Connie was sat in her office, her brains racking through her thoughts.
"Mrs Beauchamp."
A voice came. She ignored it.
"Mrs Beauchamp, you're needed in resus."
Her attention napped at the word 'needed', she looked up to find the innocent and cheery face of Robyn, she studied her for a few seconds before getting to her feet, and handing her stethoscope around her neck.
"There's been a pile up, we are the designated receiving hospital, first patient is a 16 year old girl, ETA 2 minutes." She heard Robyn say, rather than respond she walked confidently in to resus where 2 minutes later they wheeled a very agitated young lady.
"This is Scarlett Jones, age 16, she has sustained multiple injuries to her abdomen, head and she has a query fractured tibia, she's breathless and tachycardic at 125, her BP is low at 95/46, Resps are 22, stats are 85% on full flow oxygen, she's had 1 litre of normal saline and 10mg of morphine." Iain announced as they moved her across to the resus bay. Connie nodded, her brain absorbing all of the information. "Right, can we start the primary survey, Dr Chao." She instructed, her tone mono and her facial expressions giving nothing away, she bent over her the patient to listen to her chest- her expressions softening as she took on the girls appearance who reminded her so much of her own daughter, Grace.
"Scarlett, I am Mrs Beauchamp. I'll be looking after you, do you know where you are?" She questioned as the young girl writhed beneath her, struggling to get away. "Alright." Connie muttered, "calm down." Her voice had changed tone, it was now calm and soothing which in return for its job, the girl relaxing and settling.
"Right okay, can we run some bloods- FBCs, LFTs, UsEs. Let's get a urine analysis with a BETA HCg, let's keep on top of the fluids and pain relief when and as required, book her in for full trauma CT, and let's keep the surgeons updated." She ordered, snapping her gloves on and examining a head wound, shining a light in her eyes, when suddenly her mind lost control and flashed back to that dreadful day...
"Grace! Grace!" The silence of the resus room was over whelming, as her child- her baby laid there with tubes and wire coming out of her by the gallons. "Mrs Beauchamp... Connie."
... the Voice came crashing through and bringing back to reality. "I am sorry." She stammered, her expression like a deer caught in head lights. Very much unlike her usual confident self, she fled from resus and vacating to the privacy of her office where she collapsed, in tears. Completely and utterly broken.
A few minutes later there was a knock on the door which brought Connie's attention away from her thoughts, she quickly wiped her eyes and tried to compose her self. "Yes." She called out weakly. The door opened and none other than the infamous Jac Naylor slipped through the door, sighing at the site of Connie. "I am not in the mood for any sarcastic or witty comments." Connie scorned before Jac had chance to open her mouth. "Well there goes my opening." She rolled her eyes. "What an earth is the matter with you, you're not the Connie Beauchamp I once knew." She said with a concerned sigh, nothing like her usual rude and abrupt nature. Connie looked to her with a look of despair, her eyes brimming and tears spilling over. "I don't know.. I really don't, I just keep thinking about it. It doesn't leave me." She said, her emotions cracking her voice and making her sound more vulnerable than ever.
"What? What won't leave you?" Jac questioned, slightly shocked at the current state of her former clinical lead. Connie glance to her, once again wiping her eyes "what are you doing down here anyway?" She asked, avoiding the subject. "I got paged, one of your low life doctors needed a surgical consultant, you practically mowed me down trying to get to your office." She said, which elected an small smile across Connie's face. "Anyway, don't change the subject- what bothering you, Connie?" Jac watched as Connie face fell in to a miserable expression, one that se can only presume nightmares are made off. "The crash. Sam taking her, it's just all too much." She whispered, her voice shattered very much like her soul.