Accidental Reunion

by Carol Marinelli

  ‘Your observations are all stable, Jessica. As the doctor explained, we’re waiting for a bed on the high-dependency unit, so I’m afraid it might take a while. I’m sorry. I know that you’ve been down here for ages.’

  ‘That’s all right.’ Jessica lay back against the pillow. ‘I’m just sorry I’ve put everyone to all this bother. I don’t even feel sick, just a bit wobbly. I’d really rather just be at home.’

  ‘Don’t even think about it.’ Lila gave the woman a smile. ‘You really do need to be here. I know that now you might not feel too bad, but the tablets you’ve taken really can cause serious damage.’

  ‘The doctor said that I stopped breathing before—is that true?’

  Lila nodded. ‘But luckily you were here when that happened. That’s why it’s imperative that you stay. And not just for the medication. Jessica, you took a lot of tablets. It’s clear you’ve got some problems that need to be dealt with.’

  ‘It’s a bit late for all that.’

  Lila didn’t answer. She waited to see whether or not Jessica chose to continue, not wanting to push at this fragile stage.

  ‘We’ve been having a lot of problems, Mark and I.’

  ‘Mark’s your husband?’

  Jessica nodded. ‘Since the twins came along I just don’t seem to be able to cope any more. He’s always saying he doesn’t mind the mess, doesn’t mind that there’s never any dinner on the table when he gets home from work. All he wants is for me to be happier.’

  ‘He sounds nice.’

  ‘He is nice. That’s the whole problem.’ Jessica started to cry. ‘Too nice for me. He deserves better. He’s bought us tickets to go to the theatre next weekend and then stay at some posh hotel. He thinks that if I have a break from the children…’ She started to cry and Lila ran a washcloth under the tap in the cubicle, wiping the tears and streaks of Carbomix from Jessica’s face. As Declan stepped into Resus Lila put a finger up to her lips, indicating for him to stay quiet. What Jessica had to say was important if she was going to get the appropriate treatment.

  ‘He’s lined up his mum to come from Adelaide for the weekend to babysit. He just doesn’t understand that he’s making things worse.’

  ‘In what way?’

  ‘How can I let his mum see the state the house is in? How can I go to the theatre when I don’t even fit into any of my dresses any more? Why doesn’t he see how hard it is for me at the moment?’

  The words were on Jessica’s lips, but for a second she couldn’t say them. Declan was staring at her, waiting her response.

  But this wasn’t about her and Declan, this was about helping Jessica. Even as she spoke Lila heard the tremor in her voice, heard the irony in her own words.

  ‘Have you tried talking to him? Telling him how you’re feeling?’

  ‘He wouldn’t understand,’

  ‘He might,’ Declan said gently. ‘If you just let him in.’

  Only the steady bleeping of the monitor broke the silence. Lila pulled a couple of tissues from a box and handed them to Jessica.

  Suddenly she felt like crying herself.

  ‘Anyway—’ Declan’s tone lightened ‘—we’ve finally found a bed for you—they’re ready for her,’ he added to Lila.

  ‘Fine.’ Lila forced a bright smile. ‘Jessica, Lucy will take you up now. I have to stay down here.’ Taking the other woman’s hand, Lila gave her hand a squeeze. ‘Take the help they offer you, Jessica. You might not think it now, but you’ve been very lucky tonight.’

  She watched with a lump in her throat as Jessica was wheeled out of the department.

  ‘How about you have a break?’ Sue suggested. ‘The department’s practically empty. Declan’s just stitching up the last couple.’

  Gratefully Lila nodded. ‘Sounds good to me.’

  The television was always on in the staffroom, and Lila listlessly flicked the channels. Sue had just returned from her break and the blanket and pillow she had used were still lying temptingly warm on the sofa. Stretching out, Lila half watched the morning news in America, her eyelids suddenly heavy. Strange how that it was yesterday morning there. Wouldn’t it be nice to start over like that? Rewind to Saturday morning and avoid the mess she’d made of her life on Saturday night.

  But if she did that then she’d never have the precious memories that she had now.

  Night staff often had a doze. The intercom soon buzzed if they were needed. Lila lay there, having changed into theatre blues after the mess from the Carbomix, pulling out her comb before she gave in and closed her eyes.

  Lila never heard Declan come in and sit down. Stretching out on a chair with a yawn, he placed his tired, aching feet on the coffee-table. She never knew that as she lay there dozing, with her long limbs sprawled the length of the sofa, her blonde waves rippling over the pillow, Declan was silently watching her. Lila never even knew that as she lay there, dreaming of the other night, Declan’s mind had wandered there, too.

  Watching her sleep was a cruel reminder to him of how beautiful she had looked, and how much better life had seemed when her head had been resting on his pillow.

  CHAPTER SIX

  ‘SISTER BAILEY, could I have a word in my office?’ Hester looked particularly crisp this morning.

  ‘Sure, I’ll just finish checking the drugs.’

  Lila had been half expecting the summons. The applications had been in for two weeks now and she knew they were drawing up the short-list for interviews. Lila made her way to Hester’s office and knocked briefly before entering.

  ‘Have a seat, please.’ She waited until Lila was seated before continuing. ‘I’ve just had a call from the high-dependency unit.’

  Lila frowned. This wasn’t what she had been expecting.

  ‘Did you insert an NG tube on a patient last night, name Jessica Stevens?’

  ‘Yes.’ Lila looked at her superior nonplussed.

  ‘And did you ensure the tube was correctly positioned before giving the patient the Carbomix?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Well, that’s not what the X-ray shows.’ Hester leant forward, her face menacing. ‘The X-ray shows the tube entering the patient’s lung. The same patient is now suffering from aspiration pneumonia.’

  ‘But that’s not due to me.’ Lila shook her head in disbelief at the accusing tones in Hester’s voice. ‘The first tube I put down wasn’t in correctly. It was after the X-ray that I reinserted the tube and gave the patient her medication. She was vomiting on admission and again during her respiratory arrest—that would have been when she aspirated.’

  Hester threw the patient’s casualty card across the table at Lila. ‘Well, I’ve been looking at these notes for the last ten minutes and I can’t find what you’ve just told me documented anywhere.’

  Lila didn’t need to see the notes to know that what Hester was saying was true. ‘But we never document that sort of thing,’ Lila argued. Surely Hester didn’t think she was so irresponsible she would fail to check the tube was in place before administering anything down it?

  ‘Correction,’ Hester said menacingly. ‘You, Sister Bailey, never document that sort of thing. And as a consequence I now have to go across to HDU and defend you on the basis of these flimsy notes.’

  ‘There’s nothing to defend. I did nothing wrong.’

  Hester buzzed the intercom on her desk. ‘Could Dr Haversham please come to my office?’

  She heard the protests from Moira, the charge nurse, but Hester was adamant. ‘I don’t care what he’s doing. Now, Moira, please!’

  Lila leant back in her chair with a sigh. This was ridiculous, but it didn’t stop her being nervous. She knew in her heart that she had done nothing wrong, and it was so typical of Hester, who always came down hard on her staff, more willing to believe any complaint was true than try listening to the defendant.

  And now Declan was being dragged into it. Dragged into a petty argument between her and her boss.

  It was utterly the last thing she nee
ded now.

  Declan arrived. To anyone else he would have appeared totally nonchalant and relaxed, but Lila knew him too well. The tiny furrow above his eyebrows showed Lila he was none too pleased to have been summoned.

  ‘What’s the problem, Hester? I’m actually in the middle of seeing a patient.’

  ‘I shan’t keep you long. I’ve just had the charge nurse on HDU ring down. She’s preparing the notes and X-rays for the morning’s round and she’s noticed that Jessica Stevens had an NG tube incorrectly positioned. This same patient is now suffering form aspiration pneumonia.’

  ‘I’m not surprised,’ Declan said, his voice even and calm. ‘She took a lot of tablets, suffered a respiratory arrest and, despite gastric emptying, vomited copiously. It’s no wonder she inhaled some.’

  ‘But as I pointed out, the X-rays showed—’

  Declan stood up, looking first at Lila and then Hester.

  ‘Have you discussed this with Lila?’

  Hester nodded.

  ‘What did she say?’

  ‘I’d rather hear your version, Doctor. Sister Bailey, perhaps you could wait in the staffroom for a moment while I speak to Dr Haversham.’

  ‘There’s no need for that. I’ve just been to HDU myself to check on Mrs Stevens. Good news travels fast in this place.’ He gave a tight smile. ‘Perhaps if you’d deigned to have a look at the more recent films yourself, Hester, you’d have realised the pneumonia is in the opposite lung to the misplaced tube. No mistakes were made last night.’

  ‘None of this was documented.’

  Declan turned for the door. ‘Sorry about that,’ he said glibly. ‘We were a bit busy, saving her life. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to my patient.’

  He shut the door firmly behind him, leaving Hester sitting at her desk, her cheeks and neck a rather unflattering shade of red.

  ‘It’s not that I doubted you, Sister Bailey. The point I was making was the fact that your actions last night weren’t documented and that in turn leaves your actions open to misinterpretation.’

  For an age Lila didn’t answer. Surprisingly and completely unexpectedly Lila felt tears prick at her eyes.

  Declan had defended her, she’d known he would. Not because of what they had once been to each other but because she had done nothing wrong. Yet still it touched her. But Hester’s accusatory tones had hurt, really hurt. Suddenly she felt tired, tired of the responsibility that came with each shift. Tired of the comradeship between colleagues, which Lila bolstered so passionately, that could so easily be eroded by a tyrannical boss.

  ‘You’re right, Hester,’ Lila said finally. ‘I should have documented what I did. Funny thing was, I was too busy talking to the patient. Too busy doing her obs and resuscitating her when she collapsed. Too busy finding out what had driven her to take the tablets in the first place.’

  ‘We know how busy it is here, but notes are for the staff’s protection.’

  ‘And when are we supposed to write them, Hester? How in-depth do the notes need to be? I spent three years doing a degree, one year doing a critical-care course. I used all the safeguards in place when I inserted that tube, and the safeguards worked. I realised the tube wasn’t in place and I reinserted it. That should be the end of the story. The sad part is that too many people are too quick to jump on a possible mistake. Too quick to assume the worse.’

  Hester’s flush meant Lila’s words had hit their target, but Hester hadn’t finished her lecture yet.

  ‘I’ve also received the figures from the kitchen. Can you tell me why when you’re in charge of the department there’s a marked increase in the amount of breakfasts that are ordered?’

  ‘Excuse me?’

  ‘I’m not talking one or two here or there—see for yourself.’ For the second time she thrust a sheaf of papers in Lila’s direction. Again Lila didn’t need to look, but the accusation that came from Hester’s lips took the wind out of even Lila’s sails. ‘Are you ordering breakfast for the staff?’

  The suggestion was so ludicrous that Lila gave an incredulous laugh.

  ‘You think we’d risk our jobs for two slices of cold toast and a cup of weak tea?’

  ‘Well, I can’t think of any other reason. We’ll leave it there, but I’ll be watching the breakfast orders more closely from now on, the documentation, too. Things seem a little slack when you’re in charge, Sister Bailey.’

  Lila picked up her bag wearily and made her way out of the office.

  ‘How did it go?’ Declan avoided meeting her eyes.

  ‘Fine, I guess. She believed you, of course.’ Lila let out a weary sigh. ‘Declan, do you think I was wrong not to document what happened with the NG tube?’

  Declan shrugged. ‘No, but on the other hand I bet you do next time. I know I will. Unfortunately that’s the way medicine’s heading. We need to cover ourselves constantly. Doesn’t mean I like it, though.’

  ‘I guess.’

  ‘Did she tell you about your interview?’

  Lila looked up sharply. ‘How do you know about that?’

  ‘I’m sitting in on it.’ He had the decency to wince. ‘Sorry, Lila, Mr Hinkley’s at a meeting on Wednesday. There was no way I could refuse without raising a few eyebrows.’

  The tears were still threatening and Lila closed her eyes against them. It had been an emotional morning on top of an emotional weekend. All she wanted to do was sleep, to lie in bed and sleep for a whole week, but sleep would have to wait. There was Mum’s bath, breakfast…

  ‘Lila?’ She could hear the concern in his voice. His hand brushed her arm then quickly he pulled away. They weren’t lovers any more, they weren’t even friends, just colleagues.

  ‘Look, I could chuck a sicky on Wednesday.’

  Lila shook her head. Opening her eyes, sparkling with tears, she managed a weak smile. ‘It’s just a job. I’m not going to collapse in a heap if I don’t get it. And after Hester’s little dressing-down, I’d say that’s a foregone conclusion.’

  ‘You don’t have a problem with me being there?’

  She even laughed. ‘Of course I do, but I’ve a feeling if I’m going to carry on working here it’s a problem I’m going to have to get used to. I’d better get home. Thanks for sticking up for me in there.’

  ‘No worries.’

  The air was thick with so many unspoken words.

  ‘What I said on Saturday night—’

  ‘You meant.’ Lila finished for him.

  ‘I did,’ he agreed wearily. ‘And I still do. But it’s not that easy, is it?’

  *

  Declan was right. It wasn’t that easy—nothing was easy. Sitting on her bed, Lila surveyed the piles of discarded clothes. She couldn’t even decide what to wear for her interview. Decisions, changes, her world was full of them.

  She’d seen the holiday brochures Shirley had hastily pushed under the sofa when she’d come downstairs. It didn’t anger Lila—all it did was make her feel ever more guilty. Guilty that Ted and Shirley should have to think twice about enjoying their retirement. Guilty that she wished she could enjoy herself, too.

  Decisions about her career. How could she take on an appointment with an even higher level of responsibility when she could barely cope with the demands of a full-time job, and that was with Shirley’s and Ted’s support? And as for a relationship…

  Refusing to even go down that path, Lila stood up abruptly. OK, senior role, serious clothes. She wasn’t exactly spoiled for choice but the camel-coloured suit was an old faithful. Perhaps the skirt was a tad too short, but if she wore some smart loafers and sheer stockings it would smarten the outfit up. Lila brushed her hair then started to coil it into the usual topknot for work. She stopped. Why not leave it down for once? A generous blob of hair serum and half an hour with the hairdryer saw her blonde waves eradicated, leaving instead a heavy sleek blonde curtain. And not for the first time since Declan had reappeared into her life, Lila took extra care with her make-up, delightedly rediscovering
her cheekbones along the way.

  Finally, as she stood facing the full-length mirror, a small grin tugging at her lips, she put her hands to each side.

  ‘The exit signs are located here and here.’ Not quite the gorgeous sleek thing of yesteryear but pretty close. Declan wouldn’t know what had hit him.

  Declan.

  Was all the grooming, the extra effort for his benefit?

  Throwing in a hairbrush, Lila snapped her handbag closed. Of course it wasn’t. She was going to an interview, for heaven’s sake. Anyone would have made an effort.

  Still, she grudgingly admitted as she liberally sprayed her wrists and neck, the perfume was hardly for Hester’s benefit.

  Making her way down the stairs, Lila brushed off Shirley’s flattering comment as she fed her sister her lunch. ‘You look fabulous, darling, just like the Lila of old, doesn’t she, Elizabeth?’

  With a self-conscious smile Lila crossed the room. ‘Hardly, but I thought I’d better make a bit of an effort, I’ve got a few brownie points against me where Hester’s concerned. Here, let me give Mum her lunch. I’ve got a bit of time before I have to go.’

  ‘I don’t think pumpkin soup would go very well on that suit. Why don’t you go while you’ve got the chance? Surprise that boss of yours by being early for once?’

  ‘OK, then.’ Kissing her mother, Lila turned to her aunt. ‘Wish me luck?’

  ‘You don’t need luck, Lila, you’ll get the job on your own merits. But I’ll say it anyway—good luck, darling.’ Putting down the bowl of soup, Shirley pulled her niece into a warm embrace. ‘You’re a good girl, Lila, you always were. We’re all very proud of you whatever happens with the interview.’

  Lila hugged her aunt back, closing her eyes as she did so. She knew Shirley meant well, but this interview had suddenly taken on monumental importance. She had to get this job, had to pull in some more money, there was no two ways about it. Today mattered.

  *

  ‘Come in, Sister Bailey, and take a seat. Sorry to keep you waiting.’ Hester gestured to the chair as Lila walked in. The wait in the staffroom had been unbearable. Self-conscious in her suit, Lila had made small talk with the other applicants, her despondency growing as she’d listened to their qualifications and experience. And not one of them looked as if they’d ever been late for anything in their lives. It was almost a relief to escape to Hester’s office.