‘Well, she’s in the best hands whatever happens.’ Natasha was flattered that he’d asked her to assist him in the débridement of the young patient. They’d always had each other’s backs, never more so than when it came to their personal lives, but this was different. Evan was demonstrating his respect to her as a fellow surgeon, and Natasha appreciated the gesture. It was good for her to see him back in his element too. Displaying the confidence and skill she’d worried wouldn’t survive the emotional turmoil he’d been through this past year and a half.
It had been a rough time for him after Lynne’s miscarriage, and their subsequent breakup. It was as if nothing mattered to him anymore. She’d literally had to drag him out of his low mood, and was glad to see him back on-form. Especially with a child involved. Dealing with vulnerable little ones in these emergency situations was never easy, and his own loss was still raw. It was a testament to his professionalism and resilience that he had climbed out of that dark hole and been able to get back to work, setting his personal issues to one side for the sake of his patients.
‘OK, we need to irrigate the wound, then it’s just a matter of peeling away the dead tissue until we reach a layer of new skin. You’ll know yourself that children’s skin is much thinner than adults’, so we go slow and steady to minimise the depth of the wound as much as possible.’
‘Hopefully reducing the possibility she’ll need skin grafts as much as we can.’
She could see Evan’s grin behind his mask. ‘Exactly.’
They made a good team. Something she knew already. He’d been there for her when Natasha discovered her boyfriend had cheated on her with her own mother, and Natasha had done the same for Evan through his personal difficulties. It was no different in the operating theatre. He was guiding her, she was supporting him. Working together and hoping for the best outcome all round.
Each of them tackled the worst-looking patches of skin on the girl’s arms and legs. Peeling away the dead tissue and snipping the area close to the new skin beneath. They applied a layer of antibiotic ointment to the wounds and covered them with a fine mesh gauze that wouldn’t stick. Finally, they padded the affected areas and wrapped the dressings. In the end, it covered most of the child’s limbs. She looked so helpless lying there at their mercy, but Natasha knew Evan would do everything he could so that his patient could go back to as normal a life as possible. He always did.
‘Thanks for your help,’ he said once they’d finished and had scrubbed out of surgery.
‘Thanks for asking me. I’m just glad I didn’t stuff anything up. She’s going to have enough to deal with during her recovery.’ Despite her experience and expertise, like everyone undertaking new surgical procedures, Natasha had felt some trepidation. Though it was always good to expand her know-how. It gave her a better insight into what the patients went through in this scenario. It also gave her a better insight into Evan. Her admiration was only growing for this compassionate, talented man as they walked to the locker room to grab their things.
‘You were great. I’ll follow up in twenty-four hours and reassess her injuries in case we need to repeat the procedure.’ Evan yawned as he buttoned up his jacket against the frosty October air which blasted them as they made their way outside.
Witnessing the intense concentration it took for just this one surgery, Natasha could understand why a full day in Evan’s role would be mentally draining. Another sign of his remarkable strength.
‘Do you want to come back to my place?’ The question to anyone else might have raised an eyebrow, but Natasha often made dinner for them both after a shift as she lived closer to the hospital than Evan. She liked to keep an eye on him, but she also enjoyed having his company.
‘I’d love to.’ He put his arm around her shoulders, nodding hello to oncologist Skye Campbell, who would’ve been forgiven for assuming they were a couple at the sight, as they passed her in the car park.
Natasha leaned into him, looking forward to spending the evening together without the pressure of expectation that another man might have put upon her for something more.
Sometimes, on nights when her place felt empty, she pondered what it might have been like if they’d ever hooked up. Evan was kind, loyal, and supportive, as well as undoubtedly handsome. The kind of man anyone would want. Except he was the only person in her life she could trust, and he meant too much to her to risk that. At least if they weren’t in a relationship, she didn’t have to worry about catching her own mother kissing him and absolutely shattering her heart.
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