teeth, woman!' The bellow was accompanied by the sound of breaking china and a muffled shriek.
The door of Room 27 burst open and an agency nurse tottered breathlessly on the threshold, a wet coffee stain spreading across the skirt of her white dress. From inside the private room, came a full-throated masculine roar:
'Is a decent cup of coffee too much to ask for?' the voice snarled. 'Have I got to discharge myself and get back to civilization?'
Something thudded against the back of the door. The nurse leapt out of the line of fire and leaned her shaking body against the corridor wall. When she felt able to speak she went straight to the office and told them that her patient was impossible.
Then she gave in her notice and left.
* * *
'I'm sorry to be moving you again, Staff Nurse, but it's a delicate situation over on the Maynard Wing. We've had yet another agency nurse refuse to special this particular patient. We just can't carry on like this.' Mrs Harris leaned confidentially across her desk, voice lowered as if the outside world might hear. 'And the problem patient happens to be one of our own consultants! Well, I'm sorry to have to say it, but Mr Galvan really is behaving very badly.
In spite of her disappointment, Kate was tickled. Tom must be 'out of the woods' for sure, and if the poor man was behaving badly it didn't take a psychotherapist to work out why.
'I've discussed the matter with the Senior Nursing Officers and we're all in agreement. In these exceptional circumstances we need an experienced nurse of strong character. Someone unlikely to crack under pressure must be assigned to help on Maynard with particular responsibility for Mr Galvan.'
Kate took a deep breath. Seeing this, and fearing S/N Wisdom might be about to say she'd prefer to stick it out working nights on A&E, the CNO resorted to a bit of emotional blackmail: 'It's such a worry for poor Sister Carter—nurses bursting into tears and refusing to go into his room!'
'I can imagine,' murmured Kate, looking down at her neatly folded hands so that Mrs Harris shouldn't notice the twinkle in her eyes.
Tom Galvan was creating a right old pantomime, by the sound of things. Couldn't they appreciate how frustrating it must be for him? Stuck in a hospital bed while his theatre lists built up and his team struggled to carry on as best they could without their neuro-surgeon chief.
Experienced nurse of character, indeed! It's obvious no one else wants the job. Kate's lips tightened. Mrs Harris is afraid I'll turn her down - and what's she going to do then?
I don't see myself as a tough no-nonsense cookie—and I don't really think Mrs Harris does either. But she knows I've experienced worse things in life than a wounded surgeon on the rampage.
Mrs Harris got up and came round to the front of her desk, looking up at the tall skinny staff nurse. 'We have to help Mr Galvan come to terms with what has happened. The medical staff are extremely concerned for his future but the prognosis is hopeful. You will do it, won't you, Kate. You won't let me down.'
Kate nodded and smiled. 'Of course I will, Mrs Harris.' She could have added, because I care about what happens to Tom Galvan, and I'll put up with whatever comes my way. And also it gets me off A&E, she thought and felt her shoulders sag. Out of the frying pan and into the fire!
The CNO smiled back, relief written all over her cheerful face. 'We don't yet know what the outcome of Tom's injuries will be. Underneath it all, there's a lovely lovely man facing potential catastrophe and the end of his career. I know we can rely on you to be understanding. You've been involved with this case from the start. Can you start tomorrow? Excellent. Go on home and get a good night's rest.'
Because you're leaping out of the frying pan and into the fire, figured Kate wryly.
'And report to Sister Carter eight am sharp. '
Next morning, pulling over her head the white uniform dress worn on the private wing,
The door of Room 27 burst open and an agency nurse tottered breathlessly on the threshold, a wet coffee stain spreading across the skirt of her white dress. From inside the private room, came a full-throated masculine roar:
'Is a decent cup of coffee too much to ask for?' the voice snarled. 'Have I got to discharge myself and get back to civilization?'
Something thudded against the back of the door. The nurse leapt out of the line of fire and leaned her shaking body against the corridor wall. When she felt able to speak she went straight to the office and told them that her patient was impossible.
Then she gave in her notice and left.
* * *
'I'm sorry to be moving you again, Staff Nurse, but it's a delicate situation over on the Maynard Wing. We've had yet another agency nurse refuse to special this particular patient. We just can't carry on like this.' Mrs Harris leaned confidentially across her desk, voice lowered as if the outside world might hear. 'And the problem patient happens to be one of our own consultants! Well, I'm sorry to have to say it, but Mr Galvan really is behaving very badly.
In spite of her disappointment, Kate was tickled. Tom must be 'out of the woods' for sure, and if the poor man was behaving badly it didn't take a psychotherapist to work out why.
'I've discussed the matter with the Senior Nursing Officers and we're all in agreement. In these exceptional circumstances we need an experienced nurse of strong character. Someone unlikely to crack under pressure must be assigned to help on Maynard with particular responsibility for Mr Galvan.'
Kate took a deep breath. Seeing this, and fearing S/N Wisdom might be about to say she'd prefer to stick it out working nights on A&E, the CNO resorted to a bit of emotional blackmail: 'It's such a worry for poor Sister Carter—nurses bursting into tears and refusing to go into his room!'
'I can imagine,' murmured Kate, looking down at her neatly folded hands so that Mrs Harris shouldn't notice the twinkle in her eyes.
Tom Galvan was creating a right old pantomime, by the sound of things. Couldn't they appreciate how frustrating it must be for him? Stuck in a hospital bed while his theatre lists built up and his team struggled to carry on as best they could without their neuro-surgeon chief.
Experienced nurse of character, indeed! It's obvious no one else wants the job. Kate's lips tightened. Mrs Harris is afraid I'll turn her down - and what's she going to do then?
I don't see myself as a tough no-nonsense cookie—and I don't really think Mrs Harris does either. But she knows I've experienced worse things in life than a wounded surgeon on the rampage.
Mrs Harris got up and came round to the front of her desk, looking up at the tall skinny staff nurse. 'We have to help Mr Galvan come to terms with what has happened. The medical staff are extremely concerned for his future but the prognosis is hopeful. You will do it, won't you, Kate. You won't let me down.'
Kate nodded and smiled. 'Of course I will, Mrs Harris.' She could have added, because I care about what happens to Tom Galvan, and I'll put up with whatever comes my way. And also it gets me off A&E, she thought and felt her shoulders sag. Out of the frying pan and into the fire!
The CNO smiled back, relief written all over her cheerful face. 'We don't yet know what the outcome of Tom's injuries will be. Underneath it all, there's a lovely lovely man facing potential catastrophe and the end of his career. I know we can rely on you to be understanding. You've been involved with this case from the start. Can you start tomorrow? Excellent. Go on home and get a good night's rest.'
Because you're leaping out of the frying pan and into the fire, figured Kate wryly.
'And report to Sister Carter eight am sharp. '
Next morning, pulling over her head the white uniform dress worn on the private wing,
Similar Books
The Bones of Avalon
Phil Rickman
The Edge of Courage (Red Team)
Elaine Levine
In Pursuit of Garlic
Liz Primeau
Secret Seduction
Aminta Reily
The Whites and the Blues
1802-1870 Alexandre Dumas
Snow Crash
Neal Stephenson
Push The Button
Feminista Jones
Eleanor and Franklin
Joseph P. Lash
The Violet Line
Bilinda Ni Siodacain
Coming Home
M.A. Stacie