‘Wally? Can you hear me?’
There was no response. Automatically, Bella reached for the elderly man’s head, tipping it back to ensure his airway was open. She bent down to listen for breathing, one hand on his neck to search for a pulse. She was ready to start CPR instantly if she couldn’t find one. Her adrenaline level was sky-high. Why on earth was Oliver just standing there? He wasn’t even calling for extra assistance yet.
‘Let him go, Bella.’ Oliver spoke calmly. ‘Stand back.’
Her jaw dropped. He wanted her to stand back and let her patient die? Why? Because he was old or overweight or deaf or something?
‘No way.’ Bella glared at Oliver. ‘He needshelp.’
Even as she spoke, however, Bella could feel something happening beneath her hands. An ominous twitching and jerking. Wally was having a seizure.
Bella knew better than to try and restrain someone who was having a seizure. There was nothing anyone could do until it stopped, other than try and protect the head from banging into something. When the uncontrolled movements stopped she would be able to ensure that his airway stayed clear and that he wouldn’t be frightened in that confused period before full consciousness returned.
‘Move that trolley,’ she heard herself order Oliver. ‘I’ll find a towel to go under his head.’
She grabbed one from the rail in Lady Dorothy’s room and was back within seconds.
Wally was still having his seizure. The longer it went on the more serious it was likely to be, and it looked quite bad enough already. Wally must have bitten his tongue because there was blood-stained foam coming from his mouth. What if he was in status epilepticus? Oliver was signalling another nurse and calling for a drug trolley.
‘I should have done something this morning,’ Bella groaned. ‘I told Sally I thought he needed a scan or something.’
‘What?’ Oliver was close beside where Bella was crouching now. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘He’s been having headaches and this morning he said his vision was blurry. And now this…’ Bella could feel tears stinging the back of her eyes as she looked up at Oliver. ‘He might have a brain tumour, mightn’t he?’
‘So you’re a neurosurgeon now?’
But the words were not sarcastic. If anything, the look that Oliver gave her was reassuring. And there was something else in his glance. Something that made Bella feel oddly warm. Had he been impressed with the way she had handled this emergency?
‘We’ll have a good look at him, Bella, and find out what’s going on. I take it he doesn’t have a history of seizures?’
Bella shook her head. A nurse had arrived with the drug trolley but it seemed that chemical intervention wasn’t going to be necessary to halt the seizing. Wally was lying still now. Bella wriggled to where she could control his airway and cushion his head with the towel. She used a corner of it to wipe the foam from his chin.
Wally groaned.
‘It’s okay,’ Bella told him. ‘You’re safe, Wally.’ She stroked his forehead. ‘We’re looking after you. It’s okay.’
‘Find a stretcher,’ Oliver ordered another staff member. ‘And call CT and see if they can fit in an emergency case.’
Bella almost gasped. Oliver was going to look at Wally rightnow? Her smile wobbled a little.
‘Thank you so much,’ she whispered. ‘I know he’s getting on but he’s such a sweetheart and I know he’s deaf but he’s still as sharp as a tack.’
Oliver had hold of Wally’s wrist, taking his pulse. ‘You’re really fond of him, aren’t you?’
Bella nodded. ‘I didn’t expect to enjoy geriatrics this much,’ she confessed, ‘but you know what?’
‘What?’
‘They’re as good as babies in their own way. You can’t help loving them.’
Wally was coming out of his post-ictal state reasonably quickly. With plenty of assistance, staff got him onto a stretcher and ready to be taken to the CT lab.
‘Go with him.’ Lady Dorothy had been watching the drama from her bed and anyone could see that Bella was torn when she went back into her patient’s room. ‘I’m fine.’
‘Go,’ Oliver agreed. ‘I’ll come down and see what the results are as soon as I can.’ He lifted a hand in farewell to his mother and followed Bella out of the door.
‘About before,’ he said quietly. ‘You have every right to say “no” to my mother. And if you have any doubts about accepting the position she’s offering, that’s exactly what you should say.’
