HER very own parking space!

Pulling on the handbrake of her smart, practical and incredibly clean sedan, Madison Walsh took a moment out of her busy schedule to indulge herself, staring with quiet satisfaction at the writing on the wall.

RESERVED / ED NUM

OK, it didn't say reserved for Madison Walsh, Nursing Unit Manager, Accident and Emergency Department, it didn't even matter that a parking space was possibly the last thing a perpetually early-for-everything woman like Madison needed — but it was hers!

Another step in the right direction, another life goal achieved.

Locking her car, Madison waved as Gerard Dalton slid his dark blue car into his own reserved parking spot and waited politely as the elderly gentleman climbed out.

"One day I'll beat you to work!" Gerard grinned. "You're not due to start for another two hours, Madison."

"Neither are you,'Madison pointed out, walking with Gerard through the dark car park, bypassing the darkened accident and emergency entrance and heading instead to the main reception area of the hospital.

"I guess we both just want to have that one final check before it's all systems go. Mind you," he added rather more lightly, "not before a good strong cup of coffee. Let's hope the kitchen staff remembers that we're here and delivers us some milk..." His voice trailed off as Madison held up a carrier bag.

"I stopped at the garage, just in case there wasn't any." 'Of course you did," Gerard said with a wry note to his voice. "Who's looking after that gorgeous daughter of yours while her mother's out all hours?"

"Emily's fine." Madison laughed. "She's having a sleepover at my friend Helen's, so that I could be here early today."

"And she's enjoying going to school?" 'She loves it,'Madison responded warmly, as they arrived outside the deserted reception area. She nodded her thanks as the security guard gave a thumbs-up and the doors slid open.

"Morning, Vic!" 'Morning, Professor, morning, Sister,'Vic responded cheerfully. "All ready for the big day?"

"I hope so," Madison said, rolling her eyes. "If we're not, we're about to find out the hard way."

"How could we not be ready?" Gerard said assuredly as they walked along the highly polished corridor and into the vacant emergency unit. "We've been planning this day for months now." 'I know," Madison sighed, flicking on lights as she went, noticing how hard the domestic staff had been working in the last couple of days, every last trace of builders' dust gone. The plastic wraps had been removed from the chairs in the waiting room, even the vending machines had been stocked up, but nothing could take away the scent of new paint and carpeting, and the pristine look of a hospital that had yet to see a patient. "At least that's what I keep telling myself, but I've been awake every night for the past week, thinking of a million and one things that might go wrong."

"You worry too much," Gerard admonished, steering her away from the empty nurses' station and into the staffroom. "You're the most meticulous, organised person I know, Madison. That's one of the reasons I insisted on having you as the NUM when they offered me the director's role for the new accident and emergency department. Designing a hospital from scratch is a hard enough task, but without a well-run, functioning emergency department..." He paused for a moment, kettle poised in mid-fill, and Madison noted he'd pulled out three mugs, which summed Gerard Dalton up in a heartbeat.

He'd be making a brew for Vic as well — porter or professor, it didn't matter. If you were on Gerard's team, you belonged.

"You know this is one of the proudest days of my life."

"There'd be a lot of proud moments in a life like yours, Gerard," Madison said warmly, and if it sounded gushing she didn't care. Gerard Dalton was quite simply the finest doctor and the most honourable man she had ever met. A devoted husband and father, he had somehow managed to squeeze in a career that would have anyone reeling. As well as being an esteemed emergency doctor, he was also a tireless AID worker for developing countries. The long list of letters after his name had been extremely well earned and, always thrilled to work alongside him, Madison had been honoured when he'd hand-picked her to join him in the daunting task of getting the accident and emergency department of the brand new Heatherton Hospital up and hopefully running successfully.

"There have been a lot of proud moments," Gerard agreed. "But this is something really special. I don't know how many times I've said in my career that if only things were different, if only we had the right equipment, if only someone had thought to put that here or this there..." He gave an apologetic smile. "I'm waffling."

"No, you're not," Madison said. "I've been thinking exactly the same thing — all this wonderful new equipment, consultations with the designers, hand-picking the staff, it's going to be wonderful."

"If you like that sort of thing." Gerard smiled and Madison did, too. "You either love hospitals or you hate them, I guess. What time do you think the staff will start getting here?"

"Well, no one's actually due to start until seven, but everyone was so enthusiastic when they came for orientation, I'm sure they'll start trickling in after six." 'And the department officially opens at nine?" Gerard checked his paperwork and Madison smothered a smile — they'd been over and over the details a thousand times, but despite Gerard's amazing ability to retain anything remotely medical, when it came to trivial matters such as clocks, budgets or even where he'd put down his glasses, he was the original absent-minded professor.

"We open at nine for patients making their own way in, but we're closed to ambulances until eleven a.m., which will give us a couple of hours to iron out any minor hiccups that might arise."

"Good idea," Gerard agreed. "It was your idea, Gerard," Madison said, not bothering to hide her smile this time.

"So it was," Gerard said. "Right, it looks like all we need now is a patient."

"And a consultant," Madison added, instantly regretting the slight edge to her voice. Because she'd worked alongside Gerard for so many years now, naturally he picked up on it.

"You're going to like him, Madison. Guy Boyd is the finest doctor I've had the privilege to work with.'Which, coming from Gerard, was high praise indeed, but still Madison remained hesitant.

"I just wish I'd met him. From what you've described, he's not exactly..." Her voice trailed off, not wanting to be rude, not wanting to judge before she'd even laid eyes on the man, but Gerard spoke for her.

"Guy's a bit of a free spirit," Gerard said, and no doubt he meant well, but the description of the new consultant brought absolutely no comfort to Madison, the words 'free spirit' searing through her like dental pain as she gritted her teeth. "He just doesn't like to be tied down in one place for too long."

"He doesn't like responsibility, you mean?'Madison responded. "Look, I'll reserve judgement till I've met him, Gerard, but we've known each other long enough to be honest, and the truth of the matter is I'm not particularly keen on "free spirits" wandering around my department. I want fully grounded, on-the-ball, committed workers."

"I know," Gerard answered, smiling placidly at Madison's frown. "And I know we've both been in on every interview, that we've both agreed on every member of the team, but in Guy's case he simply couldn't get here because he was overseas. When I emailed him about the new department I couldn't believe my luck — our luck — when he said that he was keen to be a part of it."

"But he's only prepared to commit to a six-month contract," Madison pointed out. "We're aiming for continuity, Gerard, staff who will follow the vision..."

"We are." Gerard nodded. "And if it was anyone else I'd have said no but, believe me, six months with Guy Boyd on board is too good to pass up. You're just going to have to trust me, Madison."

"Which I do," Madison said, forcing a smile, determined to let nothing mar this day. "I'm probably over-reacting. I'm sure that he'll turn out to be great."

"Once you get used to him," Gerard added, and Madison wished he hadn't! "Guy's not exactly into hospital politics. He's not exactly politically correct — very much his own man," Gerard explained, but seeing Madison's tight expression hastily turned his back and spooned sugar into a mug. "I'd best take this out to Vic. I noticed the sign diverting patients has been taken down. We ought to put it back up until the department officially opens."

"Gerard, when you say he's not into hospital politics..." Madison didn't even finish her sentence, her audience lost as Gerard headed off for an extended chat with Vic. Madison headed through the department towards the entrance, picking up the sign the cleaners must have taken down when they'd polished the doors. She pressed it back against the glass, and jumped as a looming shadow appeared out of the darkness.

"We're closed," Madison mouthed, pointing to the sign, but perhaps in the subdued light she couldn't be seen. It was either a patient who needed help or a member of staff, so Madison tapped the window and gestured to Reception. "Go that way,'she said, exaggerating the words to make herself understood, peering into the bleak ambulance bay.

He didn't look like a patient. Certainly, from his relaxed stance he wasn't in any pain, although admittedly all she could really see was a white T-shirt. But there wasn't any urgency in his actions.

"Problem?" Gerard asked, coming behind her and flicking on the light, which reduced Madison's visibility to zero. "Either an eager patient or a keen member of staff." 'We can deal with both." Gerard gave a half laugh and, cupping his hands, pressed them against the window.

"Why, it's Guy!'The delight in his voice forced Madison's attention and she watched as Gerard fiddled with the door. "Can't we open it?"

"Not without Security," Madison answered, resisting the urge to cup her own hands against the glass and have a good look at the new, politically incorrect consultant, but curiosity got the better of her and, cupping her own hand against the glass, she peered out into the pre-dawn darkness. Her eyes squinted to focus then she stepped back as a smiling, utterly laid-back face greeted hers. Inexplicably she felt as if he was way, way too close to her, his presence definitely felt even though he was safely on the other side of a thick glass door. In that split second a shooting flame of something she couldn't quite define rippled through her — and had Madison pulling away rapidly, catching her breath as if she'd been stung.

"Are you OK?" 'Fine," Madison answered briskly. "He'll have to walk round to Reception. We should go and meet him..." She headed off, expecting Gerard to follow her. After all, despite her own misgivings about his employment, it was the new consultant that was arriving and he deserved to be greeted. But as she walked back through the sterile waiting room it took a moment to realise she was walking alone.