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!"
"If he ever needs a hand, however I can, I'd be happy to help out!"
"Some of the third world countries are in desperate need of medical care and help!" Timothy said as they headed to his car.
"Timothy my friend, now is not the time!" Julian cautioned as he limped along. His side was giving him unbearable grief.
Emmaline noticed. "Nearest hospital Timothy?" She asked, "The White Feather Foundation can indeed wait, the last thing we want is for its founder, to be in more unbearable pain than he is in already!"
"The very best is Cedars-Sinai Medical Center!" He announced as she sat in the backseat with Julian, holding his hand.
"I need to get you into surgery now, it can't wait any longer!" Emmaline told him as Timothy navigated his way. "Have you had the pain long?"
"Last night it started, a dull ache. I took a couple painkillers and ignored it" he told her.
"I don't know why your bite is doing this, I was assured it was properly cleaned out when you were at the Cleopatra Hospital!" she pondered "they're the most professional hospital in Egypt!"
"I hope you're right Emmaline... cause this pain is making me want to spew!" He groaned.
Timothy looked at her through the rear view mirror "two blocks to go, can he hold it in? I don't have any bags or buckets or containers!"
Julian had his eyes squeezed shut and his head hung down.
"Oh God, I hope so!" Emmaline said, holding him to let him know that she wasn't going anywhere.
*
"Have you a spare operating theatre? My friend needs urgent surgery!" Emmaline asked the receptionist, she didn't state she was a Doctor. She'd do that if 'push came to shove'. "Hippo bite to the right side above the hip about two months ago has healed but I believe it was not properly cleaned out whilst he was in surgery. Extreme pain almost causing vomiting, heart rate is up sweating, dizziness, lightheadedness. This is an emergency! He needs to be operated on straight away!"
The receptionist looked at her like she didn't honestly give a shit.
"Take a seat, and fill out these forms...you ain't got no special treatment here princess! Do you see all the sick people in here waiting to see a doctor?'
Julian groaned hearing he would have to wait, his stomach was absolutely churning. He didn't know if he could wait, he felt like he was going to pass out, at any moment.
"Who do you think you are, princess?" She continued at Emmaline.
Emmaline's eyes narrowed. "Dr Emmaline Hatchford, three-quarters of these people just need to go to a doctor's surgery, their symptoms are not of an emergency, now get me an operating theatre and a surgeon!!!"
She saw fear in the rude receptionist's eyes. "Y..yes Dr Hatchford! At once, Ma'am!" straight on the phone.
Within moments Emmaline was approached by a surgeon.
"Hippo bite I hear, Dr Hatchford?" He said, "I'm Dr Milton Santano, please come this way!"
He led them to a small consultation room, sat Julian down on the examination table and got straight onto the job at hand.
"Oh, that does need immediate surgery!" He said as soon as he laid eyes on Julian's right side. "That wasn't cleaned out properly! Ninety-five per cent yes, but that small percentage over time has become infected, Emmaline. We'll prep you for surgery straight away Mr?"
"Lennon...Julian Lennon.." He drawled, he was in agony.
*
Emmaline took off his jewellery as they busied around him in the operating theatre.
She left his hippo amulet until last.
"Everything has to come off Doctor," A nurse told her politely, seeing her hesitate.
She nodded and gently unfastened the braided leather, then carefully put it on her own wrist, his other jewellery went into her handbag for safe keeping.
He looked up at her, his beautiful eyes were bloodshot "keep me safe Taweret..."
*
Whilst he was in surgery Emmaline took the opportunity to call Sean using Julian's iPhone and let him know what was happening.
"Hello, my brother!" Came his cheerful welcome "how are you, Jules?? Nice cover story of you and your doctor dancing at the British Heart Foundation Gala Dinner at the Ritz London all over the news!"
She braced herself for his anger. Both John's sons had inherited his world-renowned temper.
"Sean it's Emmaline, I'm at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Julian's wound wasn't properly cleaned out when he was in Cairo, it's become infected so he's back in surgery, I just wanted to let you know," She told him.
There was silence for a moment then he spoke, "I'm on the first plane to L.A, Emmaline!"
*
Julian was only in surgery for about an hour.
In that time, Emmaline got to know Timothy.
"I basically gave him that 'little push' that he needed to get into fine art photography," he said proudly. "Have you had a chance to see some of his work, Doctor?"
"Only certain glimpses, a photo here and there, I will admit I do love looking at his Instagram page, Julespicturepalace is indeed what it is!" She said.
"His talent is a heaven sent gift, dear Emmaline!" Timothy said proudly. "He thinks a lot of you, Doctor, he hasn't stopped talking about you every time we call each other! He was so happy that you were coming to California with him! Treat him with care, he's had a rough life! It's not easy being the son of a Beatle."
"I can relate, Mr White," She told him, watching people come and go in the corridor they were sitting in. "I've spent most of my life, my career trying to be bigger than my Father who was a leading heart surgeon in Brisbane, and in that time, I haven't married nor have I brought any children into this world!"
He gently squeezed her hand as he sat beside her "no, but think of the people you have helped over the years! What do you want in the next part of your life, Emmaline?"
"To work four days in a doctor's surgery back home in Brisbane, because, one I want a long weekend every weekend and two I work at three hospitals, one in Egypt and two back home in Brissy and I want to settle down with someone, a companion, a best friend, a mate, a husband..."
All Timothy had to do was point at the doors leading to the main operating theatres.