Footsteps in the Dark

Chapter 1 - The Morning after the Night before.

A loud bleeping filled the on call room. Ruth sat up and turned it off. She glanced around herself confused for a minute about where she was but then the events of the day before came flooding back.

'No one should ever have to feel that alone and I don't want you to feel like that again.'

Jay's words circled round her brain. Why did he have to go snooping? She didn't want his pity. she didn't even want to remember. she wanted move on. Now she couldn't do that anyway. She was back to square one. All thanks to Jay Faldren.

Sighing deeply she ran her fingers through her tangled hair, she wished she'd never got involved with Jay, she wished she'd just gone to the surgical functions alone. Now she not only had no rotation, she had no hope of getting one. Not while Sarah Evans was still around anyway. Ruth dampened a tissue in the sink and wiped away the smeared make up from her face. All that hard work for nothing. She glanced at her watch and realised she only had two minutes to get down to the ED. She turned the door handle and opened the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" She screamed as Jay's half asleep form fell at her feet

"Mmmph" Jay mumbled incoherently. Ruth kicked him in the ribs. Jay swore loudly. "What was that for?" He yawned

"Why the hell are you sleep on the doorway of the on call room?" Ruth asked irritably

"I was making sure you were ok." Jay rubbed his neck

"I'm perfectly fine, or I was until I saw you." Ruth lied "Some of us have work to do." she added storming down the corridor leaving Jay nursing his sore neck.

Ruth didn't want to admit it but she found the fact that Jay had slept in the corridor leaning up against a wooden door a rather sweet gesture. She shook her head and stepped into the department which was in total chaos.

"Ah Doctor Winters!" Mr Jordan said his voice full of relief "I was just about to page you, we've got a RTA, five cars involved.

"Where do you want me?" Ruth asked her usual enthusiasm was lacking

"Resus." Mr Jordan replied "and do something about you hair." he added "you look like you slept in a bush."

Ruth blushed as she dragged her fingers through he hair, attempting to flatten it a little more as she walked briskly through to resus just as Dixie and Jeff appeared with the next patient.

"Seven year old girl, Head trauma and suspected broken wrist and pelvis. She wasn't wearing her seatbelt and was catapulted into the barrier." Dixie explained as Ruth pulled on some rubber gloves and grabbed a corner of the board. "Unconscious on the scene, No name, the driver of her car was killed instantly, we suspect it was her father."

"On three." She said quickly "1...2...3!"

She pulled the small child over onto the bed with the help of Dixie, Jeff and Charlie.

"I want a CT scan ASAP." she told one of the other nurses who had come over to assist. "And can someone page Mr Jordan or Doctor Trueman?"

Ruth examined the bloody mess that was now the girls skull as Charlie dug through a draw to find the correct sized canula.

Ruth quickly examined the wrist and decided it was just a simple fracture. Jay entered the Resus yawning tiredly still rubbing his neck just as the little girl began to fit.

"Can I have some help over here!" Ruth yelled panicking, to her annoyance Jay was immediately next to her helping her roll the patient onto her side.

"She's gone into cardiac arrest." Jay commented as her BP Plummeted and her heart stopped beating

"I'm going to start chest compressions." Ruth told them as the girl was laid flat again. She continued the chest compressions to no effect for a good fifteen minutes before Charlie placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Call it." Charlie said sadly

"But.." Ruth started frustrated.

"She was to severely injured to have stood much of a chance with a head trauma that extensive." Charlie pointed out.

Ruth sighed and called it.

"Time of death 9.14am" she muttered pulling off the gloves and leaving resus feeling frustrated, She wandered back towards the nurses station but didn't get very far before she bumped into Tess who immediately put her to work in cubicles. She was only there half an hour before she was called back into Resus. She sighed deeply knowing today was going to be one of those days.