Heart and Soul

Whitethorn Woods

Here is an excerpt from Heart and Soul, published in 2009.

They had told Clara Casey that there was a small budget to furnish her new office. A tiresome administrator with a loud voice, tousled hair and irritating body language had gestured around the dull, awkward-looking room with its grey walls and ill-fitting steel filing cabinets. Not the kind of room that a senior consultant would consider much of a prize after thirty years studying and practising medicine. Still, it was never wise to be negative at the outset.

She struggled for the man's name. 'Yes, indeed ... um ... Frank,' she said. 'It certainly has a lot of what might be called potential.'

This was not the response he had expected. The handsome, dark-haired woman in her forties, wearing a smart, lilac-coloured knitted suit, was striding around the small room like a caged lioness.

He spoke quickly. 'Not unlimited potential, Dr Casey, not financially speaking, I fear. But a coat of paint here and a piece of nice furniture there, a feminine touch will do wonders.' He smiled indulgently.

Clara fought hard to keep her temper.

'Yes, of course, those are just the kind of judgements I would bring to decorating my own home. This is entirely different. For one thing I can't have a room hidden miles away down a corridor. If I am to run this place I have to be in the centre of it and run it.'

'But everyone will know where you are, your name will be on the door,' he spluttered.

'I have no intention of being locked away in here,' she said.

'Dr Casey, you have seen the funding, you were aware of the set-up when you took the position.'

'Nothing was said about where my desk would be. Nothing at all. It was left to be discussed at a later date. This is the date.'

He didn't like her tone. It was definitely like the tone of a schoolmistress.

'And this is the room,' he said.

She was tempted to ask him to call her Clara, but remembered he would have to recognise her status here if she was to get anything done. She knew his type.

'I think not, Frank,' she said.

'Can you show me where else you could be placed? The dietician's room is even smaller, the secretary has just room for herself and the files. The physio has to have his room laid out with equipment, the nurses need their station, the waiting room must be near the door. Can you kindly inspire me as to where we can find you another room if this perfectly serviceable place doesn't suit?'

'I'll sit in the hall,' Clara said simply.

'The hall? What hall?'

'The space when you come in the glass doors.'

'But, Dr Casey, that wouldn't do at all.'

'And exactly why not, Frank?'

'You'd be at everyone's beck and call,' he began.

'Yes?'

'There would be no privacy, it wouldn't look ... it wouldn't be right. There would only be room for a desk.'

'All I need is a desk.'

'No, Doctor, with respect, you need much more than a desk. Much more. Things like a filing cabinet,' he finished lamely.

'I can have one of those in the secretary's office.'

'A place for your patients' case histories?'

'In the nurses' room.'

'You'll need some privacy sometimes to talk to patients.'

'We can call this room that you like so much the consultation room, we can all use it when needed. You could paint it calm, restful colours, get new curtains; I'll choose them if you like. A few chairs, a round table. Okay?'

He knew it was over, but he gave one final bleat.

'That was never the way before, Dr Casey, it just wasn't the way.'

'There never was a heart clinic here before, Frank, so there is no point in trying to compare it with something that didn't exist. We are setting this place up from scratch and if I am going to run it then I'm going to run it properly.'

Ireland, UK, Australia & New Zealand:
Orion
Hardback – ISBN – 978-0-7528-7336-7
Paperback – ISBN – 978-0-7528-8464-6

USA:
Knopf
Hardback – ISBN – 978-0-3072-6579-1
Paperback – ISBN – To Be Announced

Useful links:

UK – Orion: www.orionbooks.co.uk
USA – Knopf: www.randomhouse.com/knopf/home.pperl
Canada – McArthur & Co: www.mcarthur-co.com