After eventually finding the right notes, hidden away under an upturned trolley, Maggie had sutured up Kathryn's arm and she was good to go. Her parents were on their way in, which was making Maggie nervous. She had discussed and assessed Kathryn's bruises with Selena. She too, had come to the conclusion, with the added nature of Kathryn, that they were indeed the results of abuse. Selena having gone back to treating the 'little rascals' as they were now named, left Maggie to wait at reception for the parents. Keeping her eyes fixed on the doors, she looked at each person coming in. A tramp, two young girls, a dad with a pale son, an elderly woman on crutches and a man with a dog came and went before a young woman entered hand in hand with an older man. Walking over to them, Maggie went over in her head what she was soon going to be saying. The man was angrily arguing with Alice, who looked as if she could burst into tears at any given second. The woman however, was shying away, her hair covering half her face, nervously glancing round as if she was hiding. Coughing to make her presence known, Maggie smiled.
"Mr and Mrs Johnston?" she enquired, the pair nodded, turning their attention away from a petrified Alice, who was half hiding behind her computer. "Right, thanks Alice." winking at Alice as she directed the parents to the relatives room. Once the three were inside and sat down, Maggie closed the door behind them, "I'm Dr Coldwell, and I've been treating your daughter."
"Look, mate, I don't care. Can I please get her and leave, the footballs about to start!" butted in the father, glaring at Maggie.
"Well, um. Okay." just the look of this man made Maggie feel uneasy, "Kathryn has broken her wrist in the accident-"
He butted in again, "Stupid girl." the mother look just like Alice had done moments before.
Choosing to ignore his comment, Maggie carried on, not taking her eyes of him, "It's in plaster and is fine. Kathryn will need to come back for a check up and a re-plaster. But-"
The man flung his arms in the air melodramatically, "GREAT, why's there always a But? Huh mate! Why!" he stood up and starred Maggie dead in the eyes.
She was beginning to lose sympathy, and her temper, "LOOK, mate! I f you would shut up long enough for me to explain then there might not be a but!" her face was red, as was the man's. No woman had ever stood up to him like that. And got away with it. He stormed out the door, pushing Maggie out of the way as he did so, and slammed the door behind him. Maggie spun round and glared after him, before realising she could hear soft sobs from behind her.
"Hey, its alright. Kathryn's fine!" sitting down beside the woman, Maggie put her arm round her and gave her a tissue. "What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry. Its all my fault. I sh-" the rest was muffled by a loud nose blow.
"Shhh. Nothing was your fault sweetheart!" Its probably your husbands, Maggie thought to herself, "Come on, don't cry!"
"I'm sorry, he didn't even let me introduce myself! I'm Shelia." Shelia composed herself and faked Maggie a smile, she was still covering half her face. "I must apologize for Graeme's behaviour, he's just, well," she struggled to find the words to describe her husband, "He's got a short fuse."
"It's alright. Honestly." shouldn't be you apologizing anyway, "I'm sure he's got his reason's." yeah, like I've got a Harley Davidson parked outside.
"Yeah, well. Anyway, you were about to say something before he flew of the handle, is anything wrong?" Shelia smiled, not looking the doctor in the eye, almost hiding under her hair.
No, nothing's wrong, just the fact that I think your husbands abusing your child, and maybe even you. Maggie sighed, "Well. How can I put this…"
