Codes
This story was inspired by a crime story in a magazine. The circumstances of the crime in this story are similar to those in the real life cases, to make it more realistic. This story does not imply that the actions of the characters in this story are in any way the normal reaction to their situation.
Sam stood in the doorway of the private room. In the bed inside lay an eighteen year old boy, with both arms amputated, scarred and bruised, but smiling. He was smiling up at the seventeen year old girl, who was stroking his hair gently and smiling down at him. He was telling her about codes and army life. She didn't look in the slightest bit sad- Sam would have been disgusted at this, had she not heard the girl's sobs echoing from a cubicle in the bathroom earlier on.
The girl smiled up at Sam. "Hello, I'm Dr Nicholls. How are you, James?" she asked the boy sitting in the bed. "Don't worry about me; I'm 'armless." He murmured, smiling. "Dr Nicholls, this is my girlfriend, Kitty." He said, gesturing to the girl. "Pleased to meet you," the girl said politely. "Nice to meet you…" Dylan strode into the room. "Ok, visiting hours are up- out you go please." He ordered. Sam gave him a withering look. The girl bent down, kissed the boy's head gently, and left, smiling at Sam and raising her eyebrows at Dylan. The two doctors left the room together. "I don't like her…" Dylan sulked. "Yes, well, that's not surprising… she's smiley, kind, caring, gentle with a sense of humour- then again, I thought opposites attracted." She smirked, and walked off, passing Zoe in the corridor. The two nodded at each other. "Why the long face?" Zoe asked Dylan, leaning on the desk that he was resting his arms on- there was no way her could avoid her gaze. "My rather sarcastic ex-wife, if you must know." He groaned, moving away from the desk, and Zoe, and strolling off. Zoe's shoulders slumped as she sighed.
Elsewhere in the hospital, Scarlet and Lloyd were having a cheerful conversation with a young couple. The woman was well, and her husband was about to return home from an appendectomy. The lady, a Selma Jones, looked up at Lloyd and smiled. "We're expecting our first baby soon," Stroking her tummy. Turning to her husband who was sat on the bed, she said, "only a few months now…" Scarlet smiled, "Do you know the sex?" "No." Lloyd grinned at Scarlet mischievously, and she smiled back. "We could find out for you." He offered. The woman looked taken aback and slightly worried. Her husband spoke up. "My wife would like it to be a surprise." "Oh, ok…" the two nurses looked confused. What a weird reaction… "Well, anyway, you're all clear to go Mr Jones."
Sam walked along to corridor and found Tess. "Tess, does she look well to you?" she asked, nodding at the soldier's girlfriend, Kitty, who had dropped the contents of her handbag (a wallet, a phone, and an unopened box of tampons.) Tess looked at the girl then back at Sam. "Not really, no- why?" "Just wondering- I didn't think she looked too good." "No, she looks very weak- and I think I heard her being sick earlier. I wonder…" "What?" Sam asked. "Well," Tess explained, "Look at her stomach." Tess sighed, walking off. Sam looked at the girl again, taking in the size and shape of her stomach- it was definitely sticking out, not that it was too obvious under her flowing t-shirt. She went back to her patient.
"So, how long have you two been going out?" Sam asked the soldier. "Not long," he replied. She was in the army cadets with me- one day, out camping, I snuck into her tent. Don't look like that, nothing happened. I painted "Daniel 3 Kitty" on the material of the tent." "Bet the leader was pleased…" Sam smirked. "Yeah- ever tried polishing a whole group's boots in ten minutes?" "No- but when I was in the cadets, two boys blew up someone's tent- then I got the blame. It took an age to convince them it wasn't me. Now, I'm no snitch but blame fell on the two boys- they were sixteen and massive, I was twelve and skinny. They beat the crap out of me." "Ouch- my first day in cadets and I fell face first into quicksand." "Nice. Now, let's look at that leg of yours." Sam said. They continued their conversation as she checked the burn and changed the dressing. "So- when did you leave to fight?" She asked. "Um… four, five months ago- Kitty was devastated." "She loves you- that's rare, for a seventeen year old." Sam pointed out. "I know- she's even suggested we move in together, so she can look after me." "Sweet." "Mm. She is- unless she's on her period- like she is now." "She's strong, then." Sam said. "Right, that's you done- go to sleep." She said, leaving the room."
Sam remembered her conversation with Tess earlier today. "Tess, does she look well to you?" she asked, nodding at the soldier's girlfriend, Kitty, who had dropped the contents of her handbag (a wallet, a phone, and an unopened box of tampons.)
Why an unopened box? You'd think she'd have used one or two….