The Surgeon's Perfect Match. Alison Roberts

      ‘Hey, gorgeous.’ Michaela’s father was carrying a wicker basket with flaps, and Holly was as curious as the girl beside her. Wasn’t the picnic food already in Michaela’s room?

      ‘What’s…in the basket?’

      ‘Not telling.’ Don Brown looked stern. ‘It’s supposed to be a surprise.’

      The faint mewing sound that followed his words led to a startled silence.

      Michaela giggled. ‘You’re…busted, Dad.’

      Don cast an anxious glance at Holly. ‘I’m breaking the rules, aren’t I?’

      Holly stood up. ‘I didn’t hear a thing,’ she claimed. She winked at Michaela. ‘See you later. I hope you enjoy your lunch.’

      Daniel’s lunchtime food and entertainment was a lot less inventive but the atmosphere around him was happy without the poignancy of Michaela’s case. His mother was pinning up pictures of Daniel’s heroes, the members of his favourite Auckland rugby team who were also part of the national All Blacks squad.

      Sitting on the end of his bed, discussing the finer moments of the last match they had played, was Ryan.

      ‘And did you see that drop kick? Scott Grigg’s the man, isn’t he?’

      ‘He’s called Sox.’

      ‘Why?’ Holly hadn’t heard the popular rugby player’s nickname. ‘Because he has stinky feet?’

      ‘Please!’ Ryan’s look was as pitying as Daniel‘s. ‘We’re discussing the man of the match here.’

      ‘D’you know he’s only eighteen?’ Daniel twisted in bed to look up at the poster in prime position. ‘And he didn’t even start playing rugby until he was thirteen.’ He looked back at Ryan. ‘I’ll be able to start playing soon, won’t I?’

      ‘At the rate you’re recovering, it won’t be too long before you can get active, but we need to keep a good eye on you for a while yet.’

      ‘Will I get out of hospital in time to go to the next game? It’s in Auckland. I was too sick to go last time they played here.’

      ‘We’ll see what we can do,’ Ryan promised, before excusing himself. Outside Daniel’s room, he raised an eyebrow in Holly’s direction. ‘How are things in the unit?’

      ‘Grace is still running a bit of a temperature. Her white count is normal but there’s the possibility it’s some kind of infection. The medical team isn’t happy to clear her for surgery until they have more idea of what might be going on. Leo’s clear for surgery if you want to swap their slots tomorrow.’

      Ryan nodded. ‘Let’s go and have a chat to his parents.’

      They passed Michaela’s door and Ryan’s casual sideways glance made him come to an abrupt halt. Holly stifled a giggle but the sound earned her a suspicious glance.

      ‘You know what’s going on in there, don’t you?’

      She tried to look convincingly innocent. ‘Michaela’s back in. Sounds like things are deteriorating, unfortunately. She said something about her kidneys not functioning too well and…’

      But Ryan didn’t appear to be listening. He grabbed Holly’s elbow and tugged it to pull her closer. It wasn’t until Holly co-operated, turned and spotted who was at the end of the corridor that she realised what Ryan was doing. The hospital’s CEO‘s personal assistant, a woman not noted for her sense of humour, was making visit to the ward. If she saw the additional visitor in Michaela’s room, the family picnic was unlikely to end on a very good note.

      Both Ryan and Holly were quite tall enough to block any inadvertent view through the window in the closed door behind them.

      ‘What’s the creatinine level?’ Ryan then queried with uncharacteristic brusqueness.

      Holly blinked. ‘Um…’

      ‘You’d better get on top of this, Holly.’ Ryan was frowning. ‘Deterioration in renal function is going to mean having to juggle anti-failure medication. Really, I’m surprised at you for not having the lab results available already.’

      The tone, suggestive of a professional rebuke, earned Holly a similar frown from the passing administrator, but the woman clearly wasn’t going to interrupt such an exchange. Ryan waited until she was turning into the nurse manager’s office and then he smiled apologetically, turning to wave through the window.

      ‘Maybe you should suggest that the four-footed friend goes back in its box before the white witch returns.’ The remnants of his smile faded as he turned back to Holly. ‘The clock’s ticking a bit loudly in there, isn’t it?’ His face was sombre now. ‘I’ve got a quick phone call I really have to make, Holly. Meet you in Leo’s room in ten minutes?’

      ‘Sure.’

      Ryan had turned away quickly enough for Holly not to have picked up anything personal in his glance, but it surfaced anyway as she let herself into Michaela’s room to join the picnic for a minute or two.

      Not that Ryan had said anything more about his offer, but it was impossible not to feel a personal connection with someone else on a waiting list for a transplant. Holly received a hug from the twins and smiles from Michaela’s parents as she sat on the end of the bed to admire Sooty properly.

      If only it was something as simple as a kidney that Michaela needed so desperately. The teenager was loved by more than her immediate family. Aunts, uncles, cousins—even grandparents—would be queuing up to be tested if they had the opportunity to do anything to save her.

      The warning about Sooty needing to keep a lower profile resulted in one of the twins stuffing the kitten beneath the covers of Michaela’s bed and the very mobile lump provoked complete hilarity. Holly was still smiling as she left the room a short time later but, like Ryan, the smile faded rapidly as the reality of the situation hit home.