She had the feeling, though, that Sophie was no longer listening to her. Looking over, she saw she was gently coaxing Becky to eat the food, making soft, encouraging noises, as though she was savouring the meal herself.
Ruby sighed inwardly. How were the pair of them going to cope when she wasn’t there to watch over them? She thought briefly about taking a day or two off work, but the image of Sam Boyd crept into her mind, and she imagined those dark brows lifting as he contemplated her lax attitude. She’d been late for the meeting, and if she added time off to that lapse, he would surely have her marked down as unreliable. No, she had to face him on equal terms. It was a matter of pride.
Perhaps she could persuade the next-door neighbour to keep an eye on Sophie and Becky while she went out to work tomorrow? Claire had turned out to be a good friend who was usually glad to help in any way she could.
Either way, it was a worrying situation that had been building up for some time, and it had to be sorted out once and for all. She made up her mind that next time she would go along with her sister to the surgery. That way she could make sure that things went according to plan.
‘Do you think you might be happier going to stay with Mum and Dad for a while?’ she asked, coming to sit down at the table and beginning to pour tea. ‘I think you need someone to look after you properly until you’re feeling better.’
‘Oh, I don’t think that would work out very well,’ Sophie said, shaking her head. ‘Mum and Dad are way too busy. Mum has her job at the office, and Dad has to concentrate on pulling the business into shape. Besides, don’t you remember—they asked me if I would look after the smallholding while Gran and Grandad are away for the next few weeks. I said I would do it…only it would be so much better if you were there with me, and there’s plenty of room at the old farmhouse. I’m not sure I could handle things very well on my own, though. I don’t seem able to think too clearly these days.’
Ruby nodded. ‘I remember.’ The trouble was, Sophie was probably right in thinking she wouldn’t be able to cope, and Ruby didn’t have an easy solution to hand.
Sophie was dejected. ‘I know this place is too small for all of us. I don’t mean to be a burden.’
Ruby frowned. ‘I wasn’t suggesting that I didn’t want you here with me. That wasn’t what I meant at all. I love having you and Becky here…you must know that. It’s just that I think you’re unwell and you need more help than I can give you while I’m working. Of course I’ll come along and stay with you at the old farmhouse, but I don’t think you’re in any state to be left there on your own while I’m out at the hospital.’
Maybe she could make arrangements for someone to keep an eye on her at the smallholding. The local vet, perhaps? He was more of a friend to the family than a professional that they looked to for help on occasion. Ruby and Sophie had even been at school with him. He had his practice close by her grandparents home, and his work often brought him to the farm, where he would check up on the animals.
Sophie didn’t acknowledge any of what she was saying. She seemed depressed, her shoulders slumping as though she was weighed down by an ominous black cloud.
‘I’ll play with Becky for a while, and then I’ll take her upstairs and get her settled down for bed,’ Sophie said a few minutes later as she wiped her daughter’s face clean. ‘After that, I think I’ll have an early night. I’m very tired.’
‘That’s a good idea, but maybe you should have something to eat first. I made a salad, and there’s crusty bread and cheese to go with it.’
‘Okay.’
They ate together in the kitchen, and Sophie perked up enough to ask Ruby about her job at the hospital. ‘You have a new boss taking over from the man who’s retiring, don’t you? Have you met him yet? Do you think things are going to work out for you in A&E with him in charge?’
Ruby’s mouth made a wry twist. ‘I met him today, and he seems to be very determined to push through the changes he has in mind, even though they’re not at all popular. I’m not sure how it’s all going to work out. I expect life in the A&E department is going to be quite rocky from here on.’
A short time later, Sophie helped to clear away the supper dishes and then took Becky upstairs to bathe her and settle her for the night. Ruby went to check on them from time to time to make sure that all was going smoothly, but Sophie seemed to be coping well enough. Once she and the baby were both tucked up in their beds and fast asleep, she slipped next door to ask if Claire would keep an eye on them the following day.
‘I’ll find an excuse to keep popping round,’ Claire said. She was a friendly woman in her early forties, with teenage daughters who simply adored Becky. ‘Don’t you worry. Everything will be fine.’
It was a relief to know that they would be in good hands, and Ruby set out for work next day feeling a little more reassured. She would be able to concentrate on the job in hand, and her biggest worry was whether things would run smoothly in A&E now that Dr Stanford had retired and the new boss was taking his place. With any luck, it would be a seamless transfer.
All was not well, though, she discovered. When she walked into the emergency unit later that morning, after spending some time reviewing patients’ progress in the observation ward, she found that there was a general air of discontent about the place.
‘Okay, so what’s the matter with everyone?’ Ruby asked, taking a quick look around the resuscitation area and then inspecting the assembled crowd in the waiting room. ‘There are far too many long faces around here.’
‘I think you’ve just seen for yourself,’ James murmured. He drew a chart from the pile on the desk and cast a quick glance over the notes. ‘It’s still relatively early in the day, and we’re already stretched tight at the seams.’
‘We’ve had five people brought in by ambulance from rush-hour traffic accidents,’ Olivia added, going over to the whiteboard and writing up more names. ‘And the waiting room is heaving with an assortment of fractures, sprains, nasty infections and people with chest pains.’
‘Sounds like everything’s perfectly normal, then,’ Ruby said with a laugh. ‘It’s a case of heads down and let’s get on with it, to my way of thinking.’
‘Hah! You’d think so, wouldn’t you?’ James’s mouth made a downward turn. ‘Except that two of the nurses are off sick, one of the doctors has gone home to deal with a domestic crisis, and we have no one to replace them.’
Ruby raised her brows. ‘No agency nurses or a locum doctor?’
‘None,’ he answered. ‘Not a one.’
‘Hmm. That certainly is going to make life difficult.’
‘Apparently we’re banned from bringing them in on account of it being too costly, and all overtime beyond a certain level has been stopped.’ James’s tone was edged with annoyance.
‘I almost paged you at one stage, but Dr Boyd said you were dealing with an emergency in the observation ward and we’d cope.’ Olivia pulled a face. ‘I suppose he was right, and we did manage, but we’re run off our feet, and patients are already complaining about waiting times.’
‘I guess Dr Boyd is behind the restriction on agency staff,’ Ruby mused. So he had kept tabs on her while she was working in the observation ward, had he? He obviously had his finger on the pulse of how the department ran, but she could certainly see why the two doctors were feeling under pressure. ‘He didn’t waste any time putting his plans into action, did he? He must be very keen to pull the department into shape.’
‘That’s right. I’m the one who put a stop to the extra staff. It costs way too much to bring in staff from outside.’ A now familiar voice came from behind her, and she swivelled around to see