Page 8 of Do Opposites Attract?

‘Anything else you’d like to tell me I’m doing wrong?’ His eyes flashed dangerously.

‘Don’t you also have patients to see?’ she shot back, determined not to let him have the upper hand.

‘I had rostered Stuart on this afternoon so I could talk you through the way we work. However, if you’re not interested . . .’ He let his sentence trail off and began to walk away.

She fumed. She had never met anyone as annoying as Mitch McBride that was for certain. But she was here to learn what the charity did and like it or not, as the doctor in charge, Mitch was key to that. She had to find a way to get on with him, or she’d have a difficult and probably fruitless week. With a determined effort she swallowed her pride. ‘I am interested,’ she spoke to his retreating back. ‘Please, I’d like to hear about your work. That’s what I came here for.’

At last, Mitch thought, a touch of humility. He turned round, pathetically glad he’d finally made Brianna say please. When she’d berated him about his treatment of Stuart, it had felt like the lady of the manor remonstrating with one of her servants. A guaranteed way to put his back up. Why did the rich think they could order people around just because they had money?

‘Okay then, princess, why don’t I start with the tour I was planning on giving you, until we were interrupted.’

‘My name is Brianna,’ she replied with icy politeness. ‘Please use it.’

He watched as temper flashed once more in her vivid green eyes, and grudgingly found himself admiring her. She was certainly no pushover. Probably too accustomed to getting her own way. He wondered how much of her almost regal attitude would still be there when it was time for her to go home. ‘Well then, Brianna,’ he said with emphasis, ‘you’ve already met our other doctor, Stuart. We’re a small team here this time. Generally we call on a few more doctors to help us, but on thisparticular trip other organisations have brought quite a lot of medical staff, so we’ve come with just the minimum.’

‘I don’t quite understand how you fit in with the other aid agencies. I mean, why do you need Medic SOS when you’ve got organisations like the Red Cross?’

Mitch nodded. It was a common question. ‘The Red Cross is only so big. It hasn’t got the capacity to help out in every crisis that comes along. The same goes for other medical charities. Sure, they always attend the big ones, the tsunamis or earthquakes that hit the headlines. But they’re stretched very thin, especially with their support in the war zones. Medic SOS help make up the numbers, usually attending the smaller crises that might otherwise get overlooked. Plus, being small, we’re nimbler and can get out to a place within only hours of it being brought to our attention. We’re usually the first team on site. Once the other teams arrive and things are under control, we withdraw and wait for the next crisis.’

‘How often are you called out, on average?’

He could see he had her attention now. It was quite a heady experience, being pinned down by those intelligent green eyes. ‘How long is a piece of string?’ he answered simply. ‘In our world, there is no average. We could go weeks, on occasion months, without a call and then find ourselves called out every week. It really is hard to say.’

‘I can’t imagine a life like that,’ she admitted. ‘Waiting for the next phone call. Not knowing what you might have to face when it comes. What do you do with yourselves in between trips?’

‘Sleep usually,’ he replied dryly.

Brianna studied him seriously. ‘You’re not kidding, are you?’

‘No way. I never joke about sleep.’

He was rewarded with a small smile. ‘And after you’ve slept?’

He shrugged. ‘Paperwork, there’s always a lot of that. We assess our supplies and determine what we need to replenish.Then there’s skills training, attending courses to make sure we’re up to date with the latest techniques and equipment.’

‘And waiting for the phone to ring,’ Brianna finished for him.

‘Yep. It’s not the job I’d recommend for a family man, or someone who likes routine. But it suits me.’ No chance of anyone missing him when he was called up. Which was exactly how he liked it.

For the next hour, Mitch gave her his undivided attention. He answered her questions as politely as he could, which was easy because they were surprisingly astute. He showed her the equipment they used and how it differed to that in a regular hospital. He explained the typical injuries they came across and how they worked with the other agencies. If she was bored at any point, she didn’t show it, though by the end her barrage of questions did start to dry up.

‘Why don’t you get some rest,’ he told her, taking in her very pale face.

‘I’m fine. I don’t want to miss anything.’ She ruined the statement by yawning widely.

‘Grab a couple of hours and come back for the medical review meeting at six.’

‘The what?’

Yeah, he had made it sound fancier than it was. ‘It’s just our daily catch up meeting. A chance to check on the progress of the patients and discuss any issues.’

She gave him a tired smile. ‘Thanks. I’d like that.’

He watched her walk away with a puzzled frown on his face. A pampered princess, but with brains and a desire to learn. Interesting.

* * *

Brianna was woken by her alarm and for a moment she had trouble remembering where she was. As she sat up in thecramped bed and listened to the sound of rain against the canvas, the reality came back all too quickly. She’d gone to catch up on a few hours’ sleep, but set the alarm so she didn’t miss Mitch’s meeting. He’d been considerate enough to invite her, the least she could do was accept. And turn up on time.

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