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She gave a brief nod. ‘Let’s just say we’ve learned over the years to plan for every contingency.’ Her shirt was sticking to her back and she gave an uncomfortable shudder. ‘But I’m glad I’ve never had to do this before.’
His hand closed over hers for a few seconds as she passed over the syringe with the antibiotics. His eyes turned to the clock to begin the administration. ‘Hopefully this is a one-off,’ he said. ‘You call the ambulance, then I guess we’ll spend the rest of the day contact tracing.’
She sucked in a breath. She hadn’t even thought of that. Of course.
She couldn’t help but admire how smoothly he’d handled all this. It was likely she would have gone outside to see whose baby had been crying like that—but would she have recognised the signs of meningitis as quickly as Philippe had?
As an ER doc it was likely he’d had cases before. Any case she’d dealt with in paediatrics had already been diagnosed, or been under investigation, by the time they’d got to her. She’d had to perform lumbar punctures to guarantee a diagnosis on small children before, but most of the initial diagnostics had already been recognised.
Arissa made the call for the ambulance, then phoned the referral through to the hospital so they would be ready to expect the patient. She then grabbed a chart to make some notes and went back to Mariam. ‘I know you also have a son, Mariam. Are there any other children in the house?’
She shook her head. ‘Just my son, Vasan. He’s three.’
Arissa took a quick note. ‘I’ll arrange for some oral antibiotics for your son. Anyone else in the household? Or has Rosni been at nursery?’ She tried to be as methodical as possible, taking all the notes she should to ensure that anyone potentially exposed to meningitis would be identified and protected.
Philippe continued the slow and steady administration of the antibiotic, monitoring the baby for any reaction. Rosni was still agitated—the medications taking time to take effect. The ambulance arrived around fifteen minutes later, the paramedic more than capable of dealing with their charge.
By the time the ambulance left Arissa was exhausted. She slumped against the door jamb and took a deep breath.
Philippe sat down at one of the tables and put his head in his hands. She realised instantly he was upset, much more than his calm demeanour had implied. She walked over and, after hesitating for a second, sat down at right angles to him, close enough to touch him.
She reached up her hand, holding it just next to his hand before changing her mind and edging her seat closer. She took both his hands in hers and lowered them to the table. His head was still bowed. So, she took a deep breath and lowered her head so her forehead was against his.
His voice was low, throaty. ‘Once you hear the cry you never forget it.’
His breath was warm next to her skin. She could see the faintest tremble in his hands. She licked her lips slowly then asked the question. ‘When did you hear the cry before?’
He shivered. His eyes still closed. ‘A few years ago in another ER. I’d just come on shift. The woman had been in the waiting room for a few hours.’
Arissa’s stomach sank. From his reaction she could almost guess what might have happened. ‘How did that baby do?’
He clenched her fingers tightly. ‘He made it—but barely. His vaccinations were up to date, but his mum had put him to bed and given him some acetaminophen when he’d developed a fever. She’d brought him in to the ER in the middle of the night when he hadn’t settled.’
‘And she was still waiting when you came on duty?’
He nodded and winced. ‘There had been a road traffic accident, and a house fire. No one had a chance to properly assess the baby.’
She squeezed his hands. ‘But you did.’
He shook his head slightly. ‘It was almost too late. The baby fitted within a few minutes. It was a few days before we knew if the baby would live or die.’ He licked his lips. ‘The baby recovered, but there were some long-term effects. He lost his hearing. If I’d got to him quicker...’ His voice trailed off.
He stopped talking, his eyes closing again. It was the first time she’d ever seen him shaken. How much had it taken for him to hold things together while Mariam and her baby had been here?
