with the test results and the doctor in A and E said, ‘Fortunately Toby doesn’t seem to have eaten many of the berries, which is a godsend, but the situation is still critical. Hopefully once his stomach has been washed clear of the poison it will prevent any further complications, but it must be done now.’
Nathan nodded bleakly. ‘I’m in favour of anything that will save Toby’s life so, yes, let’s proceed as quickly as possible. Time has been wasted because neither Dr Hamilton or myself had any idea that Toby might have been near belladonna and been tempted by what he thought were black grapes.’
The doctor was already arranging for a theatre to be made available with staff there ready to assist by the time Toby was brought down, and as he was being transferred there, with Libby still holding his hand, Nathan said with his face a grey mask of horror, ‘I’m going to insist that I’m there while they do what they have to do. I’ve done plenty of theatre work while I was abroad, it won’t be anything new. But you should get back to the practice, you’re needed there more than here. I’ll see you when this is over, Libby, and thanks for coming.’
‘Will you please stop thanking me? I don’t want your thanks,’ she told him, stiffening at the abruptness of his dismissal. ‘What I do want is to know that Toby will soon be well again and that the pain and the nightmare that is there for the parents of any sick child will soon be over for you, and now I’ll do what you suggest and go back to my patients, which will leave your father free to come here.’
As Toby’s bottom lip began to tremble she said gently, ‘I won’t be long. I have to go and see to my other sick people now, but I’ll bring you something nice when I come back.’
‘What will it be, Libby?’ he asked with a momentary brightening of his small pale face.
‘It will be a surprise,’ she told him, and turning to Nathan as the feeling of being no longer needed persisted, ‘I would appreciate a phone call when you have a moment to spare.’
‘That goes without saying,’ he said evenly, and as she went out into the corridor with a heavy heart she didn’t hear him groan at the way he’d told her to go as if she’d served her purpose. It had been the right thing to do. It was Libby’s responsibility as senior partner to be back at the practice, but it had been the wrong way to do it. What was the matter with him? He’d been floundering about like a quivering jelly ever since they’d found Toby in this state, while she’d been like a rock to hold onto, and now he’d sent her away.
They’d arrived at the theatre on the lower ground floor and after that everything else was forgotten as the great machine that was the NHS took over.
The moment Libby arrived back at the practice she was greeted by John, with an extra furrow of worry to add to those that age had carved across his brow.
‘So what’s the news, Libby? What did they say at the hospital?’ he asked.
‘It seems as if it might be belladonna poisoning,’ she told him. ‘When Nathan asked Toby if he’d eaten anything while he was playing in the field, or anywhere else for that matter, he said, yes, he’d eaten some shiny black “grapes”, which we think came from a belladonna plant as it describes its berries exactly and his symptoms fit in with what we know of the poisonous effects of it.
‘Fortunately he didn’t eat many of the berries, just one or two, but he’s finding it rather difficult to swallow and is drowsy. Then there’s the fact that he has sickness and diarrhoea and his temperature is up, so the doctor in A and E is going to have to wash his stomach out to get rid of any poisonous substance. Nathan is insisting on being there while it is being done so Toby will have him close all the time, thank goodness.’
John was observing her, dumbstruck. ‘I was with Toby all the time he was in the field. The only time he was out of my sight was
Nathan nodded bleakly. ‘I’m in favour of anything that will save Toby’s life so, yes, let’s proceed as quickly as possible. Time has been wasted because neither Dr Hamilton or myself had any idea that Toby might have been near belladonna and been tempted by what he thought were black grapes.’
The doctor was already arranging for a theatre to be made available with staff there ready to assist by the time Toby was brought down, and as he was being transferred there, with Libby still holding his hand, Nathan said with his face a grey mask of horror, ‘I’m going to insist that I’m there while they do what they have to do. I’ve done plenty of theatre work while I was abroad, it won’t be anything new. But you should get back to the practice, you’re needed there more than here. I’ll see you when this is over, Libby, and thanks for coming.’
‘Will you please stop thanking me? I don’t want your thanks,’ she told him, stiffening at the abruptness of his dismissal. ‘What I do want is to know that Toby will soon be well again and that the pain and the nightmare that is there for the parents of any sick child will soon be over for you, and now I’ll do what you suggest and go back to my patients, which will leave your father free to come here.’
As Toby’s bottom lip began to tremble she said gently, ‘I won’t be long. I have to go and see to my other sick people now, but I’ll bring you something nice when I come back.’
‘What will it be, Libby?’ he asked with a momentary brightening of his small pale face.
‘It will be a surprise,’ she told him, and turning to Nathan as the feeling of being no longer needed persisted, ‘I would appreciate a phone call when you have a moment to spare.’
‘That goes without saying,’ he said evenly, and as she went out into the corridor with a heavy heart she didn’t hear him groan at the way he’d told her to go as if she’d served her purpose. It had been the right thing to do. It was Libby’s responsibility as senior partner to be back at the practice, but it had been the wrong way to do it. What was the matter with him? He’d been floundering about like a quivering jelly ever since they’d found Toby in this state, while she’d been like a rock to hold onto, and now he’d sent her away.
They’d arrived at the theatre on the lower ground floor and after that everything else was forgotten as the great machine that was the NHS took over.
The moment Libby arrived back at the practice she was greeted by John, with an extra furrow of worry to add to those that age had carved across his brow.
‘So what’s the news, Libby? What did they say at the hospital?’ he asked.
‘It seems as if it might be belladonna poisoning,’ she told him. ‘When Nathan asked Toby if he’d eaten anything while he was playing in the field, or anywhere else for that matter, he said, yes, he’d eaten some shiny black “grapes”, which we think came from a belladonna plant as it describes its berries exactly and his symptoms fit in with what we know of the poisonous effects of it.
‘Fortunately he didn’t eat many of the berries, just one or two, but he’s finding it rather difficult to swallow and is drowsy. Then there’s the fact that he has sickness and diarrhoea and his temperature is up, so the doctor in A and E is going to have to wash his stomach out to get rid of any poisonous substance. Nathan is insisting on being there while it is being done so Toby will have him close all the time, thank goodness.’
John was observing her, dumbstruck. ‘I was with Toby all the time he was in the field. The only time he was out of my sight was
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