‘No,’ Jessica quickly announced.
‘Yes,’ came Harrison’s response only seconds later.
‘Well, which is it?’ the Professor asked with a quizzical frown. ‘Yes or no?’
‘Well, we technically don’t know each other,’ Jessica responded.
‘We bumped into each other at the airport yesterday. Quite literally,’ Harrison explained.
Errol’s glance darted back to Jessica for confirmation.
Jessica cringed and nodded in his direction. ‘I ran over him.’ Then, turning her attention back to Harrison, she continued, ‘I’m so sorry. I’m not usually that clumsy.’
‘It happens,’ he told her with an almost impish smile she didn’t want to see in his eyes.
‘Well, I must say you’re a good sport, Harrison,’ Errol stated. ‘And clearly you weren’t travelling too fast, Jessica, because there’s no visible injuries. Were you on a scooter?’
‘No, I didn’t run him over... I ran over him...with a suitcase.’
‘And there’s not a scratch to show for it,’ Harrison added.
Jessica felt her skin prickle—his voice was as deep, husky and reassuring as it had been the day before.
‘I’m confused so I think I’ll leave it there,’ Errol said with a frown creasing his brow yet again.
‘It wasn’t hard to do, particularly in a bustling international airport like Armidale,’ Harrison continued, adding a cheeky grin that threw her emotions into free fall.
She didn’t say anything. She wanted to pull her eyes away but she couldn’t. She stood frozen. Her head and heart were in turmoil. She felt certain she had experienced almost all possible emotions in the previous five minutes.
‘Again, I’m still terribly confused and I have a Board meeting in fifteen minutes. I’m going to leave you to get acquainted, or reacquainted, whichever the case may be.’ With that, Errol stepped away but not before adding, ‘Welcome again, Jessica, to the Armidale Regional Memorial. I’m very glad to have you on board. I have a very good feeling about this.’
Jessica feigned a smile as all the while she was thinking just the opposite. There was nothing good about any of it. In fact, she had a very bad feeling. And it had nothing to do with the hospital or Errol. It had everything to do with the man standing before her.
‘So, you’re our newbie to the hospital then, Dr Ayers?’ Harrison asked, leaning in a bit closer.
‘Yes, and please call me Jessica,’ she insisted then couldn’t think of anything to add. She could and would normally drive the conversation but suddenly she was searching for something to say. Her mind was befuddled by thoughts that had no place being there. And senses were coming into play that had been dormant for a long time. His cologne was subtle to the level of being almost impossible to detect by anyone else with the overpowering scent of sanitising products used in the ER but, unfortunately for Jessica, it was not lost on her. His body warmth was bringing out the masculine notes of sandalwood and she could feel the beat of her own pulse reacting.
‘If it makes you feel better, my shoes dried without a mark. Nothing to indicate that I’d been steamrolled by your runaway luggage.’
Harrison smiled a wide smile that lit up his chiselled face. It made him look even more handsome, but Jessica couldn’t help but notice that while it was a genuine smile it seemed slightly guarded. She’d thought she was the only one who walked around at war with herself and the world. Then again, perhaps she was imagining something defensive that wasn’t there. After all, they were in the ER so his mind would be on the job of managing the rapid response unit of the largest hospital in the New England region.
At that moment she didn’t trust her instincts. And that made her uneasy. In fact, everything about her current situation and, more to the point, Dr Harrison Wainwright made her uneasy. She cursed under her breath. Why couldn’t her colleague be the same age as Errol? It would have been far more convenient for her because a handsome and now slightly intriguing man who appeared pleasantly surprised that they would be working together was the last thing she needed. Now or ever.
* * *
Harrison was surprised by the level of happiness he was experiencing on seeing the mysterious blonde traveller again. And to learn that they would be working together. It should have worried him, but it didn’t. Strangely, he felt elated by the idea. He had fallen asleep thinking about her. Wondering if and when he might see her again. She was clearly gorgeous, but there were a lot of gorgeous women in New England and he had casually dated a few over the years. But his attraction to the stranger in town was more than skin-deep. He was intrigued by her. He had no clue why, after such a brief encounter, but it was undeniable.
Not for a moment had he imagined they would be working together. He had so many questions. Her reason for coming to Armidale for one. Skilled enough to impress the Board of the hospital—that meant she would certainly be in demand in other hospitals. So why choose here? he wondered.
He glanced at her hand and then lifted his eyes just as quickly, but not before he noticed there was no ring indicating a husband or fiancé, but that didn’t mean she was single. Why did he care? He had no clue but he was pleasantly surprised to see the absence of jewellery on her hand. Harrison wanted to kick himself for having any interest in the paediatrician’s relationship status. For five years he hadn’t cared about anyone’s relationship status; he had been too preoccupied trying to sort out his own. Although he’d known his marriage was just a piece of paper—any love or commitment he felt was solely focused on his child—still, he had taken a long time to officially end it. His wife’s decision to walk away from both him and their child had painfully but effectively ended any feelings he’d had for her many years before.
Dr Jessica Ayers was stirring more than curiosity and Harrison was at odds with how he felt and how he believed he should be feeling. They were poles apart.
* * *
At that moment the doors to the ER burst open again and two paramedics with a single stretcher rushed in.
‘Male, unidentified, suspected methamphetamine overdose,’ the taller of the paramedics announced as he steered the barouche past the nurses’ station while the other held a cold compress on the young man’s head and kept in place another pack that was resting across his chest. Intravenous fluids were being administered and Jessica could see he had been restrained.
‘Bay three,’ the senior nurse, whom Jessica was yet to meet, announced as she crossed to meet them, signalling for the nurse she had already met while treating Cody and a young woman to follow her. By the third woman’s very young and very nervous appearance and the fact that the Armidale Regional Memorial Hospital was a teaching facility, Jessica assumed she was a medical student. Quickly her suspicions were confirmed when the nurse continued, ‘Melissa, ask any questions you like; don’t be shy. Your first student placement can seem daunting but we’re here to help.’
‘You have to love the rush of a Monday morning,’ Harrison muttered to Jessica before stepping away and crossing to the allocated bay. He donned sterile gloves while the paramedics transferred the patient to the hospital bed and replaced the restraints. ‘Fill me in.’ His voice was serious and his words short.
‘The young man was found slumped by a dumpster just off Beardy Street by one of the store owners ten minutes ago. No ID and he’s not known to us, so either not a regular user or new to town, as we know our regulars. It’s an area frequented by the methamphetamine crowd after hours. He appeared unconscious initially; however, when we attempted to engage it became obvious he was crashing from some illegal substance. He was suffering from hallucinations and kept referring to ants eating him alive and this presumably initiated the repetitive motor activity in his legs. It then escalated to verbal abuse towards us before he collapsed with chest pain and shortness of breath. He calmed down so I’d say we found him at the end of the crash. Within two minutes of ge
tting him on board his irregular heartbeat came close to normal.’
‘Do we have any clues on the amount taken; if it was snorted or smoked; and any idea on how long ago the drug was consumed?’
‘Negative to all three. If he had any mates, they took off. If anyone witnessed him crashing they didn’t stay to help or fill us in on the details.’
‘Why doesn’t that surprise me?’ Harrison said, shaking his head in frustration. ‘Vitals?’
‘We recorded an initial elevated body temperature of thirty-nine point five but managed to bring it down slightly with cold compresses. His BPM was also raised but that’s stabilised now.’
‘Great work, guys,’ Harrison replied then turned to the senior nurse. ‘Alison, start gastric lavage and administer activated charcoal.’
Harrison continued issuing instructions as he began an examination of the clearly agitated but still restrained patient. He lifted the oxygen mask and carefully inspected the patient’s mouth before replacing the apparatus. ‘His dentation appears reasonable, as does his weight, which would indicate an acute overdose and a fairly recent entree to meth. Let’s hope with counselling we can redirect his path before he heads into chronic misuse and the myriad of psychological and medical issues that would arise over time.’
The younger nurse hooked the IV already in place to a stand and cleared the paramedics to leave. ‘Thanks, guys, for bringing him in. And Brian, say hi to Mum for me and see you next weekend.’
Jessica was close enough to hear everything and she was quickly reminded by the level of familiarity between the nurse and paramedic that she was in a country hospital where everyone knew each other on some level.
‘Sure will, Phoebe, Tommo’s birthday bash should be awesome,’ the younger paramedic replied as they exited the ER, but not before stopping at the nurses’ station to sign off on the paperwork.
‘I want full bloods, an ECG and a urine sample. By the look and smell of this poor boy he’s lost control of his bladder and he’s wearing his last sample,’ Harrison continued. ‘He’ll pull through but his long-term prognosis isn’t good if he doesn’t clean up his act. Can you call up and see if there are any beds available? I’d like to admit him and give him time to see a counsellor either today or tomorrow before we let him back on the streets.’
Jessica could see the unkempt young man’s trousers were stained and the foul stench coming from his direction made it clear he had either no awareness of self-care or no means by which to maintain any level of hygiene.
‘I’ll check. We’re not at capacity at the moment, so we might be able to keep him overnight,’ Alison replied. ‘We’ll get him into a hospital gown and reach out for some new clothes from the Salvation Army; they’re always happy to send in something clean for cases like this.’ She swabbed his arm before taking a sample for the blood work; all the while the now compliant patient lay still, albeit for his restless legs that randomly moved away from his imaginary foe.
Harrison stepped away, as did the medical student. As they left the bay, Harrison reached up and closed the blue curtains. Then he turned his attention to the young woman still hovering awkwardly nearby, apparently unsure of what to do next. ‘Melissa, now we have the young man stable, what can you tell me about your textbook and hands-on experience with methamphetamine abuse?’
Jessica watched as Melissa shifted a little on her feet.
‘Um...nothing first-hand as this is my first hospital placement. But I know the psychosis resulting from a chronic methamphetamine overdose can last up to twelve months sometimes, with permanent effects of paranoia and ongoing memory loss. Meth abuse by the patient can also result in delusions, repeated infections, rotted teeth, weight loss, skin sores, and they can even suffer a stroke or heart attack, no matter their age.’
‘That’s correct. Recovery from a methamphetamine overdose depends on the amount of drug that was taken, how long it was abused, and how quickly treatment for the methamphetamine overdose symptoms was administered. The earlier a patient gets medical assistance for a methamphetamine overdose, the better the outcome. Anything else you can add?’
‘Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II stimulant drug, and it works by affecting the central nervous symptom. It’s similar in structure to amphetamine but far stronger and also more addictive. Legally it’s only available through a prescription and generally prescribed to treat narcolepsy.’
‘I’m impressed, Melissa. Is this an area of interest for you?’ Harrison commented as he took the clipboard from the senior nurse, who had just approached him to authorise both the tests and the patient’s admittance into the hospital. The nurse then left with the signed documents.
‘My father’s a pharmacist in Tamworth so he always lectured us about drugs and the potential for them to be abused. We saw a lot of it on the streets there when I was growing up. It’s everywhere, like a pandemic in the cities and the regions now.’
‘Unfortunately, you’re right and let’s hope this young man stops before he heads down the road of chronic abuse.’
‘His chances are, unfortunately, going to be slim at best,’ Jessica stated. ‘Unless he can extract himself from his current situation and, depending on the depth of his addiction, enter a rehabilitation programme. There needs to be a holistic approach to turning the young person’s life around. Without changing the situation, one night in hospital is a band-aid that will, unfortunately, fall off very quickly in the real world.’
Jessica’s response was born of experience and she considered Harrison’s decision to admit him overnight was textbook optimistic but not practical. She was no longer a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed medical student who thought following procedure ensured a good outcome. At times like this she felt battle-worn. She had seen it all, and couldn’t erase the vision of the tiny skeletal frame of one of her patients, nor the wounds on another twelve-year-old’s once pretty face, self-inflicted during a bout of hallucinations. She had cried herself to sleep over the injustice and wished she could wrap every child in the warmth of her arms and protect them. But she couldn’t. Her professional innocence had been stolen bit by bit as she’d witnessed the children ravaged by drugs and the parents who couldn’t help because they had been using themselves.
On all fronts Jessica was a long way from the young medical student standing before her. She acknowledged for a fleeting moment that she had been just like that young woman once, and there were days when she wished she could be again. Wide-eyed and hopeful for the future. But not any more.
Harrison paused to study Jessica. His look was pensive. He said nothing for a moment but she could see he was surprised by her matter-of-fact honesty. Jessica worried it might have been too blunt but she had reason to be harsh when it came to seeing children in her paediatric ward suffering from drug abuse. She felt so sad and helpless at times.
‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Harrison told her, interrupting her thoughts and echoing her feelings. ‘Bloody frustrating and such a waste. And I’m fully aware that one night won’t do anything more than keep him off the street and stop him OD-ing in the next eight hours. It won’t turn his life around, Jessica, but what it will do is buy us some time to schedule an appointment with a counsellor and a social worker, who might be able to make a difference. We heal the bodies and hope our colleagues can begin the process of healing their minds and broken spirits and, with a good deal of luck, lead them away from the destructive path they’re on right now.’
Jessica was taken aback by his response. It was honest but heartfelt and far from textbook and naïve. Clearly, he was as frustrated as her and trying his best with the resources he had. Harrison was a realist with a heart.
Harrison turned his attention back to Melissa and the task at hand—educating the next generation of doctors.
‘Do you know what they call methamphetamine on the street?’ Harrison questioned Melissa.
‘Ice?’ Melissa as
ked.
‘Yes, and there are other terms their friends may use when they drop them off at the Emergency Department,’ he continued.
‘I’ve not heard it referred to by any other name.’
‘Speed,’ Jessica cut in as she stepped closer. ‘Or crank, tweak, Christina, Tina, chalk... Oh, and go fast. That’s the latest. I think I’ve heard them all.’
‘Well, that’s quite a comprehensive list. You’ve got the street lingo down pat,’ Harrison replied with a curious expression on his face. ‘You’re clearly passionate about the topic but I didn’t think you’d see much of it in Paediatrics. I was under the impression that yours was a slightly more protected unit from the effects of drug abuse, at least by the age of your patients. I’ve not seen any under seventeen present here.’
‘How I wish I didn’t know quite so much but I’ve seen it with a regularity that I despise and one that scares me, particularly in the major cities. Some as young as eleven years of age present suffering from drug abuse in Paediatrics.’
‘Eleven?’ Melissa’s voice rose in shock at Jessica’s statement.
‘Yes, only two months ago I was consulting in a public hospital in Melbourne and a little girl presented suffering the effects of methamphetamine. She was two weeks shy of her twelfth birthday.’
‘What about her parents? Where were they?’
‘Doing the same, unfortunately. Chronic users.’
‘So her environment was stacked against her,’ Melissa said flatly.
‘In this case, yes, but not always.’
‘If only there was some sort of prerequisite or testing to being a parent. It’s hard to break the cycle if a child grows up with it,’ Melissa commented as she rolled her eyes.
‘Yes, parenting is a huge responsibility and a tough role at times, no doubt, but in my book if you sign on to have a child, then you sign on for life,’ Jessica said with conviction. ‘Once you’re a parent, then I think your own needs have to come second to theirs, but maybe that’s an old-fashioned view. And who am I to say, since I don’t have any children of my own? I’m sure in this day and age it’s not easy raising them and with so many parents doing it alone it must be a struggle at times.’
Mending the Single Dad's Heart Page 5