London with Love

Chapter 3. Work.

Scott was in surgery, performing a plastic operation under the glare

of the lights for a patient with burns. He couldn't wish for a better

medical team around him. The anaesthetist, David, had become a close

friend; he had worked with Scott on many of the private patients at Harley

Street, the top London location for all doctors. Both men found working

exclusively for the state-run National Health Service wouldn't give them

the level of income they wanted. Private work filled in around the NHS

schedule, and at the age of 30, Scott had already built up an enviable

reputation as a cosmetic surgeon.

Scott worked on the patient on the operating table. 'How's married

life?' In spite of asking the question, he kept his concentration on the

patient. Since the anaesthetist was the only married person in the room,

the two nurses knew who Scott was talking to.

'Domestic bliss. How's your love life, Scott?'

'I enjoy my independence. Nick keeps me occupied with the girls he

brings along. It's fun up to a point, but when it gets too serious, I back off.'

'A wife can have your slippers ready and a glass of Scotch.'

He knew David was joking. Scott kept his eyes on the patient. 'The

day I fall for a woman, I'll buy you a bottle of the best whisky.' He felt sure

in his mind this wasn't going to happen for many years.

'I'll hold you to that.'

After he'd finished and the patient had been wheeled to recovery, he

took his mask and gown off. He unbuttoned his shirt as he walked back

into the operating room. David stood waiting.

'Okay, I'm ready.' He had briefed David on what to do.

'Is this the microchip?' asked David as he held it between his thumb

and forefinger. 'You haven't said what it does.'

'It's confidential, David. An experiment which I think is going to make

children safer.' He got himself ready on the operating table and watched

David give him an injection one inch below his ribs. While they waited

for the anaesthetic to work, Scott gave a brief outline of what the chip

would do. 'I can't tell you too much, but it's a homing device, a tracker for

someone else to locate exactly where I am.'

'Is this the thing you've been working on since university?'

He nodded. 'I've been carrying the chip around in my wallet for a few

months to make sure it functions properly.' Scott took the knife and made

a small incision in his skin. He placed the chip snugly under his rib. 'In

theory it should work inside me.'

David passed the special plaster strips to enable Scott to close the cut,

followed by a bandage to protect it.