‘Heath’s with her,’ Bella said consolingly, saying it over and over, trying to somehow get through. She was tempted to go and have a look for herself how the little girl was but decided it was better to stay put, knowing Lucy needed someone with her during this harrowing time.
‘She needs me,’ Lucy sobbed. ‘And I’m not there for her. I’m never going to be able to be there for her!’
‘You’ll always be there for her,’ Bella responded, her nose starting to run, tears springing in her own eyes as she held this precious lady, understanding the bigger picture without further need for explanation. ‘You’re always going to be her mum no matter what happens.’
‘Lucy.’ Heath’s face was serious as he came over, but he managed a tiny positive smile, enough to instantly reassure the anxious woman a touch. ‘Marnie’s OK. She’s fractured her left femur, but apart from that she’s going OK. We’re just putting some traction on her leg, which will make her a lot more comfortable, and we’re going to get her something now for pain. As soon as she’s had that I’ll wheel you in beside her.’
‘Promise?’
‘I promise.’ Heath nodded, holding her eyes for a firm second before turning to Bella. ‘Everyone’s tied up. Jayne’s putting on the traction, Hannah’s in CT with Patrick. Can you check some pethidine with me? And the cardiologist wants some morphine for Mr Kapur.’
‘I don’t like to leave her,’ Bella mouthed, but Lucy was too sharp to miss a trick.
‘I’m not going to do anything stupid. Just get my baby the medicine she needs.’
‘I hate this job.’ Whistling it through tense lips, finally Heath let his emotions slip as the drug room door closed firmly behind them. ‘How bloody unfair is that?’
‘Totally,’ Bella answered, watching as he buried his face in his hand for a moment, trying to compose himself.
‘She’s just so damned nice.’ Indulgent moment over, he walked to the drug cupboard Bella was opening, barely paying attention as she pulled out the books and set up the kidney dishes and syringes. ‘Do you know if they’ve got medical insurance?’
‘They’re covered for accidents,’ Bella replied, pulling open the box of pethidine and flashing it at Heath. ‘It’s Lucy’s cancer treatments they couldn’t get any cover for.’
‘Then she’s to be admitted to the overnight obs ward till I discharge her,’ Heath responded immediately. ‘Any treatment she needs, this department covers, and I’ll have a word with Craig Jenkins as well.’
‘For now, let’s just get Marnie her medication,’ Bella broke in. ‘OK, pethidine 50 milligrams in five mils, so I’ll pull up 2.5—agreed?’
‘Agreed.’ Heath nodded as Bella pulled up the drug, taping a label to the ampoule and placing the kidney dish on the drug sheet. ‘Sign the book, Heath.’
‘For God’s sake,’ Heath said, urging her to hurry. ‘We need to get back out there.’
‘Well, do it right and we soon will be,’ Bella snapped. She understood his urgency but a drug mistake was the last thing anyone needed now. ‘Right, what’s the next one?’
‘Morphine, 5 milligrams.’ Heath pulled out a new box. ‘Sealed,’ he said tersely, adhering to protocol. He ripped through the label, pulled open the box and flashed the contents at Bella. ‘Ten ampoules.’ Glancing up as she wrote in the drug book, Bella froze for a second, her face paling as she stared at the contents.
‘This is saline, Heath!’
‘It’s a sealed box.’ Heath shook his head as if clearing it. ‘Pharmacy must have made a mistake.’
‘Pharmacy doesn’t make that sort of mistake.’ Her mind spun into overdrive, trying to work out what to do first—whether to alert the detectives in the waiting room or to play the innocent a moment longer—but Heath was already making his moves, pulling out every last box of morphine and ripping them open, cursing out loud as again and again the same ampoules stared back at him.
‘I’m calling the police.’
‘Maybe we should let the nursing coordinator know,’ Bella suggested, playing for time, trying to somehow stall him, to prevent him from storming out into the department, because from the tension in his face, any second now he was likely to blow the whole thing out of the water.
‘Forget the nursing coordinator! Hell!’ He whistled. ‘There’s fifty ampoules of morphine missing.’ He was making to go, wrenching open the door, and Bella knew, just knew he was going to blast into the department, pick up the telephone and let rip, his whole body literally shaking with appalled rage that one of his staff would stoop so low.
‘Heath wait!’ In an instinctive motion she slammed the door closed, saw his confusion as he swung around to face her. ‘Don’t do anything yet.’
‘What?’ Appalled, he stared down at her. ‘What are you saying here, Bella? Why the hell would you ask me not to do anything? Are you trying to tell me you’re involved with this?’
‘Sort of.’ She had to tell him, Bella knew that. Shaking her hand off his arm as if she were contaminated, he made to go and Bella knew he was going to blow the whistle and more than likely ruin the whole investigation.
She had no choice but to tell him.
‘Heath.’ Fishing in her pocket, she pulled out her ID. ‘I’m a police officer.’ She watched as he took in the badge, read her details in stunned silence. His eyes when he looked up were even more confused. ‘The department’s being watched. The police are already here—we need to catch this thief red-handed.’
‘This is all a set-up.’ He gestured to the pile of boxes, clearly horrified. ‘Are you telling me that you put saline in the drug cupboard?’
‘No.’ Bella shook her head. She didn’t have time for this, didn’t have time to explain, and yet she somehow had to if she wanted to keep him calm. ‘It was morphine that was put in the boxes, Heath. Some time tonight someone’s got into the cupboard and swapped things over. I wasn’t expecting this at all.’
‘But they’re sealed boxes.’
‘Please, Heath.’ Bella swallowed hard. ‘I need you to go in there and carry on as normal.’
‘Normal!’ Heath roared. ‘And I suppose you want me to give the cardiac patient a shot of saline as well.’
‘Of course not,’ Bella hissed, putting her finger to her lips begging him quiet. ‘Say what you did when you first opened them, say that Pharmacy has made a mistake. Heath, you have to trust me here.’
‘Trust you!’ The look he shot conveyed his contempt, lips curling with disgust as he stared down at her. ‘Hell, Bella, I don’t even know you!’
CHAPTER TEN
‘WHERE on earth have you two been?’ Jayne looked up sharply as they both walked in.
‘Believe me, Jayne, you don’t want to know,’ Heath drawled, and apart from a face as white as chalk and a muscle galloping in his cheek, he could have been chatting about the weather. ‘Pharmacy’s messed up.’
‘Pharmacy?’ Jayne frowned.
‘They’ve only filled five boxes of morphine with saline, as if we don’t have enough to worry about with drugs down here.’
‘Saline?’ Jayne repeated.
‘Saline.’ Heath nodded. ‘Which isn’t going to help the cardiac patient. Can someone ring around the wards, get some down here stat?’
‘No need.’ The cardiologist looked up. ‘He’s responding now to the Anganine.’
‘OK,’ Heath said. ‘Well, can we just check off this pethidine for Marnie? Then maybe you can give Pharmacy a call, please, Bella.’ For all the world it looked as if he was staring at her, but his eyes were looking straight through her. ‘Let them know their mistake. You might do it a touch more gently than me, and tell them, please, to get some stock down here as soon as possible.’
‘Sure,’ Bella mumbled, checking Marnie’s identity as safely and as quickly as she could before fleeing Resus, picking up the telephone and punching in a mobile number. She registered every detail, her eyes scanning the department. Day staff were starting to drift around now, taking over from the night shift in
Resus, Jayne delivering the handover as Hannah and Jim wheeled Patrick back from his CT scan. Everything seemed normal, right down to the receptionist’s annoyed frown as a mobile trilled in Reception.
Mumbling her findings into the telephone, Bella willed herself calm as she relayed her orders to Detective Miller because, even though she was as junior as a nearly detective could be, Bella was the one on the floor, Bella was the one running the show right now.
‘What did they say?’ Jayne came over as Bella put down the phone.
‘They’re going to send someone down as soon as they can.’
‘And so they should,’ Jayne tutted. ‘Look, I hate to do this, Bella, I know it’s been a long night and no doubt you’re aching to get off, but you’re going to need to—’
‘Fill in an incident report,’ Bella sighed, forcing a smile. ‘Can I get a coffee first?’
‘Of course. Look, I’d stick around, but I don’t really know what I can tell them. The drugs were sealed when I checked them last night.’
‘It’s their mistake.’ Bella shrugged. ‘I’ll grab a coffee and get writing.’
‘And tell Heath to do one, too. Mind you, from the look on his face, he won’t need reminding, he’s furious.’
‘Do you blame him? What if that patient had really needed the morphine?’ Her voice trailed off and she gave another shrug. ‘I’ll just ring my mum, let her know I’m going to be late.’
‘’Night, then.’ Jayne smiled even though it was morning, but it was what every night nurse said.
‘’Night, Jayne.’
‘How’s Patrick?’ Bella asked as Hannah made her way over, attempting to seem normal even though her heart was flickering faster than Mr Kapur’s.
‘Good!’ Hannah enthused. ‘Well, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but there’s no bleeding or infarct evident. The neurosurgeon thinks he should do well. Poor family,’ Hannah added, wringing her hands. ‘Next time I’m feeling sorry for myself I’m going to remember what they’re going through.’ She gave a weary smile. ‘Better get home to Ken. ’Night, Bella.’
‘’Night, Hannah.’
Watching as Hannah headed towards the changing room, stopping to speak to Jim, Bella took a deep breath and picked up the phone, punching in the mobile number she’d learnt off by heart. It was answered on first ring and Bella didn’t even need to speak.
‘We’ve got him,’ Detective Miller said without introduction. ‘Phil’s checked his bag and he’s clean, Bella, there’s nothing on him. Where is she now?’
‘In the changing room,’ Bella answered, her voice monotone. ‘I’m going in there. Can you wait outside? I just want five minutes with her.’
‘I hope to God you’re right about this, Bella.’
Walking past Hannah and Jim, Bella made her way to the changing room, pushing the door open with moist palms, scarcely able to comprehend the enormity of what was about to take place, still, at this late stage, processing the facts in her mind, convincing herself over and over as she stepped inside that she was surely right, that what she had known all along could only be confirmed now.
She hadn’t banked on Heath being in there, hadn’t banked on Heath slamming his way around the changing room, trying to find change for the coffee-machine, shooting her a baleful look as she stepped inside.
‘Everything all right, Bella?’ Jayne asked, pulling her jacket out of her locker and slamming it closed, frowning as Bella came over, clearly not in the sunniest of moods.
‘Not really,’ Bella answered, pulling out her ID badge and showing it to her stunned colleague. ‘Jayne, at this point I should tell you that I’m a police officer and I’ve been observing the department over the last few days. Would you mind showing me what’s inside your bag?’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Jayne started, angrily shaking her head and starting to walk off, but Bella stood firm.
‘There are two detectives outside the door, Jayne. If you don’t want a scene in front of everyone, I suggest you do as I say.’
‘Please, Bella,’ Jayne started, her face paling, tears welling in her eyes. ‘It’s not what you think. This isn’t for me.’
‘For Tony, then?’ Bella sneered, and Jayne nodded. Burying her face in her hand, she sank down on the bench, but Bella stood unmoved, her eyes flicking to Heath who stood in stunned, appalled silence as his colleague admitted her guilt.
‘Tony made me do it,’ Jayne said imploringly. ‘My son Shane’s an addict. I just thought if I could get it for him, give him a reducing dose, then at least I’d know it was clean. It was only meant to be for him.’
‘Till his so-called friends found out?’ Detective Miller walked in then but no one looked up. Jayne stared at the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks as the world finally caught up, as Detective Miller opened up the zipper on her bag and flashed the contents for Bella to see.
‘I didn’t want to keep taking it. It was only supposed to be for Shane! I’ve never hurt anyone.’
‘Read her her rights,’ Detective Miller said, but Bella shook her head. There was no thrill to be had here, just a nauseating taste at the back of her throat.
‘Would you?’
It was horrible to see a dignified, educated woman reduced to this, to watch as she was read her rights and handcuffed and led outside through the department she’d served, to nod as Detective Miller told Bella he’d meet her back at the station when she’d collected up her stuff.
‘Enjoy that, did you?’ Heath’s voice was flat as he stared coolly at Bella. ‘Is that how you get your kicks?’
‘No one enjoys this,’ Bella attempted, but Hugh flicked her response away.
‘Rubbish. You’ll be down the pub celebrating your little win tonight, Bella. You know it as well as I do. Were the handcuffs really necessary, Bella? Did you have to rub her face in it a bit further? You heard what Jayne said. She was trying to support her son’s habit, trying to get him off drugs.’
‘And failing,’ Bella pointed out. ‘And getting herself in a whole lot deeper than she ever imagined. She’s recruiting domestic staff to help her, Heath. Tony has been helping her. No doubt he locked himself in his cleaning cupboard tonight after Jayne got the drugs, filling the packets up with saline and resealing them so that Jayne could put them back.’
‘How do you know all this?’ Heath asked, clearly bewildered. ‘How did you know it was Jayne?’
‘I guessed on my first day. You were right—she did overreact about that ampoule of morphine that hadn’t been signed for, and with good reason. Drugs going missing while she’d been on holiday would undoubtedly take the heat off, and the way she consistently defended Tony even when it was clear he wasn’t doing his job just didn’t make any sense.’
‘She was only trying to help her son!’ Heath roared.
‘This wasn’t a couple of paracetemol she was taking here, Heath. She’s been stealing drugs and handing them over to Tony to deal with. Slipping boxes under the drug book after two staff members have signed. And if you’re going to say that no one got hurt, then you’re wrong. Do you remember Benjamin Evans, that man who fell off his ladder and lay in this department, sobbing with back pain? Well, the second urine specimen I took from him confirmed that he didn’t have any drugs in his system. Jayne clearly decided he didn’t need it as badly as she did.’
‘No.’ Heath shook his head, despite the irrefutable evidence, loyal to his staff to the end. ‘She’d never do that. Jayne’s a good nurse.’
‘Was a good nurse, Heath,’ Bella corrected him. ‘Mr Evans lay in agony for two hours when it could have been avoided, and I’ve got Mr Evans’s urinalysis result back at the station if you don’t believe me. I’ve got copies of all the pager traces, too. Jayne paged herself that morning, knowing full well that she’d be disturbed and she’d have an excuse to be called away and swap the syringe. Suppose Mr Kapur had needed that morphine, Heath? Suppose Lucy O’Keefe had been in terminal pain?’
‘Am I supposed to
clap?’ Heath sneered. ‘Supposed to offer my congratulations?’
‘I’m just trying to make you understand the gravity of what Jayne was doing.’
‘And what about you?’ Heath’s eyes were like ice as he stared back at her, his stance utterly immovable as he hurled hurtful words across the room. ‘You used me, Bella, screwed me in the hope of getting inside information on Jayne.’
‘It wasn’t like that,’ Bella started, then closed her mouth in defeat as reality dawned for Heath.
‘So I was a suspect, too?’ He let out an incredulous, mirthless laugh. ‘Were you going through my drawers and cupboards after I’d left, checking for track marks when you undressed me?’
‘No.’ Bella shook her head in desperate denial. ‘It wasn’t anything like that.’ But Heath was on a roll now, hurling insult after insult, clearly incensed and refusing to listen to reason. ‘Lying through your teeth so that I’d open up to you. All that guff about Danny, all that—’
‘Everything I said about Danny was true,’ Bella pleaded, willing him to try and at least understand. ‘And I didn’t screw you, Heath, we made love.’
‘Oh, you screwed me,’ Heath shouted. ‘Every which way you could.’
‘I couldn’t tell you what I was doing, Heath, surely you can see that, but every other thing I said was true.’
‘Save it, Bella.’
‘What happened to that big speech about acceptance, Heath? This is my job, this is what I do, and I’m not ashamed of it. Jayne deserves everything she gets as far as I’m concerned. She’s let everyone down, including her profession. Yes, maybe I will have that drink tonight after all. Maybe I will toast a job well done.’
‘Bella…’ Hannah nervously peered around the door, her eyes red from crying, and Bella regretted her words immediately.
‘I’m sorry.’ Bella swallowed. ‘You didn’t deserve to hear that.’
Undercover at City Hospital Page 11