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out—just in time to see Mr Wendlesham stand up.
    The auxiliary was nowhere to be seen, so Anna hurried down to the patient and told him, very firmly, to sit down.
    No doubt surprised at her vehemence, he did so, a big grin on his face.
    'Just testing my legs, Nurse. See if they are still working, like,' he assured her, and she smiled back.
    'It was worth a try, Mr Wendlesham, but Sister will have me hung drawn and quartered if you don't behave!' she said lightly, then almost bumped into Eliza as she turned.
    'Sorry, Eliza. Did you want me to help you with something?'
    Eliza shrugged, lines of ill-humour on her face. 'I'm not doing much. I'll talk to Mr Wendlesham while you tidy the beds,' she said, perching herself on the bed, and Anna, eyebrows raised, went in search of Ruth Barratt.
    Eliza was right when she said she wasn't doing much, for Anna and Ruth found they were slaving away all afternoon. Reshma went off at four-thirty and Sister at five, leaving Staff Nurse Powell in charge. She was doing a split duty and wasn't too happy about it.
    Anna knew learners were not expected to do split shifts until they were in their third year, and only rarely then, so she had been surprised when Sister Noakes told her she would have to do one the following day.
    'Dr Carter will be doing his round in the morning,' Sister explained, 'then Dr Tester will be coming around with the senior registrar some time in the afternoon, so I need experienced staff then. He's been on sick leave, still is really, but he's keen to keep up to date with his patients.'
    Anna thought in the circumstances it was a reasonable request, though her mother probably would not. She already complained when Anna had to work a late shift, which meant she didn't get home until ten. A split duty involved being at the hospital from seven-thirty until lunch, then back again at five until nine-thirty.
    She could read to Mother during the afternoon break, though. That always put her in a good mood. Being off in the afternoon meant she would miss Dr Alexandre's round, and the thought irritated her—but she didn't like the man so she ought to be glad she would miss him, not sorry.
    Feeling sad without knowing why, she went to the canteen for her tea-break—twenty minutes worth of stale sandwiches or cake and a cup of tea.
    It was warm and cosy in the canteen and it was nearly empty so Anna chose a table by the window. From where she sat she could see the raindrops trailing down the windows, hear the faint patter as they hit the glass. A walk home in that would not be fun. When her father was alive they had had a car and Anna wished she could have driving lessons. Her mother could well afford another car and it would be safer for Anna when she was on night duty. Walking across a deserted recreation ground on dark nights wasn't a prospect she relished.
    Yet if she pointed that out to her mother it would upset and frighten her—so much so that she would probably forbid Anna to continue at the hospital. She sighed, then stared down at the flecks of tea swimming on the surface of her cup. A teabag must have burst again.
    'Is the tea not to your liking?' an amused voice asked, and Dr Alexandre drew out the chair opposite her and sat down. He needed plenty of room for his long legs just as Anna did, and inevitably their knees touched, but he seemed unaware of it.
    Anna was aware, though. She could feel his warmth, and frissons of excitement shot along her legs then through her whole body. Gently, she shifted in her chair, and tucked her legs underneath it, trying to appear unconcerned at the same time.
    Those blue-grey eyes glinted with amusement, and a warm tide of colour suffused Anna's face and neck.
    The registrar watched her with interest so Anna blushed more, feeling like a specimen being examined under a powerful microscope.
    'Excuse me, I have to get back,' she choked out, unsuccessfully trying to disentangle her legs from those of both the chair and the doctor.
    When