by Lucy Clark
As she’d finished, the patient started to stir and Phemie managed to ascertain the woman’s name was Mary and that she was twenty-one. Gil handed Phemie a syringe of analgesics, which she administered intravenously.
Apart from that, there wasn’t much for Phemie to do except to stay in her cramped position whilst the crews continued their methodical removal of metal. Every ten minutes Phemie would listen to Mary’s chest, managing to fit the stethoscope through the opening and then twisting around so her arm was almost fully extended in order to reach properly.
Gil was able to keep a close watch on the IV line, which was hanging on a makeshift rig above Phemie.
‘How does it sound?’ Mary asked, as Phemie carefully drew her arm back from listening to the heart.
‘Like a heart should sound,’ Phemie replied, a smile in her voice as she unhooked the instrument from her ears. ‘So, you said you have a brother? Older or younger?’ It was important for her to talk to Mary, to keep her as calm as possible whilst the extraction team worked all around her.
‘Younger. He’s only just turned thirteen.’
‘Eight years. That’s quite a gap. Any other siblings?’
‘No. My parents had a lot of trouble conceiving. My mum was forty-two when she had Daniel.’
Phemie’s neck began to prickle. ‘That’s rather late.’ She hedged carefully, knowing full well that women who had babies later in life were more likely to have children with birth defects. ‘Were there any problems with the baby? I mean, your brother is he…?’ She paused, trying to think of a diplomatic way to ask without upsetting Mary.
‘Daniel’s gorgeous. Then again, I’m a little biased, although when people first meet him, they’re a bit shocked to find he has Down’s syndrome. I just don’t see it any more. He’s just…Daniel.’
Phemie nodded, even though Mary couldn’t see her. It was what she’d been expecting Mary to say and in that moment she felt an instant connection with her patient. They were both older sisters to younger brothers with Down’s. Mary would know exactly how Phemie felt about things without the need to explain or expand. The frustration, the guilt, the utter devotion. ‘My brother has Down’s, too,’ she confessed.
‘Really?’ Mary sounded almost excited. ‘Isn’t that a strange coincidence. What’s his name?’
‘Anthony. He’s four years younger than me.’
‘So he’s a grown up?’
‘He is.’
‘That’s fantastic. What’s he like?’
Phemie smiled as she talked of Anthony, pleased she’d found a topic that would keep her patient’s mind occupied.
‘I’ve often wondered what the future will hold for Daniel. Some people can be cruel and he’s just so friendly to everyone he meets.’
Didn’t she know that all too well. ‘It’s part of their nature,’ Phemie murmured, thinking of all the times she and her parents had tried to instil the lesson of ‘stranger danger’ into Anthony. ‘I think people are often afraid of what they don’t understand.’
‘They let their own ignorance blind them.’
‘Exactly.’ Phemie shook her head and smiled. ‘It’s so nice to talk to someone who really understands.’
‘Me too.’ There was a smile in Mary’s voice. ‘I used to love helping my mother look after him when he was little, and now that he’s a teenager I guess I still worry about him. I love taking him out, going to the movies or out for pizza—that’s his favourite food. We’re really good friends even though there’s such a huge age difference.’
‘Friends?’ Phemie was filled with envy. From the way Mary was talking, it was clear she’d had a sibling relationship with her brother, rather than being another carer, and that close brothersister thing was what Phemie had always wanted.
‘Sure. I guess I was so happy to finally have a baby brother that I’ve been a little possessive of him.’
‘You spend a lot of time with him?’ Phemie closed her eyes, not only feeling sick because she wasn’t one hundred per cent sure Mary would be able to spend much time with him in the future but also feeling guilty that she’d never voluntarily spent time with Anthony. The times she’d taken him out had all been because she’d felt obliged to help her parents. Even though there was a bigger age difference between Mary and her brother than between herself and Anthony, it was the feelings in the heart that mattered most.
‘I do. Or I did.’ Mary’s voice dropped to a whisper and she became silent.
‘Mary?’ No answer. Phemie looked up, checked the drip, glanced at Gil, who was standing by ready to give her anything she needed. She’d forgotten he was there, listening to her conversation. It didn’t matter, though. Not now. Only Mary mattered. ‘Mary?’ She tried again, her tone a little more forceful. ‘Mary, tell me what Daniel’s favourite movie is. Anthony likes superhero movies. Mary?’
Phemie heard the sound of the other woman sniffing, as though she was quietly crying. ‘Uh…he likes superheroes too. Don’t most boys?’
She breathed a sigh of relief at Mary’s reply. ‘I guess they do.’
‘My favourite is the one about the ice-skating princess. I even took up ice-skating because of that movie, wanting to glide and spin as gracefully as she does.’
‘And can you?’
‘I can. I don’t skate in competitions or anything but it’s where I go when I want to relax or when things aren’t going right.’ There was a pause. ‘I keep imagining that’s where I am right now. Skating around the rink, the breeze on my face, my arms out behind me as all the problems slide off and float away, leaving me free.’
A lump formed in Phemie’s throat at Mary’s words and she looked up at Gil. There was no need for either of them to say anything. Gil’s gaze confirmed that he’d heard Mary and the look in Phemie’s eyes said she wanted to find a place like that for herself, a place where all her stresses and worries could slide off and float away on the breeze. Gil’s brown eyes encompassed her, making her feel safe and secure, letting her hope the place she might find that release was within his arms.
‘Every year at Christmas,’ Mary continued, ‘my mum and I sit down and watch it together. It’s like our tradition. I want to do that with my daughter. Or I did.’ She fell silent for a moment and then Phemie could hear the sounds of crying again. When Mary spoke, it was with quiet acceptance. ‘I’m not going to make it, am I?’ It may have been spoken as a rhetorical question but Phemie decided to answer it.
‘You have a very solid crew of workers who would beg to differ. I know it’s hard to wait but everyone’s doing everything they can. We’re working as a team and we’re going to get you out.’ She was adamant about that.
‘I’m scared, Phemie.’
‘I know.’ Phemie leaned forward, contorted herself through the wreckage again and found Mary’s hand, holding it as reassuringly as she could. ‘I know.’ Her own tears slid down her cheeks and she closed her eyes, knowing she needed to be strong for Mary. They were getting closer to extraction with each passing minute. ‘Um…’ She sniffed and quickly schooled her voice to portray a confidence she didn’t feel. ‘What other types of sport do you like?’
Phemie successfully managed to distract Mary while Gil stood in silence, watching the strength that flowed through her. She was quite a woman.
The entire time Phemie was in the vehicle, his body was taut, his mind focused. It was as though he was on red-alert, watching carefully, working through differing scenarios just in case things went haywire. Phemie was putting herself in harm’s way and whilst he understood her need to be helpful, he didn’t like it.
Apart from that last searing look, she’d kept her focus on Mary, as it should be. Yet Gil had also noticed the way she’d not only physically but mentally removed herself from his touch when he’d caressed her cheek. Was she upset with him? Had he crossed a line? Had he gone too far, too fast? The fact that he had no idea why she affected him the way she did was a constant puzzle yet his need to feel that soft, sweet skin had been too power
ful for him to resist.
Even if he did accept there was something of a more personal nature developing between them, the main question remained—what on earth could he do about it? He would be leaving her country within a very short period of time and returning to his own world of rules, regulations and red tape. Now, though, he wasn’t sure he wanted to go. Was that why he was latching onto Phemie? She was like a breath of fresh air, one that had blown right into his neatly ordered life and completely disrupted it. Had he become so closed off, so insular that a beautiful and intelligent woman like Euphemia Grainger could just waltz in and shake him up? Maybe so.
After June and Caitie had died, Gil had locked himself into a world of work. He hadn’t been able to help his wife and his baby girl but that hadn’t meant there weren’t other people who needed him. So he’d worked, he’d researched, he’d developed different means and methods for procedures and then he’d toured the world, telling all who would listen, hoping to make a difference somewhere, some place, some time.
However, had his self-enforced prison meant he’d completely lost touch with the real world—the world of beautiful and intelligent women? Sure, he had female colleagues and he respected them but never had one attract him the way Phemie did. He’d been more than content to remain alone, to remain in his own little world…until he’d met her.
Did he have to stay alone? Was there…could there be some possibility that his life hadn’t ended when his family had been cruelly taken from him? It was a thought he’d never considered and he filed it away to take out later when he was in a less intense atmosphere.
The fire crews had made some progress but now they were getting to the stage that if they moved too much too soon, it could do more damage to Mary’s already traumatised body.
‘We’re going to need to stabilise her as best we can before we move this last section,’ Kirk was explaining. ‘Unfortunately, we can’t get the pat-slide in, the portable stretcher is too bulky so we’re not exactly sure how best to keep Mary still while we continue to cut her out.’
Kirk was mainly talking to Gil as the two men surveyed the situation. From Phemie’s vantage point she could see exactly what they were talking about. She’d just finished checking Mary’s vitals.
‘Are there some spare sheets or blankets in the ambulance?’ she asked.
‘I presume so,’ Kirk answered,
‘And rope? Do you have some rope?’
‘Plenty of rope.’ Kirk nodded.
‘Then why not use the blanket and rope to fashion a sling? If Gil can manage to slide in around the side where you’ve already removed that back section and feed it through, hopefully I’ll be able to reach in and pull it up this side of Mary, thereby—’
‘Keeping her suspended in a sling whilst we lift the rest of the wreckage off her.’ Kirk finished her sentence, nodding with excitement before racing off to get things organised.
‘You really do think outside the box, don’t you?’ Gil remarked.
‘Improvisation is a big part of outback medicine. You’ll see that.’ Phemie looked at him, the midday sun shining down on them. Thank goodness it was autumn rather than the height of summer otherwise they’d all be cooking in the Aussie heat and humidity by now. As she looked at Gil, the way the sun’s rays were surrounding him almost gave him a sort of halo effect. It only served to enhance his good looks, his dark hair, his hypnotic eyes, his square chiselled jaw.
Phemie forced herself to look away. Staring at him wasn’t the right way to keep herself under control. He was a colleague, possibly a friend. Nothing more. She started talking to Mary again, keeping the woman as alert as possible, given the circumstances. The last blood-pressure reading had shown they were currently replacing the fluids almost as fast as Mary was losing them. It wasn’t a good sign. The internal or external bleeding—or both, depending on what they eventually found—needed to be stopped as soon as possible and once more Phemie experienced a high level of impatience, even though she knew everyone on the crew was doing everything they could as fast as they possibly could.
The paramedics had already called through to Sydney General and alerted A and E to the situation, giving as much of a breakdown of Mary’s injuries as Phemie could presently ascertain. Things didn’t look good but she wasn’t going to let that deter her and pushed the negative thoughts to the back of her mind. She needed to keep talking to Mary, doing all she could to take the woman’s mind off what was currently happening to her.
‘Anthony loves tactile things,’ she was telling Mary, the conversation having returned to the topic of their brothers. ‘When he was younger, every time we walked into a new room, he’d have to touch the floor with his hand to feel the difference in the surface.’
‘That’s what Daniel does, too.’
‘My mother, who is a total germaphobe, would carry around little wash cloths to wipe him down every time he’d run his hands all over the floor.’ Phemie smiled at the memory. ‘It doesn’t seem so long ago and now, he’s off travelling around Sydney somewhere with his friends.’ She hoped to goodness he hadn’t been caught in this traffic jam and made a mental note to call him when she arrived at the hotel.
‘Really? He’s travelling? He is so brave.’
‘That’s Anthony. Last year, he even moved away from home.’
‘Now I know you’re kidding.’
‘Not in the slightest. He now resides in an independent living facility, specifically designed for adults with Down’s, and he loves it.’
‘It’s so great to hear you talk like this, for me to know that Daniel’s future isn’t going to be so restricted by society.’
‘On the contrary. I confess, I get a little jealous of him.’
‘I know what you mean. Sometimes I wish I had Daniel’s outlook on life. He’s always so positive.’
Gil listened as he worked with the crews, pleased he had the opportunity to learn more about Phemie. He was highly intrigued by her and knowing more gave him a stronger feeling of control. Losing loved ones, especially his gorgeous baby girl, had left him more determined to control everything as closely as he could.
They all worked together and finally the makeshift sling was in place. Gil was ready with a neck brace to slip it around Mary’s neck the instant he had access to her. Phemie had given Mary another dose of painkillers so her body wouldn’t go into shock with what was about to happen. Having Mary lucid and able to follow instructions was going to be extremely helpful during the transfer process.
It would all happen quickly and everyone needed to be in position and on high alert. Phemie prepared Mary, talking her through what would happen so there were hopefully no surprises.
‘I’m scared,’ Mary said, and a lump lodged itself in Phemie’s throat as she reached out and took Mary’s hand in hers.
‘I know you are. You have every right to be scared but also know we’re all here for you, to help you, to get you out. OK.’
‘I know.’
Phemie could tell the young woman was crying and she didn’t blame her. Tears welled in her own eyes and she quickly blinked them away. She needed to be ready, to be alert, to be completely focused.
‘Ready?’ Kirk asked Phemie.
‘Ready.’ She nodded. Gil, who was standing opposite Phemie, could see the struggle she’d just gone through and once again, as he watched her pull herself together, as she pushed away the personal and pulled on the professional, he marvelled at that inner strength she seemed to exude.
‘On three,’ Kirk announced. ‘One, two, three.’
It all happened so fast—the wreckage being shifted, the fire and police members pulling on the ropes to elevate Mary and then Gil and the paramedics transferring Mary to the waiting ambulance stretcher.
‘Phemie!’ Mary called, and Phemie was helped out of the car and over to the waiting ambulance. She climbed inside and reached for Mary’s hand.
‘There. You’re out. You’re ready to go. You’ve been amazing,’ Phemie encouraged.
/> ‘I want you to call my parents and tell them about Anthony. Let them know that Daniel’s going to have a great life.’
Tears welled up in Phemie’s eyes at Mary’s words, their hands gripped tightly together. ‘I’ll call.’ Even now, Mary was thinking of others and Phemie couldn’t help but love this woman she barely knew. ‘You are a remarkable woman, Mary. You’re strong. Keep being strong.’
‘Thank you.’ Mary’s words were soft and silent tears slid down her dirty, blood-stained cheeks. ‘For being my lifeline.’
Too choked up to speak, Phemie smiled through her tears and then let go of Mary’s hand and exited the ambulance. She had no jurisdiction here. She was just a doctor who had happened to be passing by when the accident had happened and had stopped to lend a hand. She had no authority at the hospital, she didn’t know any of the surgeons who would operate on Mary, and the lack of control left her feeling bereft as the ambulance pulled away.
‘Are you all right?’ Gil asked from behind her, and it was then she became conscious of the warmth of his body.
‘No.’ The tears wouldn’t go away. She couldn’t control them and the instant Gil put a hand on her shoulder, Phemie turned and almost crumbled into his waiting arms, her tension being released through her heartfelt sobs.
No one chided her for letting her feelings come to the surface. No one seemed concerned that she’d let her emotions get the better of her. No one said anything as Gil simply held her whilst she cried. The crews continued with their work, cleaning up the debris so the entire three lanes could once more be open again to the thick city traffic.
Gil tightened his hold on her, wanting to keep her close, pleased he could be there for her when she needed him. Closing his eyes, he savoured the feel of her, the touch of her hair against his cheek, the way that even after everything she’d just been through, her subtle sunshine scent still managed to drive him to distraction.
‘She’s not going to make it. I know. I can tell,’ she murmured against his chest, and tenderly Gil stroked her back.
‘We did everything we could. Now it’s up to the surgeons and Mary.’
