by Anne Fraser
‘Right, folks, he’s stable. Let’s get him to Radiology for a CT scan to determine the extent of his head injury.’ As Sarah and Jamie rushed the gurney through the bay, Lizzie cleared their path, pushing the resus equipment trolley to one side and sweeping away the discarded debris of dressing packs and empty syringes scattered on the floor with her foot. They were just outside the swing doors of the X-ray department when they were intercepted by one of the triage staff nurses. ‘Mrs Kennedy, the patient’s mother, has arrived. Can one of you speak to her?’ she asked.
‘Off you go, Sarah. Keith and I will stay with Tom,’ Jamie offered.
‘Thanks. Staff Nurse, I’ll be along in a minute. In the meantime, can you put Mrs Kennedy in the relatives’ room, please?’
Sarah peeled off her gloves and removed her blood-splattered theatre gown, using the brief respite to compose herself. Breaking bad news to relatives was one aspect of her job she found extremely difficult, but at least this time she was confident Tom would survive his injuries. There was every chance he would make a full recovery, although there would be an anxious few hours ahead for all of them. Once Tom had recovered sufficiently, the police would wish to interview him. She wondered what tragic set of circumstances had led to Tom’s broken body being found at the foot of the bridge.
After leaving a tearful but grateful Mrs Kennedy a short time later, Sarah went to join Jamie in X-Ray. She found him in discussion with the radiologist, both studying the images displayed on the computer screen.
‘What’s the verdict?’ she asked, peering over Jamie’s shoulder.
He glanced back at her, a smile dimpling his cheek. ‘Good news—no fracture or evidence of brain swelling. In fact, he’s just beginning to regain consciousness. This is one lucky young man, wouldn’t you say, SJ?’
‘Thank goodness for that,’ she said. ‘He’ll be going to Theatre for the orthopods to set his leg, then hopefully High Dependency will have a bed for him.’ Suddenly the adrenaline of the past hour drained away and Sarah felt exhausted, and guessed that Jamie would be feeling the same way. Whatever her personal feelings, they were still professional colleagues who depended on one another. ‘Fancy a coffee?’ she offered. ‘I’ll make it this time, after I update his mother.’
‘Great. Give me ten while I brief the surgeons on Tom, and I’ll meet you in the staffroom.’
* * *
Sarah slumped in the saggy chair in the staffroom. She yawned. What she wouldn’t do for one completely uninterrupted night’s sleep. Lizzie came in and plonked herself down in the chair next to Sarah’s with a heavy sigh. Her normally cheerful face was drawn and a frown puckered her brow.
‘What it is Lizzie?’ Sarah asked, concerned. ‘Everything going all right for the wedding? With you and Stewart?’
‘Oh, the wedding!’ She shook her head dismissively. ‘No, the arrangements are going fine. Can’t wait for the honeymoon. Chance to put my feet up and get a long rest.’ Sarah shot her a mischievous look that brought spots of colour to Lizzie’s pale cheeks. ‘OK I’m looking forward to the honeymoon for other reasons, too. Stewart and I have hardly spent any time alone in the last month. There always seems to be somebody there, talking about arrangements. I’m beginning to wonder if there is life outside work and the wedding. And I thought I’d never get tired of planning my big day!’ She laughed, but then looked serious again. ‘No there’s something else. A work-related matter I need to discuss with you. And I’m afraid you’re not going to be happy when you hear what I have to say.’
‘OK. But let me get you a coffee first.’ Once the two women had got settled, Lizzie started in a hesitant voice.
‘Morphine has gone missing from the resus trolley.’
‘Are you sure?’ Sarah asked. ‘When so many doctors and nurses are dipping into the trolley during an emergency, isn’t it hard to keep track of what’s been used?’
‘That’s just it,’ Lizzie continued unhappily. ‘It’s part of my job to ensure that everything is accounted for and written up correctly. After an emergency, I immediately recheck the trolley and reorder everything that has been removed. But today there was an ampoule of morphine missing—and Tom wasn’t given any morphine. I checked first with all the medical staff as perhaps in the commotion it was taken for another patient by one of them, but so far no one is admitting to it. Anyway, at the very least there should be an empty ampoule. I looked everywhere for it—I even tried to empty the sharps bin.’
‘That’s a bit risky surely? You could get a needle-stick injury.’
Lizzie dismissed Sarah’s reproachful tone with a wave of her fingers.
‘I took the appropriate precautions. And what’s more, this is the second time in two weeks that it’s happened. I didn’t mention the first incident to anyone but my nurse manager, as I was sure that it was a one-off incident. That someone had simply forgotten to write it up.’
‘But now you think differently?’ Sarah prompted
‘For sure. Once is unlikely, but possible. Twice…’ She shook her head. ‘And it gets worse.’
Sarah waited for Lizzie to continue. She was obviously choosing her words with care.
‘Someone saw Jamie, Dr Campbell, slip a couple of syringes and needles into his pocket the other evening.’
Sarah almost laughed aloud. Surely Lizzie couldn’t be suggesting that Jamie had anything to do with the missing drugs?
Lizzie caught Sarah’s expression. ‘Of course it’s ludicrous thinking that Jamie would take the morphine, but if we knew why he took the other stuff, at least we could rule him out.’ Lizzie looked at Sarah imploringly. ‘I should really go straight to my boss about this, but if there is any chance that you and I could get to the bottom of it first, I’ll wait until tomorrow.’ She stood up.
‘However, if we still don’t have an answer as to what happened to the drugs, I’ll have no choice but to formally report it.’
‘I’m sure that there is a perfectly innocent reason for Jamie’s action and I’m confident the mystery of the syringes will be easily cleared up. Perhaps he was going up to one of the wards to take blood from a patient there?’
‘Possible, but unlikely. He was off duty, Sarah. On his way home,’ Lizzie said miserably. ‘And you and I both know that consultants rarely take blood. That’s usually left to the junior doctors. Besides, the wards have their own supplies of needles and syringes.’
‘There still could be a hundred different innocent reasons why Jamie took the syringes as I’m sure we’ll find out when I ask him. In the meantime, do you have any idea who else might be desperate enough to risk their career by stealing controlled drugs?’
‘I know my nurses pretty well. Most of them have worked here for years. I just can’t believe that any of them would do anything so stupid. One or two of them do have personal problems—as you’d expect to find in any large department. Elspeth, for example has a mother with chronic arthritis who suffers with severe pain. But as I said, she’s worked with me for years and I can’t see her doing anything so dimwitted, not to mention illegal!’
‘What about other staff—porters, clerical staff, plaster-room technicians?’
‘I suppose it’s always possible. But they aren’t usually in Resus. In fact, apart from the odd radiologist, there really is only us doctors and nurses.’
‘But there could be others. Look, Jamie will be along in a minute and I’ll talk to him about it. Ask if he has any ideas.’ Sarah reflected for a moment. She hated the thought that any of her staff could be under suspicion—even for a moment.
‘Actually, Lizzie, there was a patient in here this morning. Karen saw him. Apparently he had been trying to get her to prescribe him some strong painkillers and she refused. Why don’t you track her down and find out when he came in and when he was last here? If she doesn’t know, the triage nurses would have made a note of dates and times on his attendance card.’
‘I don’t see how that will help us prove anything,’ Lizzie said a little doubtfully.
‘At least it will show that someone else apart from staff could be involved. Don’t worry, Lizzie,’ Sarah said softly, ‘one way or another we’ll get to the bottom of this.’
‘I hope we do,’ replied an unconvinced Lizzie, ‘I couldn’t bear to have this hanging over us all at the wedding.’
Once the nurse had left the room, Sarah sat deep in thought. This was one side of her new role that she would never like. Acting as a policeman, looking at her colleagues, her hardworking and dedicated colleagues, with suspicion was anathema to her. The sooner they got this cleared up the better for the whole department. She jumped when the duty-room door flew open.
‘Where’s that coffee, then?’ Jamie teased, striding into the room.
As Sarah handed him a cup, she paused awkwardly. ‘There’s something I need to discuss with you.’
Jamie made himself comfortable, stretching his long legs in front of him and putting his arms behind his head before narrowing his eyes at her.
‘It’s not anything to do with Calum—or last night. I told you I want us to stick to talking about work—and I meant it.’ she said through gritted teeth, noting his wary look. ‘No, this is something else entirely.’
Jamie visibly relaxed and leaned back in the chair. The movement caused the top of his hospital greens to ride up. Catching a glimpse of tanned muscle, Sarah’s couldn’t stop her thoughts flying back to the night before. With an effort she forced herself to concentrate on the issue at hand.
‘Apparently someone has removed controlled drugs from the resus trolley on two occasions. Two weeks ago and today. And,’ she went on baldly ‘you were seen slipping some syringes and needles into your pocket the other evening.’
Jamie stared at Sarah, at first with disbelief and then, when he realised she was serious, with deepening anger.
‘And you have linked the two events. I was seen taking syringes, ergo I must also be a drug addict—or, worse, a drug dealer who has so little regard for his patients or his career that he plunders drugs from the hospital he’s working in.’
‘Of course I don’t suspect you. I can’t imagine anyone less likely to be stealing drugs. And once you tell me why you took the syringes, you can help me find out who did really take the drugs.’ She looked at Jamie expectantly.
Jamie shook his head. ‘I’m afraid I can’t tell you why I took the syringes. You are just going to have to trust me that it was not for the purpose of administering drugs, either to myself or anyone else.’
‘I’m afraid that’s not good enough, Jamie.’ Sarah stiffened her resolve in the face of Jamie’s anger. Of course she had the right to question him. And he knew it. ‘I need to know for sure that you had nothing to do with the missing drugs.’
Jamie glared at her, incredulity written all over his face.
‘I can’t believe you are even asking the question. Good God, woman, don’t you know me better than that?’
‘But I don’t really know you at all, do I? I thought I did, once. But now I realise I don’t know you at all.’
Jamie frowned. ‘I didn’t take those drugs, Sarah.’ He stood up. ‘And as far as I’m concerned, that is all you need to know. But may I suggest if you really want to find your thief, you take a look at the CCTV footage from the last couple of days. If you still have no joy, then I suggest you call in the police.’ And with one final glare, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.
Well! thought Sarah furiously. Just who did he think he was? Of course she didn’t really believe, not for one moment, that he had taken the drugs, but on the other hand his refusal to tell her why he had taken the needles and syringes, his behaviour over the last few days—there was something he wasn’t telling her.
Nevertheless, she would do as he’d suggested. Look at what the CCTV cameras had recorded over the last few days. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she was certain that the only time the trolley had been unlocked had been earlier that day, when the man with the terrible injuries had been treated. It was possible that Kenny had slipped back when their attention had been on Tom. With a bit of luck, something would show up on the security camera.
On her way to see the head of security, Sarah bumped into a harassed-looking Lizzie.
‘I’ve managed to pull Kenny Wilson’s records up on the computer. He was in the department on both dates. However, he was signed out of the department shortly after Tom was admitted.’
‘I think it’s possible that he might have sneaked back in while we were all occupied with Tom. Jamie suggested looking at CCTV footage to see whether there is anything on camera that will help, so I’m just heading off to find the security manager now.’
‘Did you ask Jamie about the syringes?’
‘Yes, I did, and I have to say I didn’t handle it very well.’
‘What did he say?’
‘Only that he didn’t take the drugs, which I knew, and that I should check with Security. Honestly, Lizzie, I do love my job, the medical side at least, but I don’t think I realised exactly what I was getting in for when I took the head of department role.’
Lizzie smiled in sympathy. ‘Hey, you’re doing a great job. Staff morale has never been higher. We all know how hard you work. Jamie, too. I just worry sometimes you try to do too much.’
‘It comes with the territory, but thanks for the vote of confidence. On days like today I can do with all the encouragement I can get.’
Soon Sarah was sitting down with the head of hospital security, a middle-aged man called George, reviewing the tapes. She had had to tell him why she needed to see the footage. It had taken all Sarah’s powers of persuasion, but eventually George had reluctantly agreed to spend a few minutes going over the tapes before they involved management and the police.
‘You should have come straight to me. Sister York should have come to me after the first incidence. That’s what we are here for,’ he had grumbled.
‘I know, but I’m here now. And if we can get this sorted out without any of the staff feeling that they are under suspicion, then that can only be a good thing, surely?’ Sarah had said placatingly.
‘You could have trusted me to handle the matter discreetly. I agree with you, though. There’s no point in getting staff all hot and bothered before we have to.’
‘I’m sorry, George. Next time—God forbid there is a next time—I’ll come to you immediately. I promise.’
While they had been talking, George had found and loaded the tapes from the period when Kenny had been in the department up to and including the time when Tom had been in Resus.
She could see blurred images of herself, Jamie and the other medical and nursing staff moving in and out of the picture.
George stopped the tape.
‘There. Do you see?’
At first all Sarah could see was the figures of the five or six staff who were working over the trolley on which Tom lay. The security officer pressed a button and the picture panned out, revealing more of the resus room. The emergency trolley had been pushed out of everyone’s way and rested near the open door of the room. As the officer showed Sarah the pictures frame by frame, a figure appeared from the door and a hand casually dipped into the trolley and removed a vial. The picture was too grainy for her to make out the contents, but she had a pretty good idea what it was. George manipulated the computer and the face of the figure came into view. Sarah recognised him at once. It was Kenny Wilson. Just as she’d suspected. Then George ran the tapes from the date Lizzie had given her when Kenny had attended previously. It took twenty minutes but eventually they found what they’d been looking for. It was a similar scenario to the one that day. This time two patients with severe injuries had been treated simultaneously and most of the department’s medical and nursing staff had been occupied in trying to save their lives. From the footage Sarah could see that Kenny had hung around the department for a considerable time before choosing his moment to remove something from the trolley. He had taken a terrible risk, but h
ad almost got away with it. Sarah felt enormous relief. At least it wasn’t a member of staff. But clearly they would have to do something about security. Warn other hospitals in the city. She made a mental note to add it to her management agenda.
As if reading her thoughts, George said, ‘Your security isn’t up to much, is it? I think I should come around tomorrow and spend the day in the department, reviewing your procedures.’
Sarah sighed. Just one more task to get in the way of her seeing patients. Still, it was a small price to pay for peace of mind. She stood up, thanking George warmly for his help. She needed to find Lizzie and Jamie as soon as she could. At least she knew for certain that Jamie hadn’t taken the missing drugs. But why had he taken the syringes? Why didn’t he trust her? And didn’t she trust him? The small niggling voice was back. With her life, yes. But not her heart, not ever again Sarah found Lizzie suturing a patient who had sliced open a finger with a kitchen knife. She waited until the nurse had finished and had sent the patient on her way with instructions to see her GP in seven days to have the stitches removed. Once the treatment room was empty of patients, Sarah filled Lizzie in on what she had found out.
Lizzie gave a sigh of relief, the worry clearing from her eyes. ‘Thank goodness. I was going mad, thinking that it might be a colleague stealing drugs.’ She frowned again as she remembered her concerns about Jamie. ‘Have you told Jamie?’
‘Not yet. I will as soon as I catch him on his own. I’m sure he’ll be pleased we’ve found the real culprit. He was furious when he thought I was suspecting him of taking the drugs.’