Bethany, when she returned to ICTU before heading home for the night.
The nurse handed her the BIS readouts. ‘No sign of any brain activity, I’m afraid.’
Allegra fought against her disappointment as she read the printout.
‘The movie finished a while ago,’ Bethany said. ‘Do you want me to rerun it?’
‘Yes—it can’t hurt to give it another go,’ she said, still hoping for a miracle.
‘Anthony Pardle came in a little while ago,’ Bethany informed her. ‘I overheard him talking to Dr Addison about Tommy.’
‘What did he say?’
‘He doesn’t think there’s much hope of Tommy recovering.’
Allegra refused to be put off. ‘You know what neurosurgeons are like—they see the worst so they always imagine the worst.’
‘Maybe, but Dr Addison seemed to be in agreement with him,’ Bethany said. ‘He agreed with Mr Pardle that Mr Lowe should be informed of the possibility of withdrawing life support from his son.’
Allegra felt her stomach drop in alarm. ‘So soon?’
‘Brain dead is brain dead, Allegra,’ Bethany said. ‘An hour, a day, a week or a month won’t make Tommy’s brain repair itself.’
‘But it’s only been a couple of days!’ she argued. ‘We normally give patients a week or ten days before making that sort of decision. Besides, he’s a child. Studies have shown that children sometimes do recover from severe head trauma after prolonged support.’
‘I know, but Dr Addison and Mr Pardle have the final say, in consultation with the father, when they think the time is right,’ Bethany reminded her. ‘The sad thing is the mother is starting to show signs of regaining consciousness. It doesn’t seem fair that she gets another chance at life when her son doesn’t.’
‘What’s been happening with Kate Lowe?’
‘They’ve withdrawn the barbiturates, as we have with Tommy, but while in Tommy’s case nothing has happened, Kate has shown signs of spontaneous breathing and she opened her eyes once.’
‘And her BIS monitor scores?’
‘There are definite signs of brain activity,’ Bethany said. ‘But not in Tommy’s.’
Allegra compressed her lips together as she looked at the small child being kept alive, his tiny limbs seeming to be even smaller than the day before. ‘Come on, Tommy,’ she pleaded softly. ‘Wake up, honey. I know you can do it.’
Bethany gave Allegra a surreptitious nudge. ‘Here comes Tommy’s father and his aunt.’
‘Dr Tallis,’ Keith greeted her. ‘I’d like you to meet my sister, Serena Fairbright.’
‘Hello,’ Allegra said, offering her hand to the glamorous woman accompanying Tommy’s father.
Serena’s hand brushed Allegra’s briefly. ‘How is my little nephew?’
‘He’s doing as well as can be expected,’ Allegra answered.
‘How did you go with the movie?’ Keith asked.
‘We’re playing it again now.’
‘So he hasn’t responded?’ Keith asked.
‘No, but I’d like your permission to try a couple of other things,’ Allegra said. ‘Firstly I would like to try a particular massage therapy to see if he responds.’
‘Massage?’ Serena gave a sceptical frown. ‘How is that going to repair his head injury?’
‘Children are very touch-sensitive,’ Allegra explained. ‘Young children in particular are used to being touched by their mother and father in loving ways, such as helping them dress each morning, doing their hair for them or cuddling them.’
‘Look, Dr Tallis, I’m not a new-age sort of man, as you’ve probably already guessed,’ Keith confessed. ‘I was brought up by strict parents who only ever touched me with a strap or a belt in their hands. I find it hard to express physical affection. I’ve never really kissed or cuddled Tommy, or at least not since he was about a year old.’
‘I know this is painful for you to answer, but did his mother have any particular physical routine that you can recall that Tommy might respond to?’ Allegra asked.
He gave her a shamefaced look. ‘I was always on at Kate for being too soft on the boy,’ he said. ‘She was always touching him, kissing him or playing with his hair. I was frightened she would make a sissy out of him.’
‘A lot of men feel that way, but let me assure you nothing could be further from the truth,’ Allegra said. ‘Touch is essential in a child’s life. Why not sit with Tommy now and tell him you’re here? And if you feel up to it, touch him in any way that makes you feel comfortable.’
‘We haven’t got long,’ Serena said, with an impatient glance at her diamond-encrusted watch.
‘If you think it would help …’ Keith said, although he looked as doubtful as his sister.
Allegra left them in privacy to return to the office, where she made a few notes, but she’d hardly finished a sentence or two when she saw Keith and his sister leave the unit once more.
‘What did I tell you?’ Bethany said poking her head around the glass partition. ‘She’s exactly the same as him—cold as a frozen fish.’
‘Yes, well, with that sort of background, what else could you expect?’ Allegra said as she toyed with her pen. ‘I can’t believe how cruel some parents can be. It’s no wonder Mr Lowe didn’t want Tommy’s grandparents to be contacted.’
‘I guess you’re right,’ Bethany said. ‘Well, I’m off now that Chloe’s back. I did an extra couple of hours to cover for her. Dr Addison is insisting only the senior staff look after Tommy.’
Allegra looked up at that. ‘Oh?’
‘Yes, he may not be too keen on your project, but he’s certainly doing his best to help Tommy before he makes his final decision. I saw him sitting with him earlier. He was talking to him and stroking his hand. If you ask me, he was a whole lot better at it than the kid’s own father.’
‘Thanks for helping with Tommy,’ Allegra said after a tiny pause. ‘I’m going to head off home.’
‘No hot date tonight?’
‘I have a date with a good book and a glass of Pinot noir,’ she answered. ‘That’s about as hot as it gets in my life right now.’
‘You could always throw a vindaloo curry in there somewhere to turn up the heat a bit,’ Bethany suggested with a smile.
‘What a great idea,’ Allegra said, as she dragged herself to her feet. ‘The last thing I want to do is cook. Take-away, here I come.’
The
