems so together, so laid-back,’ Meg mused. ‘Maybe he just deals with things privately. Not everyone wears their heart on their sleeve. And as to Flynn going into research—well, I can understand that, see why he might want to do something pro-active; his wife died in an accident, which is his speciality after all.’
Kathy didn’t answer for a moment. ‘It’s worse than that, Meg. Flynn was on the Mobile Accident Unit that went out to her.’
‘No!’ Unimaginable scenes flashed through Meg’s mind; her attempts to justify Flynn’s laid-back attitude were dashed in that instant. Every fatal accident she’d been out to had left its mark, but to have actually known one of the victims, to have loved them? The pain Flynn must have experienced, the sheer hell he must have been through was impossible to fathom.
‘Apparently he recognised the car as soon as they pulled up at the accident, but Flynn didn’t tell the paramedics it was Lucy involved. I guess he knew they’d make him stay back.’
‘Was she…’ Meg swallowed. ‘Was she already dead?’
Kathy shook her head and her eyes filled with tears. ‘No. But her injuries were so appalling that they knew within moments of freeing her she’d be dead. Flynn sat there with her in the car, held her hand and talked to her…’ Kathy stopped as Meg noisily blew her nose.
‘He told her he loved her, how happy she’d made him, that sort of thing.’
‘Did Flynn tell Jake that?’
Again Kathy shook her head. ‘Flynn never spoke about it. Jake got it all from Ken, one of the paramedics.’
‘How does he do it?’ Meg asked. ‘How did he go through all that and still manage to come back to Emergency?’
‘I honestly don’t know. The job at Bayside Hospital came up and apparently Flynn jumped at it. Jake was worried what might happen if there was a fatal car accident, he even confronted him about it, but Flynn was his usual laid-back self. ‘‘Come on, Jake, stop worrying. I’ll be fine. And anyway, it might be months till I’m called out.’’’
‘And look what happened,’ Meg said slowly. ‘Half an hour into his first shift and I go and wrap my car around a tree.’
‘Go gently, Meg.’ Kathy’s voice had an ominous note to it. ‘For all Flynn’s easygoing, fun-loving attitude, you’re the first person he’s asked out since Lucy. I know you’ve been hurt, but if it’s a temporary fix you’re after then steer clear.’
‘I thought you were on my side, here,’ Meg interrupted.
‘I am,’ Kathy said. ‘I’m just warning you to think twice before you jump in. There’s a lot of pain there. I know you think you’re over Vince…’
‘I am over
Similar Books
