have I got to moan about? I’d better start doing the drugs. How about you? Do you need anything?’
Alice shook her head. ‘I’m pretty much up to date. I’ve got a couple of bloods to do at eleven so I’ll be back then. I’m going to head down to A and E—there’s a couple of patients Linda wants to admit that need to be clerked before they can be sent up to the ward, and then...’ Her voice trailed off as Jeremy and Linda walked through the ward doors.
‘Bit late for a ward round,’ Fi muttered.
‘How’s Lachlan Scott doing?’ Jeremy enquired.
‘His temperature’s come down and his obs are stable,’ Alice answered. ‘I just left him.’
‘Good. We’re just going to have a quick look before I head off.’
‘Sure.’
But though Linda headed off to the HDU section, Jeremy just stood there. ‘Er, I was wondering if I could have a word?’
‘I’ll get on with the drugs,’ Fi said cheerfully, but Jeremy shook his head. ‘With both of you, please. Fi, do you mind if we go into your office?’ Not waiting for an answer, he led the way. Fi and Alice followed, a worried look passing between the two women. There must be a problem on the ward they didn’t know about. ‘Sit down, please.’
Alice felt as if she were being hauled into the headmaster’s office for a telling-off, but when she finally looked up at Jeremy she realised that he wasn’t angry.
‘I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news.’
Alice swallowed nervously.
‘What?’ Fi asked bluntly.
‘It would seem that Dianne’s labour wasn’t very straightforward.’
Alice felt a cold shiver run down her spine.
‘Apparently, the first twin, a little boy, was delivered successfully, but there were problems getting the second twin out.’
‘Shoulder dystocia?’ Fi asked, her voice shaky, referring to a condition in labour where a baby’s shoulders have difficulty negotiating the bony pelvis.
Jeremy shook his head. ‘No, Josh wasn’t very clear on the telephone but it would seem the second twin just didn’t descend at all. They had to use forceps, but they couldn’t get a grip. They made a number of attempts...’
Alice winced at the thought, and Jeremy shot her a look.
‘Sorry, you probably don’t need to hear all the details.’
But Alice shook her head fiercely ‘No, tell me. I’m all right.’
‘Well,’ he continued tentatively, ‘it would seem by the time they delivered the second twin, another little boy, he wasn’t breathing and there was no output. He had to be resuscitated. Apparently it was rather lengthy, though they did get him back. Anyway, the upshot is that the baby’s pretty sick. He’s on PICU. He’s bruised and battered from the forceps and he’s got some breathing difficulties.’
‘Poor Josh,’ Alice whispered, almost to herself. ‘And poor Dianne,’ she added. Although she had never met Dianne, her heart went out to this woman and the pain she must be feeling.
‘Obviously Josh will be taking some time off, which is going to mean more work for you, Alice.’
‘I’ll be fine,’ she said, her grey eyes brimming with tears. ‘It kind of puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?’
Jeremy gave a brief nod. He wasn’t going to be drawn into a deep discussion, but she could tell from his eyes that this news had shaken him, too.
It was a rather subdued group that made their way quietly out of the office. Linda was breaking the news rather less tactfully to the anaesthetic registrar.
‘Which is just great. We’ve got the consultant just back from sick leave, the reg on annual leave, the resident on paternity leave and the intern about to go on maternity leave. I’m carrying the lot of them.’
‘That’s what I like about you, Linda,’ Jeremy said dryly, as the anaesthetic reg signalled a desperate look at Linda to stop. ‘Your sense of team spirit.’ And without a backward glance he made his way across to Lachlan Scott, leaving Linda spluttering her excuses to his departing back.
Blinking back tears, Alice made her way down to A and E. How could it all have gone so terribly wrong? She remembered Josh’s excited face just this morning. Oh, she knew things went wrong, that there were no guarantees of a perfect healthy baby, but why did it have to happen? And why to Josh and Dianne? It just wasn’t fair.
A and E was busy, but wasn’t it always?
‘Hi, Alice.’ Fay, the Unit Manager greeted her.
‘Hi, Fay. I didn’t expect to see you. How come you’re on nights?’
‘Don’t ask.’ Fay rolled her eyes. ‘Given the fact that it’s me who does the roster, I guess I’ve only got myself to blame. Anyway, it might be chaotic down here, but from a surgical point of view it’s not too bad. There’s just two for you to clerk in. Linda’s seen them and ordered a few tests, but most can wait for the morning. As soon as you’re done I can shift them up to the ward and free up a couple of trolleys.’
Which was an extremely nice way of saying ‘get on with it’.
So she did, or at least she tried to, but no sooner had she clerked the first patient and was about to start with the second one than the sound of her pager signalled the end of her introduction to the patient.
‘I’m sorry, Mr West, I’ll just have to answer this. I’ll be back to clerk you, hopefully soon.’
‘No worries, love.’
Dialing the number as she flicked through Mr West’s medical history, she was surprised when Fi answered. Normally Fi held off from paging when she knew Alice was coming back. Something must be up.
‘I haven’t forgotten the bloods, Fi. I’ve just got one more patient to clerk then I’ll be up.’
But that wasn’t why Fi was ringing. ‘I’ve already done your bloods, so don’t worry about that. Look, Alice, I’m a bit worried about Lachlan Scott. Would you mind coming and having a look?’
Alice didn’t need to be asked twice. Ignoring the pained look from Fay, she made her way straight up to the ward.
‘Thanks,’ Fi said when Alice arrived. ‘Hopefully I’m worrying about nothing, but he just doesn’t seem right to me.’
‘What are his obs doing?’ Alice asked as they made the way to his bedside.
‘Nothing remarkable. His temp’s normal and his blood pressure’s a tiny bit low, but I guess that could be put down to his analgesia.’
Lachlan Scott looked pretty much the same as when Alice had last seen him, maybe a little paler but nothing that would cause Alice too much concern. ‘Lachlan, I’m just going to have a look at you,’
