Chapter 15
William entered the scrub room for the third and final time that day. He was due to operate on Donovan ‘The Don’ Daly, star player of the Rochester Rhino’s Basketball team.
The guy had been having trouble with his one leg, and had been treated by the team doctor for ‘shin splints’, but it was obvious to everyone, having collapsed in tremendous agony at the final game of the season and having to be stretchered off the court, that the problem wasn’t going to go away with aspirin and cold compresses………
The anaesthetist had the patient under, and the theatre nurses were ready. Assisting Dr Carling was a junior doctor, Dr Day.
William entered the theatre, hands held aloft and he stood in front of his patient, said good afternoon to everyone, checked with the anaesthetist that everything was fine and he could proceed. The patient’s right leg had been painted with a yellow antiseptic and William called for the scalpel to make the first incision.
After making the first cut, he called for clamps and suction and got a look at what was causing his patients problem, and it wasn’t what he was expecting at all………frowning, he cut a little lower, asked the nurse for a ‘tappet’ hammer and tested the bone.
“Who is the osteo-registrar today?”
“That would be Dr Quentin Travis, Dr Carling”
“I see, would you page him immediately for me please, I need him to confirm my suspicions”
The head nurse left the room and did Dr Carling’s bidding. Eight minutes later, having scrubbed up, Dr Travers shouldered his way through the doors into the theatre holding his hands in their rubber gloves at shoulder height.
“Right then Dr Carling, what is it?”
“See for yourself, I need you to confirm my suspicions………”
Dr Travers looked at the incision and at the exposed tibia and frowned.
“It’s grossly misshapen…tappet hammer…” Like Dr Carling had done, he tested the bone and it sounded hollow.
“Oh dear god…” he looked at Dr Carling
“I’d say this young fellow was in the advanced stages of bone cancer”
“That’s what I thought…there’s nothing I can do for him…Dr Day, close him up please” Dr Carling said, and he made his way out to the scrubs room followed by Dr Travers.
Ripping of his rubber gloves he threw them into the incinerator, next he tore off his mask to around his neck.
Gesticulating wildly, he shouted,
“It’s a wonder that guy could walk on that leg, let alone play basketball! He told me he’d had pain for about a month, well he MUST be lying!”
“William, William…calm down, I know you’re angry, but-“ Dr Travers said, divesting himself of the scrubs
“But NOTHING! I want that bloody coach and team doctor down here to explain themselves, I want those guys heads on a plate!
That guy is most probably going to die now because they covered the truth up of what his condition was so they could get to the finals of some bloody stupid game! My god, they must have filled him with enough painkillers to stun an elephant – I bet you I could have nailed his feet to the floor and he wouldn’t have felt it!” Spike heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
“William, we don’t know he’s going to die”
“Well I know one thing, if treatment had started three months ago, Donovan would have a FAR better prognosis than the one he’s got now!
He’ll at the very least he’ll loose his leg, and have to suffer months of painful treatment, radio-therapy, chemo-therapy – he’s just got engaged, he’ll be wanting to start a family no doubt, the treatment alone could leave him infertile!”
“William, look, it’s very sad I know, but there will be an enquiry, his coach and team doctor will have to answer for their actions, all we can do is hope that now we DO know what’s wrong, we’ve caught it in time”
William sat on the bench, he felt wiped out for the poor guy.
“He’s 26 for god’s sake………these bloody coaches have a lot to answer for, they ruin peoples lives – putting girls on stupid diets, making them practice for hours a day so that in the end a 16 year old has the hips and knees of somebody of fifty odd – it’s not right!”
Dr Travers patted William’s shoulder
“Look, I’ll contact the family, you get yourself off home, there will have to be a news blackout until his family have been told, and I’ll see the hospital governors about setting up an enquiry”
“Thanks…oh god, all I want is a bath and to vegetate in front of the TV” William closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the lockers.
“Sounds like an excellent idea”
“Can’t can I – I’m going to this dinner party like you”
“Dinner party?”
“At Dru’s?”
“She cancelled it”
“Did she? – When – oh look never mind, gets me off the hook, me not getting messages comes with not having an office here I suppose…are you sure you don’t mind contacting the Daly family for me?”
“I’m sure, now you get yourself off home”
“Thanks” Spike changed back into his everyday clothes and made for the lift. Instead of pressing for the ground floor, he pressed second and only realised what he’d done when the lift doors opened practically opposite Buffy Summers’ room.
He knocked softly on the door and went in.
Buffy was lying propped up, dozing.
Ever the professional, he went to the end of her bed and checked her chart and was pleased to see since the operation her vital signs were normal.
“Oh, hey, sorry, dozed off there for a minute!” Buffy sat up and smiled sleepily
William came and stood at the head of the bed.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine…mom said I won’t be able to see the scar”
“That’s right, I cut in a crease!”
“Wouldn’t have mattered…but thanks…so…you off home now, you’ve no white coat on?”
“Yeah. Well the one room I call home while I’m here, it’s actually a broom cupboard with a bed – an old hospital bed too, none of this hi-tech stuff like you’ve got!”
“Shame…(Buffy felt light-headed, most probably from the anaesthesia, it made her bold too)
“Well if all gets too much, I can budge over a bit and you can share with me!”
Buffy knew she should feel embarrassed, but was glad she didn’t, and was delighted when she saw his eyes flash and he grinned
“Be careful, I might JUST take you up on that offer if I have another night like last night!”
“Well, you know where I am!”
William looked at her and Buffy licked her lips. He had this over-whelming desire to kiss her, but knew he couldn’t possibly, it was the patient/doctor etiquette.
“So…what are your plans………partying with all your army of fans”
“Army of fans?” William asked genuinely puzzled
“All the nurses here…love you to bits they do – fancy you like crazy!”
“Get away…no, no parties………a bath, a frozen lasagne for one and I’ll probably fall asleep in front of the TV” Buffy smiled, he’d gone quite red…
“I do that! – Something we have in common!”
Buffy could see he looked a little sad.
“You okay, you look kinda sad” Buffy raised her head off the pillow and looked him in the eyes.
“Oh…bad call on my last operation…I can’t tell you about it obviously, you know patient/doctor confidentiality…but lets just say things didn’t turn out how I expected – no doubt you’ll read it in the papers in a day or two.”
“Well you did your best for him, I’m sure” William felt Buffy squeeze his hand and he squeezed back gently, taking comfort.
The door opened and Joyce walked in, beaming.
Buffy was sorry that William quickly took his hand away from hers, and wished that her mother had been a little later in coming into the room!
“Well, that frozen lasagne’s calling me – I’ll drop by in the morning, you rest now, goodnight Buffy, Mrs Summers”
When he’d gone, Joyce grinned at her daughter and said
“Coming to see you ‘after hours’ eh!”
“Huh?”
“He was in his civilian clothes, no white coat!”
“Yeah I know, we were getting along famously too!”
“And I spoiled it – oh honey, I’m sorry!” Joyce smoothed back her daughters hair and smiled
“So how are you feeling?”
“Starving…can’t wait until – OH NO!”
Alarmed Joyce stood up and looked worriedly at her daughter
“What, what is it, shall I get a nurse, what’s the matter?”
“Dinner! I thought I’d be having my op now, so I didn’t order dinner – and I’m starving!”
Joyce let out a huge sigh.
“Oh is THAT all, I thought you were in pain!”
“But I am, well my stomach thinks my throats been cut!”
“Look, I’ll go to the kitchen, see what I can do for you okay?”
“Okay…but not fish…they’re big on fish here, and I’m not…and no liver anything either!”
“Alright, alright - I DO know what you’ll eat, believe it or not!” Joyce said, going out of the door. Buffy slumped back against the pillows thinking of when Dr Carling squeezed her hand…he’d looked quite shocked at what she’d told him, about the nurses all fancying him like mad and he looked adorable, sort of half shy and half smiling………
“Buffy………Buffy!”
“Huh – what – hmm?”
“No prizes for guessing who you were dreaming of, that big smile on your face!”
Buffy looked on the table in front of her, at a ham salad sandwich on a plate, with a bag of potato chips and a blueberry muffin, and a carton of apple juice.
“Best I could do I’m afraid, that’s from the cafeteria, they only had liver and onions or fish pie in the kitchen, so I bought you that instead”
“Thanks mom!” Buffy unwrapped and began to demolish the sandwich
She finished it in double-quick time too, and Joyce blinked at her daughter and said,
“I see the anaesthetic does nothing to quell your appetite then!”
“Hmm, Starving, STAR-HAR-VING!” Buffy said between mouthfuls
“You’d better have these then, and I’ll wait until I get home” Joyce handed Buffy her roast chicken with lemon an thyme stuffing sandwich, and a strawberry yoghurt.
When she’d finished, Buffy lay back, hand on her stomach
“Hmm, that was yummy…listen mom, I’m kinda sleepy now, if you want to go I’ll see you tomorrow”
Joyce stood, asked if she was sure and said,
“Would it be okay if I leave it until after lunch, only I’d like to drop into the gallery in the morning, Mr Duggan has been more than kind, and-“
“That’s fine mom, honestly – I’ll try and get a bath or something you go to work” Buffy also remembered that Dr Carling said he’d drop by in the morning…
“Thankyou honey…you rest then, night baby, sleep tight” Joyce kissed her daughter on the forehead and left.
**************
Having fallen asleep as predicted in front of the TV, William woke with a start at the loud, piercing noise.
He looked at his mobile phone, but remembered that he’d switched it off, and then when the savoury smell hit his nostrils, he realised it was the microwave beeping and he got up, took the plate out of the micro, grabbed a fork and a cold beer out of the mini fridge and settled back to watch a documentary on Egypt and the pyramids.
***************
Drusilla checked that the casserole wasn’t burning in the low oven, the salad was ready in the fridge, all she had to do was dress and toss it, wine was chilling, with back-up bottles in the fridge, a new bottle of brandy on the side…
She’d put on the new bodice-come-corset she’d bought in Victoria’s secret, with black lace topped hold-up stockings. She’d changed her out- fit four times, finally deciding on a gypsy style skirt and a blouse with buttons down the front…after all, they could be ‘helped’ to pop open discreetly………
She’d debated whether to wear her hair up or down, and in the end took it up at the sides but letting the length fall down her back. Finally she’d carefully done her make-up, smoky eyes and shiny red lips and sprayed on a cloud of Mitsuko perfume, by Guerlain, an exotic heady fragrance that was her signature, she sat sipping cold white wine, having turned off the main lights and just had the room bathed in the soft glow from three lamps…she looked at the time, he was a little late, it was now 8.10pm, but she’d forgive him, he was operating at five o’clock so that might have gone on late………………………
**********
Having finished the first bottle of wine and staring on another, Drusilla couldn’t quell the feeling that she’d been stood up – it was a quarter to nine now…by ten passed ten, the second bottle of wine finished, she poured (slopped, actually) a very large brandy and huffed - standing her up indeed! Well you wait until she saw him in the morning………
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