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the ward clerk will book them an outpatient appointment if the nurses haven't already arranged it. If you're not sure ask Doug or me.'
    While Lindsay started the first letter, Merrin started reading another set of notes but then she shut them, staring blankly at the immunisation chart on the wall in front of them. 'Is he always like that?' she asked finally.
    'That was slow for him.' Lindsay's smile was understanding. 'Actually, over the last couple of years he's slowed a lot. We've even been a bit worried about him. But, still, compared with anyone else he's amazing.'
    'He's incredible.'
    'Wait till you see him in Theatre. His technique's flawless yet he's so fast it's scary.'
    Merrin believed it. 'From what I saw at the weekend he's got three times as many patients as any of the other surgeons, plus he must have all his academic and teaching work as well. How on earth does he manage it?'
    'He's here till midnight most nights.'
    'His poor wife,' Merrin said weakly. It seemed impossible that such a man wouldn't be married. 'How does she cope?'
    'He's widowed.' Lindsay looked back at the notes. 'His wife died. Almost two years ago now. I was on maternity leave at the time and I wasn't around but apparently the whole hospital was in shock for weeks. She was a nurse in Casualty. She was on her way to work on night duty and her car was hit by one driven by a drunk driver.'
    She looked back at Merrin. 'You saw how abrupt he was just now with that guy in ICU. He has zero tolerance for drunk drivers and Simon D'Souza's blood alcohol was twice the limit.'
    Merrin felt terrible. She barely knew the professor and she'd never met his wife but she had a romantic heart and the images Lindsay's words provoked touched it. 'How sad,' she said softly. 'How terribly, terribly sad. Was she very beautiful?'
    'Very. Douglas says he heard that she was pregnant at the time but—well, that might just be a rumour. Prof never talks about anything to do with her.'
    'Oh.' Merrin felt tears begin to prickle behind her eyes. 'Oh, the poor man.'
    'Don't let on that you know anything,' Lindsay said quickly. 'He wouldn't appreciate it.'
    'I'll remember,' she promised, dabbing at her damp eyes with a tissue.
    'And try not to fall in love with him,' the older doctor added, brusquer now.
    'I think it might be too late,' Merrin said faintly, hoping that she was joking but heavily aware of a dull aching around her heart.
    'Then just keep quiet about it and hope it goes away,' Lindsay replied, but her regard was sympathetic. 'Seems to happen to all of us, unfortunately.'
    'Even if you're married?' Merrin knew from the weekend that Lindsay had a husband and children.
    'Even if you're happily married with a wonderful husband and two lovely boys,' the SHO answered. Her smile was gently self-mocking. 'Look around when he walks anywhere and you'll see women going dreamy, all over the place. I can't see him marrying again, though. Frankly, if he did I wouldn't envy the woman he chooses. From what I've seen it's pretty obvious that no one will ever be able to take his wife's place. His work will always be the most important thing in his life now.'
    Merrin thought that sounded tragic. But since there wasn't anything she could do about it she simply vowed to do everything she could to make things easier for him by dedicating herself to her work during her attachment to his team.
    She spent most of the day with Lindsay, paying close attention while the other doctor showed her where things were kept and how to arrange simple investigations like blood tests and X-rays. They had eight admissions for Theatre the following day and Lindsay helped her with them as well as with the work she had to do on the ward.
    It wouldn't always be like that. 'Monday's the only day I'm not scheduled for Theatre or teaching or Outpatients,' Lindsay explained over afternoon tea in Orange Ward's cramped doctors' office. 'We're all on the wards for the morning and evening rounds but apart from