He said simply, ‘I’ve met Nurse before,’ and turned his attention to Jason. But the burning awareness still remained there like a flag, it showed in Frances’ heightened colour, in the doctor’s too casual acknowledgement. Frances saw Burn West’s tightened lips.Scott was talking with the boy and receiving the same treatment that Jason allotted to others: Don’t care... Nothing.’ But Scott had had a lot of experience in the children’s wards, he had been excellent with the young, Frances remembered, and presently Jason showed the doctor the wind-up dog.They talked of it for a while, and Frances took the opportunity to remove the breakfast tray to the kitchen.At the door Burn West took the tray from her.‘No need, Nurse,’ he said laconically. They had reached the hallway by now. ‘You can get back to your patient.’ He did not highlight ‘patient’, but it emerged that way.‘Mr. West, I—’He held up his big hand. ‘No need for explanations, it was not one of my demands that you didn’t know the attending doctor before you got the post.’‘I didn’t know it was Scott,’ she stated.‘That takes credence.
