When Martin arrived at the hospital the next morning he immediately became aware that people were looking at him differently. There was a curiosity in their eyes and he assumed the hospital grapevine had been working overtime with the news that he'd been with Kate down in A&E and spent the night next to her bed in the ward. He didn't care and he treated them all to his deepest scowl to discourage any further interaction.
When he went to conduct his ward rounds the group of junior registrars were waiting for him as usual. There were knowing grins on some faces even though he glared at them from under his brows. What was wrong with these idiots? He tried to be as quick as possible on his rounds so that he could see Kate for a little while before he had to prepare for his morning procedure. At last they finished with the final patient and as he replaced the clipboard back in its holder at the end of the patient's bed he heard one of the registrars say, "Thank you sir, you must be in a rush to get away." The others were choking back their mirth. He glared at them, his one eyebrow raised but he bit back a retort and with a curt "Yes…" to the ward sister he strode down the corridor without a backward glance.
The ward sister waited until he was out of earshot then gave the registrars a piece of her mind. "Leave the poor man alone you miserable bunch. You're just jealous, the lot of you, that Miss Rushton favours him."
They all good naturedly joked with her. "Yeah…definitely jealous - she's hot."
"A bit confused – the bloke is a monk."
"What the hell does she see in him?"
"Not exactly Tom Cruise is he?"
"Grumpy git."
The ward sister fixed them all with her most intimidating stare. "He's only grumpy because he has the likes of you lot to deal with – he can be a very nice man you know."
"Yeah…with the emphasis on can be."
One of the doctors leaned closer, "Sounds like you've got a soft spot for Ellingham Sister Jackson…how did that happen?"
She poked him good naturedly in the ribs, "Because he's smarter than you Dr Harvey and way more charming."
ooooOOOOoooo
Martin made his way to his rooms. He would check his schedule and have an espresso before he went to see Kate. It was no good going now – ward rounds would be in progress. He realised that he'd pushed the boundaries of professional etiquette by constantly wanting to be with Kate and for consulting with her doctor. Fraser had tolerated his presence because he must have known that he and Kate were living together but technically he had no legal right to be there. He wasn't married to Kate. He wasn't even family. The fact that she wanted him there counted in his favour but he'd realised that if someone complained he would be on the carpet. He didn't care about any of that – he only cared about Kate and he would continue to see her until she was discharged.
He prepared the espresso machine and watched as the rich, dark liquid decanted into the little cup. As he took his first sip he thought about that. Kate felt more like family than anyone had ever done in his life. His parents were a biological connection to him – nothing more. Aunty Joan was the closest to blood family but Kate was the only person who made him really feel like he belonged.
He heard the door to reception open and looked through from the little galley kitchen to see Mrs Blake walk in. His receptionist was a petite, trim woman with a very refined manner. Her grey hair was styled short and she dressed impeccably. He estimated her to be in her late fifties or so. He liked her - she was one of the few people he could interact with on a daily basis who didn't irritate him and she looked after the practice in an efficient and no-nonsense way. She was protective of him and of his time and he was grateful for her professional manner.
Mrs Blake looked up and saw him standing there and smiled. "Oh Mr Ellingham, there you are. I thought you must be in when I smelt the lovely aroma of your coffee." She put her handbag down. "I'm glad I caught you before you headed out again."
Martin stood looking at her from across the room, cup in hand. "Yes…?"
"How is Miss Rushton doing Mr Ellingham…I hope she is on the mend?" How did she know? Martin frowned and was just about to tell her to mind her own business but stopped himself. He had to get used to people seeing him and Kate as a couple. And Mrs Blake was genuinely concerned about him and, by association, about Kate.
"Umm…she is improving very well thank you Mrs Blake." He dipped his chin and gave a little cough. "Yes…umm…she should be going home the day after tomorrow."
"That is good news…very pleased to hear it." She looked at his appointment schedule. "I suppose you will want the day off when she does…or part of it at least?"
He hesitated. He was going to contradict her but then thought, no, he would very much like to be with Kate when she went home. He wanted to spend a little time with her before her mother arrived.
"Thank you Mrs Blake. See what you can do about rescheduling things for me. I will be able to fit in one or two consultations in the morning before Kate is discharged but nothing after eleven and nothing the day after. I don't have any procedures in the next few days so that shouldn't be a problem."
He left shortly afterwards and went straight up to see Kate. She appeared to be asleep when he entered her room and even though he was quiet she immediately opened her eyes and smiled one of her glorious, bright smiles. "Hello my darling man. Did you have a good rest?"
He smiled down at her as he took her hand in his. "I should be asking you that. And yes I slept well thank you." He bent down and kissed her gently. "How are you feeling?"
He watched her face as she told him about her night. The bruises were improving but they still reminded him every time he saw them just how close she had come to losing her life. He gave himself a mental shake and concentrated on what Kate was saying. She was coherent and more animated than before and he was very encouraged by that. He went to the end of her bed to look at her notes. They looked good – everything was improving. Thank God.
Martin told her that he had phoned her mother and Kate immediately looked concerned. "Oh Martin she must have got such a shock…you know…after my father…"
"Yes…but I was careful to prepare her first by saying that you were alright before I told her about the accident." He felt her squeeze his hand. "She wants to come up and spend some time with you when you come home." It sounded so good to say that – come home. "I said she should stay with us – in the spare room."
Kate looked at him questioningly. "Are you alright with that Martin? All the Rushtons taking over your home."
"It's our home Kate. And of course it's alright."
Her eyes glistened with tears and Martin looked concerned. "What's the matter? Are you in pain? When last did they administer your medication?" He jumped up and went to the end of the bed where he grabbed her chart. "Let me look…it says they gave your meds at 6.45 am…why are you still in pain?"
"Martin I'm fine…I'm not in pain." She dashed the tears from her cheeks. He looked a little bewildered as he stood with her notes in his hands. "It's how you said it's our home. It sounded so beautiful…I'm sorry I'm just very emotional for some reason…"
He came back to her and sat on the side of the bed. He slid his arm under her shoulders and put his cheek against hers. "That's alright…you can be as emotional as you like. Quite understandable."
Kate inhaled the clean male scent of him and stroked his soft hair. He made her feel safe and wanted. He lifted his head and stared deeply into her eyes – then softly kissed her lips.
When Martin went to find Dr Fraser to discuss Kate's condition he said she was improving very well and was optimistic that she could go home the day after next. They wanted to keep her under observation until then. Fraser knew he could have let her go the next day knowing that she would be under Ellingham's care at home, but better to be safe than sorry and Ellingham didn't argue with him, much to his surprise.
ooooOOOOoooo
The day Kate came home Martin was like a protective guard dog around her and he tried to keep his temper under control when things didn't go as smoothly as he wanted. The hospital discharge procedure stretched his patience to the limit and at one point his exasperation with the paperwork boiled over. "Come come come - if I had to operate so slowly on one of my patients they'd be dead by now! What's the delay? Get a move on." Kate had rubbed his arm gently and smiled up at him and it immediately calmed him but he watched them like a hawk and the administrative staff seemed to speed things up a bit.
Martin had made sure a taxi was waiting outside the hospital to take them home. Using his own car would have been impossible with all the problems associated with parking in and around the hospital. He walked beside the hospital porter who pushed Kate's wheelchair to the entrance and he helped her up when they got there. She held onto his arm and they slowly made their way out onto the pavement and into the waiting taxi.
Kate looked pale and drawn. The last week had been tough on her and she would need a lot of rest and he was relieved when they eventually arrived home and he helped her up the stairs and inside. When he closed the front door he walked through to the sitting room with Kate and, putting her small over-night bag down, he immediately took her gently in his arms. It was the first time he had been able to do this since her accident. He buried his face in her neck and rocked her gently and she wound her arms around his neck and nestled against his chest.
Eventually he lifted his head and looked into her eyes with an expression of such love and tenderness that Kate's eyes filled with tears. She was still feeling fragile and weak and cried easily. Martin gently wiped the tears away with his thumbs and bent his head to softly kiss her lips. His mouth moved so slowly and so tenderly over hers and she leaned into him - drawing strength from him.
But she tired easily and Martin soon ushered her upstairs and made sure she was comfortable in bed. He unpacked her bag and took the laundry downstairs to put in the wash. Kate watched him. He was so meticulous, folding everything neatly before he put it in the wardrobe. She just adored him. He brought her tea and drew the curtains so that the room was dim because her eyes were still sensitive. And she eventually dozed off, content knowing she was home and he was close.
Martin spent the rest of the day making sure that Kate had everything she wanted and that she rested properly. He supervised her medication and cooked a pot of soup for supper knowing she would probably not want to eat anything too bulky.
Towards late afternoon, he said he was walking down the road to buy some groceries and would be gone about an hour. He left her mobile within reach so that she could call him if she needed to.
That evening he brought her a bowl of soup and some crisp baguette-style bread on a tray for her supper and sat with her while she ate it. She was always amazed at how well he cooked. It was delicious.
When Martin came back upstairs after tidying up, he helped Kate to the bathroom to freshen up saying she should call him if she felt faint or ill. She smiled gently at him. His fussing was so sweet and she just adored him.
Eventually they lay together in the big bed. She always felt dwarfed in the bed. Martin was a big man and the bed was extra length and king-size to accommodate his tall frame.
He lay on his side next to her, looking at her and stroking her hair. His eyes looked like liquid silver in the dim light. She put her hand up and stroked his cheek. "I'm so happy to be home with you."
"Mmm…me too. I missed you."
She pulled him closer. "Hold me Martin."
"Are you sure I won't hurt you? The bruising must be sensitive."
"I will tell you if it hurts Martin. Right now I just want to be close to you."
So he gently gathered her to his body and held her tenderly, breathing in the soft scent of her and feeling her smooth skin under his hands. Eventually she lifted his head and her lips found his, gliding over his mouth, tasting him, taking comfort from his gentle kiss. Eventually he lay back and let her rest her head on his shoulder and they both fell into a contented sleep."
The next morning, Martin slipped out of bed early without disturbing Kate. He looked down at her as she lay sleeping, her hair splayed out over the pillow. She was beautiful even with the yellowing bruises.
He put on his dressing gown and made his way downstairs. It was raining hard and the temperature had dropped but the central heating kept the townhouse at a comfortable temperature. Martin prepared a tray for Kate's breakfast and took it upstairs when he heard her moving about. When he entered the bedroom she was sitting propped up against the headboard with a soft pillow behind her. She looked rested and when she saw him with the tray her eyes widened and she said, "Ohh…" and broke into a wide smile.
He brought the tray to her and set it on her lap. On it was a little pot of coffee and a fresh croissant with butter and jam in little ramekins. To one side was a little vase with a single red rose in it and a cream coloured envelope with the words Happy Birthday written in cursive script.
Kate's hand flew to her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes. "Oh Martin…" With everything that had happened she had totally forgotten about her own birthday.
He sat down next to her and leaned over and kissed her gently. "Happy Birthday…my beautiful Kate," he murmured then sat back and poured some coffee into her cup. He said that they couldn't go to their little Parisian restaurant so he thought breakfast in bed might make up for it. "And the croissant is only just this once." He gave a mock frown and raised his eyebrow. It always made her smile when he did that.
She reached for the envelope and opened it. Inside were two tickets and at first she thought they were for a concert but on taking a closer look she saw they were Eurostar tickets – London to Paris - booked three weeks from her birthday, leaving on a Friday afternoon and returning the Sunday evening.
She gasped and her face broke into a happy smile. "Oh Martin this is wonderful – thank you so, so much!"
He looked at her with a tender smile. "I thought you could ask your mother to go with you…or your friend Jen..."
Kate looked at him thoughtfully and then took his hand and rubbed it gently. "Thank you Martin but I would much rather take my very best friend…I would like you to come with me." She tugged his hand and pulled him closer so she could kiss him gently. "You are an extraordinary man Martin…and I love you so much."
He coughed softly. "Umm…I am sure your bruises will have healed nicely in three weeks. But if not and it worries you, your hair will hide them if you left it loose." He put out his hand and ran his fingers through the soft strands. She knew he loved it when she wore it loose anyway, bruises or not.
Kate looked at Martin. Whenever she thought she couldn't love him more, she found at times like this that her capacity to love him would never have an end. When it came to him, her heart would always have space for more love and more tenderness and more devotion. She gripped his hand and drew him closer, "I love you Martin…you're my whole world." And his soft grey eyes melted with love as he bent down and found her lips.