by Dawn Brookes
Shortly after their gathering, once Bernard and Lauren had left, Graham came rushing through the entrance to the medical centre, beaming, and enveloped her in a bear hug.
“Sarah, it’s good to have you back. We were almost the A Team again, weren’t we, Sister?” He winked at Gwen.
“Almost.” There was that laugh again.
Oh, this is going to be a great cruise. Perhaps Lauren will chill out once she gets used to us all and we can have some fun.
“What do you make of our new girl?”
“Only just met her, she seems fine,” replied Sarah, tactfully.
“It might take a little while to adjust – the poor woman’s been working in emergency hospitals in Mali where there’s a humanitarian crisis. I expect Lauren’s seen things hard to imagine, but by all accounts, she is a very capable nurse. I called the lead doctor from the aid organisation and he spoke highly of her capabilities.”
Graham Bentley, the chief medical officer, always saw the best in people. An attractive man in his late fifties, he reminded Sarah of her own father. Standing at six foot tall, he kept himself fit, and the only signs of ageing were a few lines around his eyes and a slight paunch. Sarah immediately had guilt pangs about the negative opinion she’d already formed about her new colleague and determined to be a friend to Lauren.
“Well, catch you all later, I have an officers’ drill to attend after the passenger drill. Alex is doing evening surgery with you. Call me if you need me.” Graham left the office, chipper as ever, with a bounce in his step.
Sarah felt even happier to be back on board the Coral Queen after Graham’s affectionate display, although it wouldn’t be the same without Brigitte. It had been great to have a holiday, but there was nothing like nursing – she loved the job and preferred working on a cruise ship to anywhere else.
It was back to reality now, though. No sooner had Gwen handed over the emergency radio than a call came through to attend to a crew member in engineering who was reportedly light-headed. Sarah made her way down a deck to the mainly metallic area from where the main engines rumbled.
The man she had been called to attend to was Russian and didn’t speak much English, but fortunately he had a friend to interpret. The other man, who introduced himself as Erik, shouted above the noise.
“He has light head for past few hours. He doesn’t speak much English, but understands what you say.” Sarah suspected Erik was Russian too. Knowing the patient’s name already from the call out information, she was ready to carry out an assessment.
“Do you have any pain, Mr Popov?” Sarah also shouted.
Popov shook his head and said something to his friend.
“He says, please to call him Jefgeny.”
“Okay, Jefgeny.”
Jefgeny looked pale even though it was difficult to examine him properly with the dim lighting in this part of engineering. Sarah checked his vital signs and blood-pressure; all seemed normal.
“Do you have any chest pain?”
Jefgeny shook his head.
“Is the room spinning or do you just feel weak?”
The man spoke in Russian again and Erik replied, “No spinning, just light head and weakness.”
“When did you last eat, Jefgeny?” she asked.
Jefgeny again spoke in Russian and Erik explained that he had not eaten since breakfast. “We have been fixing a problem with pumps,” Erik said.
“Well, unless you want him to pass out, I suggest you send someone to get him some food and a hot drink with plenty of sugar.” Sarah reached into the medical bag and handed Jefgeny some dextrose tablets. “These should help you feel better for now. I’m making you an appointment to attend surgery at 10am tomorrow for a blood test.” She looked at Erik. “Does he understand?”
They both nodded. “Da,” Jefgeny replied.
Sarah was satisfied it was nothing immediately serious – the engineering crew worked long hours in cramped conditions, and although it was difficult to be certain in the dim lights, she suspected Jefgeny might be anaemic, which would throw up other health concerns.
Dragging the emergency bag around obstacles, she felt every step, a stark reminder of how heavy it could be, but it had to accompany her when she was on call. She’d also forgotten how limited the space was in parts of engineering. This was the worst place on the ship when she was trying to treat people in a serious emergency because the corridors were so narrow, and parts were below the waterline, illuminated only by artificial light. Some areas could only be accessed via makeshift steps akin to loft ladders, and then through tight hatches, creating access difficulties at the best of times.
In this part of engineering, there were huge pipes and little space. It was similar to working on a submarine, she imagined, but a lot louder. Every sound was exaggerated, echoing backwards and forwards from the metal walls and floors.
Sarah decided to take the crew lift back up to deck two and the medical centre. Bernard and Lauren arrived back shortly afterwards, and she acknowledged them while continuing to restock her emergency bag.
Bernard spoke. “Busy already?”
“Yes, a Russian crewman in engineering, with low blood sugar. Should be okay, but I’ve asked him to come to clinic tomorrow morning for blood tests. He seemed pale – not that I could be certain in the dim lighting.”
“I know what you mean. We’ve just come from engineering, met a few of the crew – everyone seemed alright, so you must have worked your magic.”
“This is a huge ship, but I expect I’ll soon find my way around.” Lauren spoke for the first time, smiling at Bernard. Sarah watched the exchange with interest as Bernard seemed oblivious to the potential overtures of this rather strange new colleague.
“It takes a while. I kept getting lost during my first few weeks, particularly when on call, but we’re here if you need help, and—”
“Can I see your notes?” asked Lauren, cutting Sarah off mid-sentence. Sarah handed her the written version of the records that would be typed on to the computerised medical system as soon as possible.
“Crew members receive free treatment courtesy of the cruise line, but you still have to account for every item used so that fresh supplies can be ordered when we’re next in port.”
Showing a sudden surge of interest, Lauren asked to see how the notes were added to the computer. Sarah brought up Jefgeny Popov’s record and noted that he was listed as a US citizen, aged forty with no significant medical history. It seemed odd he didn’t speak English, Sarah thought, but maybe he had only recently been granted citizenship.
“He may have succumbed to the scourge of cruise ship life, the habit of drinking too much alcohol – a trap many of the crew fall into,” said Sarah while typing in the record. Lauren spent her time glancing at the record before her interest fell away as quickly as it had appeared.
The ship had set sail while Sarah was in engineering. They heard the announcement calling all passengers and crew to muster stations for the emergency drill.
“Here we go.” Sarah smiled at the others as they made their way up to the passenger decks, dragging the emergency bag behind her, just in case.
Chapter 6
Rachel danced into the suite, twirling round and round. Her exuberance increased as she remembered the complimentary internet access, an obvious bonus because she could email Carlos while travelling. She grinned from ear to ear every time Carlos came to mind.
A knock at the door interrupted her blissful reverie. She opened it, delighted to discover the smart butler from the previous cruise would be attending to her. They had met after the captain had upgraded her for a few days towards the end of the cruise. Mario was from El Salvador and sounded Spanish.
Not surprising as Spanish is the national language of El Salvador.
“Hello, Miss Rachel.” He entered, carrying her suitcase and other baggage. “It’s good to meet you again. This year you will have relaxing cruise, yes?”
“That’s the plan, Mario.” The ta
ll, thin butler was immaculately dressed with short, slick black hair that was well groomed, waves trained to be flat and shiny with the help of hair gel. After asking about his family, who lived in San Salvador, Rachel enquired, “Who is in the other suite?” There were two luxury suites, attended to by a single butler, at the rear of deck fifteen, one on port side and one on the starboard side. Rachel was occupying the starboard suite.
“That one is occupied by rich Russian and girlfriend. The whole corridor on port side to midships is occupied by Russian tour party,” Mario said in broken English. “They wanted your suite too for diplomat but had to settle for superior balcony. They didn’t want to be on different decks.”
“Oh.” Rachel pondered this information, not that keen about the possibility of bumping into Thomas regularly, but she was reassured he would at least use the opposite corridor. “Do you know which room their tour guide is in?”
“No, miss, but I can ask Grace, their stateroom attendant, when we meet later on, if you would like me to.”
“Yes please, we met earlier – I would rather not bump into him too often on this deck, if it’s possible to avoid it.”
“Don’t worry, Miss Rachel, I will find out. Is there anything you would like at the moment, Miss Rachel?”
“No, thank you. I’m sure you have plenty to do with your Russian guest.”
Mario raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders with a c’est la vie smile, leaving her to unpack.
The phone rang in the room. “Hello.”
Sarah’s voice could be heard among clanging in the background. “Hello, Rachel. Are you all settled in?”
“Yes, just unpacking. What about you?”
“Great to be back, but busy already. I can meet you after surgery this evening, if that suits?”
“Yes, that would be wonderful. Name the place and time and I’ll be there.”
“Jazz bar around eight o’clock?”
“Yep, see you then.”
They said goodbye and hung up.
Rachel looked around, admiring the luxury suite. There was a huge bedroom with a queen-sized bed, a separate sitting room, a large bathroom with bathtub and shower. The rooms were elaborate, but tastefully decorated in pastels with exquisite artwork hanging on the walls. A large flat-screen TV was suspended above her bed, and another one hung on the wall of the sitting room. A welcome bottle of champagne sat on ice, but that could wait for another day.
After unpacking, Rachel walked out on to the balcony overlooking the dark-blue sea behind the ship to watch their departure, and she became lost, admiring the linear patterns made by the surf in the aftermath of the gigantic vessel cutting it apart. They stretched back for miles. The ship carried over three thousand passengers and two thousand eight hundred crew. Sarah called it a small city.
Rachel watched Southampton becoming a dot in the distance as they sailed away. The announcement came over the ship’s loudspeakers, requesting passengers attend the compulsory emergency drill. Rachel left the room, but not before taking a quick glance into the rear corridor to check it was clear. She didn’t mind coming across Thomas later, but would rather do it on her own terms until her suspicions that he was harmless were confirmed.
After dinner, Rachel sauntered along to the jazz bar where she and Sarah had arranged to meet up. The sound of a lively jazz band filled the air, and the room was already filling up with cheerful passengers. Her friend sat at a small round table by a window.
Sarah looked elegant, even in her officer’s uniform. Rachel noticed she was armed with the large emergency bag and a glass of lemonade sat on the table.
“You’re on call already then?”
Sarah stood and hugged her. “Yes, I drew the short straw, but can’t complain because the others have been on call regularly over the past few months. Apologies in advance, I might get called away at any moment. We’ve already been busy.” Sarah lowered her voice. “I’ve ordered you a glass of red, but as you can see, I’m on the soft stuff.”
Rachel didn’t ask any questions about her work as they were surrounded by other passengers. A waiter appeared, bringing Rachel’s wine and setting it on the table with a small bowl of nibbles. Rachel thanked him.
“Thanks. I’ll take any time I can get with you and be glad.” She smiled at Sarah. “Have you eaten?”
“Yes, Raggie, the medical team steward, brought us food at the end of surgery. I think you met him last year. Did you have a luxurious dinner?”
“I did meet him, a lovely man from what I remember, and yes, my dinner was delicious. The chefs excelled themselves.”
“What are your table companions like?”
“They seem pleasant enough, but won’t be able to live up to last year’s.” Rachel grinned, remembering the lovely people she had met on the previous cruise. “There’s a family of four who chatted amongst themselves, an older Canadian couple in their seventies, myself, and a quiet elderly man who’s seated next to me.”
Sarah laughed out loud. “I suspect Carlos phoned the maître d’ to ensure that was the case!” Rachel joined in with her friend’s laughter. “I’m on call until tomorrow night, so we won’t be able to meet up tomorrow. Will you be alright?”
“Yes, don’t worry about me. I’ll go to the chapel service first thing, and afterwards will find some mischief to get up to. In fact, I met a tour guide leading a Russian group. He gave me their itinerary with an open invitation to join in with any of the activities.”
“Oh, lucky you – how do you do it? Is this tour guide hoping for anything in return?” Sarah’s brow furrowed.
“No, I don’t believe he is – he seems harmless enough. He said he needs a distraction from the tour group. In fact, they’re all on the same deck as me, but thankfully on the opposite side. A Russian oligarch’s in the other luxury suite, with the rest of his party filling the rooms in that corridor.”
“Sounds like you will have an interesting time. We’re aware of that group because they’ve already insisted that Graham check up on one woman’s blood pressure tonight. Three of them have also forgotten to bring prescribed medication with them, so he’ll need to sort that out too. He might have his work cut out on this voyage.”
“Poor Dr Bentley,” said Rachel. “From what I witnessed as they were boarding, they could be quite a demanding group of people.”
“Oh well, it makes for interesting cruising – never a dull moment,” sighed Sarah. “Graham will have met worse and takes it all in his stride.”
“Well, I will take the kind Thomas up on his offer, having taken a quick glance through their itinerary. They are doing a tour of engineering tomorrow. I’d love to explore life below the waterline, as you call it!”
“Small world, I’ve been down to engineering myself this afternoon.” At that moment, Sarah’s bleep went off, and she reached for her radio. “Sorry, Rachel, I have to go – speak tomorrow.” She walked away, talking into the radio.
“Bye, hope it’s not too busy,” said Rachel, deciding to finish her glass of red wine before heading back upstairs to her stateroom.
Day 1
Chapter 7
“Jefgeny Popov!” Sarah called the name out in the medical centre waiting room. No-one came forward. “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink,” she murmured to herself as she retired to the clinic room to look up the next patient on the list.
Surgery flew past as she saw a mixture of passengers and crew with various ailments and injuries. Sarah was dog-tired after being up most of the night on calls to passengers with minor scrapes, mostly due to too much alcohol. One lady called her out at 11pm having forgotten to bring her blood pressure tablets, so Sarah had supplied her with a pack from the treatment room. Typical first night calls, really. Medication given to passengers was recorded in a logbook, and then the cruise line charged passengers or their insurance companies for both the medicine and the consultation with a doctor or nurse on board.
With morning surgery finished, Sara
h joined the other medical staff in Gwen’s office for coffee.
“Well, that was a busy one.” Graham joined them after seeing the final passenger attending surgery. “Is everyone okay?”
They all responded in the affirmative.
“Busy, but not complicated,” said Bernard. “Lauren managed every condition without my help. I just sat back and admired her remarkable expertise.” He smiled at the new girl.
“That’s not quite true, I needed your help at least three times.” She grinned back at him.
“Good to see you settling in,” cut in Graham before the mutual admiration society had the chance to continue.
“Thank you, sir,” Lauren responded.
“No need for the sir here. Call me Graham when we are staff only and Dr Bentley in front of passengers and other crew.”
“Yes, sir – sorry, Graham.”
Sarah was kicking herself for finding it so difficult to take to Lauren, so she made an attempt to get to know her. “Why don’t you join us for lunch in the company dining room, Lauren?” she invited.
“Yes do,” added Bernard. “Are you guys coming?” he asked the rest of the team.
“I’ll be working on accounts – the bills are piling up already,” answered Gwen.
“I’ve got to meet with the captain to give him an update,” said Graham. “Alex, you need to deal with that problem downstairs.”
“What problem?” enquired Sarah.
“A crewman was found dead in his cabin this morning. Poor fellow, looks like he had a heart attack in his sleep. Alex confirmed death first thing and called me. We left him there until we could bring him quietly to the morgue.”
Sarah baulked at the reminder that they had a morgue on board the ship.