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‘Sorry,’ Candy muttered as Elaine marched out.
As bossy as she was, though, Elaine’s heart really was in the right place because Toby started humming a little as Candy shaved him and all too soon she found herself singing along to the Sunday morning hymns. It made Toby smile and his eyes encouraged her and he even started singing along to some of the choruses, which only made Candy sing louder.
‘Mr Worthington!’ Gloria popped her head in. ‘Your family are here to see you.’ She smiled at Candy. ‘They’ll be pleased to see him looking so cheerful. Steele was just having a word with them.’
Candy quickly tidied up the room and moved the trolley out of the way as Toby’s family thanked Steele and then smiled at Candy as they made their way in.
‘Did you enjoy your little singalong?’ Steele asked when she came out.
‘Actually, I did,’ she said, ‘although I’m not sure quite what Toby would have to say about it if he was able to talk.’
‘Oh, I’m sure that, with the amount of morphine he’s on, your voice sounded pretty fantastic.’
‘Are you telling me that I’m tone deaf?’
‘Ooh, just a touch,’ Steele teased, but it didn’t faze Candy.
‘I’m going to sing louder next time.’
They would have chatted for longer but Matron Elaine was back and ready to move things along. ‘Come on, Candy, we’re falling behind. I’ll help you with Macey.’
Candy would really prefer that she didn’t.
‘Have fun!’ Steele said as Candy rolled her eyes.
The strangest thing was, though, that Candy did enjoy herself.
In fact, she had more fun then she’d had in a long time and so did Macey!
‘Good morning, Macey.’ Candy smiled as she pulled the curtains around the bed. ‘Would you like to have a shower?’
Macey gave a slow shake of her head.
‘Well, Elaine and I will give you a wash in bed, if that’s okay, and we’ll give you some nice fresh sheets and things. Then I’ll do your leg dressing.’
‘I’ll do Macey’s leg dressing,’ Elaine said. ‘I need to practice my aseptic technique.’
‘Sure,’ Candy agreed, and then spoke to Macey. ‘Would you like me to wash your hair? We can do it in bed. I just need to take the bedhead off. It might make you feel a little bit better,’ Candy pushed gently, but again Macey shook her head.
Elaine had everything set up on the trolley to wash Macey and she was busy collecting sheets and pillowcases for the bed change as Candy washed Macey’s face. She then offered her the cloth to wash her hands but Macey didn’t take it so Candy washed Macey’s hands in the bowl. ‘I’ll take that nail varnish off in a little while and do your nails.’
‘There isn’t time to do nails,’ Elaine said as she returned.
‘I’ll do it on my coffee break,’ Candy said as they turned Macey and washed her back. Elaine was starting to seriously get on her nerves. ‘I like painting nails.’
Delightfully, though, as Macey was turned back from her side she caught Candy’s eye and gave her a tiny wink. This showed Candy she was coming back to the world and that Macey understood how difficult Elaine might be to work with.
She returned the wink and soaped up the cloth again.
‘Would you like to wash yourself down there?’ Candy offered, so that Macey could wash her private parts herself, but both Candy and Macey blinked at the same time when a loud voice interrupted them.
‘No!’ Elaine said. ‘We do not speak down to our patients. You are to call it by its proper name.’
Candy shared a brief yikes look with Macey.
‘I apologise, Macey,’ she said, looking into Macey’s eyes as they both tried to fathom what it was that she was supposed to say.
‘Would you like to wash your private parts?’ Candy offered and saw Macey’s lips start to twitch into a smile, especially when Elaine chimed up again.
‘No!’ she said. ‘You’re to call it by its proper name.’
Given that Candy was the qualified nurse, she could have told Elaine to simply be quiet, but there was a glimmer in Macey’s eyes that hadn’t been there for a long time and, Candy guessed as they shared a smile, she was more than happy for the exchange to continue.
