AAU was bustling with people as always. Patients came and went, although more seemed to be coming than going. Just a normal day. Dr Penny Valentine was embracing the challenge, and just generally enjoying her job.
"Hello!" Sacha Levy chirped up. "Mr Hanssen sent me down to the pit of doom that is AAU to join you."
"He's being nice? Giving us an extra member of staff?"
"Well, no. Not exactly. Mr Spence is 'ill' again, so I'm here instead. Yay!" Sacha created a mock celebration at his presence. "Well then, what've we got?"
Three hours later and the ward was moving like clockwork. The team of Sacha, Penny and Frieda and MarieClaire was working well. Penny was just about to go for a break when Oliver came down the stairs three at a time.
"Coffee, Pen?" He was obviously having a good day too.
The reasons for Oliver's happy mood came out over frothy cappuccino ten minutes later.
"… and then Greg let me close up the patient's chest afterwards!" Oli beamed.
"Little man crush developing again?" Penny raised her eyebrows. She loved teasing her little brother. "We'd better be getting back I suppose."
"Yeah," Oli agreed
"We've just had a new admission – female, late fifties, complaining of chest pain."
"Right, I'll just go and check it out" Penny replied, taking the notes from Sacha's hand. She looked down at the name on the front of the folder. Surely not?
Alison Valentine.
Not willing to believe this herself, Penny peered round the ward. There, in bed 2, lay her mother.