Chapter Fifteen
833 Words
Hugh didn’t answer, he just walked off.
What a mess, Emily thought as she made her way to the anaesthetic room. It was a small annexe that led to two of the theatres. Here the patient would be anaesthetised and intubated before being taken into the operating theatre. She was in for a busy morning. First was Ernest Bailey and though his was a long case, before Hugh’s next one there were two epidurals scheduled for two planned Caesareans.
Emily smiled when she saw that it was Rory who was on. He was pulling up medication so that everything would be ready, well out of sight of the patient, and they chatted for a moment as they set up. ‘I thought I was down to work with Gina,’ Emily said.
‘And I thought I had Monday off,’ Rory responded, and then explained that he’d been called in the early hours to come in. ‘She called in sick—I think she had a bit too much Hugh on Saturday night.’
Emily simply rolled her eyes—maybe Hugh had been busy trying to persuade Gina to pull the wool over Alex’s eyes for a few weeks.
Maybe the two of them had got it on.
Emily bit her lip as she looked at the theatre list. That burn of jealousy was low in her*** and reminded her how much getting too close to Hugh could only inevitably hurt.
He was a friend, though, despite what she had said the other night, and that was something she didn’t want to lose.
Rory was explaining to Emily that Ernest would be going to ICU after his surgery when Hugh came in.
‘He’s not here yet,’ Emily said, because usually the patient would be here by now and waiting for a brief word with the surgeon before going under.
‘I know,’ Hugh said. ‘He’s taking his time to say goodbye to his wife. Poor old boy doesn’t really want the surgery but his wife has told him she wants him there for their golden wedding anniversary...’ He paused as Ernest was wheeled in. ‘Good morning, Mr Bailey.’ Hugh was lovely to the man. ‘How’s Hannah?’
‘Fussing,’ Ernest said.
‘And how are you feeling?’
‘Thirsty!’ came another one-word answer as Hugh checked again the markings he had made on Ernest’s stomach. ‘When can I get a cup of tea?’
‘That’s a bit of a way off for you,’ Hugh said. ‘I’ll come and see you in Recovery after the operation and then later again on ICU.’
Ernest rolled his eyes. All he wanted to know was when his next drink would be, but soon he was under and Emily moved him through to the theatre and then came back to prepare the room for the next patient.
‘Morning,’ Emily said, as Anton and Declan, another anaesthetist, came in just as Emily had finished setting up for the epidural.
‘Change of plan.’ Declan smiled, unlike Anton, who just got straight down to business.
‘We’re going attempt a vaginal delivery in Theatre,’ Anton said. ‘Then we will do the planned cases.’
He went into Theatre to get ready and Emily rolled her eyes at Declan. ‘Nice of the labour ward to let us know,’ she said, just as the phone rang with that very news.
It was just a busy morning, punctuated by the sound of a woman grunting and screaming. Louise was in her element, Emily was wincing and Rory laughed when Hugh came in once Ernest’s surgery was over.
‘Lovely background noise,’ Hugh said. ‘I’m just going to speak to Ernest’s wife and then I’ll have a quick drink. I’ve sent down for the next one.’
‘Mr Bailey didn’t take long,’ Emily commented.
‘It went better than expected,’ Hugh said. ‘I didn’t end up doing a colostomy, he’ll be pleased about that.’
As an ear-splitting scream filled the morning. Rory came in and laughed when he saw Emily’s reaction. ‘Is that with an epidural?’ Emily asked him.
‘Apparently she doesn’t want any drugs.’ Rory peered through the window into Theatre. ‘Declan’s just gone in, so maybe she’s changed her mind. No, it looks like Anton’s going to use forceps.’
‘Oh, my,’ Emily said.
‘Is childbirth not for you, lovely Emily?’ Rory asked, because Emily was the opposite of Louise and avoided that side of Theatre whenever possible.
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