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after all.
    She had never felt more alone in her life.
     
    Eamon picked up his takeaway meal from his favourite restaurant, thrilled that the same people were still running it since he had left to work in the UK a couple of years ago. Right now he could think of nothing better than a cold beer and a madras curry, maybe watching some cricket on television or catching up on some current affairs on the Net.
    He suddenly noticed a slight figure in the small crowd that was milling out of the local cinema, her shiny chestnut hair loose about her face instead of tightly pulled back. She was wearing jeans and a loose shirt over a camisole top, with ballet flats on her feet. Her eyes were downcast as she weaved her way through the knots of people, as if she didn’t want to be noticed.
    Eamon was on his way to her when he saw a boisterous couple coming the other way jostle against her, almost knocking her over.
    ‘Hey, watch where you’re going,’ the young male half of the couple said belligerently.
    Eamon quickly broke through the crowd and put his arm around Erin’s waist, pulling her close to his side. ‘Sorry I’m late, sweetheart,’ he said. Then, turning to look at the obstreperous pair, he gave them the full force of his commanding gaze. ‘Is there a problem here?’
    The couple exchanged a glance, the young man eventually giving a shrug. ‘It’s cool, mate. I guess I wasn’t watching where I was going.’
    ‘That’s what I thought,’ Eamon said, and stood with his arm still around Erin’s waist until they had moved on.
    Erin felt the nerves beneath her skin tingle with feelings she had never felt before. The weight of his arm was unfamiliar, but not in any way unpleasant. With him standing so close to her she could smell his light citrus-based aftershave; she could even see the individual points of stubble on his jaw. The most primal feelings swept over her. No one had ever sprung to protect her before. It awakened such deep yearnings she had trouble disguising how affected she was. To cover her vulnerability, she stepped out of his embrace and dusted herself off, as if his touch had contaminated her in someway. ‘Thanks,’ she mumbled. ‘But the sweetheart thing was a bit over-the-top, don’t you think?’
    His mouth curved upwards in a smile. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘It worked, didn’t it?’
    Erin found her lips wanting to return his smile, but she controlled them by biting the inside of her mouth.
    ‘So, where’s your date?’ he asked, looking up and down the street before returning his gaze to hers.
    ‘What date? Oh…’ She felt her face colour again. ‘Um…they couldn’t make it at the last minute.’
    ‘Another doctor, huh?’
    ‘Um…’ She looked away. ‘No. Just a… Someone who couldn’t make it.’
    ‘Story of my life,’ he said with a hint of wryness.
    Erin looked at him. ‘ You got stood up?’ Her voice came out slightly incredulous.
    ‘You didn’t turn up for the first ward-round,’ he said, skewering her with his gaze.
    Erin bit her lip and turned away. ‘I know. I’m sorry, I had a tough case to deal with. I lost track of time.’
    ‘I realise it won’t always be possible to attend each one, but the plan overall is to improve continuity of care,’ he said. ‘Today’s round showed up a few holes in the system, so it will be good to work on those. I can fill you in on what went on so you don’t feel out of the loop.’
    Erin had always felt out of the loop, but she didn’t tell him so. She hadn’t gone to the right school, and she certainly hadn’t come from the right family. She didn’t mix with the high-flyers; she just got on with her job, hoping to make a difference where she could. ‘You seem pretty sure this set-up will work,’ she said. ‘Is this new system something you experienced overseas?’
    ‘Yes and no,’ he said. ‘I’ve worked in several A&Edepartments now, and I’ve seen a lot of avoidable problems occur because communication