Iceline

by Martyn Taylor

Jill Darling was early for her shift and over a coffee listened to Marion Scott’s resume of the day. A classic blue eye blonde, Marion hid a cool professionalism behind a peroxide bob, but now the peroxide was on the back foot and she was totally cool. Her voice had the soft lilt of the outer islands that made it seem as if she sang when she spoke. "The whole place has been in an uproar," she rolled the r around on her tongue; "since you went off this morning I've had the Polis in to look at your laddie; coming over officious with their request that they speak to him so he can answer their questions. I told them straight. Your questions, your questions, I said, the lad's in no fit state to answer my questions, so you'll just have to wait with your questions. Now be off with you."

  Jill chuckled. "And then what?"

  "I threw them out, that's what. Cannot be having the Polis clomping all over with their boots and notebooks and I hope you'll do the same. Let them wait."

  She was still chuckling at the idea of Marion hustling the Polis, as she put it, out of the door, with a final and stay out! - When she said. "Marion, can I just clear up one little tiny point."

  "Sure you can, what is it?" Marion smiled.

  "He is not my laddie."

  "Of course he is, he came in on your shift and you're in charge. He's your laddie, he's definitely not mine. I haven't had a sound out of him since I came on."

  “Neither did I, I don't even know his name.” Jill remarked. Marion nodded her head. "I know, that's what the Polis wanted to ask him and how he got to be in that condition."

  "And that condition is?" Asked Jill.

  Marion looked at her and then glanced down the ward in the direction of the bed. "Stable, that's all we can say, but he's certainly no worse than when he arrived, he's doing OK. It took a lot out of him, but he's strong and reasonably fit. His chances are good."

  "He's not old, OK, so he's got a few wisps of silver..."

  "Grey...

  "Silver, but it doesn't mean a thing. He might have started early. There aren't that many."

  "Go on then, McCauley had a look at him this afternoon and he thinks the next twenty four hours will see a definite improvement in his condition, providing there's no damage that we haven't identified yet. His wounds are messy, but they don't seem to be very deep.

  "What's he reckon?" Jill wondered.

  Marion Scott folded her arms across her chest. "He says there has to be a criminal element to it. Is he the bad guy or the good guy, no idea," she said, "that will do wonders for morale around her. He's playing hell with the Polis to sort out some protection." Marion reached for her coat, a belted gabardine and pulled it on. Jill began flicking through the paperwork. "Anything else you think I ought to know?"

  "Can't think of anything, if I do, I'll call. ‘Bye."

  "So long Marion, see you tomorrow." Jill said and Marion smiled a farewell and breezed from the ward. Jill Darling scanned the notes and settled into her routine for the night. There were three others on the ward tonight. Two of them were reaching the end of their stay and the last had arrived from Cardiac care and all had names. Jill scolded herself; this was becoming a hang-up for her. She prided herself on her personal touch with the patients, nothing special, just the way she was, applied to her work. She wasn't going to be able to work her magic on this one. She told herself to be patient and went to check the beds, taking the others in turn she left him until last and spent a few minutes watching him, he was sleeping and that was good. The ward was quiet and she jumped when his body went into spasm and he coughed, wracking his chest and sputum dribbled down his chin before he vomited. A gelatinous bubble burst on his lips and he drew a deep breath, wheezing with the strain and slowly he began to settle down. Jill hit the alarm button above the bed and two more nurses arrived in a few seconds. She leaned close to his face. "Easy, come on, take it easy. There, that's it nice and steady." Her voice was quiet, clear, with no trace of excitement. Cool as cucumber, that was Jill Darling. His body lurched again, another cough and he groaned as the movement pulled at his chest. "Jesus Oh Christ." His voice hissed through the cracked skin of his lips and his eyes flickered open. She found herself staring at tired green-brown eyes where the tears rolled from the corners and ran freely down his face. The eyes stared at the ceiling with a twist of fear in them and he realised that this wasn't the dark desolate place where he had left consciousness behind and slowly he assembled the images and recognised the medical equipment. He was safe in hospital and he began to sob. Jill and her colleague struggled to hold him while she sent the third nurse for assistance. She returned before long and said. "The doctor's on his way." Then James McCauley arrived and stood across the bed from Jill Darling. "He's conscious?" He asked.

  She nodded, "Two minutes ago he began coughing, he's vomited once, but very little was expelled." McCauley issued his instructions to the nurse beside him and she disappeared. She returned with a hypodermic and a small phial of clear liquid. She drew 10cc into the syringe and he took the exposed arm of the patient, his right hand had been fitted with a cannula in A & E and McCauley plugged the syringe into the fitting and injected the fluid into his hand. He began a slow count of ten and by the time he reached five the patient was out. Jill and the other nurses packed support around him and then left Jill and the doctor alone with the patient. "Did he say anything?"

  She shook her head. "Apart from a pained Jesus Christ, nothing." she said. Dr McCauley sighed. "Ah, well, we may have to wait until morning, he should sleep for a while, so just keep an eye on him and call me when he begins to stir again and we'll try talking to him." He moved around the bed and checked the pulse and respiration for himself. Jill Darling suddenly felt easier. Now all she had to do was be patient. Just after four in the morning, her patient stirred from his sleep and groaned softly when he tried to ease himself on to his back. Jill Darling lifted her head from the open book in front of her. There had been no noise from her, but her stillness caught the attention of the other staff. Their heads swivelled collectively towards her and listened. "He's awake." She murmured and rose to her feet. "Get McCauley, we'll hold with the anaesthetic. I need his name first." Sue Carter nodded and set her black bobbed hair swinging as she left. Jess McCloud followed Jill, who went face to face with the patient. The green-brown eyes were open and the face was a grimace. His body ached with the inactivity. Jill dragged a chair up and sat down. "Good morning, welcome back," she said softly and smiled. He tried to smile back, but part of his face felt strange. "Hello, are you an angel?" he croaked.

  "No, I’m Staff Nurse Darling, Jill Darling and now you have the advantage."

  He coughed lightly. "Aren’t you just. “His mind was clearing quickly.

  “Sense of humour, such as it is, seems to be on the mend.”

  “Sorry, Don, Don Steel, but everybody calls me Steel." Jill Darling had the name she wanted and couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. She beamed and Steel felt the lines at the corners of his eyes trying to smile without moving the rest of his face. It was the only way he could think to do it without too much discomfort. He sensed the arrival of a new face on the scene when she turned her head away and the smile was switched off. He tried to turn his head to see where she was looking, but it wouldn't go, so he let himself go limp and waited. The new face swam into view and he saw a fresh faced lad with sandy coloured hair beside the bed. There was no trace of an accent in the voice when he spoke. "Well then, so nice of you to join us..."

  "Steel," Injected Jill Darling, "he says everyone just calls him Steel."

  "Mister Steel," Said McCauley Steel let it ride; there would be time later for correcting him. "I'm Dr James McCauley, a registrar here at the West Highland."

  Steel returned his gaze and let a shadow of a smile flicker across his lips. "Hello Jim, I suppose it's nice to meet you," he croaked hoarsely and he was sure he heard a chuckle just behind him and the staff nurse smiled too. The doctor looked a bit bemused, but put the familiarity down to the patient having just come round. However, he re
ckoned that he was gathering his wits fairly quickly for someone who had just emerged from a traumatic situation. Steel felt the wooziness clearing from his mind and he shook his head. A kaleidoscope of images crashed in, like a river in flood. "You were brought in yesterday evening with lacerations to your chest and to your face. The facial injuries are not too severe and should heal without too much evidence of scar tissue; your chest may be a different matter. How are you feeling?" The doctor asked. Steel simply returned his gaze with an expression that said how the fucking hell do you think I feel? The doctor nodded his head sagely, pursed his lips and said. "Hmmm, not a medical description, but I think we may be looking at crap here." Steel laughed and winced at the pain. The doctor nodded. "I think we understand one another. You're going to be fine Mister Steel." Steel's eyes were screwed shut and he slowly opened them again. "Thanks Jim." The registrar stood up, smiling, tucking his stethoscope away. He didn't think he was going to need it this morning. He drew Jill to one side and Jess came round to get a look at Steel, there had been a subtle shift, physically he had been on the ward for a day and half, but Jess had the feeling that he'd really only just arrived. Carefully she checked his dressings and made sure he was comfortable. Steel followed her guidance and eased himself on to his back, Jess chatted amiably as she worked answering Steel's questions about the injuries he had sustained and life on the ward. Then said suddenly, "We had the police in yesterday, wanting to ask you some questions, Scotty sent them packing, told them, they could come back when she was ready and you were fit enough, but they left one of them hovering around somewhere. A bit concerned they are, you're a mystery and they don't like mysterious, my dad was a sergeant before he retired and he liked things to be steady and you’re making things unsteady. Said you knew where you were then." Steel moved his head and sighed. Jess was easing the bandage around his chest. "Did that hurt?"

  "Wasn't you lass, it was me, I feel really stiff." He said. "Looks like I brought a whole load of trouble your way. Sorry."

  She shrugged. "We here for that, medically, it's the other bits were not used to."

  Jess leaned forward to whisper. "I've got to ask, I know it sounds silly and if you were you'd probably say you weren't, but, are you the good guy or the bad guy. What I mean is, is the copper for our protection or yours."

  "Why don't you ask him?" Steel replied.

  Jess McCloud frowned. "I have and he doesn't know.”

  Jill Darling reappeared. "I'll take over now nurse; check on the others would you."

  "Yes Staff," she said, with just a hint of sullenness. "I'll talk to you later." Jess said to Steel who nodded and gave her his best smile. Staff commented "I'm not sure you should be talking at the moment. You need rest." He hadn't answered Jess’s question.

  "I can talk for a while; no doubt if I start to sound tired you'll be a good staff nurse and order me to go to sleep."

  "Order you. Good heavens no, we'll just slip you something via a needle in the backside." Jill had slipped into professional mode, the smile was switched off, her lips weren't quite a hard line, they were a little too full for that, but they were closed. She took his wrist and found the pulse, counting against the second hand of her watch. It was OK enough and then she brought out the blood pressure cuff, strapped it on, pumped it up nice and hard, Steel felt the squeeze on his arm, then let it down slowly. Blood pressure checked out fine. She ripped the Velcro open and stowed the instrument on a tray and sat down. Steel said. "Your colleague seems curious, maybe even concerned."

  Now very much a staff nurse she folded her hands on her lap and leaned forward. "Concerned is our business and we normally have a little more general information about our patients, so perhaps our curiosity is reasonable. We don't have the police camped on our doorstep every day. They are interested in the circumstances of your arrival and doubtless will want to know what happened to bring you to this sorry state."

  "And you, what do you want to know?" He asked.

  "Routine stuff, that’s all, name, date of birth, next of kin, or contact, whichever is applicable. I am sure there must be someone wondering about you somewhere and by now they are probably desperate."

  "They might have given up; decided I’m not coming back.”

  "We'll see, if you give me the information I want, then I can tell the nice policeman outside my ward and hopefully he'll push off for an hour or so while he checks things out." Jill explained, "or is this the point where you tell me that apart from your name, or a name at least, which you have already given us, there is nothing further to add, because you appear to have lost your memory."

  Steel snorted and shifted awkwardly on the bed as he tried to make himself as comfortable as he could. "I wish, no, I have not lost my memory, though before too long I may wish I had. They are all too clear. Before we go any further, do something for me will you."

  She straightened up and gave him a peculiar look. "That would depend on what it was."

  "Nothing illegal, or immoral, just tells me that I am not dreaming. Tell me that I'm not going to wake up back there, wherever there is?"

  Jill Darling smiled again, not quite full strength this time, but it was still bright. "I feel as real as I ever do and I'm awake, so if I am awake, then you are not a part of my dream, therefore would it be reasonable to conclude that you are awake too and thus, not dreaming?"

  Steel gave her a lopsided smile. The butterfly tapes holding the skin of his cheek made some facial movement difficult. "Sounds pretty good to me; so fire away with your questions good lady," he said, "but it would save time if our friendly neighbourhood plod outside the door came in and listened. It might save having to go through everything twice."

  Jill nodded her agreement. "Alright, I'll get him." She brought him and he sat down beside the bed. In shirt sleeve order and body armour, he reached for his notebook in a pouch on the belt and unclipped the ball-point from the outside of the book. Jill may have told him what she already knew, but he gave nothing away when he sat down and introduced himself as Constable John Fowler "Morning Sir, glad to see you're feeling a bit better, relatively speaking of course,"

  "Thank you, now can we get on with this, I must admit I am feeling a little tired and I'm sure Staff won't want her patient disturbing too much." If he noticed the wry tone in Steel's voice he ignored it. "This won't take long sir, just a few routine questions. We can leave the detail until later." and he asked, Steel rattled off the information he wanted and when he got to the next of kin bit Steel checked him.

  "There is no next of kin, well there is, but we use a contact and they relay any information like this on. The address is The Grange, Stoke lea, Oxfordshire. The number is in the phone book under Active Corporate Enterprise. Ask to talk to Bill Jardine; he's in charge, or his acting PA. Josephine Burke and you'll get past the switchboard." The constable wrote slowly and methodically. Occasionally Steel noticed him biting his tongue as he juggled with the notebook on his lap. Using block capitals, pressing down the final full stop on the page, he closed the book with a snap and said. "That should do for now Sir, as I said earlier we'll need some more details. They can wait until you're feeling a bit stronger." He tucked the book back in the pouch as he stood up. He turned to Jill. "Thank you Staff Nurse. I'll leave you to it." He lifted his helmet from the foot of the bed and put it on, he didn't actually salute, but Steel reckoned it was close. Steel stopped him as he began to leave. "Constable, this may seem a strange request, but when you get through, whoever it is, but especially Josie Burke, tell them that you have found the Portugee, it will make what you're saying more credible." Staff Nurse Darling was all starchy until he left the ward. Then she softened and raised an eyebrow. "Full of himself that one." She said.

  "Oh I don't know," said Jess, who had just drifted over from the bed opposite, "he seemed quite nice when I spoke to him in the cafeteria earlier on. Maybe he just goes all formal when he gets stuck into the job, bit like somebody else I know." She failed to look at anybody in particular. Steel laug
hed and it turned into a cough, which brought both nurses back to the job in hand. Checking he was comfortable Jess switched off the light above his bed and left him in the gloom to rest. Darling and McCloud wandered back to the desk, talking quietly with half an ear cocked to the sounds of the ward. Steel found the discomfort was easing and pressed the button to summon the nurse. Jess McCloud answered the call and fussed around him as he spoke, listening intently to the murmur of his voice and nodding. She gave the sheets a final twitch and went straight to where Jill Darling leaned against a desk in the nurse’s station. A few minutes later Jess slipped out of the ward and Jill left the station, heading straight for Steel. "OK, she's gone to take him the coffee, now what exactly are you planning?"

  “I want you to make a call," and told her what to do. She scribbled the number on a yellow Post-it and went to make the call. Jill was on the point of hanging up when she heard the receiver come off the cradle at the other end. "Active Corporate, Grange Office." said a female voice. Jill went all starchy again. "Good morning," she said in her best telephone voice, "this is Staff Nurse Darling, of the West Highland Hospital in Oban, to whom am I speaking?"

  "Josephine Burke, Senior Clerical Officer, how may I help?" Starch met starch head on.

  "I think I may be the one to help you."

  "And how may you do that?" The hairs on the back of her head began to prickle and she reached for the switch on the intercom that linked the office to the switchboard, flicked it twice and a tape recorder rolled.

  Jill Darling continued. "This is not an easy call to make, because you may be suspicious about my motives and I know it's the early hours of the morning. I may as well get straight to the point."

  "Go on then.” Josie deliberately kept the tone of her voice flat, giving nothing away. She agreed that if the caller was genuine, this didn't look good. The early hours of the morning and she claimed to be calling from a hospital. Josie had worked out her response already. When this call was over, she would simply ring the hospital and ask if there was a Darling on the staff.

  "It’s about a missing person…”

  "Just a minute," Josie snapped angrily, "if this is a joke, then you need serious help, because I don't think this is funny at all."

  "Look, I understand that, truly, I do. This is not a joke, but I have spoken to him, in fact he's not more than ten yards away from where I am speaking."

  "Then why isn't he talking?"

  "He's asleep, he's injured, but he is recovering. He’s going to be OK"

  "Tell me his name." She snapped.

  "Steel, Don Steel, he says everybody calls him Steel, especially the people who know him."

  Josie gripped the receiver so tightly her knuckles went white. She struggled to stay calm, strange telephone calls usually meant trouble. "It doesn't really prove anything, you claim to be calling from the West Highland Hospital and you're a staff nurse there, both those things can be checked fairly readily. But then if you are some sort of psycho what would you care when the phone call is over, you'll have had your thrill and knowing that the torment is continuing only adds to it. I need something which could only have come from him, a name, a fact, either about him, or me, for that matter."

  Jill Darling sighed. She hadn't expected this to go smoothly, had the roles been reversed she would have slammed the receiver down. "I have a message for you and he referred to you as Josie, or for William Jardine."

  Josie was calming down slowly. "OK, I'll hear you out, what is the message?"

  "He said that I should ask you a question."

  "Go on, ask it."

  Jill said. "It all sounds very cloak and dagger, but here goes. Steel said; tell them you have found the Portugee..."

  "Navigator," Said Josie. "He gave you a name, a five letter name, he uses it as a code for the computer system here, so there is a number, but if you write it down it reads as the Christian name of a Portuguese navigator."

  "Yes, that's right and the Cape this navigator sailed around, what was special about it?" She continued, finishing Steel's instructions.

  "Hope. It was the Cape of Good Hope, did he say anything else?"

  "I think the last bit was for you. He asked if you gave up," Said Jill, "does that make sense?"

  "I don't know this is such a shock." The sudden lifting of the pain and uncertainty was almost palpable.

  Jill let out a heavy sigh of relief. She had found the right people and they had listened. "Miss Burke, he's lucid despite what he's been through. He wanted you to know he was OK, the police will be in touch but he doesn't want you to do anything for now, until the police have picked his brains. He has no idea what he knows, but maybe they can make something of whatever he has to tell them. Like I said, he just wanted you to know, he's battered, but pretty much OK."

  "Staff Nurse Darling, thank you, give him our love will you, tell him we look forward to seeing his ugly mug around the Grange soon." Said Josie and heard the woman on the telephone laugh. "That's alright Miss Burke, I expect that once you've been officially contacted by the police, then you may want to visit, perhaps I'll see you then."

  "Perhaps you will, I look forward to it. Goodbye." Josie laid down the receiver. Jill Darling listened to the line purring for a couple of seconds before she hung up and went back to Steel's bed. He slept peacefully on one side and slightly curled in the bed. His knees drawn up, forming his body into an S shape beneath the covers.

  *****

  Chapter Seven