attending patients.
Not knowing what else to say she burst out with the first thing she thought of.
“You have to get better. We all need you.”
Despite her best intention s tears fell from her eyes and Jem placed her free hand over her mouth to stifle a sob. She bit her lip to help her get herself under control, knowing that crying wouldn’t help anyone. On the bedside table she saw a box of tissues and pulled out a fistful which she used to wipe her face and blow her nose.
“Lucky I don’t wear makeup,” she said with forced cheer to her motionless sister “or I’d be an even bigger mess now.”
From her jeans pocket her cell phone dinged to indicate a text message had been received. Still holding Jess’s hand, Jem dropped the tissues in her shoulder bag, pulled out her phone and read the message. It was Mark from work wanting information on a potential client that she hadn’t finished compiling the information for. She texted back and told him she’d email the document overnight.
While she did this someone lifted the chart hooked at the foot of the bed. He made a few notations on the chart then put it back. Then he looked at her, saw what she was doing and frowned.
“Excuse me but you need to have your cell phone turned off in ICU.”
Startled, Jem looked up to see a tall man with closely cropped fair hair wearing a navy pinstripe suit over a grey tie and white shirt looking at her.
“Pardon?” Jem asked.
“You need to turn off your cell phone in ICU as it has the potential to interfere with the equipment,” he said and indicated a picture on the wall of a red circle with a diagonal line crossing the centre over a picture of a cell phone.
“Oh. Sorry,” Jem said and quickly switched the phone off and stuffed it back in her pocket. “I’ve just got here and hadn’t seen the sign yet.”
Pleased that she was following his directions the man smiled and stepped forward.
“I’m Mr Carstairs the consultant on Mrs Reardon’s case,” he said and offered his hand.
Jem released Jess’s hand, stood up and offered him her hand in return.
“I ’m Jem Flint, Jess’s sister,” she said.
After shaking hands he stepped back.
“Ah yes, it was you who phoned earlier.”
Jem nodded.
“Would you mind coming with me as I have a few things to share with you,” he said.
Jem looked back at the sight of her uncharacteristically pale sister on the bed.
“Can’t you tell me here?” she asked.
“I can explain better in my office,” he told her.
Reluctantly she picked up her shoulder bag and followed him past the nurse’s station to a small office just beyond the entrance to ICU. After they were both inside he shut the door behind him and offered her a seat.
Jem sat down feeling worried about what he was going to tell her.
Please tell me she’s going to be okay.
“I’m sorry to take you away from your sister at this time but there is always the chance that she can hear what is being said despite being heavily medicated. I just want to explain how she is at the moment and then you may ask any questions you have.”
Mr Carstairs then proceeded to explain that Jess would be kept in an induced coma for a day or two to provide relief from the pain of her injuries and give her body time to heal. He gave her details about what the accident had done to Jess and what they had done in surgery to repair the damage but because Jem wasn’t medically trained some of the things he talked about went over her head.
He told her that they were still waiting to receive Jess’s file from her GP and asked Jem to share any medical information that she knew about Jess. Jem spent the next few minutes telling him things that he scribbled down. When they finished he thanked her and escorted her back to Jess’s bedside.
Jem s pent the next few hours trying to be cheerful, rambling of inconsequential things while the nurse regularly came in and copied details from the machines to the clipboard hooked on the
Not knowing what else to say she burst out with the first thing she thought of.
“You have to get better. We all need you.”
Despite her best intention s tears fell from her eyes and Jem placed her free hand over her mouth to stifle a sob. She bit her lip to help her get herself under control, knowing that crying wouldn’t help anyone. On the bedside table she saw a box of tissues and pulled out a fistful which she used to wipe her face and blow her nose.
“Lucky I don’t wear makeup,” she said with forced cheer to her motionless sister “or I’d be an even bigger mess now.”
From her jeans pocket her cell phone dinged to indicate a text message had been received. Still holding Jess’s hand, Jem dropped the tissues in her shoulder bag, pulled out her phone and read the message. It was Mark from work wanting information on a potential client that she hadn’t finished compiling the information for. She texted back and told him she’d email the document overnight.
While she did this someone lifted the chart hooked at the foot of the bed. He made a few notations on the chart then put it back. Then he looked at her, saw what she was doing and frowned.
“Excuse me but you need to have your cell phone turned off in ICU.”
Startled, Jem looked up to see a tall man with closely cropped fair hair wearing a navy pinstripe suit over a grey tie and white shirt looking at her.
“Pardon?” Jem asked.
“You need to turn off your cell phone in ICU as it has the potential to interfere with the equipment,” he said and indicated a picture on the wall of a red circle with a diagonal line crossing the centre over a picture of a cell phone.
“Oh. Sorry,” Jem said and quickly switched the phone off and stuffed it back in her pocket. “I’ve just got here and hadn’t seen the sign yet.”
Pleased that she was following his directions the man smiled and stepped forward.
“I’m Mr Carstairs the consultant on Mrs Reardon’s case,” he said and offered his hand.
Jem released Jess’s hand, stood up and offered him her hand in return.
“I ’m Jem Flint, Jess’s sister,” she said.
After shaking hands he stepped back.
“Ah yes, it was you who phoned earlier.”
Jem nodded.
“Would you mind coming with me as I have a few things to share with you,” he said.
Jem looked back at the sight of her uncharacteristically pale sister on the bed.
“Can’t you tell me here?” she asked.
“I can explain better in my office,” he told her.
Reluctantly she picked up her shoulder bag and followed him past the nurse’s station to a small office just beyond the entrance to ICU. After they were both inside he shut the door behind him and offered her a seat.
Jem sat down feeling worried about what he was going to tell her.
Please tell me she’s going to be okay.
“I’m sorry to take you away from your sister at this time but there is always the chance that she can hear what is being said despite being heavily medicated. I just want to explain how she is at the moment and then you may ask any questions you have.”
Mr Carstairs then proceeded to explain that Jess would be kept in an induced coma for a day or two to provide relief from the pain of her injuries and give her body time to heal. He gave her details about what the accident had done to Jess and what they had done in surgery to repair the damage but because Jem wasn’t medically trained some of the things he talked about went over her head.
He told her that they were still waiting to receive Jess’s file from her GP and asked Jem to share any medical information that she knew about Jess. Jem spent the next few minutes telling him things that he scribbled down. When they finished he thanked her and escorted her back to Jess’s bedside.
Jem s pent the next few hours trying to be cheerful, rambling of inconsequential things while the nurse regularly came in and copied details from the machines to the clipboard hooked on the
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