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The cut was three inches long and seemed relatively superficial. But blood was welling from it as if it were a deep wound. Clara looked up at Gabriel, shaking her head silently. It shouldn’t be bleeding that much.
‘Are you taking any medication, Terry? Blood thinners or anti-coagulants, anything like that?’ Gabriel asked the obvious next question.
‘No. Thanks, Doc, but I dare say it’ll be all right in a minute. If you can just tape it up for me...’
‘You’re sure. Aspirin, even?’
‘Nothing.’ Terry’s lips formed a hard line.
‘All right.’ Gabriel got to his feet. ‘Clara, would you apply some pressure to the wound, please, see if you can stop the bleeding. Ronnie, I think the lad over there needs a few words from you. Looks as if he’s feeling responsible for this.’
Clara glanced over her shoulder, and saw one of the young fighters from the boxing club sitting on the edge of the boxing ring, his head in his hands. It was a kind thought on Gabriel’s part, but it didn’t seem medically necessary right now.
‘Right you are, Doctor,’ Ronnie responded, walking over to sit next to the lad and put her arm around his shoulders. As soon as she turned her back, Gabriel bent down again.
‘These are all your lads?’
‘Yep. I run a club for teenagers.’
Gabriel nodded. ‘It’s a worthwhile thing to do. I imagine that Ronnie wouldn’t let you into the ring to train them if you were taking anticoagulants.’
Of course! Gabriel wasn’t just passing the time of day, he’d seen the situation and was dealing with it, quietly and firmly. Getting Ronnie out of the way was likely to loosen Terry’s tongue a bit.
‘Thing is, the way that cut’s bleeding is of some concern to me. I need to know why, and there’s a whole barrage of tests I’d have to prescribe—’
‘Warfarin.’ Terry could see the way this was going and capitulated suddenly. ‘Two hundred milligrams a day.’
‘Okay, thanks.’ Gabriel nodded, his face showing no hint of the frustration he must feel. ‘Has your diet changed at all recently? Been on holiday?’
‘Yes, I’m just back. Me and the wife went to Italy. I’ve put on a few pounds, the food was great.’
‘And your normal diet is pretty healthy, I imagine, you’re in good shape. You eat plenty of vegetables?’
‘Yes. When I go on holiday I take a bit of a break from my diet. For two weeks in the summer and a week at Christmas I get to eat whatever I like.’
‘Did your doctor tell you that your diet can affect your INR level? Some leafy vegetables that are high in vitamin K can inhibit the effects of warfarin, so if your normal diet contains a lot of things like spinach and kale and you stop eating those things for a while, it’ll affect how much warfarin you need to take.’
Terry grimaced, shaking his head. ‘Maybe he said something about it. I...don’t know. I was so cut up about it, because I knew that Ronnie would stop me from training the kids here. I’ve been doing it for twenty years...’
‘Okay. I can see that this is important to you, and I’m sorry to have to say this, but contact sports really aren’t advisable when you’re on warfarin.’
‘Yeah. I knew it wasn’t too smart.’ Terry’s voice was heavy with resignation. ‘Don’t suppose you could talk to Ronnie for me, could you, Doc?’
‘I can tell her what’s happened if you want me to, but I won’t tell her that it’s okay for you to continue in the ring. I’m sorry, but it isn’t.’
‘Yeah, I know. Just give her the news, eh?’
‘All right.’ Gabriel’s gaze flipped towards Clara. ‘How are you doing there?’
‘When I keep the pressure up it stops the bleeding.’ She peeled up the corner of the dressing pad to inspect the edge of the cut. ‘But it’s not coagulating yet.’
‘Okay. We’ll need to take you to the hospital, Terry. They’ll either seal the wound, or give you a shot to counteract the effects of the warfarin.’ Gabriel got to his feet. ‘And I’ll go and have a word with Ronnie.’
Both she and Terry watched as Gabriel drew Ronnie to one side, talking to her quietly.
‘I think the doc’s calming her down...’ Terry seemed to be clutching at straws.
‘Um...yes. Maybe.’ Clara saw Ronnie throw up her hand in a gesture of exasperation, and Gabriel blocked her path, standing between her and Terry. He was capable of charming the birds out of the trees, but Ronnie was a much more daunting prospect and it still remained to be seen whether Gabriel was going to succeed in smoothing things over.
