Page 52 of His Wedding Day Revenge

‘I suspect this was a febrile convulsion. We can confirm that when we have him at the hospital. For the present his temperature is high, and I will give him something for that before the transfer and also put a line in to give him some fluids.’

‘Thank you,’ Jane said, half scared to voice the question that was uppermost in her mind. ‘Will he be all right?’

‘I know it looks scary but little ones are very much more resilient than people think. I suspect there is an underlying infection.’

‘You will run all the tests necessary.’

‘Sì, Draco,’ he said, turning to Jane. ‘Try not to worry. He is in the best of hands.’ His calm confidence worked its magic.

‘Ah, here is Nurse now.’

A young man appeared, carrying a medical bag under each arm.

‘We will get him ready for the transfer. You will be coming with us, I assume.’

Jane nodded as the two men bent over the cot, blocking her view of Mattie.

‘Thank you,’ she said in a quiet, sincere aside to Draco. ‘You made that happen... I am so grateful. I will keep you in touch...’

‘I am coming with you.’

‘I should say, no, it’s fine, but I’m not going to,’ Jane admitted, feeling tears prick her eyes. ‘I was so horrible to you.’ She quivered, blinking away the salty tears of emotion trembling on the tips of her eyelashes.

‘That is not important now.’

Her throat full and icy fear still gripping her belly, she nodded. ‘I promised I would take care of him.’

Promised who? The dead father, he assumed. ‘And you have, you are, you are an incredible mother.’

Her head bent, she sniffed, missing the look of pain that slid across his taut, lean features.

The helicopter journey was relatively short, the staff were really comforting, which Jane appreciated, and Draco’s presence meant she didn’t have to worry about following the conversations when they slid into Italian. The transfer into the hospital was performed with no issues and the medic’s obvious competence was reassuring.

She had moved out of the way while the medical team gathered around Mattie, but she didn’t take the seat offered. She couldn’t sit still.

‘He is in the very best hands,’ Draco said, watching her.

She nodded. ‘I know, it’s just...’

The medical team moved away from the cot leaving one nurse at the bedside. The senior doctor walked across to them, smiling.

‘Well, it is just as I thought, there is a viral infection, simple upper respiratory. He had a febrile convulsion, frightening, but not indicative of anything else. Now that his temperature is down and he is having his fluids replaced he will be back to normal very quickly. We will keep him in overnight for observation and, all being well, which I am sure it will be, he can go home tomorrow.’

Jane closed her eyes and gave a deep shuddering sigh before opening them and clasping the medic’s hand in both of hers. ‘Oh, thank you, thank you so much.’ Before she released his hand with a self-conscious, ‘Sorry.’

‘Delivering good news is one of the best parts of my job.’

She watched Draco walk with him towards the door, her smile fading as she thought about the bad news he had to deliver too often, but not today and not to them.

‘They will put a bed up in here if you wish to stay, though I have an apartment here where I will be staying.’

‘No...no, I’ll stay here, thank you.’ She looked at him, noticing for the first time the lines of strain etched around his mouth. ‘I am so sorry. I’m sure this is the last thing you wanted after—’

‘Now is not the time.’

She set her lips in a straight line to stop the stupid quiver. He was allowed to sound brusque at the very least.

‘You have my private number?’

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