Read Online From Single Mum to Lady by Judy Campbell - Free Book Online
Authors: Judy Campbell
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home—you’ll probably have to sleep on a trolley all night as we don’t have enough beds for everyone.’
Mr Roper considered this for a few seconds, then he said sulkily, ‘Put the damn thing in, then—I’m fed up with the lot of you!’
Jandy went out to change her clothes. ‘Magic touch, Dr Sinclair,’ she murmured as she passed him.
‘Just the usual skill,’ he said modestly, winking at her.
Tim Vernon was talking to Karen as Jandy came by and raised his eyebrows. ‘You’ve been in the wars,’ he remarked.
‘Mr Roper wasn’t too keen on me putting in his cannula,’ she explained. ‘Dr Sinclair’s persuaded him to have it done, but I’ll have to clean up that cubicle.’
Tim sighed and said crustily, ‘If I remember the last time Mr Roper came in, the same thing happened. Let me know when he’s actually out of the building, will you?’ He turned to Karen and stroked the side of his face with a grimace. ‘Any aspirins in that drawer of yours, Sister? I’ve got a devil of a toothache…and I want to go through the admissions with you.’
‘Come with me, Doctor—I’ve got a magic formula to help with that,’ said Karen soothingly.
They disappeared into Sister’s office and Jandy grinned. Karen had a profusion of ‘magic cures’ to keep headaches, stomach upsets and other ailments at bay. Tim seemed to suffer more than most from his teeth and it didn’t do much for his temper.
Jandy went to change her tunic and then went to a box on the wall with cards of patients waiting to be seen. Just as she was about to take the top card, there was a sudden commotion and two youths, pushing and shoving each other, staggered into the corridor from the waiting room. They were laughing uproariously and taunting other patients in the cubicles. Close on their heels was Danny, face bright red and looking flustered.
‘How long have these two been making trouble?’ Jandy hissed to Danny as he passed her.
‘Too long,’ he said breathlessly. ‘I’ve rung Security, but apparently there’s trouble in the car park and resources are stretched. I’m still waiting for someone to come. Any minute now there’s going to be a bust-up.’
‘This is ridiculous,’ muttered Jandy, looking around desperately to see if anyone was about. Karen and Tim were in her office and she knew that Bob Thoms was doing a small procedure in one of the theatres.
She went behind the desk and hit the emergency button, which was meant to alert Security that a major incident was happening, then marched up to the young men, who were now making lewd suggestions to each other about a young woman sitting scared and rigid with fear outside a cubicle.
‘Could you keep it quiet please and go back to the waiting room?’ she shouted above their deafening voices. ‘Which of you is the patient?’
A youth in a leather jacket and trousers liberally festooned with chains and zips stared at her and then said aggressively, ‘About time too—we’ve been waiting hours here.’ He pointed to the other lad. ‘Les is first in the queue.’
‘He’s been seen by the triage nurse—there are other people who need more urgent attention.’
The youth swaggered up to her, pushing a finger at her chest aggressively, and the smell of strong beer wafted over her.
‘You see Les now…or else.’ He looked around at the nervous people in the corridor and snarled, ‘This place is a joke—the hospital ought to be reported, keeping us waiting. Les is in agony with his ankle.’
He was standing eyeball to eyeball with Jandy, his face thrust forward, blotchy with the effect of alcohol, his breath stale. Behind him Les raised a ragged jeer.
‘Yeah! That’s right, Phil—you tell ‘er!’
‘Les will be seen as soon as possible…you, please go!’
Jandy stood her ground resolutely, inwardly praying that someone from Security would come before the whole place erupted, and wondering what it was about this job that she enjoyed. A baby started
Mr Roper considered this for a few seconds, then he said sulkily, ‘Put the damn thing in, then—I’m fed up with the lot of you!’
Jandy went out to change her clothes. ‘Magic touch, Dr Sinclair,’ she murmured as she passed him.
‘Just the usual skill,’ he said modestly, winking at her.
Tim Vernon was talking to Karen as Jandy came by and raised his eyebrows. ‘You’ve been in the wars,’ he remarked.
‘Mr Roper wasn’t too keen on me putting in his cannula,’ she explained. ‘Dr Sinclair’s persuaded him to have it done, but I’ll have to clean up that cubicle.’
Tim sighed and said crustily, ‘If I remember the last time Mr Roper came in, the same thing happened. Let me know when he’s actually out of the building, will you?’ He turned to Karen and stroked the side of his face with a grimace. ‘Any aspirins in that drawer of yours, Sister? I’ve got a devil of a toothache…and I want to go through the admissions with you.’
‘Come with me, Doctor—I’ve got a magic formula to help with that,’ said Karen soothingly.
They disappeared into Sister’s office and Jandy grinned. Karen had a profusion of ‘magic cures’ to keep headaches, stomach upsets and other ailments at bay. Tim seemed to suffer more than most from his teeth and it didn’t do much for his temper.
Jandy went to change her tunic and then went to a box on the wall with cards of patients waiting to be seen. Just as she was about to take the top card, there was a sudden commotion and two youths, pushing and shoving each other, staggered into the corridor from the waiting room. They were laughing uproariously and taunting other patients in the cubicles. Close on their heels was Danny, face bright red and looking flustered.
‘How long have these two been making trouble?’ Jandy hissed to Danny as he passed her.
‘Too long,’ he said breathlessly. ‘I’ve rung Security, but apparently there’s trouble in the car park and resources are stretched. I’m still waiting for someone to come. Any minute now there’s going to be a bust-up.’
‘This is ridiculous,’ muttered Jandy, looking around desperately to see if anyone was about. Karen and Tim were in her office and she knew that Bob Thoms was doing a small procedure in one of the theatres.
She went behind the desk and hit the emergency button, which was meant to alert Security that a major incident was happening, then marched up to the young men, who were now making lewd suggestions to each other about a young woman sitting scared and rigid with fear outside a cubicle.
‘Could you keep it quiet please and go back to the waiting room?’ she shouted above their deafening voices. ‘Which of you is the patient?’
A youth in a leather jacket and trousers liberally festooned with chains and zips stared at her and then said aggressively, ‘About time too—we’ve been waiting hours here.’ He pointed to the other lad. ‘Les is first in the queue.’
‘He’s been seen by the triage nurse—there are other people who need more urgent attention.’
The youth swaggered up to her, pushing a finger at her chest aggressively, and the smell of strong beer wafted over her.
‘You see Les now…or else.’ He looked around at the nervous people in the corridor and snarled, ‘This place is a joke—the hospital ought to be reported, keeping us waiting. Les is in agony with his ankle.’
He was standing eyeball to eyeball with Jandy, his face thrust forward, blotchy with the effect of alcohol, his breath stale. Behind him Les raised a ragged jeer.
‘Yeah! That’s right, Phil—you tell ‘er!’
‘Les will be seen as soon as possible…you, please go!’
Jandy stood her ground resolutely, inwardly praying that someone from Security would come before the whole place erupted, and wondering what it was about this job that she enjoyed. A baby started
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