finally coming up to meet Anna’s. She gave a tiny shake of her head.
“What hurts? Your wrist?” Anna felt her mother hovering over them, anxiety coming off her in waves.
She nodded—the wrist was already swollen. Anna ran a gentle hand over it, assessing the swelling, watching Ella’s face as she did so. It was definitely broken. She’d seen kids in pain, and many of them, most really, did exactly what Ella was doing now. When they were in pain, serious pain, they retreated to a place inside themselves.
“I need to take her to the ER.” She lowered her voice so only Sandra behind her could hear. “I think her wrist is broken. Can you take Toby home? Take the SUV, it has the car seat.”
Not waiting for an answer, Anna scooped Ella up and carried her to the car, whispering assurances in her ear. Once Ella was in the seat, Anna buckled her in.
Sandra hovered behind with Toby, watching Ella’s face. “It’ll be okay, Ella sweetie. Aunty Na’s a doctor, she’ll look after you.”
Ella just stared straight ahead, still cradling her wrist.
Anna closed the door and turned to Sandra. “What time did she last eat? And drink?”
“Uh…she ate at eleven-thirty. She had some water after that but nothing else. Why?”
“In case she needs surgery.”
Her mother paled. “Really?”
They exchanged car keys. “Maybe, maybe not—I can only see swelling, the skin’s not broken, and I can’t feel an obvious deformity. But I can’t tell for sure without an X-ray. It’s definitely broken though. Everything else seems okay. I don’t think she hit her head.”
“Call me?”
“I’ll let you know as soon as I do.” Anna leant forward and kissed her mother on the cheek, then Toby. “Be good, Tobes.”
Toby squawked and reached out for her as she walked around the car to the driver’s side. She blew him a kiss and tried to ignore the distraught look on his face as she got in without him.
Anna pulled out of the parking lot, heading towards her new place of employment. It was the only hospital location she knew. The entire drive, she chatted to Ella about nothing. Her niece didn’t answer, but Anna kept it up, giving them both something else to think about. Anytime there was silence, she heard again how Ella had squealed as she fell; worry clenched her stomach each time.
In record time, Anna pulled into the hospital. As she helped Ella out of the car, she asked, “Can you walk, Ella Bella?”
Ella nodded, eyes still glazed and face still pale.
At the triage desk, it was still early in the day, and the waiting room only held a few people. Still, Anna was grateful that all ERs saw children as quickly as possible. Five minutes later, they were whisked through, a kind nurse taking Ella’s vitals and telling jokes, almost bringing a smile to her pale little face.
The nurse fluttered out, leaving in her efficient wake an intern who didn’t look old enough to shave. Anna eyed him critically. “What are you here to do?”
He looked at her in surprise, his nerves written all over his face. “Uh…the initial exam?”
“Did you just answer me with a question?”
“Uh…no?”
Ella was sitting on the edge of the bed, still cradling her wrist. With her chair pulled up alongside Ella, Anna sat with her arm around her back, the girl’s feet resting on her legs. Protectiveness was rearing its head, and Anna tried to rein it back. Working in this field, she knew they had to learn. But not on her niece. “What year are you?”
His eyes widened further. “Uh…this is my first.”
She knew it. “How far into your internship?”
“Three weeks?”
Anna closed her eyes, then opened them, keeping her tone light so as not to alarm Ella. “That’s what I thought. How about you just get her some pain relief sorted out, order the X-ray, and call an orthopaedic consult. Her vitals were fine—check the chart.”
“But, I—”
Her eyebrows raised. “Run along.”
The intern swallowed, nodded, and
“What hurts? Your wrist?” Anna felt her mother hovering over them, anxiety coming off her in waves.
She nodded—the wrist was already swollen. Anna ran a gentle hand over it, assessing the swelling, watching Ella’s face as she did so. It was definitely broken. She’d seen kids in pain, and many of them, most really, did exactly what Ella was doing now. When they were in pain, serious pain, they retreated to a place inside themselves.
“I need to take her to the ER.” She lowered her voice so only Sandra behind her could hear. “I think her wrist is broken. Can you take Toby home? Take the SUV, it has the car seat.”
Not waiting for an answer, Anna scooped Ella up and carried her to the car, whispering assurances in her ear. Once Ella was in the seat, Anna buckled her in.
Sandra hovered behind with Toby, watching Ella’s face. “It’ll be okay, Ella sweetie. Aunty Na’s a doctor, she’ll look after you.”
Ella just stared straight ahead, still cradling her wrist.
Anna closed the door and turned to Sandra. “What time did she last eat? And drink?”
“Uh…she ate at eleven-thirty. She had some water after that but nothing else. Why?”
“In case she needs surgery.”
Her mother paled. “Really?”
They exchanged car keys. “Maybe, maybe not—I can only see swelling, the skin’s not broken, and I can’t feel an obvious deformity. But I can’t tell for sure without an X-ray. It’s definitely broken though. Everything else seems okay. I don’t think she hit her head.”
“Call me?”
“I’ll let you know as soon as I do.” Anna leant forward and kissed her mother on the cheek, then Toby. “Be good, Tobes.”
Toby squawked and reached out for her as she walked around the car to the driver’s side. She blew him a kiss and tried to ignore the distraught look on his face as she got in without him.
Anna pulled out of the parking lot, heading towards her new place of employment. It was the only hospital location she knew. The entire drive, she chatted to Ella about nothing. Her niece didn’t answer, but Anna kept it up, giving them both something else to think about. Anytime there was silence, she heard again how Ella had squealed as she fell; worry clenched her stomach each time.
In record time, Anna pulled into the hospital. As she helped Ella out of the car, she asked, “Can you walk, Ella Bella?”
Ella nodded, eyes still glazed and face still pale.
At the triage desk, it was still early in the day, and the waiting room only held a few people. Still, Anna was grateful that all ERs saw children as quickly as possible. Five minutes later, they were whisked through, a kind nurse taking Ella’s vitals and telling jokes, almost bringing a smile to her pale little face.
The nurse fluttered out, leaving in her efficient wake an intern who didn’t look old enough to shave. Anna eyed him critically. “What are you here to do?”
He looked at her in surprise, his nerves written all over his face. “Uh…the initial exam?”
“Did you just answer me with a question?”
“Uh…no?”
Ella was sitting on the edge of the bed, still cradling her wrist. With her chair pulled up alongside Ella, Anna sat with her arm around her back, the girl’s feet resting on her legs. Protectiveness was rearing its head, and Anna tried to rein it back. Working in this field, she knew they had to learn. But not on her niece. “What year are you?”
His eyes widened further. “Uh…this is my first.”
She knew it. “How far into your internship?”
“Three weeks?”
Anna closed her eyes, then opened them, keeping her tone light so as not to alarm Ella. “That’s what I thought. How about you just get her some pain relief sorted out, order the X-ray, and call an orthopaedic consult. Her vitals were fine—check the chart.”
“But, I—”
Her eyebrows raised. “Run along.”
The intern swallowed, nodded, and
Similar Books
