Read Online From Single Mum to Lady by Judy Campbell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Judy Campbell
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wailing in Paediatrics and Phil kicked away a chair near his foot and grabbed Jandy’s arm.
‘You listen here, my dahlin’, unless someone sees us in a minute, I’m going to give you something you won’t like.’
‘Get your hands off me!’ shouted Jandy, beating at him ineffectually with her free hand and kicking his shin as hard as she could. ‘Your friend won’t be seen at all if—’
He twisted her arm viciously. Jandy lost her balance and landed with a thump on the floor, a chair he’d kicked to one side just missing her forehead. Then several things happened. A large figure interposed itself between Jandy and the youth and Patrick’s voice roared out, ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’
The youth was grabbed by the feet as he tried to run away and landed on his stomach with a loud yell. Two security guards appeared and handcuffed the squirming boy, now emitting colourful expletives, while Jandy still sat on the floor, slightly dazed and watching the evolving scene with amazement. Patrick towered above the boy, staring down at him, gimlet-eyed.
‘You got a complaint, son? Put it in writing, then. Meantime, these gentlemen have a few questions to ask you, I’m sure!’
The youth looked up at him sullenly. ‘It’s a disgrace. I’ve bust my nose…’ he started to say.
‘Is that all you’ve bust? A pity!’ Patrick’s face was grim and flinty-eyed. ‘Can’t you read?’ He pointed to a sign on the wall. ‘It says there that any aggression towards members of staff will lead to prosecution—and this little episode’s all on video too. It won’t make pretty viewing.’
Les snarled, although he took a step backwards from Patrick’s menacing figure.
Patrick folded his arms and glared at them. ‘Your friend may be seen if he remembers his manners. You—get moving! Oh, and Security will answer any questions you might have.’
Les turned round sulkily. ‘They’re a bunch of losers here,’ he shouted vaguely to the stunned onlookers, trying not to lose face by having the last word.
He shuffled out, leaving his mate sitting hunched on a chair, staring at the floor. An old man peered out of one of the cubicles and shouted in a quavery voice, ‘Well done, sir! That sort need birching, the lot of them!’
‘What’s going on?’ asked Tim, appearing out of Karen’s office. ‘There’s been a lot of a noise…’
‘Under control now, I think, Dr Vernon,’ said Patrick. ‘Staff Nurse has just taken the brunt of some unwanted visitors.’
‘You all right, Staff?’ Tim asked with concern. ‘We really need to up the security in this place if people are getting through here so easily from the waiting room. Go and take her for a coffee, Patrick—I’ll beep you if you’re needed.’
Patrick squatted down by Jandy. His voice had lost the steely tones he’d used on the youths and now he said drily, ‘This is the second time I’ve found you lying on the floor in about twenty minutes. You landed with an almighty thump—are you OK?’
‘Fortunately I landed on my bottom—it was just a bit of a shock,’ remarked Jandy. She grinned rather shakily up at him. ‘Just a normal day in Casualty. I should be used to it by now, but I was a bit slow off the mark and didn’t see it coming.’
‘Promise me one thing,’ Patrick said sternly. ‘Don’t try and take on those thugs again.’
He looked at her fiercely and she laughed. ‘I’m a big girl now, Patrick, big enough to look after myself!’
Without a word he stooped down and slipped his arms under hers, lifting her effortlessly to her feet. In the second that he pulled her up they were facing each other, her body brushing against his broad frame, her face inches away from his. She could see the dark flecks in his blue eyes, a red mark on his cheek where he’d cut himself shaving. A giggle threatened to burst out of her mouth—if they hadn’t been in the hospital she might have thrown caution to the wind and pulled
‘You listen here, my dahlin’, unless someone sees us in a minute, I’m going to give you something you won’t like.’
‘Get your hands off me!’ shouted Jandy, beating at him ineffectually with her free hand and kicking his shin as hard as she could. ‘Your friend won’t be seen at all if—’
He twisted her arm viciously. Jandy lost her balance and landed with a thump on the floor, a chair he’d kicked to one side just missing her forehead. Then several things happened. A large figure interposed itself between Jandy and the youth and Patrick’s voice roared out, ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’
The youth was grabbed by the feet as he tried to run away and landed on his stomach with a loud yell. Two security guards appeared and handcuffed the squirming boy, now emitting colourful expletives, while Jandy still sat on the floor, slightly dazed and watching the evolving scene with amazement. Patrick towered above the boy, staring down at him, gimlet-eyed.
‘You got a complaint, son? Put it in writing, then. Meantime, these gentlemen have a few questions to ask you, I’m sure!’
The youth looked up at him sullenly. ‘It’s a disgrace. I’ve bust my nose…’ he started to say.
‘Is that all you’ve bust? A pity!’ Patrick’s face was grim and flinty-eyed. ‘Can’t you read?’ He pointed to a sign on the wall. ‘It says there that any aggression towards members of staff will lead to prosecution—and this little episode’s all on video too. It won’t make pretty viewing.’
Les snarled, although he took a step backwards from Patrick’s menacing figure.
Patrick folded his arms and glared at them. ‘Your friend may be seen if he remembers his manners. You—get moving! Oh, and Security will answer any questions you might have.’
Les turned round sulkily. ‘They’re a bunch of losers here,’ he shouted vaguely to the stunned onlookers, trying not to lose face by having the last word.
He shuffled out, leaving his mate sitting hunched on a chair, staring at the floor. An old man peered out of one of the cubicles and shouted in a quavery voice, ‘Well done, sir! That sort need birching, the lot of them!’
‘What’s going on?’ asked Tim, appearing out of Karen’s office. ‘There’s been a lot of a noise…’
‘Under control now, I think, Dr Vernon,’ said Patrick. ‘Staff Nurse has just taken the brunt of some unwanted visitors.’
‘You all right, Staff?’ Tim asked with concern. ‘We really need to up the security in this place if people are getting through here so easily from the waiting room. Go and take her for a coffee, Patrick—I’ll beep you if you’re needed.’
Patrick squatted down by Jandy. His voice had lost the steely tones he’d used on the youths and now he said drily, ‘This is the second time I’ve found you lying on the floor in about twenty minutes. You landed with an almighty thump—are you OK?’
‘Fortunately I landed on my bottom—it was just a bit of a shock,’ remarked Jandy. She grinned rather shakily up at him. ‘Just a normal day in Casualty. I should be used to it by now, but I was a bit slow off the mark and didn’t see it coming.’
‘Promise me one thing,’ Patrick said sternly. ‘Don’t try and take on those thugs again.’
He looked at her fiercely and she laughed. ‘I’m a big girl now, Patrick, big enough to look after myself!’
Without a word he stooped down and slipped his arms under hers, lifting her effortlessly to her feet. In the second that he pulled her up they were facing each other, her body brushing against his broad frame, her face inches away from his. She could see the dark flecks in his blue eyes, a red mark on his cheek where he’d cut himself shaving. A giggle threatened to burst out of her mouth—if they hadn’t been in the hospital she might have thrown caution to the wind and pulled
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