Out of Practice Read Free

you’re a very sweet girl and clearly a very good doctor or you wouldn’t be
here. But tell Dr Bruce that you scratched his car and your first day could well be your last. Okay? So, as I was saying, you noticed nothing at all . . .’
    Holly was struggling to remove the stricken expression from her face, when Grace leaned in and whispered kindly, ‘He’s off to do rounds later and the lanes are really muddy. Trust me
on this one. Just let it go.’ She squeezed Holly’s arm and bundled her out of the ladies, leaving Holly with the distinct impression that Grace was turning out to be a bit of a dark
horse.

Chapter 2
    Moments later, Holly settled herself quietly in the corner of Dan’s consultation room and tried not to be obvious about the fact that she was staring. She always felt
that you could tell a lot about someone by the state of their desk and, if that maxim held true, then Dan appeared to be suffering from some sort of split personality.
    One side of his imposingly solid desk was arranged with almost military precision and, whilst there were serried ranks of various gadgets and gizmos, there was definite order in the chaos. By
contrast, the other side was a teetering mass of paperwork, unopened post and empty coffee cups.
    Holly looked up. Caught in the act, there wasn’t much she could do but smile. ‘Sorry. Just being nosey,’ she managed. ‘Trying to get a feel for the place . . .’
    ‘And trying to work out how it’s possible to have so much paperwork in a paperless office?’ said Dan wryly. ‘Just don’t tell Grace. It’s my guilty little
secret.’ He sat down and swivelled his chair until he was facing her. ‘It’s great you’re here, Holls. You’re going to love it. Quick question though? Dr Graham? Was it
just too much paperwork to change when you got married or should I read something into that?’
    Holly shrugged. To Milo, she’d blamed the paperwork, but in reality? ‘Nothing sinister afoot. Just that I didn’t really want to be known as Dr Payne. It’s nearly as bad
as Dr de’Ath at med school.’
    Dan laughed, ‘God, yes, I remember him. But Milo Payne – ooph – that’s a tough one to carry off. When you put it like that, Dr Graham is probably the way to go. But, I
will warn you, it’s a little bit old-fashioned round here sometimes – you may find yourself constantly explaining that you haven’t upped and left him.’
    Holly laughed nervously, earning herself a quizzical look from Dan, so she quickly filled the conversational black-hole. ‘It seems like a really friendly town, though. The boys are
settling in well and I’m obviously over the moon to be nearer Lizzie. How often, as grown-ups, do you get to see your best friend every day?’
    ‘It’s great,’ Dan agreed, thankfully letting any awkwardness about Milo pass. ‘Although half the people in this town are completely eccentric and there’s rarely a
dull moment. In fact, to be honest, even the staff at The Practice can take a little getting used to. There are one or two characters here that you’ll either love or hate, but I’ll let
you form your own opinions on that.’
    Dan looked at his watch and made an obvious gear change to professional mode. ‘In fact, the first thing you’ll notice today is that General Practice is a rather different beast to
being at the hospital and we all have our own individual style. The important thing for you, Holly, is to hold your own. Don’t be swayed into any decision that makes you feel uncomfortable,
but try and stay open to other possibilities. Granted, it’s a bit of a balancing act, but give it a go.’
    ‘Okay,’ nodded Holly, suddenly unable to formulate anything more eloquent. She watched as Dan pushed back his tousled mop of chestnut hair that appeared to be resilient to any cut,
style or product.
    ‘Okay then,’ echoed Dan. ‘And I gather you’ve already met Elsie Townsend? Who, by the way, is simply fabulous, but she does rather keep