Chapter 7 - Adventures on Darwin
The Caller ID continues to show Sam's name as I hesitate to press the green button.
'Hiya Sam.' I say
'Riley. You called Grace 10 times but her phone was dying whats wrong?' He asks
'We ermmmm, we aren't going to make it to Aspen' I say tears strolling down my cheeks.
'How come? Let me guess something's come up at work and she can't miss out? I should have known she would pull a stunt like this Gracie is going to be heartbroken.' Sam says bluntly
'No Sam it's not that. It- It- It's more serious' I say
'Your scaring me now Riley' He says to me
'It's Mum, she has cancer' I say as fast as I can. I shouldn't be telling him. I should be telling Grace.
'Cancer? Are you sure?' He asks, like I'd lie about Mum having Cancer...
'Erm yeah. Left Atrial Leiomyosarcoma. It's not looking good at the moment. She contracted an infection at work today. She really was looking forward to coming. She lied about everything to those here at work so that she looked fit enough to leave.' I say
'Erm, hold on...' He says
'I've booked the next flight into Holby. Grace needs to see her mother.' Sam adds on
'I'm sorry I didn't call sooner. I will give you more details when you get here. I say
...
I walk out of Mum's office feeling another slight weight off my shoulders as I head for Resus again.
'We are going to move your Mum now Riley.' Fletch tells me
'Really? Now? But I thought she wasn't stable enough to move?' I question.
'It's important we move her now so we can monitor her closely on the specialised ward okay?' Fletch reassures me.
'Yeah...' I reply back, as they move Mum's bed slowly towards the lift to go up to Darwin.
I decided to catch the next lift up so it wasn't crowded and to allow those qualified to do their jobs
...
Once on Darwin I head for Mum's room and sit on the chair next to her. I look at the time on my phone and it reads 11:57 PM...
(AN - Sam is in Aspen, Colorado and Casualty is filmed in Cardiff so timezones and plane times are being based off this)
I have one message from Sam
S - Just about to board, see you in Holby
R - Okay, does Grace know?
S - Not yet, Will tell her soon
I switch my phone off and put it on the table next to Mums bed, where she is sleeping, and curl my self up as comfortable as I can and fall asleep.
...
...
...
5:45 was the time the clock was on when I eventually woke. When I'm fully awake I find a blanket draped over me with a note attached 'you looked cold and severely uncomfortable, thought this would help. Stay Strong, - Fletch'
I smile and place the note down as I stretch out , grab my phone, turning it on, and slowly make my way to the door.
Once out of the room I head outside to get some fresh air and sit and a bench
I open up my phone and leave Sam a message
R - Call or text when you've landed. I'll try and get someone to come and pick you up.
There is still around 9 hours until they arrive but you never know.
...
Once I start to get cold again I go back inside but head towards the ED
I go into Mum's office and grab the house keys out of my bag, grab my coat and head out the door.
I start to walk home, enjoying the winters fresh air. I pull my phone out again and text Jac.
R - Gone home to get some stuff, I know your shift is due to end soon, but just text me if there is any change.
J - Okay, will do.
...
When I get home I run up to my room put my phone on charger (with the spare charger) grab some fresh clothes out, a towel and my toiletries before heading into the shower.
Once I get out the shower I get dressed and dry my hair.
I then apply a little makeup to hide how tired i look, grab a snack and head back out the door with my phone.
I walk back to the hospital
...
When I get to the hospital it is 11:30
I go into Mum's room but she's off for tests so I sit and wait
I was just about to text a friend when Fletch walks in
'Hey just come on shift thought you could use this' Fletch says as he hands me a cup of coffee
'Thank you. I've been home, showered everything so don't worry' I say
'Well you just answered my next question' He says chuckling
'An dI have phoned Sam and he is bringing Grace, well they are on a plane as we speak' I tell him
'Does Grace know?' He questions
'Sam said he was going to tell her on the plane or when she gets here. I'm not sure yet' I reply
Fletch's pager goes off
'Well I have to go patients to see, if you need anything don't hesitate to ask' He says
'Thank you Fletch' He smiles and walks out the door.
...
Once Mum is back from her tests, she doesn't speak to me or even look at me.
'Mum you can't be mad at me forever. You know I had to tell. You could've died.' I say, sighing she isn't going to listen.
Like I said no reply
'Why am I even here if your being like this? Don't you get it! There are people who care about you and all you can do is turn them away! Well I for one am sick of this, get someone to call me when you have come to your senses.' I say storming out of her room and straight outside.
I need air... I can't do this anymore.
It's like everything is closing in on me...
...
Coming up:
Sam and Grace arrive from the US
Grace learns about Connie's condition
Riley gives up hope her Mum is going to get better.
Thanks for reading,
CasualtysAngels
