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‘Told you he’s a fan’ Colleen left her to get on with cajoling Gino out of bed and onto his crutches

‘Co for a walk’

‘But it’s nearly time for the tea trolley to coriped

‘You won’t I’ll make you a cup myself if necessary Have you had your blood pressure taken this ?’

‘It was high’

Elene had to s the laughter his delaying tactics brought on She would have hiet the s over the side’

The two short walks over the then the daed muscles and bed rest, which see

‘You kno to get the’ Mattia surprised her as she helped Gino back onto the bed for the last time

‘Aren’t you meant to be at the hospital?’ she asked

‘Next surgery’s at two I thought I’d co And check on Gino How’s your one?’

‘I’ve been in lance at the wall clock showed she should’ve signed off half an hour ago ‘No wonderup and down’

‘You going straight home?’

‘I should in case Airab a pastry at a café on the way

‘She’s happy playing in the sandpit’ When she raised an eyebrow at hirab that bite to eat together’

‘Sure,’ she said to his retreating back He just expected her to agree So what? Her spirits were soaring A few minutes with Mattia were always minutes to enjoy Usually, anyway When she ca at the main entrance

Outside, they walked towards the bus station where there were many cafés Mattia led her down an alley into a tiny, dimly lit café where the talk was all in Italian and olddama

Elene laughed ‘I grew up playing Italian checkers’

‘You fit right in here,’ Mattia said ‘What would you like to eat?’

Settling for a sandwich, Elene sat at the only vacant table, which was crammed into a corner, and watched Mattia chat casually to a couple of elderly ht the walls in even closer,the café feel ston but outright friendliness hadn’t been so apparent, though he was usually with patients when she’d been near him

Mattia tugged his phone fro to her to join his and cancel the coffee ‘Gino’s fallen and possibly dislocated his hip’

‘Not good’ Grabbing their lunch bags, Elene hurried after hiery in thirty minutes at the hospital

‘We’ll take him into Theatre immediately You can ith ’ He punched a number on his phone and told someone that he’d be a little late for the operation scheduled for two

Elene ran to keep up with his long strides ‘I’ll call Anna and explain I’ll be late Hopefully Aiet upset’

‘You think? When Anna spoils her rotten? Aimee never cries around her’

‘True’ Relief relaxed Elene

‘Gino’ Mattia didn’t slon as he entered the ward ‘What happened? Colleen, I’ back the cover ‘Now,to take a look at your hip If you have dislocated it then we have to give you an epidural, numb you from the chest down, and then I can put it back in place’

‘Will I be all right, Doctor?’ Gino was pale, and looking stunned ‘I was only doing what Nurse Elene said I wanted to show her I could do it on my own Then I twisted around when someone called my name’

Elene winced ‘It’s all right, Gino’ She took the ht ‘Dr Ricco will have you up and about again in no tiet back on those crutches for a while ‘I’ll be here to help you every day until you’ve got your confidence back’

Mattia gently felt the le of the hip joint said it all ‘Definitely dislocated Right, we’ll go scrub up Colleen will bring Gino through to the prep room and we’ll do this in Theatre It’s a safer environ in short supply’

Standing at a basin next to Mattia, scrubbing her hands, she couldn’t help but ston when she’d worked with him, but today she was coue about ‘No wonder you always look exhausted at the end of the day if this is what happens to your schedule’

‘The life of a doctor, eh?’ He elbowed the tap off