James Radcliffe was sat in the consulting room of the surgery in Aidensfield staring at the paperwork on his desk. It was the Partnership Agreement he and Kate Rowan had signed.

So much had changed. Only a couple of months into their new working relationship Kate had become pregnant, and inexplicably weeks after the arrival of her daughter Kate had succumbed to the leukaemia she had hidden through the latter part of her pregnancy for the sake of her child. Her immune system had been destroyed by the chemotherapy, she had no defence to the pneumonia which had ravaged her and ultimately led to her death.

After that, the fall out began. Nick Rowan's grief had turned to anger and the medical profession as a whole, from the unfortunate District Nurse Maggie Bolton to Kate's consultants and to James himself, had borne the brunt of it, Nick blaming them solely for not picking up on Kate's illness despite Kate's actions in concealing it in the first place.

Then of course there was Katie, Nick and Kate's daughter. Nick had initially fought to keep her with him even when threatened with the possibility of having her placed on a fostering agreement. Luckily the arrival of Kate's Aunt Eileen to help him with the child alleviated that.

But James was getting the impression from Maggie Bolton that all was not quite as it should be and oddly enough that morning Eileen had phoned asking if she could come and have a chat with him. He'd agreed to that and she was due any time, but beforehand James himself had something to tell Eileen, which he was also going to have to then tell Nick and he wasn't relishing the prospect.

He looked up sharply as there was a knock on the outer surgery door. That would be Eileen. Quickly James put the document in his desk and went to answer it.

"Hallo Eileen," he said pleasantly to the older woman standing on the step.

"Hallo James," she replied. "I hope this is a good time. Gina Ward is looking after Katie so I thought I would use the chance to come and speak to you."

"Come on in," he said. "I've got time to make us both a cup of tea. As it happens there's something I need to discuss with you as well so we may as well kill two birds with one stone."

Eileen sat down thankfully in his consulting room. She hated to admit it but she felt quite tired. She was as she would say herself no spring chicken and young babies are demanding things to look after.

"Are you all right Eileen?" James asked with some concern as he put a cup of tea in front of her. "You look tired."

"Oh Katie's had one or two bad nights," Eileen said with a smile. "I'd forgotten what's it like. After all I had no children of my own. In every way Kate was my daughter."

"Yes you brought her up as your own didn't you?"

"That's right. And now I'm bringing up her daughter. Full circle you might say."

James looked puzzled. "And Nick?"

Eileen sighed. "I hate to speak out of turn. But I'm worried."

"Look Eileen," said James, "don't take this the wrong way but Maggie Bolton has mentioned to me she has some concerns. Not over the way Katie is being looked after - you're doing a marvellous job Eileen - but over the way Nick is reacting to her."

"He's not reacting to her," Eileen said flatly, "and that is the problem."

James sat back in his chair. "Maggie put the idea of fostering to Nick and he wouldn't tolerate it not for a second."

"He wouldn't let her go because of his loyalty to Kate," Eileen said simply. "But he can't relate to Katie at all and I'm worried if things don't change, well- it won't bode well for the future. Katie needs all Nick has and more."

"So in the day to day run of things, how does he deal with Katie?"

"He'll come home from work and she'll be in her pram, or in her highchair and he ignores her. Completely. If I ask him to he'll feed her but only if I ask. The same with bathing her or putting her to bed. When he does those things its all just so mechanical like something he's doing as part of his job. In the night he will wake if she cries but again just has this mechanical way of doing things." Eileen stopped. "She needs more James."

He nodded. "Could it be things will improve with time. Nick's had a massive shock Eileen."

"Of course he has. But James I don't honestly think they will. He's shut off in so many ways. I- well, I've become reasonably friendly with Nick's Sergeant and he tells me Nick is the same at work. Gets the job done but its like it's something he just doing because he has to."

"I had no idea things were so bad. I've rather kept my distance I admit partly because I know Nick feels that I, the medical profession as a whole, let Kate down and I didn't want to antagonise him more"

"And of course you've had to sort things out here," Eileen said. She looked round her. "I can almost believe Kate is going to just walk in here.."

"Its just the most appalling tragedy." James leaned forward slightly. "Do you want me to speak to Nick, Eileen. See what I can do?"

"Would you?" Eileen paused. "If something isn't done, James, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to take a very drastic step."

"Which is?"

"I'm going to insist Katie comes with me and we go back to London. She needs love and care and I owe it to Kate to make sure she gets that."

James took a breath. "I can't disagree with you if things are as you say," he said. "But for Nick to lose first his wife, then his daughter.."

Eileen nodded "I know that James." She paused. "Kate would be devastated if she could see how things were."

James nodded. "So we have to do something don't we?" He sighed. "Well, I have to speak to Nick anyway so I may as well kill two birds. Eileen you need to know this as well. I'm giving up the Aidensfield practice. I'm going to concentrate on my practice covering the Whitby/Scarborough and Filey areas with an assistant, perhaps even two, assistants. I hate to do it, but if nothing else what has happened with Kate has reinforced to me that family is so important and I want more time with my children."

"Goodness." Eileen spoke lightly but she felt a jolt. "I can see your point James truly I can but, well, this place is Kate isn't it?" Then she shook her head. "No. I know what Kate would be saying. You have to look after the living. You're doing exactly the right thing."

"The surgery in Aidensfield won't vanish completely, a practice in Ashfordly is taking over the surgery building and running a branch surgery two days a week."

"You'll be missed in Aidensfield."

"You must call in whenever you're in Whitby." James sighed. "There's another issue of course. When Kate and I entered into partnership this surgery building and all the assets came to belong to the partnership. So as you know when Kate died they fell to me as the sole remaining partner. Of course I've now sold the premises. In a sense I feel I've profiteered somehow. That's why I feel I need to speak to Nick. Plus I think he has a right to know about all this."

"Don't feel guilt James," Eileen said gently. "None of us could ever have predicted what would happen - certainly not you and Kate when you signed that partnership agreement."

James was silent a moment then he said, "We had a lot of plans Kate and I." He looked wearily at Eileen. "Do you know I have wondered myself if we let her down. But she concealed her illness Eileen."

"I know, for Katie's sake." Eileen looked at him. "I think that's what Nick is struggling with, that Kate sacrificed her own welfare for the baby. But no one let her down James. You, least of all."