Joanna Neil - The Doctor's Longed-For Family

‘Has anyone checked the woman’s medical records to see if there are any other recorded instances of possible abuse?’

She nodded. ‘Yes. I had a word with someone in the department, and they were looking into it. She’s had rib fractures, apparently, and a few unexplained falls.’

Matt’s jaw flexed. ‘He needs to be stopped.’

Abby pressed her lips together. ‘You’re right, of course, but if his wife won’t take a positive stand and bring it out into the open, there’s very little that we can do to help her. She has to find the courage to make the first move.’

The nurse came to the bedside and tucked a teddy bear against the pillow, sitting him next to Ryan and folding the toy into the crook of his arm. ‘I’ve brought a friend to keep you company,’ she told him. ‘Teddy’s not very happy. I think he wants a cuddle.’

The boy was too weary to respond, but he rested his fingers over the bear’s soft belly, patting him gently, and then he breathed in through the mask, making a ragged little sigh.

Abby turned to Matt and said quietly, ‘I’m giving him a bronchodilator through the nebuliser, but it isn’t working fast enough, so I’m going to see if I can get him to swallow a dose of prednisolone. I don’t think we’re going to achieve the best results while he’s still upset, though.’

‘That’s probably true. The best thing would be to keep him as calm as possible.’

The nurse brought the medication in a plastic cup and Abby held it to the boy’s lips. He pulled a face, but she urged him to drink it, saying softly, ‘I know it doesn’t taste very nice, but it will help to make you feel better.’

When he had finished, she helped Ryan to put the mask in place once more, and then she handed the cup back to the nurse, asking quietly, ‘Is there any news about his mother?’

‘They’re still treating her in the adult A and E department for possible damage to her pancreas. Andrea is looking after her over there. She said she would let us know what’s happening.’

‘Thanks, Jane.’

The girl glanced at Ryan, and then turned back to Abby, her mouth drooping a fraction. ‘He’s obviously very distressed about what happened.’

‘That’s not surprising. He must have been very frightened, knowing that he was helpless to stop it.’

Abby was silent for a while, thinking about the boy’s anguish, and the nurse said softly, ‘You said earlier that you saw his mother when she was brought in, didn’t you?’

‘Yes, I did. I was just coming from the hospital car park when the ambulance drew up. I could see what a state the boy was in, and his poor mother looked traumatised. It would have been better if they could have stayed together, perhaps, but the staff were worried that his asthma was worsening, so after a while they sent him over here.’

‘I thought you seemed to be deeply affected by what happened to his mother. You were very quiet when you came in here first thing.’

‘Was I?’

The girl nodded. ‘I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I’ve heard something of what happened to you a couple of years ago. You were hurt in a similar way, weren’t you? Are you sure that you’re all right? It must have brought back memories.’

‘I’m fine, thanks. It’s just that any kind of aggressive behaviour is disturbing, and I don’t like to think of either of them going back to that situation. What happened to me was just a fluke, a one-off. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, so to speak.’

She sent a quick glance in the boy’s direction and was glad to see that he had closed his eyes and appeared to be resting now. It was awful to think of him living in that tense atmosphere, day after day.

She was startled to realise that the nurse had picked up on her own inner fragility, because she always prided herself on keeping any vulnerability well hidden. She couldn’t guard her reactions all the time, though, and nothing had been going the way it should lately. It seemed to her that ever since Matt had come into her life, life had been like a roller-coaster and she was struggling to keep herself from going off the rails.

As to today’s events, Abby had never suffered from domestic violence as such, but she didn’t want to dwell on exactly what it was that had governed her response to what had happened. It was something she tried to bury deep inside her, but no matter how she tried to prevent it every now and again it would bubble to the surface.

She was uncomfortably aware that Matt was looking on while they were talking. Jane kept her voice low, but he never seemed to miss anything, and she couldn’t be sure that he hadn’t overheard their conversation. She definitely didn’t want him to start asking questions.

She glanced at him, but just at that moment the door opened and Andrea came in, pushing the child’s mother in a wheelchair, which she carefully manoeuvred into position beside the boy’s bed.

Ryan’s mother was a slip of a girl, with long, straw-coloured hair that tumbled across her face, and Abby wondered if she let it stay that way so that it would hide her unhappy expression.

‘Melanie,’ Abby greeted the woman she had spoken to briefly earlier in an effort to reassure her that they were going to take good care of her son, ‘it’s good to see you again. How are you feeling?’

‘I’m not too bad.’ Her drawn features belied the words, but Abby didn’t pursue the matter, because it was clear that Mrs Stanton only had eyes for her little boy. ‘How is he?’ she asked in a low, anxious tone, gazing at the boy as he lay there unmoving, his eyes closed. She dragged her glance back to Abby.

‘He’s still very poorly, but his breathing seems to be improving,’ Abby said. ‘I think the new medication must be taking effect.’ She glanced at the nurse beside Melanie. ‘Thanks for bringing her to us, Andrea.’

‘You’re welcome.’ The nurse smiled and took a quick, compassionate look at the boy before she gave her attention to the woman once more. ‘You take care, Melanie,’ she said. ‘Remember, you don’t have to put up with the situation at home. You can take control of your life, and you can make sure that Ryan doesn’t have to go through any of that upset ever again. There are people who will help you.’

‘I don’t know about that…’ Melanie’s lips were quivering and she clamped them together to keep them still. ‘But thank you, anyway.’

The nurse left the room, and Matt moved to stand alongside the wheelchair. ‘Hello, Melanie,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m Dr Calder. I was sorry to hear about what happened to you. It must have been very upsetting.’

‘Yes, it was.’ She studied him, her gaze bleak, her expression full of defeat, but something flickered briefly in her eyes. ‘I know you, don’t I? Aren’t you the doctor from the television?’ The fact that she recognised him didn’t seem to do anything to lift her spirits, and her tone stayed flat.

‘That’s right, I am.’ Matt was very gentle with her, bending down beside the wheelchair and coaxing her to talk to him. ‘What did the doctors say to you in A and E? I can see that you have a drainage tube in place, so they’ve obviously been looking after you.’

He was very perceptive, Abby thought. The tube was mostly covered by the folds of a blanket, so that it was barely discernible, and the receptacle was strapped to the wheelchair for safety.

‘Have they managed to sort out all your problems?’ he asked. ‘Well, the medical ones, at least.’

‘I think so. The doctor said he thought my pancreas was damaged slightly and that there was a build-up of blood in my abdomen. They’ve put a tube in to drain it, and they say it should heal well enough, as long as I rest up for a couple of weeks.’

‘Are you going to be able to do that?’

The woman lowered her head and her voice faded into the covering blanket. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Do you have any family who can help you through the next month or so?’

Melanie shook her head.

Matt studied her thoughtfully. ‘It’s important that you realise you have alternatives. You don’t have to stay at home and put up with bad treatment, you know.’

Melanie winced. ‘I’ve nowhere to go, and if I was to try to leave, my husband would come after me.’ Her voice wavered. ‘Anyway, I’m more worried about Ryan. He looked so ill. He was so upset and frightened.’

‘He’ll go on feeling that way unless you do something to change the situation. I know it’s hard, but you don’t have to do it on your own.’

The little boy opened his eyes and blinked slowly. ‘Mummy,’ he said, a smile creeping over his lips. ‘Are you better now?’

‘Very nearly,’ his mother said. Her face lit up as she looked at her small son, and her features softened. She laid a hand on his head and tenderly stroked his hair. ‘How are you feeling, sweetheart? I was so worried about you.’

‘I’m all right.’ The words came out as a whisper.

He wasn’t by any means all right, Abby thought, and neither was his mother. They were traumatised, hurting and exhausted after what they had been through.

‘Is Daddy going to come here?’ Ryan asked. His eyes were troubled.

‘I don’t know, Ryan.’

Abby studied the child for a moment or two. Was there any way she could bring this whole situation out into the open so that they could deal with it once and for all? They didn’t seem to be getting anywhere very fast. The nurse from the adult A and E unit had tried, and Matt had done what he could to coax Melanie into accepting help, too. The woman had resisted, but Abby had to respect him for trying.

She said carefully, ‘How would you feel about it if your daddy were to come here, Ryan?’

The boy didn’t answer. Instead, he looked down at the sheet that covered him, and his bottom lip started to quiver.

Matt was looking at Melanie, and now he said quietly, ‘I know of some agencies that can look after both of you. They can keep you safe and advise you on how to get through any difficulties.’

Melanie didn’t give any sign that she believed that, and instead, as she glanced towards the door, she bit her lip, as though she had the worries of the world on her shoulders. She tensed suddenly, staring through the partitioning glass wall, and her shoulders stiffened as though she was bracing herself.

Abby could see what was troubling her when the door opened and a man walked into the room. He was smartly dressed, wearing a dark suit and a crisp, pale-coloured shirt.

‘So there you are,’ he said, his gaze homing in on Melanie and ignoring everyone else. ‘I’ve been worried sick about you. They told me you were hurt and that you had been brought here. I know you had another of your falls, but you were fine when I left the house. You just need to rest up.’ He frowned. ‘I was only away for half an hour, and you disappeared. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.’

His glance went to the bed. ‘What’s Ryan doing here?’

‘He had an asthma attack.’ Melanie’s voice was barely audible, and she seemed to shrink into herself. Abby’s gaze caught the faint tremor that affected her hand.

‘Another one? It’s time he grew out of those. You both need to be at home where I can look after you.’ He swivelled around and glanced dismissively at Matt and Abby. ‘Let’s get that organised right now.’

Abby intervened when he would have taken hold of the wheelchair. ‘Mr Stanton?’ she queried.

He nodded briefly. ‘Who are you?’

‘I’m Dr Byford. I’m looking after Ryan. I’m afraid neither he nor your wife are in any condition to go anywhere. Ryan needs to be monitored constantly because his oxygen level is dangerously low, and your wife has just undergone minor surgery. We have to keep an eye on her in case any complications arise.’