by S G Read
‘He was only teasing you.’ Wendy answered with a calmness that she did not feel, she was very angry. She was going to have words with that young porter and soon.
‘Then he wouldn't help me back into bed!’ Stuart's chest still heaved even though he had stopped crying.
‘What on earth were you doing out of bed?’
‘He said I couldn't walk, so I showed him I could but I fell over!’
‘I don't think there is anything that could take you away from me!’ Wendy assured him. ‘Not after getting you back from the jungle, I wouldn't let it! You leave young Billy to me!’
Carol headed for the laboratory and found John Sykes pouring over a microscope.
‘Here's the blood you wanted from Stuart Sellars.’ She said her Thick Irish accent making the words semi musical and placed the sample in front of him. He had no recollection of the memo but did not argue.
‘Thank you Carol. For you I'll do it after I've finished this one.’
‘Will it take long? Mr Follet wanted me to wait for it.’ Carol did not explain that he had told her to send Billy; she wanted the sample to arrive and the results to come back as soon as possible.
‘No. If it is that important I'll stop this one and start on it, go and have a cup of coffee in the cafeteria, when you come back I will be able to give you an idea how long I'll be.’
‘As it's time for my break, I think I'll join you.’ Geraldine said. ‘You don't need me do you John?’
‘I'll do my best to survive without you.’ John replied without moving from the chair. The pain in his side was starting to grow and it would give him a chance to kill it with more whisky. The two nurses left him working. As soon as they were gone he took a long drink of whisky from one of the many part filled bottles that he had hidden away.
‘Ahh that feels better already.’ John said happily and waited for the pain to go away but it did not.
He took another drink and the pain eased slightly. He peered into the microscope but his vision was blurred, then the pain returned with renewed ferocity followed by a pain in the chest, which was unbearable. He collapsed sideways taking the microscope and everything which was on the worktop with him, including Stuart's blood sample. As he watched Stuart's blood dribble out of the broken bottle he tried to shout for help but he was way too late and all that came out was a gurgle, then his eyes clouded over.
When Carol and Geraldine returned they saw John sprawled on the floor with blood everywhere. Carol tried to help him while Geraldine summoned help. Two doctors and Mr Follet arrived almost simultaneously but after a few minutes, any thoughts about reviving John were gone, instead they summoned a porter to take him to the mortuary.
‘Until we can find a replacement for him the blood will have to be sent to Guys for analysis. I will go and tell the secretary.’ Mr Follet stepped back and crushed a sample bottle with his foot. ‘And get a porter to clean this up, it looks like an abattoir. Geraldine can you collect the labels and arrange for fresh samples to be taken.’
‘Stuart is going to love me!’ Carol said when she saw his name on one label and headed for the ward.
On the way she met several other nurses and told them about John's death and that delayed her even longer. When she finally returned to the ward she was confronted with three flashing lights and Billy was no where to be found. Wendy Sellars was dealing with one, Carol immediately pitched in and promptly forgot Stuart's lost sample.
Stephen arrived at four fifteen, he had just finished school and was still wearing his school uniform.
‘Hi Stevey.’ Wendy greeted then turned to Stuart. ‘I am going home to cook your father some food we'll be back as soon as we can. Stevey will stay with you until we come back.’
‘By mum.’ Stuart said quietly, he felt happier now.
She kissed him on both cheeks then she was gone; the sooner she was home, the sooner she could come back.
‘Hi Stevey.’ Stuart said at the same level he had spoken to his mother. ‘Where are the others?’
‘They're coming down in Ben's brother's van, I caught the bus.’
‘Can you afford to catch buses then?’
‘No. Your mum gave me the money.’ Stephen admitted. ‘She wants someone with you when she can't be here. I think she's worried about you!’
‘Every one thinks I'm about to snuff it.’ Stuart complained. ‘That porter, the one called Billy, he brought a trolley up. One of those they use to take away people that have died. He said I'd need it soon!’
‘What did you say?’
‘I swore at him!’
‘That's not like you. What did you say?’
Stuart motioned Stephen closer to him and whispered in his ear.
Stephen smiled.
‘Ben would have done better than that!’ He replied.
‘Better than what?’ Ben asked from the doorway.
He was flanked by J.C., C.J and Sherman. The others were crowded behind them. Stephen related the story that Stuart had just told him, with corrections by Stuart, when he deemed it necessary.
Ben looked at his watch, his face glowing. ‘I forgot I had to see someone, can you give me a hand Sherman?’
‘Okay.’ Sherman replied assuming that there was something to bring up to the room and followed Ben.
‘Need any more help?’ C.J asked, sensing something but not knowing quite what.
‘Okay.’ Ben replied without turning.
The others watched the three walk by the side window.
‘Did you see Ben's face?’ Simon whispered as if Ben might hear. ‘It was like he'd just had some of Stevey's wine!’
‘How is the new wine doing?’ Stuart asked.
There was a short pause before Stephen said. ‘My mum found it and made me tip it down the drain.’
Stuart looked disappointed.
‘We've made some more though!’ Toby added. ‘It should be ready by the time you get out of here!’
This brought a smile back to Stuart's face.
At the lift Ben whispered in Sherman's ear. Sherman smiled and pushed the button to call the lift. Ben then whispered in C.J's ear, C.J smiled. They sat on the bottom step of the stairs and waited. When the lift arrived Sherman rode down to the floor Billy came from with the tea trolley. After ten minutes the lift returned. In it was Billy, the tea trolley and Sherman who stood in front of the tea trolley. This was C.J's cue to walk past the lift and drop a ten pound note. It was actually one they had cut out of a hospital magazine, one sided with the word specimen printed on it but it was folded to look good.
‘Hey look he's just dropped a tenner!’ Sherman said, in a Simon like too loud whisper and ran for the fallen note.
Billy left the trolley and ran as well. There was a struggle over the note, which allowed C.J to slip back unseen into the lift and closed the door. The light on the lift flashed for each floor it as it climbed to the top floor then it stopped. Sherman let the note go and walked off. Billy saw the light on the lift indicating that it was on the fourth floor and pushed the button to call it back down but nothing happened. He pushed the button repeatedly but the lift refused to move. Billy could just imagine the complaints if the tea was cold and started to run up the stairs. As he reached the top of the first flight he tripped and fell heavily.
‘Are you okay?’ Ben asked.
He was sitting on the first stair of the next flight, to the left of the first flight.
‘I think I've broken my arm.’ Billy replied without moving.
‘Too bad!’ Ben replied and walked past dragging a length of twine behind him.
The other two were waiting at the bottom for Ben's report. He merely gave a thumbs up sign and they walked back to Stuart's room.
‘Did you get it?’ Stuart asked when he saw that they were empty handed.
‘No I must have left it at home.’ Ben replied cleverly.
‘What was it?’ John asked.
As it was John asking, it prompted Ben to say. ‘A pogo stick.’
‘Oh no!’ John groaned.
‘It's alright it didn't work though.’ Ben added.
‘I've got a pogo stick at home.’ Stephen announced.
John groaned even louder.
‘You have?’ Ben said taken aback. ‘Why didn't you tell us before?’
‘I didn't know you wanted one!’ Stephen replied. ‘What do you want it for?’
‘John's going to pogo stick here from his house!’ Simon answered.
‘You can collect it tonight, when's he going to do it?’ Stephen added immediately interested.
All eyes turned to John.
‘Saturday I’ll do it Saturday, after my paper round but I doubt if I'll get very far.’ John said conceding defeat.
‘Aren't you too young to have a paper round?’ Stuart asked.
‘I told my dad I wanted to do it, so he let me.’ John replied. ‘The man in the paper shop didn't even ask how old I was, he just gave me the bag but I have to get up at six o'clock every morning except weekends then I can get up at seven.’
‘We'll be at your house at eight then.’ Ben declared.
‘Can't we make it nine?’ Simon asked. ‘I haven't got a paper round!’
The discussion lasted for a few minutes, until Ben agreed to make it nine o'clock. C.J tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the side window. Ben turned to see Billy just disappearing past the window; he could here the tea trolley clinking. They heard him pass the door and guessed he was going into the ward as he did not come in. Sherman quietly opened the door and they watched as Billy limped toward the main ward with his bad arm hanging loose. They closed the door as Ben had started to laugh.
‘I thought he had a broken arm!’ Ben said ruefully through his laughter.
‘It doesn't look broken does it?’ C.J answered.
‘He's a bit of a wimp if you ask me!’ Sherman added.
‘Did you do something to Billy?’ Stuart asked.
‘Who us?’ Ben replied innocently.
‘You did didn't you!’ Simon accused. ‘What was it? Did you get him?’
‘No, he tripped up.’ Ben answered still maintaining an air of innocence. ‘I just happened to be sitting there holding my piece of string.’ He held up the piece of twine.
‘Tell us about it then!’ Toby said, more ordering than asking.
Ben opened the door looked out to see if anyone was there then closed it again.
‘I looped the rope round the railing at the top of the first lot of stairs, then took both ends and sat on the bottom of the next lot of stairs. When he came running up I pulled both ends so the string tripped him up, then walked down past him pulling the string behind me. The good bit is he thinks he tripped!’
Toby had been stared into silence while Ben was narrating.
‘They are flights actually.’ He said when Ben stopped talking.
‘How did you know that Billy would be coming up the stairs?’ Stuart asked. ‘He’s lazy, he always uses the lift.’
‘That's where we came in.’ C.J said. ‘I dropped a fake ten pound note as I walked past the lift, just as Billy and Sherman arrived in it.’
‘I just happened to be in the lift and just happened to see it fall!’ Sherman added. ‘I accidentally said that he'd dropped a tenner and raced Billy for it. While we struggled, C.J nipped back into the lift and took it with the tea trolley to the top floor.
‘I pulled the tea trolley out so the lift door wouldn't shut until I heard Ben ask if Billy was okay, then I came back down.’ C.J said finishing the story.
Stuart smiled.
‘That's sorted him out, thanks.’ Stuart said happily.
‘Our pleasure I'm sure.’ Ben said theatrically with a bow.
Seconds later the door opened and Billy pushed the tea trolley into the room. His left wrist was heavily bandaged and he had a plaster over his left eye, presumably covering a cut. He dumped the mug of tea on Stuart's moveable tray and limped out again.
‘We need thirteen straws!’ Simon called after him but Billy ignored him and limped away.
Stuart opened his cupboard and let the boys help themselves to the sweets in there. He tried one and suffered for it. When he returned from the bathroom, he decided not to do that again. He had walked unaided to and from the bathroom, it was a matter of pride. He put on his dressing gown and walked carefully with the others to the dayroom; it had felt good to be up but it felt even better when he finally made it to the dayroom and could sit down.
When his parents arrived they found the bedroom empty, Wendy felt her heart flutter. It was still fluttering slightly when they found everyone in the dayroom.
‘Up and about eh son?’ David asked, with a smile, Stuart actually had a bit of colour in his face.
‘I needed to get out dad.’
‘I know the feeling. My office feels like a prison cell sometimes.’
‘Are you any nearer to that junior partnership dad?’ Stuart asked.
David was surprised by the question.
‘I'm hoping I will hear any day now and if I do get it, I get a bigger office!’ He answered.
‘I've never seen your office dad!’
‘As soon as you get out of here, I'll take you to see it!’
‘Thanks.’
‘Is this a private team meeting?’ Wendy asked.
‘It was,’ Ben replied, ‘but we've dealt with what business we had.’ He looked at C.J and Sherman.
Both of them started to laugh. The laugh, as at other times with the team, was contagious and spread through the whole team. When Billy limped into the room with tea for Stuart's parents, the boys tried to stop but they just laughed louder. Billy limped out pushing the tea trolley with the hand which was not bandaged. When Billy had gone Wendy looked round the thirteen innocent faces.
‘I take it I have no need to go after a certain spotty porter about earlier events?’ She asked.
‘No. We opened his eyes to politeness!’ C.J replied.
‘Actually I think the left one is closing.’ Toby added and the laughter broke out once more.
‘He looked after us when we needed it.’ Ben explained. ‘Now we're looking after him; where we can.’
The others nodded in agreement. David was bemused by it all and said nothing, he could find out from Wendy later.
CHAPTER 15
Later that evening Stuart and his parents played cards. The others had long since been collected by Ben's brother, only Stephen remained. The door opened and Brenda walked in with Stuart's medication, as there was no result to the blood test, there was no change to the medication.
‘Here goes nothing.’ Stuart said and swallowed the pills one by one.
Half an hour later without any warning feelings, he was sick all over the bed. He was very upset and it took Wendy a long time to calm him down; long after Brenda had changed the dirty linen on the bed.
‘Why am I still taking those pills mum?’ Stuart asked. ‘They took some more blood and carol was going to wait for the results!’
‘I'll find out Stuart as soon as your father comes back.’ Wendy replied.
David had steered Stephen out of the room, as soon as Stuart had started to be sick, they had gone down to the cafeteria.
‘I won't ask, I'll tell them!’ He said as he walked back in. ‘Are you feeling better now?’
Stuart looked at his father and just shook his head to indicate no.
‘I'll go and find someone!’ Wendy said and went in search of someone in a white coat or a suit to pounce on. She returned frustrated. ‘I don't believe this place. All I wanted was someone to have a go at apart from the hard working nurse but that is all I find, one nurse!’
‘That's Big Brenda!’ Stuart explained.
‘I can believe that!’ David replied.
The game of cards made way for a board game but with Stuart flat on the bed, David took all his goes for him, until Stuart won.
‘You lucky so and so-’ He started but Stuart was asleep. The three crept out of the room an
d let him sleep on.
Carol was on the point of going to bed when she remembered the lost blood sample. She used the phone downstairs to save disturbing the rest of her family and phoned the ward.
‘Kimberly ward.’ Brenda announced when she picked up the receiver.
‘Brenda its Carol.’
‘What's up, can't you get enough of this place?’ Brenda asked. ‘Did you here about John Sykes?’
‘That's why I'm phoning. I took a blood sample down and waited with an idea of bringing back the results. I went and had a cup a coffee with Geraldine, when we came back he was gone and the blood was all over the place! It was Stuart Sellar's blood; we'll have to send one away.’
‘Poor soul at this rate he'll die through loss of blood!’ Brenda replied
‘I know I feel terrible about it!’
‘It wasn't your fault was it now?’ Brenda admonished. ‘You get some sleep; I'll collect some more blood and get Billy to take it down for collection. Goodnight Carol.’
When Brenda woke Stuart in the morning Stuart recognised the equipment in her hands.
‘I told Carol to put a tap in.’ He complained. ‘I was right wasn't I?’
‘We have a good reason this time, the man who was going to test your blood died yesterday.’ Brenda explained. ‘When he died, he fell over and spilt your blood.’
‘Some hospital! You can't even keep your doctors alive.’ Stuart grumbled.
‘He wasn't a doctor, he was a lab technician.’
‘He didn't have a bottle of whisky in his pocket did he?’ Stuart asked remembering what Stephen had said.
‘Of course not!’ Brenda rebuked him sharply. ‘What on earth made you say that?’
‘Stevey bumped into someone in a white coat the first time we came to the hospital. He had a bottle of whisky in his coat pocket and he had been drinking it, because Stevey smelt it on his breath.’
‘Well I'm sure it couldn't have been John Sykes, he's worked here for years. He probably worked himself to death!’
She took another blood sample.
‘This has to go to another hospital for testing, I hope it doesn't mean a delay but you never know.’