Chapter 16
William entered the hospital bright and early the following morning; he noticed that there were quite a few media cars and journalists hanging around the parking lot.
He went straight to Dr Travers’ office, knocked and went in. Travers was sorting through his mail, still in his ‘civilian’ clothing, having not long arrived himself.
“Ah good, you made it in early…thought I’d have to run the gauntlet of the press on the way in, they’re champing at the bit for a report on Donovan Daly, luckily security held them back” Travers said.
“Did you manage to contact the family?”
“Yes, I spoke to his parents, they are flying in from Alabama as we speak, with his fiancé and his brother and sister.” William nodded at this and went over to the window.
“How did they take the news?”
“Surprisingly calm, did you know his father is a minister of the church?”
William was noseying through the Venetian blinds to the parking lot looking at the increasing numbers of press arriving.
“No, I didn’t…they’ll be the forgiving sort then – did you see the governors, about setting up an enquiry?”
“I telephoned Charles Heaton at home last night, he said he’d like to keep things quiet if he could, and it was up to the family if they wanted to take things further with the coach and the team doctor, he didn’t really want this hospital to be dragged into it, if at all possible.”
William let the blind-slat he was bending snap back into place and turned and faced Dr Travers and said,
“Typical! I know, don’t tell me, I’m a freelance, not affiliated with this hospital, so I don’t get a say” William held his hands up in a surrender mode.
“William…don’t take things so personally, it’s up to the family”
“Well time marches on, I better go see my patients. Page me when the family get here will you, I’d like to chat with them”
“I will, but William, remember what Charles said, don’t make waves”
William opened his mouth to speak, but decided better of it and just left the office.
******************
Drusilla slammed the door of her car shut, locked it and stomped into the hospital.
Going to the reception she cornered one of the secretaries and positively barked,
“I want you to page me the MINUTE Dr Carling enters this hospital, okay?”
“Yes- yes I can do that for you, where shall I tell him you’ll be?”
“No, you didn’t LISTEN to what I said, I said I want you to page ME, not to contact him, or tell him I want him!”
“Okay, alright, I’m sorry!” The secretary nearly added ‘geez doc, what’s your problem’, but then one of the other secretaries piped up with a shrug,
“He’s already in – ten, fifteen minutes ago”
“Right!” And with that Drusilla stormed off
“What’s HER problem?” The one secretary asked the other
“Don’t know, but I swear I could smell drink on her”
**********************
Drusilla impatiently waited for the lift, at last the light indicated that it had arrived, and the doors opened, and who should just be about to step out was Dr Carling.
“I want a word with you!” Taking William by the arm, Drusilla marched him backwards, back into the lift
“Dru! Oh, um, g-good morning”
“Good morning – is that all you can say – what happened last night?”
William, having his ‘wires crossed’ thought she was on about his last operation, not knowing that she hadn’t cancelled ‘their’ dinner date, only Dr Travers’, so he said,
“Well, I opened the poor guy up, exposed the tibia, I could see at once it wasn’t shin-splints we were dealing with, the bone sounded hollow, and was grossly misshapen, I called in the osteo-registrar to confirm my suspicions, it was Travers, and he did – bone cancer…tragedy. Well after that, I just felt for the guy you know, and I was relieved when Quentin said you’d cancelled dinner, believe me, I wouldn’t have been much company”
From looking confused as to why he was telling her about his last operation, realisation set in and Dru immediately had to change tack, she couldn’t let on she only cancelled Travers dinner invite so she trying to look suitably concerned she said,
“Poor you! I thought when I arrived that there was something up, all the press in the car park!”
She gave him a big-eyed smile, relieved that she hadn’t been ‘caught out’
“I couldn’t leave you a message as you don’t have a pigeon hole – and I didn’t know your mobile number – so I um, well I just had to hope you got the message!” Dru lied, she then added,
“We’ll have to reschedule!”
“This the floor you want?” William asked as the lift had stopped at the fourth floor
“Hmm, yeah, yes, it is, look, can we meet for coffee later?” Dru asked hopefully
“Well I’ll try, but I’m going to see Donovan’s family, and I have to do my rounds, then Dr Inkerman has asked me if I’d mind supervising his replacement cartilage this afternoon”
“Lunchtime then, say……… twelve thirty?”
“Okay, if something crops up, I’ll let you know” The lift doors slid shut and William pressed for the second floor.
**************
Buffy was just combing her hair
“Morning, and how are you this morning, hmm?” William smiled and took the chart from the end of her bed, gave them the ‘once-over’
“Good girl, everything normal – so how was dinner?” he perched on the bed grinning
“I’m such a klutz – I forgot that I hadn’t ordered any as I was due to have my operation later than I did – mom had to go to the cafeteria for me!”
“I’m sure the kitchen could have rustled up something for you!”
“Fish pie or liver – B-I-G no-no so I had a ham sandwich, and a chicken sandwich and potato chips, a muffin AND, a yoghurt!”
“Wow…and where did you pack that away! The yoghurt is good for you, extra calcium, (he leant in close and said) good for the bones” Buffy could smell his clean shower gel…
“So, did you fall asleep in front of the TV?”
William smiled and said,
“Guilty as charged, your honour – the microwave beeping woke me up!”
“Oh poor you!” They both beamed at each other
William thought he must be a bit more professional and said,
“So, how does the foot feel?”
“Great, doesn’t ache any more – and I didn’t need the pain killers in the night either!”
“Good!”
“I was wondering…when can I get up, you know, walk around a little?”
“Well, I don’t want you putting any pressure on that foot yet, not for at least another two or three days, but can you use crutches?”
Buffy nodded
“Uh huh”
“Okay then, I’ll try and sort something out for you later – anyway, I must fly, I’ve got a very busy morning, I’m pleased your foot feels okay, I’ll see you later, bye!”
“Me too, bye!” As he went out, he held the door open for Pearl, wheeling her trolley.
“Tank’you Dr Hottie!”
“You’re welcome, gorgeous!” William winked at Pearl and she beamed a smile at a smiling Buffy
“Ah, dat man jus’ made my day! Here you go honey-chile…how’s the foot?”
Pearl swapped Buffy’s empty water-jug and glass for fresh ones
“Great thanks”
“Oh here, before I forget, my daughter, the one whose dance mad, she did this for you” Pearl took out an envelope out of her pocket
Buffy took it and tore it open to reveal a hand-made get well card
“Oh isn’t that sweet of her! Oh Pearl, tell her thankyou for me will you, isn’t that great, there’s me, there’s you…is that Dr Carling?”
“With the bright yellow hair, yes!” Buffy giggled and asked Pearl to put it pride of place on the shelf.
“No mama this mornin’?”
“She’ll be along after lunch, she’s had a lot of time off from her job, Mr Duggan, her boss is very good, but she doesn’t want to abuse his kindness – and anyway, not like I’m dangerously ill or anything” Buffy said.
“Well honey, you be good – oh, ‘nother visitor!”
A candy striper came in and said,
“Buffy Summers, you requested a bath?”
Buffy sat up hopefully
“Yes”
The girl came over to her
“Ah, not with that on your foot………have you had surgery?”
“Yesterday afternoon”
“And you can’t put weight on it I suppose”
“No, not yet” Buffy said, disappointed, she was looking forward to the fresh feeling of a bath or shower, after all, there was only so much you could do with baby-wipes, body spray and deodorant…
“Well no worries, I’ll get a waterproof sleeve to cover your leg and you can have a sit down shower, but somebody, most probably me will have to be there with you, okay?”
Buffy nodded
“Okay!”
The girl left so set things up and Buffy reached into the nightstand and got her sponge-bag out.
************************
“Hi mom!”
“There you are, I was wondering where you’d got to”
Buffy was wearing her bathrobe, had her hair in a towel turban, and was being wheeled in a wheelchair
“After three, one, two – three lift……… there, okay?” The two girls smiled as they lifted Buffy back into bed
“Thanks Patty thanks Jen, that feels SO much better!” Buffy said
“You had a bath!” Joyce said
“Sit down shower, ‘coz of my foot, they put this sleeve thing on my leg, and then blew it up with air to make it waterproof, then I was sat on a plastic seat and I was able to shower, they helped me!”
“I bet you feel better now!”
“I do, so how’s things at the gallery?”
“Fine, Mr Duggan and the girls send you their best – oh here’s your lunch”
“Hi Pearl!”
“Hello, hello!” Pearl beamed at the pair and set about putting Buffy’s lunch out.
“Oh mom, look, see that card in the middle…Pearl’s daughter made me that, isn’t it great!”
“Must go honey-chile, see you later!” Pearl left as she had the lunches to serve.
“Ah, isn’t that sweet………so what have you got?”
“Um (Buffy lifted the cover) steak pie, mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots, and………lemon mousse cake for pud, yum-yum!” Buffy began to tuck in.
“Oh, I had a phone call from your father first thing this morning………he wants to come and visit you”
Buffy shrugged and carried on eating
“He said JUST him though, he wouldn’t bring Maureen or Chelsea as it was too near Christmas, whatever THAT’S supposed to mean”
“Oh. God, Christmas – I almost forgot it was nearly Christmas! I reckon I’ll have to do my shopping on-line this year mom”
“Alright dear…any idea as to when you can come home?”
Buffy stopped, fork poised. Thinking about it, that was one question she hadn’t asked
“Do you know, I haven’t asked that! Next time I see Dr Carling, I will – hope it’s soon” As soon as she said it, the thought that she wouldn’t see Dr William Carling again hit her and she frowned
“What’s up, bit of gristle?”
Buffy shook her head but slowed down her eating.
Joyce said she was just off to get a coffee from the vending machine and went out.
Meanwhile, Buffy had had an idea for Christmas…………………
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