Casualty
Baby Blues
Lara Stone stood around in the patient seating area. Tonight was New Years Eve and her Christmas had been unhappy. She wasn't sure why she was stood around reception. That was a lie, hospitals were busy no matter what time of the year it was, whatever part of the year it may be. She was waiting for Patrick to come in. God, how she had missed him during the last few days!
"Hey Lara, how was your Christmas?" asked Jack.
"Fine," she found herself saying, "Absolutely fine."
"Listen, some of us are going to get together later to celebrate the New Year in style. Do you want to come join us?"
"I'd love to except I have to work tonight."
"Just like Patrick then," he said shaking his head, "We would have liked you there. Hello, haven't seen you in a while…" he started to chat up one of the nurses. Lara walked away and happy at least that Patrick would be in work. Maybe there would be a kiss later, just to say Happy New Year.
~*~
Patrick walked out his house. Closing the door behind him he was about to get into his car when he heard glass shatter next door. Running to the door he urgently pressed the bell. Lifting the letter box flap up he called,
"Emma?" Are you all right in there?"
No answer. Patrick ran around to the back of the house. The back door was already opened and he ran right into the kitchen. Glumly slumped on the floor was his 25-year-old neighbour Emma Newman. She looked fearfully up at him.
"My waters broke," she whispered.
Patrick moved towards her and took her arm.
"Come on Emma. I'll take you to the hospital."
"No!" she said adamant, "This is all a mistake. I don't want this baby!" she screamed at him.
"Come on Emma, you don't really mean that."
"Yes I do!" she screamed, "It's a mistake! It's a mistake!"
"Emma try to calm down. Our doctors will see you through."
She looked tearfully at him. It was apparent she had been crying for days.
"Do I have a choice?"
"No, now come on. I'll get you there."
He picked Emma up carefully, guided her towards the living room, onto the couch. Patrick packed a few things for her in a bag. The two got in his car and as quickly as he could he drove them there.
When Patrick got to the A+E entrance a group of paramedics got her a cushioned wheel chair and wheeled her in. Emma clutched onto her seat nervously and panicked as a bed was finally found for her.
Patrick parked his car and strode into reception.
"Your late," scorned Lara.
"I was bringing in a patient," he snapped back.
"So, have a nice Christmas?" Lara cursed herself, she didn't mean to sound so irritated with him still.
"You know how it is. Spend Christmas in a hospital you spend it with the patients talking to them. How was yours?"
"Brilliant," she lied, determined to show that she didn't have a depressing one. Patrick started walking away,
"Patrick, what are you doing here? The hospital said that if you worked over Christmas you didn't need to work over New Year."
"Someone made a mistake then didn't they?" he shrugged and walked off. Lara stared after him and thought to herself, you know, Patrick Spiller sometimes I don't understand you.
~*~
Emma lay in bed exhausted. She fell asleep uneasily when,
"Waah! Waah!"
She pulled the covers over her head. The cry still carried on. Angry she grabbed her pillow and threw it at the incubator.
"Shut up will ya? I'm trying to sleep!"
But still the cry carried on, growing more loud and more distressed. One of the nurses walked in and looked at the cowering figure under the sheets.
"Miss Newman? Aren't you going to see to you baby?"
She completely snapped.
"What do you know? She's not mine. I hate her! Stop being so nosy you old bag."
Hurt, the nurse left for help. She found Patrick and she explained what was wrong and Patrick alarmed, moved swiftly to her room.
He entered the room, the door clicked shut behind him. The figure stubbornly faced away from him. Patrick sighed and pulled a chair up to the bed.
"Emma," he said quietly, "Emma, can you tell me what's wrong."
"I wish she was dead," she said finally, "I hate her so much that I wished she had never been born."
One of the nurse slipped in and tended to the girl.
"You're not thinking clearly. You've just been through a stressful experience."
"Don't treat me like an idiot," she snarled, "I know I've been thinking clearly."
"Well then you need more time. The nurse has just taken your child to the baby unit. Promise to get a good night's sleep?"
"I'm not promising anything."
"Is there anyone we could contact for you?"
"No…just, just leave me alone."
~*~
Stood around reception Lara thirstily untwisted the cap off her bottle. Patrick finally stopped beside her. He looked at the clock.
"It's going to begin soon. Drunks, fights, the lot."
A few seconds later a furious man entered into the ward followed by another shouting abuse at him.
"Hurry!" shouted the paramedic. Lara went with one patient, Patrick the other. They guided them into different cubicles. Lara shouted to Patrick behind her,
"It's like I never left!"
"Lara, its only ten o'clock."
"Here we go!"
The hospital was filled with a variation of accidents coming in. Drink and drive accidents, the usual street fights, pumps to drain out excessive amounts of alcohol.
The workload slowed down a bit near midnight. Patients that were treated filed out into the car park and the staff joined them. They were grouped together chatting happily. Midnight couldn't come any sooner for them. Children pointed at fireworks, someone asked someone else their resolution for the next year and their was a real party vibe feeling.
A few minutes before midnight and Patrick considered going outside to join the group. He walked past the baby unit and stared in without a second thought. He began walking when he heard a thin wail. Stopping Patrick looked around for the nurse who cared for the babies. She wasn't there. Desperately waiting he charged into the room. It didn't take a rocket scientist to work out if one baby cried, the rest would. Looking awkwardly at the tiny baby he picked her up and took her outside in the corridor. Gently rocking her he hoped that it would work. He closed the door and noticed the tight label around her hand. He was holding Emma's daughter. Looking at her unsettled face he found himself singing,
"Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky,
Up above the world so high,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are."
Patrick froze. Someone had sung the last line with him.
"Well Patrick, you certainly didn't put singing in the job description."
Lara had a huge grin on her face, "Hello darling," she cooed at the baby.
"Yes well," he coughed, "Listen Lara, is it midnight?"
The crowd outside cheered. Fireworks went up in a huge explosion and not in the so far distance could the traditional Auld Lang Syne could be heard.
"Happy New Year" said Patrick to the baby.
"Ahem," Lara stood with her arms folded with a quizzical look.
"Oh yeah, Happy New Year to you as well Lara," he said rather carelessly.
"Can I hold her?"
Patrick handed her over into Lara's arm.
"Hello precious, what has that mean doctor been doing to you?"
She held the baby closely to her and had a look of delight etched over her face. Patrick felt sickened by this scene.
"You know Lara, I think she's asleep now."
"She's not asleep yet!" she snapped at him. Patrick sighed and watched Lara soothe the child.
"She's asleep no."
Lara placed her in her bed. She didn't know why she was bent beside her but Patrick was with her too, absent mindedly stroking playing with her hair. Lara looked at him for a second. Getting up she announced,
"Well, back to work then?"
Lara went back to reception but Patrick stayed for another minute. He stared into the room from the corridor and was grateful when the nurse returned.
"Any trouble?" she asked.
"What does it look like?"
~*~
There were still some people outside, enjoying the fresh new moments of the New Year. When Anna left there were some doing the can-can across the car park spaces. She wasn't really meant to but Anna decided to check up on Emma Newman, just to see if she was fine.
She walked along to that ward. Anna was going to be needed soon so she decided to be quick. She knocked on the door,
"Miss Newman?"
Thinking she might have slept she opened the door. The bed was empty! Horrified she ran outside, scanning the ward. She checked and checked and checked. Running back into the hospital she ran into Patrick.
"Anna, watch where you're going."
"Doctor Spiller," she said hurriedly, "It's one of the patients. They've gone."
She rushed over to the security desk desperately.
"Anna, which patient has gone missing?"
"Emma Newman," she told him. The security guard tried to get through the tapes quickly. The alarm bell was raised. Spotting Lara he called to her,
"Lara, cover for me."
"What?" she asked, running to keep up with him, "Where are you going?"
"To find Emma. She's just had a baby and she's gone missing."
"I'm coming with you."
He stopped completely.
"You?"
"If you hadn't noticed I am a woman and I think I'll be able to find her."
"Come on then."
Patrick impatiently jammed the keys into the door. Lara jumped into the passenger seat besides him. He veered out the car park at neck breaking speed.
"Patrick, there's a time and a place to show off your car and its not now!"
The traffic lights turned red. Lara bolted forwards.
"Patrick, what is up with you?"
"I'm trying to get home quick enough and see if Emma is there."
"That doesn't mean you have to get us killed as well!"
They got to his house eventually. Not surprisingly the light in the Newman's was not on. Patrick checked all the windows and even around the back.
"Patrick, we're losing time. Listen, what do you know about Emma?"
"What does this…oh very well. She was living with her parents but they moved. I don't think she has that much money seeing how this house is council rented."
"Yeah, anything else. What about friends?"
"I don't know. I don't think she has that many."
"A clubbing sort of person?"
"No, she never goes out."
Lara would have dearly loved to have asked him how he knew that much. There was no time to ask questions. Getting in the driver's seat she looked at Patrick.
"That's my car!"
"And I think I know where she might be."
Giving in he got in the passenger seat.
"Now Patrick, I want you to look out for her and tell me everything you know!"
The time read as 1.30 am on the dashboard. The city centre was still full of people partying.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing Lara?" asked Patrick quizzically.
"Just trust me," she said. Looking for a gap in the road she darted down the space before it could close up again. She stopped the car by the side of the road. Lara did some thinking before she drove near the river Thames.
"Keep looking," she mummered, "Keep looking Patrick."
It gradually got later and later.
"Lara stop!"
She looked out the window. By the river stood a lonely figure, staring out.
"I better go," she said to Patrick, "You understand, don't you?"
He grunted, she took that as a yes. Getting out the car she walked slowly towards her.
Emma stood by the barrier cold and unhappy. She didn't have anywhere to go, no one to talk to.
"Emma," Lara said softly. She turned to her and collapsed into her arms. Lara held her closely,
"Hey, sush, sush, sush, sush, sush," comforted Lara. Searching her pockets for a tissue she gave her it.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?"
"I don't know what to do," Emma admitted, pulling away. She walked back to the river edge. Looking concerned at her Lara said,
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Emma sighed deeply.
"I didn't know I was pregnant," she said glumly, "I don't want to be a mum. There's still so much I want to do. I'm not a motherly sort of person. I know its not depression anything or other."
"If I'm being nosy just stop me but is there anything else bothering you?"
"My boyfriend left long before I discovered it. When I told my mum and dad they were furious, didn't want to see me again. You see I'm catholic and erm, didn't want to have a daughter who did it before you know. They sent me packing as far away as I could get. I just can't cope."
Someone draped a coat around her. Emma found Patrick beside her.
"You ready?"
"We will help you as much as we can when we get back."
Accepting it finally Emma went to the car.
"Patrick, small problem, how are we suppose to get back in a car built for two?"
Emma let out a laugh. Lara sighed and said,
"Never mind, I'll get a taxi."
She returned to the hospital at 2 o'clock. Walking back into hospital an irritated nurse asked,
"Where have you been Lara? We've been rushed off our feet!"
Taking to a patient Lara was unaware that Patrick stood from behind the curtains staring admirably at her. She looped a loose strand of hair behind her ear, smiled at the patient and turned, pulling the curtains shut and shutting Patrick from her view completely.
~*~
Two days later when the department had recovered from the New Year hangover Lara and Patrick were sat in the cafeteria.
"Excuse me," said a familiar voice. The pair looked up. Emma looked down happily, holding her daughter.
"I just wanted to say thank you. I'm taking Hope home now and taking care of her."
"Oh right,"
"There's something I want to ask you two," her eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'm going to have her christened and I was wondering id you'd like to be her godparents."
Patrick and Lara looked at each other in surprise.
"We'd love to," answered Lara finally. Emma, satisfied smiled,
"Come on Hope, lets take you home,"
With that she happily walked out of the hospital.
Getting up for work Patrick walked by Lara's side,
"You know Lara, you're going to be drooling over baby Hope a lot more now aren't you?"
With a vindictive look Lara sharply nudged him in the ribs. Patrick collided into the wall and fell to the ground. In the background Jack was laughing at him. Walking off with a triumphant smile she buzzed off her winning point while Patrick, nursing a sore rib stared sourly after her.
Baby Blues
Lara Stone stood around in the patient seating area. Tonight was New Years Eve and her Christmas had been unhappy. She wasn't sure why she was stood around reception. That was a lie, hospitals were busy no matter what time of the year it was, whatever part of the year it may be. She was waiting for Patrick to come in. God, how she had missed him during the last few days!
"Hey Lara, how was your Christmas?" asked Jack.
"Fine," she found herself saying, "Absolutely fine."
"Listen, some of us are going to get together later to celebrate the New Year in style. Do you want to come join us?"
"I'd love to except I have to work tonight."
"Just like Patrick then," he said shaking his head, "We would have liked you there. Hello, haven't seen you in a while…" he started to chat up one of the nurses. Lara walked away and happy at least that Patrick would be in work. Maybe there would be a kiss later, just to say Happy New Year.
~*~
Patrick walked out his house. Closing the door behind him he was about to get into his car when he heard glass shatter next door. Running to the door he urgently pressed the bell. Lifting the letter box flap up he called,
"Emma?" Are you all right in there?"
No answer. Patrick ran around to the back of the house. The back door was already opened and he ran right into the kitchen. Glumly slumped on the floor was his 25-year-old neighbour Emma Newman. She looked fearfully up at him.
"My waters broke," she whispered.
Patrick moved towards her and took her arm.
"Come on Emma. I'll take you to the hospital."
"No!" she said adamant, "This is all a mistake. I don't want this baby!" she screamed at him.
"Come on Emma, you don't really mean that."
"Yes I do!" she screamed, "It's a mistake! It's a mistake!"
"Emma try to calm down. Our doctors will see you through."
She looked tearfully at him. It was apparent she had been crying for days.
"Do I have a choice?"
"No, now come on. I'll get you there."
He picked Emma up carefully, guided her towards the living room, onto the couch. Patrick packed a few things for her in a bag. The two got in his car and as quickly as he could he drove them there.
When Patrick got to the A+E entrance a group of paramedics got her a cushioned wheel chair and wheeled her in. Emma clutched onto her seat nervously and panicked as a bed was finally found for her.
Patrick parked his car and strode into reception.
"Your late," scorned Lara.
"I was bringing in a patient," he snapped back.
"So, have a nice Christmas?" Lara cursed herself, she didn't mean to sound so irritated with him still.
"You know how it is. Spend Christmas in a hospital you spend it with the patients talking to them. How was yours?"
"Brilliant," she lied, determined to show that she didn't have a depressing one. Patrick started walking away,
"Patrick, what are you doing here? The hospital said that if you worked over Christmas you didn't need to work over New Year."
"Someone made a mistake then didn't they?" he shrugged and walked off. Lara stared after him and thought to herself, you know, Patrick Spiller sometimes I don't understand you.
~*~
Emma lay in bed exhausted. She fell asleep uneasily when,
"Waah! Waah!"
She pulled the covers over her head. The cry still carried on. Angry she grabbed her pillow and threw it at the incubator.
"Shut up will ya? I'm trying to sleep!"
But still the cry carried on, growing more loud and more distressed. One of the nurses walked in and looked at the cowering figure under the sheets.
"Miss Newman? Aren't you going to see to you baby?"
She completely snapped.
"What do you know? She's not mine. I hate her! Stop being so nosy you old bag."
Hurt, the nurse left for help. She found Patrick and she explained what was wrong and Patrick alarmed, moved swiftly to her room.
He entered the room, the door clicked shut behind him. The figure stubbornly faced away from him. Patrick sighed and pulled a chair up to the bed.
"Emma," he said quietly, "Emma, can you tell me what's wrong."
"I wish she was dead," she said finally, "I hate her so much that I wished she had never been born."
One of the nurse slipped in and tended to the girl.
"You're not thinking clearly. You've just been through a stressful experience."
"Don't treat me like an idiot," she snarled, "I know I've been thinking clearly."
"Well then you need more time. The nurse has just taken your child to the baby unit. Promise to get a good night's sleep?"
"I'm not promising anything."
"Is there anyone we could contact for you?"
"No…just, just leave me alone."
~*~
Stood around reception Lara thirstily untwisted the cap off her bottle. Patrick finally stopped beside her. He looked at the clock.
"It's going to begin soon. Drunks, fights, the lot."
A few seconds later a furious man entered into the ward followed by another shouting abuse at him.
"Hurry!" shouted the paramedic. Lara went with one patient, Patrick the other. They guided them into different cubicles. Lara shouted to Patrick behind her,
"It's like I never left!"
"Lara, its only ten o'clock."
"Here we go!"
The hospital was filled with a variation of accidents coming in. Drink and drive accidents, the usual street fights, pumps to drain out excessive amounts of alcohol.
The workload slowed down a bit near midnight. Patients that were treated filed out into the car park and the staff joined them. They were grouped together chatting happily. Midnight couldn't come any sooner for them. Children pointed at fireworks, someone asked someone else their resolution for the next year and their was a real party vibe feeling.
A few minutes before midnight and Patrick considered going outside to join the group. He walked past the baby unit and stared in without a second thought. He began walking when he heard a thin wail. Stopping Patrick looked around for the nurse who cared for the babies. She wasn't there. Desperately waiting he charged into the room. It didn't take a rocket scientist to work out if one baby cried, the rest would. Looking awkwardly at the tiny baby he picked her up and took her outside in the corridor. Gently rocking her he hoped that it would work. He closed the door and noticed the tight label around her hand. He was holding Emma's daughter. Looking at her unsettled face he found himself singing,
"Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky,
Up above the world so high,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are."
Patrick froze. Someone had sung the last line with him.
"Well Patrick, you certainly didn't put singing in the job description."
Lara had a huge grin on her face, "Hello darling," she cooed at the baby.
"Yes well," he coughed, "Listen Lara, is it midnight?"
The crowd outside cheered. Fireworks went up in a huge explosion and not in the so far distance could the traditional Auld Lang Syne could be heard.
"Happy New Year" said Patrick to the baby.
"Ahem," Lara stood with her arms folded with a quizzical look.
"Oh yeah, Happy New Year to you as well Lara," he said rather carelessly.
"Can I hold her?"
Patrick handed her over into Lara's arm.
"Hello precious, what has that mean doctor been doing to you?"
She held the baby closely to her and had a look of delight etched over her face. Patrick felt sickened by this scene.
"You know Lara, I think she's asleep now."
"She's not asleep yet!" she snapped at him. Patrick sighed and watched Lara soothe the child.
"She's asleep no."
Lara placed her in her bed. She didn't know why she was bent beside her but Patrick was with her too, absent mindedly stroking playing with her hair. Lara looked at him for a second. Getting up she announced,
"Well, back to work then?"
Lara went back to reception but Patrick stayed for another minute. He stared into the room from the corridor and was grateful when the nurse returned.
"Any trouble?" she asked.
"What does it look like?"
~*~
There were still some people outside, enjoying the fresh new moments of the New Year. When Anna left there were some doing the can-can across the car park spaces. She wasn't really meant to but Anna decided to check up on Emma Newman, just to see if she was fine.
She walked along to that ward. Anna was going to be needed soon so she decided to be quick. She knocked on the door,
"Miss Newman?"
Thinking she might have slept she opened the door. The bed was empty! Horrified she ran outside, scanning the ward. She checked and checked and checked. Running back into the hospital she ran into Patrick.
"Anna, watch where you're going."
"Doctor Spiller," she said hurriedly, "It's one of the patients. They've gone."
She rushed over to the security desk desperately.
"Anna, which patient has gone missing?"
"Emma Newman," she told him. The security guard tried to get through the tapes quickly. The alarm bell was raised. Spotting Lara he called to her,
"Lara, cover for me."
"What?" she asked, running to keep up with him, "Where are you going?"
"To find Emma. She's just had a baby and she's gone missing."
"I'm coming with you."
He stopped completely.
"You?"
"If you hadn't noticed I am a woman and I think I'll be able to find her."
"Come on then."
Patrick impatiently jammed the keys into the door. Lara jumped into the passenger seat besides him. He veered out the car park at neck breaking speed.
"Patrick, there's a time and a place to show off your car and its not now!"
The traffic lights turned red. Lara bolted forwards.
"Patrick, what is up with you?"
"I'm trying to get home quick enough and see if Emma is there."
"That doesn't mean you have to get us killed as well!"
They got to his house eventually. Not surprisingly the light in the Newman's was not on. Patrick checked all the windows and even around the back.
"Patrick, we're losing time. Listen, what do you know about Emma?"
"What does this…oh very well. She was living with her parents but they moved. I don't think she has that much money seeing how this house is council rented."
"Yeah, anything else. What about friends?"
"I don't know. I don't think she has that many."
"A clubbing sort of person?"
"No, she never goes out."
Lara would have dearly loved to have asked him how he knew that much. There was no time to ask questions. Getting in the driver's seat she looked at Patrick.
"That's my car!"
"And I think I know where she might be."
Giving in he got in the passenger seat.
"Now Patrick, I want you to look out for her and tell me everything you know!"
The time read as 1.30 am on the dashboard. The city centre was still full of people partying.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing Lara?" asked Patrick quizzically.
"Just trust me," she said. Looking for a gap in the road she darted down the space before it could close up again. She stopped the car by the side of the road. Lara did some thinking before she drove near the river Thames.
"Keep looking," she mummered, "Keep looking Patrick."
It gradually got later and later.
"Lara stop!"
She looked out the window. By the river stood a lonely figure, staring out.
"I better go," she said to Patrick, "You understand, don't you?"
He grunted, she took that as a yes. Getting out the car she walked slowly towards her.
Emma stood by the barrier cold and unhappy. She didn't have anywhere to go, no one to talk to.
"Emma," Lara said softly. She turned to her and collapsed into her arms. Lara held her closely,
"Hey, sush, sush, sush, sush, sush," comforted Lara. Searching her pockets for a tissue she gave her it.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?"
"I don't know what to do," Emma admitted, pulling away. She walked back to the river edge. Looking concerned at her Lara said,
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Emma sighed deeply.
"I didn't know I was pregnant," she said glumly, "I don't want to be a mum. There's still so much I want to do. I'm not a motherly sort of person. I know its not depression anything or other."
"If I'm being nosy just stop me but is there anything else bothering you?"
"My boyfriend left long before I discovered it. When I told my mum and dad they were furious, didn't want to see me again. You see I'm catholic and erm, didn't want to have a daughter who did it before you know. They sent me packing as far away as I could get. I just can't cope."
Someone draped a coat around her. Emma found Patrick beside her.
"You ready?"
"We will help you as much as we can when we get back."
Accepting it finally Emma went to the car.
"Patrick, small problem, how are we suppose to get back in a car built for two?"
Emma let out a laugh. Lara sighed and said,
"Never mind, I'll get a taxi."
She returned to the hospital at 2 o'clock. Walking back into hospital an irritated nurse asked,
"Where have you been Lara? We've been rushed off our feet!"
Taking to a patient Lara was unaware that Patrick stood from behind the curtains staring admirably at her. She looped a loose strand of hair behind her ear, smiled at the patient and turned, pulling the curtains shut and shutting Patrick from her view completely.
~*~
Two days later when the department had recovered from the New Year hangover Lara and Patrick were sat in the cafeteria.
"Excuse me," said a familiar voice. The pair looked up. Emma looked down happily, holding her daughter.
"I just wanted to say thank you. I'm taking Hope home now and taking care of her."
"Oh right,"
"There's something I want to ask you two," her eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'm going to have her christened and I was wondering id you'd like to be her godparents."
Patrick and Lara looked at each other in surprise.
"We'd love to," answered Lara finally. Emma, satisfied smiled,
"Come on Hope, lets take you home,"
With that she happily walked out of the hospital.
Getting up for work Patrick walked by Lara's side,
"You know Lara, you're going to be drooling over baby Hope a lot more now aren't you?"
With a vindictive look Lara sharply nudged him in the ribs. Patrick collided into the wall and fell to the ground. In the background Jack was laughing at him. Walking off with a triumphant smile she buzzed off her winning point while Patrick, nursing a sore rib stared sourly after her.
