Waking Up To Dr Gorgeous. Emily Forbes

Luci. ‘She’s a nurse at the health centre. Seeing as we’re here and you’re home, can we come in and see the kids?’

      Melanie nodded. She unlocked the door and stepped aside. She was thin. Luci knew they were the same age but Melanie looked older. Her shoulder-length brown hair was lank but her skin was clear. However, Luci didn’t really take any of that in. She couldn’t when all she could see was Melanie’s black eye. Her left eye was slightly swollen and coloured purple with just a hint of green. The bruise looked to be a day or two old.

      ‘Thank you,’ Seb said, as he stepped into the hall and reached for Melanie’s chin. Luci expected her to flinch or pull away but she didn’t. She must trust Seb.

      Luci knew Seb had looked after her before. He’d filled her in on his involvement on the drive over here but Luci hadn’t anticipated that she would see the evidence of Melanie’s husband’s abuse for herself. She hadn’t been expecting that.

      Seb turned Melanie’s face to the right.

      ‘You’re hurt.’

      ‘I knocked into the corner of the car boot.’ Melanie’s eyes were downcast.

      ‘I haven’t heard that one before.’

      ‘It’s nothing. I’ve had worse. You know I have,’ she said, as she turned away and led them into the house. They followed her into a tired-looking sitting room. The arms of the couch were ripped and stained but Melanie had put a sheet over the cushions in an attempt to brighten the room or maybe disguise the state of the furniture. Everything looked well worn and tired. A bit like Melanie.

      She collapsed onto the couch and Seb pulled an upright dining chair closer to the couch and sat on it, facing Melanie. ‘What was it this time?’

      ‘It’s not his fault, Dr Hollingsworth. I’m pregnant again.’

      ‘And how is that not his fault?’ Seb’s voice was quiet. He wasn’t judging her but Luci could tell he was frustrated.

      ‘He says we can’t afford more kids.’

      ‘It takes two, Melanie. He can’t blame you.’

      Melanie kept her eyes downcast. She had her hands in her lap, clenched together, and Luci knew she was close to tears. Luci wanted to tell Seb to let it go but she knew he couldn’t. They couldn’t ignore what was going on here. She knew from Melanie’s file that she already had three kids—Milo, who was six months old, a two-and-a-half-year-old toddler and a four-year-old. That was a handful for anyone, let alone a woman with an abusive partner.

      Seb had told her that he had advised Melanie to take her kids and leave. She had left once but had then gone back, making the usual excuses about him being the kids’ father and saying that she loved him. Luci knew it was a difficult decision and something that was hard to understand unless you’d been in that position yourself or had worked with victims of domestic violence. The women were often trapped by their circumstances and Luci suspected that would be the case for Melanie. With three kids under five it was unlikely she had time to work, which meant she had no source of income if she left. And potentially no roof over her head either.

      Even while Luci realised it wouldn’t be easy, she couldn’t stop the twinge of jealousy that she felt when she heard that Melanie was pregnant again. Luci would give her right arm for a family.