crossings-out and locums and gaps in the schedule, and that had been before Dr Vermont had so suddenly died.
‘So much for leaving,’ Harry said.
‘What are you going to do?’
‘I don’t know,’ Harry admitted. ‘I’ve just about used up every last favour. I’ll have to do something, though. I simply can’t imagine this place without him. He and Marjorie were so good to me when Jill had her accident...’ He hesitated, not sure if Marnie was interested in hearing his thoughts or if she was just being polite.
‘Go on,’ Marnie offered, but Harry looked over at the sleeping twins and shook his head. ‘Not here.’
They moved to the small kitchenette where they could talk and still keep an eye on the children.
‘Jill was on ICU for two weeks after the accident.’ Harry paused for a moment, which he so rarely did—he simply didn’t have the time or the reserves to examine the past, but the emotion of losing such a close friend and colleague forced a moment of reflection. ‘Jill had massive head injuries.’
‘How?’
‘A car accident. The only saving grace was that she didn’t have the twins with her at the time. I knew as soon as I saw her that things were never going to be the same again and so did Dr Vermont. Even if she had lived, her injuries were so severe that things would never have been the same,’ Harry explained. ‘Dr Vermont told me that the time Jill was on ICU was my time. I can’t really explain it, but we both knew at some level how difficult things would be, whether she lived or died. Cathy, my sister, had the twins and brought them in now and then to see their mum.
‘Dr Vermont took care of the department. Marjorie brought dinner in for me every night and clothes, and just did so many things for me that I didn’t even notice. I was so focused on the time I had left with Jill. I think I did all my grieving in ICU. I have bad days of course, but, really, when she died it wasn’t about Jill, or Jill and I any more, or me, it was about the twins and work and just surviving.’ He looked at Marnie, suddenly aware that his words might be hurting her for reasons of her own. ‘Was it the same for you?’
‘No,’ Marnie admitted. ‘The whole time Declan was in ICU I was convincing myself that he’d live and making plans for taking him home. Right till the last day I thought that he’d make it.’ Marnie shook her head—she just didn’t want to go there.
* * *
As the day staff arrived and the news was broken there were tears on the floor and more tears in the staffroom. Marnie worked her way through the contact sheets, ringing the staff who were not on duty today, or not due in till later, to let them know what had happened.
It was a department in mourning but, of course, the patients continued to arrive.
‘I’ve come to get the twins.’ It was Harry’s sister, Marnie could tell. Her face was strained and yet she gave Harry a hug when he came over.
‘I’m sorry, Harry. I know he meant the world to you.’
‘Thanks.’
‘The thing is...’
Harry halted her.
‘I know you can’t keep doing this,’ Harry said for her. ‘If you can just help me out till the funeral.’
It was close to eleven by the time Marnie got home and she had to be back there at eight for her night shift.
Despite the warmth of the house, Marnie was shivering as she climbed into bed and recalled her last conversation with Dr Vermont.
This too will pass.
Yes, Marnie thought, her body tired but her mind just too busy for sleeping.
When?
CHAPTER NINE
T HERE WEREN ’ T JUST cracks appearing, there were gaping holes in the roster and a couple of nights Marnie was close to putting the department on bypass again. Harry’s sister had taken the children for the rest of the week and he was covering the department as best he could but, of course, he couldn’t work twenty-four hours a day. He told Admim that he would work till the funeral on Thursday but, after that, it was up to them to find
‘So much for leaving,’ Harry said.
‘What are you going to do?’
‘I don’t know,’ Harry admitted. ‘I’ve just about used up every last favour. I’ll have to do something, though. I simply can’t imagine this place without him. He and Marjorie were so good to me when Jill had her accident...’ He hesitated, not sure if Marnie was interested in hearing his thoughts or if she was just being polite.
‘Go on,’ Marnie offered, but Harry looked over at the sleeping twins and shook his head. ‘Not here.’
They moved to the small kitchenette where they could talk and still keep an eye on the children.
‘Jill was on ICU for two weeks after the accident.’ Harry paused for a moment, which he so rarely did—he simply didn’t have the time or the reserves to examine the past, but the emotion of losing such a close friend and colleague forced a moment of reflection. ‘Jill had massive head injuries.’
‘How?’
‘A car accident. The only saving grace was that she didn’t have the twins with her at the time. I knew as soon as I saw her that things were never going to be the same again and so did Dr Vermont. Even if she had lived, her injuries were so severe that things would never have been the same,’ Harry explained. ‘Dr Vermont told me that the time Jill was on ICU was my time. I can’t really explain it, but we both knew at some level how difficult things would be, whether she lived or died. Cathy, my sister, had the twins and brought them in now and then to see their mum.
‘Dr Vermont took care of the department. Marjorie brought dinner in for me every night and clothes, and just did so many things for me that I didn’t even notice. I was so focused on the time I had left with Jill. I think I did all my grieving in ICU. I have bad days of course, but, really, when she died it wasn’t about Jill, or Jill and I any more, or me, it was about the twins and work and just surviving.’ He looked at Marnie, suddenly aware that his words might be hurting her for reasons of her own. ‘Was it the same for you?’
‘No,’ Marnie admitted. ‘The whole time Declan was in ICU I was convincing myself that he’d live and making plans for taking him home. Right till the last day I thought that he’d make it.’ Marnie shook her head—she just didn’t want to go there.
* * *
As the day staff arrived and the news was broken there were tears on the floor and more tears in the staffroom. Marnie worked her way through the contact sheets, ringing the staff who were not on duty today, or not due in till later, to let them know what had happened.
It was a department in mourning but, of course, the patients continued to arrive.
‘I’ve come to get the twins.’ It was Harry’s sister, Marnie could tell. Her face was strained and yet she gave Harry a hug when he came over.
‘I’m sorry, Harry. I know he meant the world to you.’
‘Thanks.’
‘The thing is...’
Harry halted her.
‘I know you can’t keep doing this,’ Harry said for her. ‘If you can just help me out till the funeral.’
It was close to eleven by the time Marnie got home and she had to be back there at eight for her night shift.
Despite the warmth of the house, Marnie was shivering as she climbed into bed and recalled her last conversation with Dr Vermont.
This too will pass.
Yes, Marnie thought, her body tired but her mind just too busy for sleeping.
When?
CHAPTER NINE
T HERE WEREN ’ T JUST cracks appearing, there were gaping holes in the roster and a couple of nights Marnie was close to putting the department on bypass again. Harry’s sister had taken the children for the rest of the week and he was covering the department as best he could but, of course, he couldn’t work twenty-four hours a day. He told Admim that he would work till the funeral on Thursday but, after that, it was up to them to find
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