A Family This Christmas by Sue MacKay

for.
    Cam said, ‘I trained at Otago Med School, too. But I’d have been four, five, years ahead of you.’
    She’d have remembered him. ‘I’m thirty-one, started at university when I was eighteen.’
    ‘Definitely long gone before you started.’
    ‘So you’re a geriatric?’ He’d be about six years older than her, she reckoned.
    ‘Definitely. Milk in your tea?’
    Nodding, she asked, ‘So why Wellington for your practice?’
    Handing her the mug of tea, he sank into an armchair with his coffee. ‘I went to boarding school there.’
    ‘Why boarding school?’
    ‘My parents have been farming in the sounds for forty-odd years. Mum home-schooled us until we were ready for high school.’
    ‘How’d that go for you?’
    ‘Loved it. I came home every opportunity, but being in the city was exciting, too.’
    ‘It must’ve been poles apart from the life you grew up with.’
    ‘Absolutely.’ He blew on his coffee. Looked around the room, brought his gaze back to her. ‘On Saturday you said you were travelling to Blenheim. Any particular reason?’
    Time to drink up the tea and head to that bed he’d mentioned. This time her libido remained quiet. ‘No, not really.’
    He didn’t look away or say a word. Just waited for an explanation. It would be hard to hide anything from him. But she didn’t owe him an explanation.
    The silence grew, not awkward but none too comfortable either. Gingerly sipping her tea, she thought about being here, doing something as ordinary as drinking tea and idly talking about life. How strange to have someone asking about what she did and where she did it. These past months the few people she’d crossed paths with hadn’t even known she was a doctor. ‘I haven’t worked for a while. Taking a road trip instead.’ And that’s all I’m saying.
    ‘A long road trip?’
    ‘I’m nearly done.’ The end was in sight. Except now she had no idea what she was going to do about getting to Kahurangi. Her foot wouldn’t be in any fit state for driving, and there was no other way to get there. Buses went past but being dumped in the middle of nowhere without means of shelter and food wasn’t viable. As for climbing to the accident site—forget it. Impossible.
    ‘Jenny?’ Cam called softly. ‘If there’s anything else I can do you’ll tell me, won’t you?’
    His eyes looked as startled as hers felt, indicating that had come out of the blue as much for him as it had for her. Her eyes widened and a smile stretched her mouth. ‘You’ve already done heaps. I’ll be heading away, out of your hair, as soon as possible.’ Then disappointment rocked her. She didn’t want to move on. Not yet, not until she’d learned more about Cam. But staying would be unfair. He had more than enough to contend with, without adding her woes to his list.
    ‘Will you eventually go back to working in an ED? Or do you want to change specialties?’ At least he hadn’t out and out asked why she’d given up medicine.
    ‘Emergency medicine’s always been my passion, and it’s hard to imagine learning another specialty.’ Even she could hear her voice dwindling away, getting quieter and quieter. Not wanting to face any more questions about any of this, she hauled herself upright and scooped up the crutches. ‘Think I’ll hit the sack.’
    Cam’s eyes widened, but thankfully he kept whatever had crossed his mind to himself. Instead, after a drawn-out moment he shocked her with, ‘They’re always looking for emergency specialists at Wairau.’
    Bang. She was on her butt again and sucking in a pain-filled breath as her ankle protested at the sudden movement. ‘I don’t think so,’ she finally spluttered.
    He shrugged as if it was no big deal. Which it wasn’t to him. ‘Fine. Just letting you know. In case you were contemplating staying around.’
    Thanks, but, no, thanks. It was one thing to feel disappointment at the thought of leaving, quite another to have Cam make it sound possible to