Restoration in the River

You Don't Have to Tell Me

They met at Heathrow.

"I was going to fly home to Brissy to pack a fresh bag but thought I'd grab some clothes in Cali, Julian," Emmaline told him, hugging him. 

He nodded, returned the hug, then a soft kiss to the back of her hand.

The way he curled his fingers around hers and brought her hand up to his lips...oh if he only knew what his lips did to her...

And the kiss never lasted, it was over before she could blink. Maybe this was his way of seducing her...he wouldn't rest until she was all his...she wanted it to last, she couldn't get enough of him.

She wanted him to cover every inch of her body in his kisses and the take her like she was nobody else's but his...

Her body, her soul, her heart...all his...

'Oh God Emmaline! Get a grip! You're fifty years old! In the middle of Heathrow and going all lovesick and silly where everyone can see you!' She scolded herself mentally.

"Everything okay, Doctor?" He asked.

'Was that a smirk?' She detected, "fine, fine...Mr Lennon..." She managed, 'two can play at that game!' "Do you normally greet your lady friends, with a rather intimate kiss to the back of their hands?"

 His left hand was curled around the silver Jaguar on his walking stick.

"No Emmaline...just you," he said softly, with a happy smile, "that's us being called, are you ready to put up with me for the next, eleven hours?" 

She smiled back at him. "You were my patient for six weeks, Julian!"

*

She could see that he was in pain as they walked up the gangplank together.

Spending nearly twelve hours on a non-stop flight despite him getting up and moving would have still caused him some pain, and by the way, he was limping she could tell it was a mixture of his ankle, hip and scarred tissue and skin where the hippo had bitten him.

"When we get to where we are staying, I will work my magic to alleviate your pain and suffering, but I'd also like to get you to a hospital to get your scar checked out, they may just have to open you back up to make sure no tissue or muscle around the bite area has died." She told him, truthfully.

"I ain't going under the knife unless YOU perform the operation, Emmaline!" He put his foot down, not liking her idea at all.

"I'm just a doctor, not a surgeon Julian," she told him, "you'll thank me!"  

"Will I?" He challenged. 

"Is the bite area throbbing, hurting at all?" She asked, "and don't hide it from me!" 

"Fine! All right! You got me! It's killing me!" He surrendered. "But I just got here to Califonia! More time in hospital, don't leave my side if they keep me in!"

"It may just need a strong course of antibiotics to clear it, Julian," She told him as they met with Timothy White in the carpark outside.

"Are you going to make me go there now?" He asked, pouting.

'It would put my mind at ease Julian, please?" She placed her hand on his upper arm.

He sighed, knowing very well that she was right. "Timothy my friend, can you take me to the nearest Doctor's surgery?" 

"Of course Jules!" He answered, "Is this...the lovely Dr Emmaline? I have heard of your tireless work both in Egypt and back in Australia! You would be such a helping hand to Julian's foundation!"