Page 35 of Prognosis Bad Timing

What the hell had that look been about?

Charlie didn’t know. But he did know that he hadn’t been able to look away.

When he turned back, Carrie was fussing around a supine Dana, getting her into a good position. ‘OK, Dana.’ He rolled a trolley over and dragged the stool to the head of the bed. ‘What’s your favourite thing in the whole world?’ He snapped the light on above that was attached to the wall via a long angled arm.

Dana smiled. ‘That’s easy. It’s my mummy.’

Good choice, kid. ‘What else?’

Dana looked at her mother for an answer. Carrie smiled and shrugged. ‘Hmm...I think...” Her tiny kiddie brow scrunched in concentration. “Ding rolls.’

Charlie raised an eyebrow at Carrie. ‘Spring rolls,” she clarified. “She loves Chinese takeaway.’

‘Ah.’ He nodded. ‘My favourite, too. What do you want to be when you grow up?’

‘A ballerina.’

‘So you like to dance?’

Dana nodded vigorously and sighed. ‘I love it.’

Charlie double-gloved and Carrie raised a quizzical eyebrow. ‘Second nature around here,’ he said dismissively.

She nodded. Carrie supposed it would be in a place where drug addicts with who-knew-what needed regular resuscitation.

‘Now.’ He returned his attention to Dana. ‘I’ll do you a deal.’ He flicked the bubbles out of the syringe full of local anaesthetic. ‘If you can lie nice and still for me while I fix your chin, I’ll let you dance to my jukebox.’

‘What’s a dukebox?’ Dana asked.

‘Jukebox. Like at the wedding last week,’ Carrie explained.

Dana’s eyes lit up. ‘You have your very own dukebox, Charlie? Really?’

Charlie smiled. ‘Really.’

‘I promise I’ll keep very still, Charlie, really I will.’

Carrie laughed at her daughter’s wide-eyed exuberance. ‘Charlie’s going to put some stuff into your cut to make it go all numb so you can’t feel it when he sews it up. It’ll sting a bit.’

‘Like what the dentist put in Emmett’s mouth?’

Charlie raised an eyebrow at Carrie and then looked back down at his patient. ‘Who’s Emmett? Is he your boyfriend?’

Dana giggled again. ‘No, silly. He’s my cousin. He’s twelve and he had to have a filling ’cos he doesn’t floss.’

‘Oh, dear. Do you floss?’

Dana nodded solemnly. ‘Every night. Mummy makes me.’

Charlie laughed, totally charmed by Dana. ‘That’s what mummies are for.’ He glanced at Carrie again and felt warm all over at the love and pleasure he saw in her eyes.

Carrie swallowed hard. Charlie was being so good with Dana. Their rapport had been instant from the night of the accident. Damn it all - she didn’t need this man in her life. Making her crazy. Making her daughter laugh.

Kissingher.

‘OK, now, enough chatter. Hold my hand, Dana, and shut your eyes. Remember to stay very, very still. Squeeze Mummy’s hand when it starts to sting. Squeeze it really hard. It’ll be over soon and then you can go and have a dance.’

‘OK, Mummy.’ Dana shut her eyes tight.

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