Christmas on the Children's Ward

by Carol Marinelli

  Eden half expected an argument, but all the fight seemed to go out of Rose. The hotshot lawyer was gone, leaving just a terrified mum sitting on the chair. ‘She already has,’ Rose whispered through pale, trembling lips. ‘Only once, but…it’s all my fault, isn’t it?’

  ‘We’re not going there, remember? We’re here to deal with the things we can change, and the past isn’t one of them.’ Nick gave a very nice smile, peeling another wad of tissues out of the box. ‘Come on, Rose, blow your nose and stop the tears and let’s work out what we’re going to do.’ He glanced over at Eden and she took her cue.

  ‘At the moment Priscilla’s used to getting food as a reward and she’s using it to her advantage,’ Eden explained. ‘For example, you said to her tonight that if she ate her dinner then you’d get her an ice cream.’

  ‘It’s all I could think of to get her to eat her dinner,’ Rose admitted.

  ‘How about, leaving out the “if”,’ Eden suggested. ‘Try “Eat your dinner, Priscilla, and then I’ll read to you” or “then we’ll watch a movie together” or “then I’ll help you with your homework”.’

  ‘Spend some quality time with her?’ Rose asked, only this time it was said without contempt.

  ‘For want of a word, only in this case it’s time you would usually spend arguing,’ Eden responded. ‘In the morning, you can do the same: “Eat your breakfast and then you can watch some television.”’

  ‘Make it non-negotiable,’ Nick said, ‘but at the same time make out it’s no big deal. Be matter-of-fact about it—she has to eat her meals, and by that I mean the meals you provide for her, not the ones she demands.

  ‘And I choose my words carefully, Rose,’ Nick winked, and to Eden’s amazement Rose actually managed a pale smile as he continued. ‘I’m not telling you to grow a vegetable patch and start steaming broccoli every night. Just a normal balanced diet is all Priscilla needs—you, too, no doubt. I’m assuming here that you’re not tucking into the fries and nuggets yourself?’

  Rose shook her head.

  ‘Cheese on toast around midnight?’ Nick asked.

  ‘Something like that,’ Rose admitted.

  ‘Me, too,’ Nick sighed. ‘How about you, Eden?’

  ‘I’m more a bowl-of-cereal girl.’

  ‘Stop boasting.’ Nick grinned. ‘We’re all guilty of it, Rose. We’ve all got jobs that demand too much of us so we grab something to eat when we can or when we absolutely have to. But as you pointed out, Eden and I don’t have kids, so we can mess up our own health. Look, if you can afford it, why not get your meals delivered for a few weeks? You could choose your menus together, there are a few companies that provide that type of service.’

  ‘And that would be OK?’

  ‘Absolutely.’ Nick nodded.

  ‘And,’ Eden added, ‘if it makes things easier for you, for the next couple of days why not let us deal with Priscilla at mealtimes?’

  ‘Shouldn’t I be telling her?’ Rose asked wisely. ‘Given that I’m the one that’s going to be dealing with her at home.’

  ‘You should,’ Eden said, ‘but it’s going to be difficult the first few times. Priscilla isn’t going to take very kindly to the rules suddenly changing and we can take some of the strain for you, so long as you support us. As Nick said, if we’re all working as a team there’s a better chance of getting results. Why don’t you come in at mealtimes and if Priscilla starts to kick up, tell her that you’re going to the canteen for a coffee and that the nurses will ring down once she’s finished her dinner?’

  ‘You’d do that?’

  ‘Definitely.’ Eden nodded, peering over Rose’s shoulder as an orderly arrived with a fresh meal. ‘How about we start now?’

  ‘She’s not going to like it,’ Rose warned.

  ‘Good,’ Nick said, standing up and shaking Rose’s hand warmly. ‘Because I’m sure you could use a coffee and a bit of time alone to think about what we’ve just said. And for the record, Rose, I wasn’t being patronising before. You are doing an amazing job—Priscilla’s funny, intelligent and incredibly perceptive.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Rose blushed. ‘She really is my little princess.’ Nick opened his mouth, then clearly thought better of it. Now, perhaps, was not the time to tell Rose to curb her pet name, at least around Priscilla’s peers. ‘I’ll just go to the washroom and freshen up. I don’t want her to see that I’ve been crying.’

  As Rose scurried off, Eden expected Nick to do the same, but instead he remained. ‘Thanks for your help. Hopefully some of it got through to Rose.’

  ‘I think a lot of it got through,’ Eden replied generously. ‘You were really good with her.’

  ‘Probably because I’ve had a lot of practice around tearful women lately,’ Nick said, but as Eden’s lips pursed his face broke into a slightly incredulous smile. ‘You’re really quick to think the worst of me, aren’t you, Eden? When I said I’d been around tearful women lately, I was actually referring to my sister, Lily.’

  ‘Oh.’ Blushing, Eden scuffed the floor with her foot. ‘Well, you can hardly blame me for assuming…’ Her voice trailed off, and Nick did absolutely nothing to fill the uncomfortable silence. Eden willed Rose to hurry back, terrified that if she looked up, Nick might catch a glimpse of the jealous feelings that seemed to choke her whenever she pictured him with another woman. However, her mouth was moving ahead of her mind and wretched emotions were taking over. Wincing inside, yet completely unable to stop herself, a tiny slice of truth came out. ‘I just don’t like seeing people used, that’s all.’

  ‘Used?’ She could hear the frown in his voice without looking up, and Eden knew she’d gone too far, knew that she had to pull back now before irretrievable damage was done, before Nick realised how much she was hurting. Forcing a very cheeky smile, she dragged her eyes back to his.

  ‘Yes, used, Nick. Just because you’re blond and gorgeous, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have feelings, too!’ And even though he smiled at her joke, it didn’t quite reach his eyes and Eden knew her attempt at recovery hadn’t quite succeeded. ‘I’m allowed to worry about you—that’s what friends do.’

  The smile was back in his eyes now, and Eden gave an inward sigh of relief as Rose appeared.

  ‘Good luck,’ Nick called as Eden and Rose headed back towards Priscilla’s bedside, just in time to see Becky setting up the replacement meal tray.

  ‘Oh, look.’ Rose smiled. ‘Roast chicken—yum!’ Her tone was a touch forced, but Eden was pleased to see how hard she was trying. ‘Now, come on, eat up your dinner and then you can read to me.’

  ‘I’m not eating that filth!’ Priscilla snarled. Her hand moved towards the tray, but Eden was too quick for her.

  ‘Oh, no.’ Eden held onto the tray, holding the young girl’s angry glare. ‘There are plenty more trays down in the canteen, Priscilla. I can ring down for more all evening if I have to, but we’re not wasting good food like that.’

  ‘Well, I’m not eating it.’ Priscilla’s bottom lip was working overtime and she squeezed out a tear for effect. ‘Mummy, I don’t like roast chicken!’

  ‘That’s what’s for dinner tonight, Priscilla.’ Rose took a deep breath and Eden felt sorry for her, knowing how hard it must be for her to be firm when her daughter lay in a hospital bed. ‘Now, it looks so nice that I’m going down to the canteen to have some dinner myself. When you’re finished, Eden here will ring me and I’ll come back up.’

  ‘Mummy!’ Priscilla wasn’t squeezing tears out now—they were coming thick and fast of their own accord. ‘Mummy, don’t leave me!’

  ‘As soon as your dinner’s finished, darling, I’ll come back up.’ Hiding tears of her own, Rose turned quickly, hurrying out of the ward. Eden ran after her as Becky stayed with a shrieking Priscilla.

  ‘She’ll be fine,’ Eden soothed. ‘You did so well.’

  ‘I can’t do this every night,’ Rose sobbed.

  ‘You won’t have to,’ Eden said. ‘As soon as Priscilla realises t
hat you’re serious, she’ll start eating properly. Rose, just remember that all you are asking is for her to eat her dinner, not walk on hot coals. There’s nothing unreasonable or unfair about what you’re doing.’

  ‘I know,’ Rose gulped.

  ‘Now, go and have a coffee or dinner. I promise that we’ll look after her and as soon as she’s made a reasonable effort with her dinner, I’ll ring you.’

  ‘And if she doesn’t?’

  ‘I’ll ring down for you anyway.’ Eden smiled. ‘But let’s stay positive.’

  In fact, by the time Eden returned to the bedside, the tears had stopped and Priscilla was sitting upright with her arms folded pointedly, not looking up as Eden made her way over.

  ‘Thanks, Becky.’

  ‘No worries.’ Becky grinned, scooting off to check on her own patients.

  ‘Your mum has just gone to have some dinner,’ Eden said, picking up a rather impressive book on Priscilla’s bedside. ‘Is this yours?’

  When Priscilla didn’t answer, Eden pressed on, unperturbed. ‘It’s a huge book for a nine-year-old.’

  ‘It’s easy.’ Priscilla bristled.

  ‘Well, I don’t think so—all those funny names and spells and trying to work out who the baddy is….’

  ‘You’ve read it?’ Priscilla blinked, curiosity overriding her anger for a moment.

  ‘Not this one,’ Eden admitted, ‘but I’ve read four in the series and I’m hoping someone will get me this one for Christmas.’

  ‘But it’s a kid’s book.’

  ‘So?’ Sitting down at the bedside, Eden peeled off the cover on Priscilla’s dinner. ‘Come on, Priscilla, eat your dinner and then I’ll call downstairs for Mum to come up. She said you were going to read to her tonight, and she’s really looking forward to it.’ Pretending to ignore her, Eden concentrated on the blurb at the back of the book as Eden slowly picked up her knife and fork.

  ‘I don’t like broccoli.’

  Eden flicked the pages, deliberately not looking up. ‘Eden, I really don’t like broccoli.’

  ‘Neither do I.’ Eden smiled. ‘OK. How about you eat everything else? If you do that, you can leave the broccoli.’

  ‘I don’t like carrots.’

  ‘Priscilla.’ Eden’s voice held a warning. ‘If you eat all your carrots, potato and chicken, then you can leave the broccoli.’ Turning back to the book, she flicked the pages. ‘Where are you up to?’

  To an onlooker, Eden knew she probably looked as if she was doing nothing but sitting on the bed as Priscilla slowly worked her way through her meal, but, Eden knew exactly what she was doing; knew she had the best job in the world. Rose had trusted her enough to go down to the canteen and Priscilla was actually eating her dinner. They might not be cutting-edge science, but tonight she and Nick had hopefully made a difference, a huge difference, in a little girl’s life.

  And Priscilla did very well!

  Eden’s heart swelled with pride as finally the plate was if not clean then almost so. Priscilla had even had a small piece of the broccoli.

  ‘Well done, honey.’ Eden grinned and picked up the tray, careful not too make too much of a fuss but also wanting to acknowledge Priscilla’s effort. ‘How about I go and ring down to the canteen for your mum?’

  ‘Are you on in the morning?’ Priscilla asked, and Eden shook her head.

  ‘I’m on another late shift. I’ll come and check on you a bit later. You enjoy reading to your mum.’

  ‘How did Priscilla get on with her dinner?’ Nick asked a while later, when Becky was on her supper break and Eden was giving a grumpy six-month-old named Justin the last of his bottle.

  Eden loved this time of night on the children’s ward. At seven the main lights were switched off and the curtains drawn and, despite the light Sydney evening outside, the whole ward was plunged into darkness, filled with the sounds of babies’ and toddlers’ final protests as their parents or nurses soothed them off to sleep, the background drone of the television in the older children’s rooms. Usually with Donna, the unit manager, gone and most doctors long since headed for home there was a chance for Eden to take her time feeding a baby or sit on a bed and have a chat with a lonely patient or just catch up with the mountain of paperwork involved in nursing these days. It was one of the main reasons she often volunteered for the late shift.

  ‘Good.’ Eden said. ‘Rose is going to go through tomorrow’s menu with her a bit later on and I’ll pass it all on to the night staff. Hopefully, if we all keep it up, she’ll be a different girl in a few days. Becky and I are both on another late shift tomorrow, which will make things easier when Rose comes in. How come you’re still here?’ she added.

  ‘I’m not.’ Picking up his briefcase, he gave a tired smile. ‘Unless my pager goes off between now and the car park. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

  ‘See, you, Nick.’ Eden smiled back. ‘Have a good night.’

  ‘I will if you don’t call!’

  No doubt a thousand doctors were jokingly saying those exact words to a thousand nurses even as Nick spoke them, but for Eden they hurt like hell.

  The hardest part of the entire day was about to ensue.

  She kept a professional smile in place as he picked up his briefcase and walked out of the ward, wondering who he was on his way to see, wondering who was filling the long hours till she saw him again.

  Wondering where the loyal man who had been engaged to Teaghan had disappeared to…

  Maybe he felt her eyes on him, but for some reason as he reached the door he turned around, then walked back the length of the ward in long purposeful strides. Eden figured he must have forgotten to sign for something or was going to remind her about a patient.

  ‘I’ve been thinking about our mutual problem.’

  ‘Mutual problem?’ Eden frowned, shifting Justin on her knee into an upright position, his little face held between her thumb and finger as her other hand rubbed his back.

  ‘Christmas.’ Nick said with a note of exasperation, as if the conversation they had had a few hours ago should still be at the front of her mind.

  ‘I’ll sort something out,’ Eden said airily. ‘Though I have to admit I’m not particularly looking forward to ringing my parents tonight and telling them I’m not coming home.’

  ‘Will they be upset?’

  ‘Not upset.’ Eden shook her head. ‘Just sorry, I guess, and worried that I’ll be on my own.’

  ‘But you don’t have to be on your own,’ Nick said, and Eden just shrugged and turned her attention back to the babe in her arms, continuing to rub his back in an attempt to bring up the wind she was sure was there. ‘Why don’t you spend it with me and my family?’

  Despite a very loud burp from a very little baby, Eden carried on rubbing his back, determinedly not looking at up as her cheeks started to colour, waiting for Nick to roar with laughter or make some wisecrack to show that he was joking, but when finally she did jerk her eyes up to look at him, she was shocked to see that his face was deadly serious.

  ‘It makes perfect sense,’ Nick insisted. ‘My sister’s kids are spending the day with their dad and they won’t be there till the evening so there won’t be any tantrums, and my mum’s an amazing cook so you can have the massive roast dinner you’re dreaming of. At least you can tell your parents when you ring them that you’re not going to be on your own.’

  ‘And what’s in it for you?’ Eden asked directly, her eyes narrowing as Nick blushed slightly.

  ‘I just don’t like the thought of you being on your own,’ Nick attempted, but Eden just slowly shook her head.

  ‘What’s in it for you, Nick?’ she asked again.

  ‘Well, if I hinted to Mum that we were seeing each other, I guess that would buy me a few months of grace.’

  ‘You mean get them off your back?’

  ‘Something like that. Think about it, Eden. It would be good for both of us and you’d have a great day, I can guarantee it.’

  ‘So why not ask one of
your many admirers? I’m sure Tanya’s hoping for an invitation to meet your family.’

  ‘Exactly.’ Nick rolled his eyes. ‘I spoke to her last night and unfortunately you’re right—she was hoping…’ He gave an embarrassed shrug. ‘Suffice to say an invitation to Tanya to spend Christmas with me and my family could only confuse things, whereas with you and I…’ He gave another shrug. ‘Well, we’d both know that there was…’

  ‘Nothing in it,’ Eden finished for him as his voice trailed off. ‘Thanks but, no, thanks.’

  ‘Why not?’

  Somehow she managed a smile as she placed a nappy over her shoulder and rested Justin against it as she stood up.

  ‘Playing your girlfriend for a day, just isn’t my idea of a fun Christmas,’ Eden said. Heading down the ward and coming to Justin’s room, she pushed the door open. ‘You’ll have to come up with someone else, Nick.’

  ‘Think about it,’ Nick said, but Eden shook her head.

  ‘’Night, Nick.’

  As the door closed behind her, she placed Justin in his cot, soothing him gently as he struggled to open his heavy eyes. She listened to the sound of Nick’s footsteps going down the ward and felt the sting of a great salty tear as it rolled down her cheek.

  Stupidly, she’d dreamed of that very moment.

  Secretly dreamed of Nick asking her to be with him and his family, the thought of sharing Christmas with him a fantasy she’d harboured—only not like this.

  Never like this.

  CHAPTER THREE

  ‘SHE’LL never agree.’ Becky shook her head as Eden wrestled with six feet four of hulking pine tree, dragging the beast the length of the nurses’ station then levering it up to its full height. ‘Donna always has it on the far side of the nurses’ station.’