NEIL FLETCHER’S leadership ability and professional skills had never been more welcome.
‘Have you called the ambulance?’
‘They’re on their way. ETA twelve minutes.’
‘Good girl. Have you got a kit available? A stethoscope and BP cuff?’
Kelly nodded. She was back only seconds later with the kit she carried in her car.
‘Hold her head for me, Kelly. We can’t rule out a C-spine injury.’
Kelly had to swallow a huge lump in her throat as she touched the matted, bloodstained hair on one side of her mother’s head. Fletch removed a stethoscope and then a penlight from the kit. He listened to her chest then lifted Kath Drummond’s eyelids one at a time and shone the bright beam onto her pupils.
‘Her airway’s clear at the moment but I don’t like the bruising on her neck. I think she may be in for some pharyngeal oedema. Pupils are a bit sluggish but I couldn’t find any obvious skull fracture.’ Fletch glanced up at Kelly’s white face. ‘Talk to her, Kelly. She’s not responsive but she may still be able to hear you.’
‘Mum?’ Kelly’s voice cracked and she had to try again. ‘It’s OK, Mum. You’re going to be all right. Fletch is taking care of you.’
Fletch was checking the bruised area on Kath’s neck again. Then he felt the bones of her face. One eye was blackened and swelling rapidly—it would soon be impossible to check pupil reactivity on that side. A lip was split and had bled copiously. Kelly was also aware of the blood seeping between her fingers.
‘I need a dressing, Fletch. She’s still losing blood from this head wound.’
‘Hmm.’ Fletch’s gaze wandered for a moment. ‘It looks like she fell backwards and hit her head. There’s blood on the corner of that coffee-table.’
Kelly fought off a wave of nausea as she watched Fletch rip open a package containing a large gauze pad. He folded the dressing and put his hand over Kelly’s to keep their patient’s head stable as he slipped the dressing over the wound. Then he pressed Kelly’s hand down.
‘Keep firm pressure on that.’ The instruction was unnecessary but welcome nonetheless. So was the contact of Fletch’s hand. Kelly caught his gaze and that gave her additional strength. Thank God he was here. She could handle this. Fletch would make sure of that.
‘You realise she’s been attacked?’ Fletch asked quietly. ‘It looks as though someone’s tried to strangle her. We’ll have to call the police.’ There was a deeper question in Fletch’s eyes. A question that was laced with concern. ‘Have you got any idea why this might have happened? Or who might be responsible?’
Kelly bit her lip. She closed her eyes tightly as she hesitated for a second. Then she shook her head. She should tell him that she had a very good idea of who and why, but she couldn’t. The shameful secret had been buried too long and Fletch hadn’t expected any answers anyway.
Kelly kept hold of her mother’s head and watched as Fletch finished his assessment. He checked for chest and abdominal injuries, listened to her breathing again, took her blood pressure and pulse and monitored her condition and level of consciousness. He kept Kelly informed as he went.
‘Chest is clear and abdo’s soft.
‘BP’s 110 on 70. Your mum’s not normally hypertensive, is she? Is she on any kind of medication?’
Kelly shook her head. ‘She’s very healthy. She doesn’t have any cardiac or respiratory conditions. She’s not diabetic. She’s never had a hospital admission.’ Though she should have, Kelly added silently. The GP had dealt with injuries in the past that should have been seen in hospital. And sometimes even the GP hadn’t seen them. Kelly took a deep breath. ‘She was concussed once—a few years ago.’
Fletch’s glance was sharp. ‘How did that happen?’
What had the story been? ‘She fell and hit her head on a kitchen cupboard.’
‘Was she KO’d?’
‘Very briefly.’
‘Was she assessed in ED?’
‘No. She refused to go near the hospital.’ Kelly looked away from Fletch. ‘I know, I know. I tried to persuade her. I kept a very close eye on her. I think she had headaches for a few weeks afterwards but there were no indications of any serious repercussions.’
Fletch rubbed his knuckle on her mother’s collarbone. ‘Kath? Can you hear me? Open your eyes, love.’
Kath groaned and tried to move her head.
‘It’s OK, Mum.’ Kelly increased her grip on the sides of her mother’s head. ‘Don’t try to move. We’re looking after you. You’re going to be all right.’ She could hear the siren getting closer now. It was the first time Kelly had experienced the kind of relief that sound could produce. The equipment and expertise her mother needed was on its way.
Had she been given a choice, Kelly would have picked Callum Jones to be leading the ambulance crew but as they were on their rostered days off he was the last person she actually expected to see come through the door.
‘Callum! What are you doing on the road?’
‘Overtime.’ Callum wasn’t smiling. ‘Control said this was your home address.’ He was still looking at Kelly as he removed a high-concentration oxygen mask from the bag attached to the portable cylinder.
‘It is,’ Kelly confirmed. ‘This is my mum, Kath.’
‘What happened?’
Kelly paused just long enough for Fletch to give her a curious glance before speaking himself. ‘She’s been beaten up. She was unresponsive when we found her. Facial injuries, query fractured cheekbone, split lip, head injury and some nasty bruising on her neck. Looks like someone’s had a go at strangling her.’
‘Trachea’s midline.’ Callum was looking at the fingermarks on Kath’s neck as he slipped the oxygen mask into place. He touched the swollen cheekbone gently and shook his head. ‘Have the police been called?’
‘Not yet.’
‘It wasn’t a sexual attack, was it?’
‘Oh, God!’ Kelly hadn’t even thought of that. ‘No…he wouldn’t have done something like that.’
Both Callum and Fletch gave her a strange look. Callum looked away quickly. ‘How long has she had that stridor?’
‘It’s been increasing over the last couple of minutes. Probably pharyngeal oedema. Maybe we should intubate now while we’ve got the opportunity.’
Callum nodded. ‘Why don’t you do that, Fletch? I’ll get a line in and start some fluids.’ He glanced at his crew partner. ‘Mandy, get hold of the police and then bring a stretcher in. Grab a collar as well.’
There was nothing that Kelly needed to do other than provide stability and reassurance. She watched as the team around her efficiently did everything they needed to do to prepare their patient for transport. Fletch did not seem to consider relinquishing the care of Kath to the paramedics, and both he and Kelly remained with the crew as they travelled back to hospital. They passed a police car with its lights and siren on going in the opposite direction. The police would presumably examine and secure the scene at the house before arriving at the hospital to continue their enquiries.
Fletch took control of the trauma room team and Kelly stayed with her mother. Kath’s breathing was stabilised, sedation and more pain relief administered, X-rays were taken and a CT scan arranged. Kelly provided the information needed on personal details and past medical history.
‘Don’t forget the previous head injury,’ Fletch reminded her. ‘That’s significant.’
Fletch left the trauma room when he needed to talk to the neurosurgical registrar.
‘I’ll organise Theatre. We’ll take her straight up after the CT. I’m pretty sure we’re going to find a haematoma that needs draining. We don’t want intracranial pressure rising any further.’
The loud banging on the outside door of the ambulance loading bay covered Fletch’s affirmative reply. Both men looked towards the source of the sound. An ambulance crew was attempting to shift a middle-aged man away from the doors so that they could bring a stretcher in. Fletch could hear the shouting as the doors opened.
‘You can’t tell me to get lost. You can get stuffed, mate.’ The words were slurred. ‘I’m coming in to find her.’
He pushed past the ambulance officers, staggered and almost fell. The triage nurse was now aware of what was happening.
‘Call Security,’ she advised the booking clerk. ‘Now!’
The internal doors had opened automatically and the inebriated man gazed around the emergency department triumphantly.
‘Where the hell is she?’ he demanded loudly. ‘I’ve got something I want to say to the interfering little bitch.’
Fletch was the closest person to the unwelcome intruder. ‘Who is it that you’re looking for?’ If he could keep him talking for a minute or two, the security officers would have a chance to get here before anyone was threatened more than verbally.
‘She’s always been trouble.’ The man peered at Fletch. ‘Who the hell are you?’
‘A doctor.’
‘You don’t look like a doctor.’ Alcohol-laden fumes washed over Fletch as the man leaned towards him. Shorter and leaner than Fletch, unshaven and with bloodshot eyes, he didn’t look like he would take too much strength to manage, but who knew whether he was concealing any weapons? The anger the man radiated was enough to make him much more dangerous than his size would suggest.
‘Five years,’ he informed Fletch with disgust. ‘Five whole years without a bloody drink, and for what? So she can tell me to get stuffed. She’s getting rid of me.’ He spat on the floor. ‘I know who told her to say that and she’s going to pay. Big time.’
‘What’s your name?’ Fletch could see two security officers advancing.
‘None of your bloody business.’ The touch of a security officer on his arm was enough to further enrage the man. He took a swing at Fletch and missed as the doctor ducked sideways. Then he aimed a fist at the security officer. He was stronger than he looked and the scuffle to control him took enough time and effort to create chaos. A trolley was upended. A woman screamed. And the door to the trauma room opened.
For a split second, the sense of déjà vu was enough to negate any reality in the scene. Kelly’s instinctive reaction was to protect her mother. She closed the door behind her and stood with her back against the large handle. The prod of metal against her spine was real enough. And so was what she was facing. Kelly’s past had come to claim her. There was no escape.
There had never been any escape.
‘Kelly…love.’ The figure between the security officers stopped struggling. ‘Tell them who I am.’
All eyes were on Kelly. The whole department was at a standstill. Kelly could sense the shock that there might be some connection between her and the violent drunk who had caused such an unpleasant disruption. And Fletch was there. Staring as hard as everyone else. Looking as shocked as everyone else.
‘Get him out of here,’ Kelly said calmly. ‘Call the police.’
‘You bitch!’ The beseeching tone was gone instantaneously. The man’s face twisted in rage and he wrenched an arm free from a guard. He managed one step towards Kelly. ‘You can’t do this to me. I’m your father!’
There was a deadly silence. Kelly felt sick. She shook her head to try and clear the odd ringing sound in her ears. She took a very shaky breath.
‘You’re not my father.’ The words sounded remarkably clear. Almost loud in the continuing silence. ‘You never were.’ It was hard even looking at the man in front of her. The effort it took to maintain eye contact and control her fear enough to speak made the words sound forced and icily cold. ‘And you’re never going to hurt my mother again. The police will be here any minute now and this time they’ll lock you away for good. I hope they throw away the key.’
Kelly wasn’t sure what happened first after her words died away into the silence. Perhaps everything happened simultaneously. Her father broke free of both security officers. They lunged after him. Fletch also moved. His body was in front of Kelly, protecting her. Fletch lost his balance as a security guard fell against him and then his arms were around Kelly, spinning her to face the door and pressing her into the safety of his hold. Her senses were heightened by the rush of adrenaline. She could see nothing but she could smell the scent of Fletch’s skin and could feel his warmth and strength. She could hear the shouting and the movement. She could even hear the swish of the automatic doors to the ambulance loading bay opening.
‘You’re safe now, Kelly. He’s gone.’
The security officers had also gone. And then one appeared back at a run.
‘We lost him,’ he announced nervously. ‘Where the hell are the police?’
Kelly pulled away from Fletch. She had to get back to her mother.
‘Kelly?’
She met his gaze for only a fraction of a second. She didn’t want to try and analyse what she saw in his eyes. What she had always expected to see. Shock. Pity. Disgust. Of course he would be disgusted. The shame had always been too much to handle and Kelly wasn’t about to try and deal with it just now.
‘Don’t, Fletch.’ Her words were a warning. ‘Don’t…say…anything.’
What could he have said? He had already said it all in three words.
You’re safe now.
His need to protect Kelly had been all that had mattered. The shock that she had something so horrific that she needed to be protected from, and the hurt in her life that she’d never given him any hint of, had not surfaced properly until well after the event. Until hours after Kath’s successful surgery and the unexpected end to the night’s dramatic events.
Fletch had hung around the emergency department waiting until Kath came out of Theatre. He had seen Callum come in several times with new patients. A heart attack victim, a teenager with possible appendicitis and finally a service station attendant who had been assaulted during an armed hold-up.
‘I was wondering if you’d still be here.’ Callum loaded the stretcher back into the ambulance and then came to stand next to Fletch, who had gone outside for a breath of fresh air. ‘Have you seen Kelly?’
‘No.’ Fletch rubbed a hand across his forehead wearily. ‘She hasn’t spoken to anyone except the police. She’s up in the intensive care unit at the moment with her mother.’
‘How did the surgery go?’
‘Great. She’s breathing on her own and regained consciousness enough to recognise Kelly. I think she’ll be OK.’
‘That’s good news. How’s Kelly?’
‘I don’t know.’ Fletch sighed. ‘She doesn’t want to talk to me yet.’
Callum gave him a curious glance. ‘You’ve known Kelly longer than I have. Did you know about her father?’
‘No.’ The monosyllable couldn’t begin to convey the hurt. Why hadn’t she told him something that important? They had been engaged. Kelly had said she loved him—that she still loved him. How could you love someone and not share a secret like that? As far as Fletch had known, Kelly’s father had never been around. The only family he had ever met had been her mother.
‘Seems that he’s only just got out of prison.’
‘What?’ The new information was as much of a shock as the problem Kelly’s father had with alcohol. ‘How do you know that?’
‘We spent quite a bit of time with the police before we were allowed onto the scene of the hold-up we just went to. I was talking to one of the guys who went out to Kelly’s house. He knew rather a lot about Jack Drummond.’
‘Drunk driving.’
‘How long was he in for?’
‘He served five years of a seven-year sentence.’
So he’d been in prison well before he had even met Kelly. He hadn’t been a part of her life. Or he had been a part of her life that both she and her mother had been trying to forget. Something was falling into place. Or trying to.
‘Seven years is a pretty stiff sentence for drunk driving.’
‘Not when you’re driving when already disqualified for the same offence. Especially not when you lose control of the car and wipe out someone’s grandmother on a zebra crossing.’
Fletch swore softly. ‘That’s appalling!’
Callum’s smile was wry. ‘Hardly surprising Kelly didn’t want to advertise it, is it?’
‘No.’ And it was hardly surprising that she had an intolerant attitude to alcohol. Or to someone who became abusive when apparently drunk.
‘Well, she won’t need to worry about him any more.’
‘I guess not. He’ll go down for a long stretch after the assault on Kath.’
Callum’s eyebrow rose. ‘You haven’t heard, then?’
‘Heard what?’
His companion whistled softly. ‘When Jack Drummond got away from Security here he ran into the park. A guard chased him but lost sight of him. They think he must have slipped over the bank and into the river. They found him a couple of hours ago.’
‘And?’ Fletch thought he knew the answer already but he wanted to hear it said.
‘Dead,’ Callum confirmed. ‘The water was only knee deep but he’d got his foot caught in a tree root. Probably too drunk to figure out he only had to stay standing up.’
‘Does Kelly know?’
‘I would think so. That’s why I was wondering how she was.’
‘It’s probably a relief.’
‘He was still her father. No matter how ashamed of him she was. It’s not going to be easy.’
‘Kelly’s a strong person.’ Fletch had never known just how strong she was. His smile was poignant. ‘It’s just that sometimes she chooses the wrong things to be strong about.’
Like choosing to shoulder the burden of a traumatic past alone. Like choosing to give up the man she loved because the fear that he might turn out to be like her father was too much to face. Fletch could see everything so clearly now. He had always loved the courage and determination with which Kelly tackled life. The knowledge of what must have fostered those attributes made him love her even more. If only he’d known. If only he’d given her the chance. But he’d been too sick to do that two years ago and he had been too determined not to allow himself to admit how he felt since she’d come back into his life. He’d pushed her away only hours ago. Told her that he didn’t want her physical touch. That he didn’t want her.
It was understandable that she didn’t want him anywhere near her at the moment, but Fletch had to try again. He went up to the intensive care unit only to find the chair beside Kath Drummond’s bed was empty.
‘We’ve persuaded Kelly to get a few hours’ sleep,’ the charge nurse told Fletch. ‘She’s on the couch in the relatives’ room with a good dose of sedative on board. I wouldn’t disturb her unless you have to.’
‘I’ll come back tomorrow,’ Fletch said. ‘I’d better get some sleep myself before I come on duty. How’s Kath?’
‘Doing as well as can be expected. She’s holding her own at the moment and if she gets through the next twelve hours or so without deterioration we’ll be able to be a lot more confident about a good prognosis.’
Fletch nodded. ‘Tell Kelly I came in, would you?’ He hesitated. ‘Tell her I think I understand now.’
‘I’ll pass it on.’ The nurse gave Fletch a curious glance. ‘Was that all?’
Fletch nodded slowly but then paused. ‘Tell her…that I’m sorry.’
Sorry for what? Kelly wondered. Sorry that her mother was seriously injured? That her father was dead? That her father had always been a loser? Or was he sorry that he didn’t want her any more despite her confession that she still loved him? There was too much to be sorry for. And Kelly didn’t want his pity. She didn’t even want to see Fletch again just yet. She had more than enough to cope with.
It was a long, slow day. Her mother drifted in and out of semi-consciousness but was kept sedated enough to prevent her speaking. The bank of monitors around the bed indicated that Kath’s condition was stable and by that afternoon a steady improvement became noticeable. Kelly left the unit for an hour or so to have a meal and a walk outside. She returned to find she had missed another visit from Dr Neil Fletcher but her reaction was one of relief rather than disappointment.
‘He said to call him if you wanted,’ the charge nurse relayed.
Wanted what? Kelly wondered. Company? Conversation? Him? The temptation to pick up the phone was easily dismissed.
The dose of sedative her mother was receiving was reduced that evening. Kelly sat by the bed, hoping that her mother might wake. She dozed fitfully in her chair off and on as the hours crept past.
‘You’re exhausted, darling.’ The quiet words made Kelly’s eyes fly open.
‘Mum!’ The joyous smile couldn’t mask the concern. ‘You’re awake. How are you feeling?’
‘My head hurts a bit,’ Kath whispered. ‘How long have I been in here?’
‘Getting on for thirty hours. You had surgery last night and you’ve been asleep all of today and most of the night. It’s 4 a.m. now.’
Kath’s fingers squeezed Kelly’s weakly. ‘I still feel tired.’
‘You need to rest,’ Kelly told her. ‘You’re going to be fine.’
‘I thought…I thought he was going to kill me this time.’
‘I know.’ Kelly touched the uninjured side of her mother’s face gently. ‘He’ll never be able to hurt you again, Mum, I promise.’ It wasn’t the time to tell Kath about the final event of last night. The news could wait until she was stronger. Until Kelly herself felt strong enough to help her deal with it. ‘You need to rest,’ Kelly repeated. ‘We’ll look after you.’
‘You need to rest, too. Go home, Kelly. I’ll be fine.’ Kath’s eyes drifted shut again.
The medical staff backed up Kath’s advice with increasing persuasion over the next few hours. ‘We’ll keep her on a low level of sedation for a while yet. She’ll be asleep for the rest of tonight and probably most of the day tomorrow. Go home and rest, Kelly. We’ll call you if there’s any change.’
Kelly gave in. She knew she needed to rest and, even more, she needed some time alone. Time to try and sort through the jumble of emotions she was struggling to contain. There was just too much to think about. Too much to be sorry for.
The taxi driver had to wake her.
‘We’re here,’ he explained. ‘You’ve had a good nap, haven’t you? That’ll be forty-five dollars.’
‘Really?’ Kelly blinked. The sudden wakening into the strong sunshine and the rural surroundings made it difficult to focus.
‘It’s a long way from town,’ the driver said defensively.
Kelly smiled. It had been the fact that she had slept so soundly on the journey home that had surprised her, not the amount of the taxi fare. The twenty-minute nap had been enough to take the edge off her exhaustion. Now all Kelly wanted was a quiet spot in the shade somewhere so she could sit and think quietly. Or, better yet, not think at all. She just wanted to be here. At home. Safe.
The call on her mobile phone was an intrusion but it couldn’t be ignored in case it concerned her mother.
‘Kelly speaking.’
She listened for a few seconds. ‘Oh, no! I don’t believe it.’
She listened for longer this time. ‘No, I’m sorry. It’s just not possible.’
The head shake was firm a few seconds later. ‘No,’ she repeated. ‘I can’t. I’m sorry.’
Kelly shook her head again, this time with disbelief. She stared at her phone. She couldn’t cope with another call like that and it was highly likely there would be another one. But what about the hospital? If she turned her phone off they wouldn’t be able to call her if they needed to. Kelly chewed her lip. She could call the intensive care unit herself to check on her mother’s condition.
She would do it soon. Just as soon as she’d had a little more time to herself. Time without having to field an extraordinary demand on her like the one that had just been made.
Kelly pushed the button to switch her mobile phone off.