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‘No, I’m good. Thanks.’
By the time the boat arrived back, a carry cot had been taken from the fire truck and they were ready to go. The dinghy was manoeuvred carefully across the dark water, bumping against the wall of the house, and Rafe waited for the go-ahead before he climbed up on to the balcony.
On his way through to the bedroom, a policeman led a young boy past him, ready to ferry him back to dry land and take him into custody. It seemed, from what Mimi had said, the other hadn’t been so lucky.
She’d enlisted the help of one of the firefighters to hold a breathing mask to the boy’s face and was kneeling on the bed next to him. A new-found respect for her bloomed in his heart. In this vital fifteen minutes she’d worked alone and by torchlight, improvising and taking the help she needed from whoever was there at the time. His responsibilities were different, heading a team of doctors and nurses in the hospital.
He’d been so close to making the wrong decision. Rafe had told himself that it was concern for Mimi’s safety, but maybe he just hadn’t respected her enough. He’d allowed himself to fall back into his old way of thinking—he was the man and he had to protect her. He did, but he had to protect her as an equal.
‘Quite a few minor cuts and bruises, and pain in his upper left abdomen and shoulder. BP and heart rate are on the lower end of normal.’
‘You’re thinking a ruptured spleen?’ Everything that Mimi had said pointed to that, but Rafe supposed she hadn’t given her diagnosis out of deference to him.
‘Yeah. I don’t smell any alcohol on his breath, and his mate says he’s not taken any drugs.’ She twisted her mouth grimly. ‘Not that he would have wanted to admit it, but the policeman made it very clear to him that he’d be in a lot more trouble than he is already if he didn’t tell us. Oof...’
The air rushed from Mimi’s lungs as her patient grabbed at her jacket, pulling her down on to the bed next to him.
‘Gimme something, baby.’
Rafe and the firefighter both moved at the same time to release her from his grip, but Mimi had this under control too.
‘Let go, Wolfie.’ Her tone was suddenly commanding. ‘I can’t give you anything for the pain if you don’t let me go.’
Wolfie let go and started to moan loudly, his hand moving to the left side of his chest, as Mimi moved clear of him.
‘All right?’ The firefighter moved his free hand to restrain Wolfie, and clamped the oxygen mask firmly back over his face.
Mimi grinned. ‘Yes, thanks. He’s surprisingly strong.’
‘Okay, let’s have a look.’ Rafe got on to the bed and Mimi grabbed hold of Wolfie’s flailing arm. A careful examination prompted howls of protest from Wolfie, the assertion that his pain levels were twelve out of ten, and a not so polite request for anaesthesia.
‘I think you’re right.’ Rafe turned to Mimi. ‘We’ll keep him warm, continue the oxygen and monitor his BP and heart rate.’
She nodded as if that was an instruction.
‘Agreed?’
?
?Oh.’ She shot Rafe a surprised look but regained her composure immediately. ‘Yes, agreed.’
‘You’re carrying morphine sulphate?’
‘Yes and Naloxone.’ Although it didn’t appear that Wolfie had been taking narcotic drugs, the Naloxone would reverse the effects of the morphine if necessary.
‘Okay...’
She left Rafe to keep an eye on Wolfie and turned to fetch the morphine from her medical bag. When she offered him the syringe, Rafe shook his head.
‘Your patient, Mimi.’ He murmured the words. Now that she was a qualified paramedic, she was allowed to give a patient morphine.
Her grin felt like a reward, when he’d only given her what was her due. Rafe held Wolfie still, while she slid closer to him. ‘Wolfie... Wolfie, listen to me. I’m going to give you something for your pain. Just lie still; you’re getting what you want.’
Rafe felt the tension in Wolfie’s body relax, and he started muttering. Mimi carefully swabbed his forearm, and when she slid the needle in Wolfie hardly noticed. She disposed of the syringe and then sat back on the bed, her hand on the side of Wolfie’s face, soothing him while the drug took effect.
Rafe stood back, ready to step in if he was needed, but Mimi was handling everything correctly and efficiently. She managed to insert a cannula in Wolfie’s arm which, given the bad lighting and the fact that Wolfie seemed to be trying to proposition her while she did it, was nothing short of miraculous. She was monitoring him carefully and the lad responded to the sound of her voice, lying quietly.
The firefighter who had been helping Mimi had gone to get an update on evacuating Wolfie from the house, and Rafe saw him appear in the doorway. ‘How long before we can get him out of here?’
