‘What seems to be the problem?’
‘A lack of motivation and co-operation,’ Charlotte contributed.
‘I’m not using that walking frame, that’s for old people,’ Dylan sulked, indicating the gutter frame that was waiting beside his bed.
Charlotte sighed. ‘How many times have we had this conversation, Dylan? The rate you’re going you will be old before you get out of here. Once I’m confident that you’re walking safely with the frame we can look at progressing to crutches.’
‘I’ll get up if Ellie walks with me.’
‘You have to walk with the physios first,’ Charlotte replied. ‘It’s hospital policy.’
‘Why don’t I come back with Charlotte after rounds and we’ll get you out of bed together?’ Ellie suggested. ‘I’ll be your second person assist,’ she said to Charlotte.
‘As long as you’re sure,’ Charlotte said.
Ellie didn’t really have time to spend getting Dylan on his feet for the first time. She knew how long that process could take. Even just a few steps would be a massive task when he’d been lying in bed for so long. But there didn’t seem to be any other way this was going to happen. She nodded.
‘Any other issues?’ James asked.
‘None,’ Ellie replied.
‘All right. Dylan, if I come back tomorrow and find you haven’t at least attempted to get out of bed I’ll get you moved to another ward where you won’t have Ellie or Charlotte looking after you,’ James threatened, obviously figuring that was the way to get Dylan motivated. ‘But if you start complying with treatment you can stay here.’
By the look on Dylan’s face Ellie could tell he wasn’t sure whether he’d just won the argument or been gazumped by Dr Leonardi. In Ellie’s opinion it was Dr Leonardi 1, Dylan 0.
When James finished his rounds and left the ward Ellie felt as though he’d taken some of her energy with him, although a hint of his fresh lime scent remained, tantalising her senses.
She threw herself into the morning’s work, hoping that if she kept busy she wouldn’t have time to think about Dr Leonardi. Wouldn’t have time to think about his chocolate eyes and how they’d watched every move she’d made. Wouldn’t have time to think about those full lips and how they’d curled into a smile when she’d said something that had amused him, and she wouldn’t have time to think about the throbbing she felt in the air when she was near him or the way it pulsed through her body when he touched her.
In some ways she hoped his effect on her would wear off as he spent more time on the ward. Maybe it would fade away and she’d be able to work in peace. But a part of her enjoyed the buzz he gave her, the feeling of danger, as though he was forbidden fruit.
Maybe that was the attraction, the exact thing that had got people into trouble all through the ages—wanting something they couldn’t have. After her disastrous fling with Rob she wasn’t going to get involved with someone on the orthopaedic ward again. Not ever.
She’d just have to ignore those feelings, she told herself. That would be the sensible thing to do.
‘Ellie? Are you awake?’
‘Come in, Jess.’
The door opened. ‘Good, you’re up. Do you want to come for a walk with me?’
Ellie looked at her watch. Ten past eight.
‘Now?’ she said.
‘Please,’ Jess begged as she pulled Ellie’s curtains back. ‘Adam’s home again and I don’t want to be here when he gets up.’
Now the early morning walk made sense. Ellie knew Jess wouldn’t want to confront whoever it was who had kept Adam company last night. Their house belonged to Adam and the fifth bedroom was his to use whenever he was in Sydney. His work as a surgeon with Operation New Faces had him travelling around the world but when he was home there was always an endless stream of girls in and out of his bed, and Ellie knew Jess found that upsetting. Being reminded of Adam’s casual attitude to relationships was almost more than Jess could handle and she hated having to play nice whenever her path crossed with one of his many women.
‘Okay,’ Ellie conceded, ‘give me a minute to get dressed.’ Her room was flooded with light. It was going to be a beautiful day and she may as well get up and enjoy it. She climbed out of bed and pulled on underwear, a sports singlet and shorts. She’d shower later. She went to the mirror to brush her hair and tied it back into a ponytail. She rubbed sunscreen over her skin and grabbed a hat and her sunglasses. She was ready.
A light northerly breeze was blowing along the foreshore as Ellie and Jess crossed Arden Street and headed for the path that hugged the beach. The morning sun was warm on Ellie’s skin with enough heat in it to make the breeze feel pleasant instead of uncomfortable.
A low stone wall separated the beach from the path and Ellie and Jess had to dodge joggers and dog walkers as they headed north. At this early hour the only people who were up were people who had a reason to be—people who wanted to get their morning exercise in or who had young children. The lawn area was teeming with families and there were even some keen ones on the beach, building sandcastles and swimming.
Ellie kept her gaze averted from the young families. She didn’t need a reminder of what she was missing. Since breaking up with Rob, she’d decided she would bide her time before starting another relationship. She’d had a few intense, short-lived relationships in the past year and she’d thought having a self-enforced break would be a good idea.
‘Perhaps I should get a dog,’ she said to Jess.
‘What are you talking about?’
Ellie waved a hand in the general direction of the other pedestrians. ‘Everyone here has either got kids or a dog. If I’m not going to have kids, maybe a dog is a good alternative. Lots of people do that.’
‘Since when aren’t you having kids?’ Jess asked.
‘Well, I won’t be having any in the near future so a dog might be a good alternative,’ she explained. ‘Besides you know how, when you want something really badly, it seems to take for ever to happen and how, if you stop wanting it, it falls into your lap? Maybe, if I decide to get a dog, I’ll meet the man who will be the father of my children just because I’ve replaced the idea of kids with the reality of a dog.’
‘I don’t get that logic at all,’ Jess replied, and Ellie caught her sideways look, the one that said she thought her friend might be going mad. ‘I think we need to walk a bit faster. We need to get to Bondi and see the backpackers—the young, single crowd who don’t have kids or a dog. That’s another reality, you know. Anyway, I thought you were taking a break from the dating scene.’
‘I am,’ Ellie replied, but even as she uttered the words she knew she could be tempted out of her self-imposed ban very quickly and it was all because of James Leonardi. Since he’d arrived at Eastern Beaches, on the orthopaedic ward, her hormones had gone into overdrive. She was overwhelmingly aware of him and his presence reminded her that she loved being in a relationship. Loved the idea of being in love. ‘I think what I’m trying to say is that perhaps if I stop trying to find my ideal man, he might find me.’
Jess nodded. ‘That makes a bit more sense but, you know what, I think you might just need to revise your definition of your perfect man. You might not want to hear this but I think you’ve been looking at the wrong type of men.’
‘What do you mean?’