‘This is Dr Christakos.’ She introduced him to the parents, realising just how much she loved him. Just how much faith she had in him.

Andreas was by the child’s side in an instant, taking the handover from Jonathon as he examined the sick little boy.

‘You poor little thing,’ he murmured gently, his large hands gently palpating the child’s abdomen. ‘Jonathon, has he had penicillin?’

‘Yes.’ The SHO shot Libby a look of gratitude. ‘Libby thought we should go ahead with that and not wait for you.’

‘Good decision.’

Andreas completed his examination and straightened. ‘I want to do a lumbar puncture straight away—can you lay up a trolley?’

‘It’s here.’ Libby pushed it forward and a small smile played around his firm mouth.

‘Do you ever get anything wrong?’

Her heart beat slightly faster. ‘Yes. But when I do, I try to put it right.’

For a brief moment his dark eyes were questioning and then he strode over to the sink and started scrubbing, talking to the parents as he prepared to perform the lumbar puncture.

He explained what he was planning to do and why, and Heather clung to her husband, the worry visible on her face.

‘Perhaps you would rather wait outside while we do this,’ Andreas suggested, but Heather shook her head.

‘No. I don’t want to leave him.’

Andreas looked at Libby. ‘We’ll do it in the treatment room. I want to get a line in first but then someone needs to hold him for the LP.’

‘I’ll hold him,’ she said immediately, ‘and I’ll ask Bev to find someone to assist you.’

Moments later they were all gathered in the treatment room and Andreas inserted a line with ease. That done, Libby gently turned Max on his side, talking quietly to him all the time.

She curved the little boy round so that his knees were up by his chin, flexing the spine, and watched while Andreas marked the skin with a pen and then draped and sterilised the area.

Bev settled Heather at the head of the trolley. ‘Sit there and talk to him,’ she suggested quietly, ‘but keep your back to Dr Christakos and then you won’t have to watch what’s happening.’

Andreas infiltrated the skin with local anaesthetic and then tested the site, his eyes flickering to hers.

‘Are you ready?’ She nodded and held Max firmly, knowing how crucial it was that the child didn’t move during the procedure.

She watched as Andreas inserted the LP needle, talking quietly to the child and occasionally making a comment to Jonathon who was watching.

Bev had three little bottles ready and Andreas let four drops of fluid fall into each bottle.

Once Andreas was satisfied, he withdrew the needle and cleaned the site before covering it with the dressing that Bev had ready.

‘All done.’ He pushed his chair away from the side of the trolley and stood up, ripping off his gloves and dropping them in the nearest bin. ‘We’ll get those samples to the lab urgently and in the meantime we’ll get a line in and start getting fluids into the little chap.’