Chapter 29 Haemophobia, the experts.
With the patient safely on his way to the hospital, the tension of the moment dropped. Martin and Martinus still stood in the mixture of blood, red paint and tomato sauce. They looked around and saw Mateo, Markos and both the other Martins running of in the direction of the lavatories.
Peter Cronk saw it as well.
'I bet there are some other doctors suffering from haemophobia in this room, Martine', he whispered in her ear, pointing at the running men.
Martin looked down to check the status of his suit and shoes and discovered that both his and the ones of Martinus were completely ruined. Then he suddenly became aware of the smell of blood again and his nausea came back to him as a slap in his face. He looked up and saw his confrere getting as pale as he must be himself. He was just able to tear the paper bag from the pocket he had propped it in before taking care of the calamity and opened it. His lunch found a disgraceful end, happily enough in the bag and not on the shoes of Martinus, or worse, Louisa's.
'Hmm, I'm sorry, I'm sorry', he uttered as an excuse, trying to recover as quick as possible. When he looked up to the small group around them, he discovered that Martinuses lunch also had ended in the paper bag he had provided him with earlier.
'I think it's best to call it a day', the presenter suggested timidly, obviously not knowing very well how to deal with this situation himself.
'Oh no you're not!', Martin shouted to him.
'Firstly, there are about 200 doctors her who have paid for a seminar of three full days. Secondly, you owe us all an explanation for organizing this test, that lacked even the most basic of safety standards. You used an unstable platform, glass jars, blood and a haemophobic young student who could have been dead by now if it were up to you! Finally, but most importantly', he concluded while spreading his arm from left to right, pointing at the audience in front of them, 'do these 199 doctors and myself deserve to know what you would have said to the boy, shouldn't did have happened. You obnoxious little..'
With a loud 'Martin!', his reasoning was cut short by Louisa.
He stepped back from the bloody mess and added
'Hmm, yes, well.. Organize a tea break for all of these doctors and someone to clean up this mess. In the meantime Dr. Elzenbosch and I will freshen up and change. You'd better see to the fact that my wife, Mrs Elzenbosch and the rest of our table will be served first.. and best…
Peter, can you accompany Louisa and Lisa to the restaurant, please? Martinus, come with me to our room, I'll lend you one of my suits. It'll probably fit you. We'll see for the shoes too.'
The two men strode away, but seeing that their steps left bright red traces, one of the hostesses ran after them.
'Dr. Ellingham, Dr. Elzenbosch, please stop!'
The two men stopped and turned around, looking right in the face of a terribly unhappy looking hostess.
'Could you take your shoes off, please? … And maybe your socks as well.. You're ruining the floor..?', she begged them.
'Gawd, woman, what else can you find to humiliate us more!', Martin replied while starting to loosen the shoelaces of his right shoe anyway.
Martinus did the same and then said, 'Bring us some garbage bags then! And clear the lobby before we pass, we don't wish to be laughed at by some bloody tourists'
The hostess couldn't refrain from laughing and saying 'look who is talking…', but then hurried away to apply to the request.
A few minutes later, the two men walked barefoot through the lobby towards the elevator and quickly went upstairs.
Martin opened the door of his room and said,
'Go ahead, take a shower. I'll just have to do something first and then come and sort out some clothes for you.'
Martinus stepped inside and headed straight to the bathroom. While Martin softly knocked on the door of Morwenna's room.
'Hi Doc', Morwenna said when she opened the door. Then, seeing in what state he was, her mouth fell agape.
'What happened doc?'
'Hmm. Nothing really… Martinus and I just repaired an arterial bleeding on a fellow haemophobic'
The time had learned him that not telling anything to his receptionist would only trigger more embarrassing questions.
'Is James already up after his nap? '
'Yes, Doc, I was just about to give him his afternoon snack'.
'Well do me a favour and take him with you to the restaurant and feed him there. This time his mother needs some distraction..'
Smiling because this clever man had immediately detected that her arrival at the restaurant was a set-up, she answered him that she'd do that right away.
'What a shame.. another suit ruined!', she added, giving a last look at the barefoot doctor and quickly closing the door before she allowed herself to laugh about the situation. Something to tell All in her next text message.
Martin grunted at the closing door and entered his own room.
The first thing he did was to wash his hands thoroughly at the washbasin in the separate toilet room.
He heard the sound of the running shower in the bathroom and started to sort out which suit he would lend to Martinus. He chose a light grey one, of which he knew it wasn't Louisa's favourite. He chose a shirt and a tie, underwear and a pair of socks, then he spread everything on the bed.
He wondered whether the shoes would fit as well, but for his nine feet four, he didn't have enormous feet, so maybe it would.
For himself, he chose a dark anthracite coloured suit, a light blue shirt and another dark blue striped tie.
Martinus came out of the shower, a towel knotted around his waist.
'Thank you Martin, a nice shower to get rid of that awful smell helps as well as some fresh air'.
Martin nodded, grabbed clean underwear from the drawer and took his turn in the shower.
When he came out of it, completely freshened up, he stated that apart from the trousers that were a tiny bit to long for Martinus, his suit fitted very well on his new friend.
'We can do something about the length – look in my medical bag. You'll find some safety pins in it.', he said, while quickly putting on his clothes and tying his tie.
'How about the shoes?', he enquired.
'Just about right', Martinus replied. I wouldn't like to walk the "Vierdaagse" on them, but for now it will do'.
As Martin looked at him quizzically, Martinus explained,
'The International Four Days Marches at Nijmegen are a walking achievement event for four consecutive days, in which annually 42,000 walkers are participating. On those days, people from all over the world come to Nijmegen to walk in and around the city and its beautiful wooded surroundings. Thousands of spectators are cheering on the walkers along the route every day. After four days of walking a glorious entry along the Via Gladiola awaits the walker followed by receiving their well-deserved Four Days Medal. You can walk either 30 kilometre – 18 miles, 40 kilometre – 24 miles or 50 kilometres – 31 miles per day'.
'Oh my.. I won't even think of the number of infected blisters or other foot injuries that would bring. Without even counting the cases of dehydration, extreme fatigue and heat strokes 42000 people could get at the same time. I bet they do this in July, the hottest month of the year?
'Exactly… One year it was too hot, so they cancelled the event. But not before someone left his life because of the heath. I wonder why people always wish to crowd together and do stupid things our human race isn't made for', he added.
'Speaking of crowds, shall we go back downstairs and see what our event leader will come up with as an excuse?', Martin suggested.
'All right, but I have an idea, let me explain it to you on the way down', Martinus answered.
When they came downstairs, Martin first went to the reception area and asked to have his room cleaned again, or more precisely the bathroom. 'Get rid of the garbage bags with the old clothes ás well please'.
'Of course Doctor Ellingham, we'll see to it right away.
Martinus had gone straight to the restaurant and when Martin arrived for a quick cup of tea, he saw that Martinus was talking to the each of other M's at the table.
He quickly emptied a cup of tea, assured that Louisa was happily playing with their son and chatting with her new friend and then strode towards the hostess to organize the things he and Martinus would need.
About five minutes later, the hostesses came to alert the participants that it was time to continue the seminar. The poor presenter was still a bit uncertain about this final session of the seminar, but he had no other choice than going back to the podium and his chair.
To his full surprise there were now six arm chairs placed on the podium, instead of the two that were there before the accident. Also, on the first row, there were six chairs with a small piece of paper on it indicating "reserved for VIP".
Martinus and Martin accompanied their wives, Martine, Saskia, Peter and Morwenna with James to the VIP-seats. To everybody's astonishment, the six M's all took place in the chairs on the podium.
The presenter stood in front of his chair, mesmerised and flabbergasted.
'As you ruined Yeroon's participation, we found you some other haemophobics in the audience', Martin started.
'They are all ready to take over Jeroen's role', Martinus added. 'But first of all, you owe us an explanation for your poor behaviour at the moment of the incident.. '.
Martin suddenly got a brainwave. 'Wait a moment, I know why you stood there without acting when Yeroon, Martinus or I were going to vomit... You suffer from a phobia yourself!. You are phagophobic, you're afraid of vomiting!
The presenter mumbled.. 'Another brilliant diagnosis… yes I am.. phagophobic that is. The idea alone of someone vomiting, freezes me and makes me useless as a doctor or a presenter…'
'Apology accepted', Martin and Martinus said in unison.
'Yes, come on, you did a very good job so far, you learned your lesson with the haemophobia test, let's move on', Martin Lefoll said with his singing French accent.
The presenter took a deep breath and then said,
'Based on the experience of Saskia, I would have said to Jeroen and I now say to all of you that an adequate therapy is really worth a try. Of course it will not always become as crystal clear as it was for Saskia, what has caused you to become haemophobic, but if you don't try to find it out, you will probably never get cured.
Did one of you try to get over the phobia? How did you do that?
Mateo answered that he tried to get rid of the nauseous feeling by exposing himself to blood. The other M's nodded to confirm that they had done the same.
'It went rather well… for a moment, but it came back later.'
'So you cured, or tried to cure the symptoms, but you didn't investigate where it initially came from?'
All of the six doctors grumbled. They felt where the presenter wanted to get them…
'Is that what you do with your patients? Give them some sort of a cream to get rid of the itching? …without finding the cause of the allergy or the infection?
'Of course not!' all of them said.
'That's why we ask the patients questions, look closely to the read area and take blood samples', Markos added.
'Why do you do this to yourself then. Go ahead, look for an adequate therapist, specialized in haemophobia in your respective countries and try to find the cause of it.
Much to his own surprise and of that from the entire audience, Martin said,
'I did..'
'I beg your pardon, Dr. Ellingham?', the presenter asked, what did you do?'
Alerted, Louisa sat at the very edge of her chair, all ears for what Martin would say next.
'I did… see a therapist..'
'And… did it help?'
'Not for the haemophobia, no. You were the judge of that yourself about an hour ago. In your words, I didn't find the cause of the phobia.. yet. But in my job as a doctor it is very important to know how to deal with it… reduce the symptoms.. even if you haven't found the cause... yet.'
Now it was the turn of all the other M's to nod. They needed that too.
'Dr. Ellingham, can you tell us about your very first experience with haemophobia?'
'Hmm, I suppose most of you have read about that in the medical media – Head of Vascular hit by haemophobia… Midas touch ruined by blood phobia… Brilliant surgeon doomed to be GP in a chocolate box village..'
'That's not exactly what I meant dr. Ellingham… What triggered it.. the very first time?'.
Martin swallowed hard. He realized that he had said A…now B had to follow.
'Come on Doc', Peter Cronk encouraged him , 'you can do it! Here you won't be bullied when you tell them, you're amongst your colleagues and fellow haemophobics here!'
'It was during a standard procedure. I went to see the woman I had to operate on and then saw her, surrounded by her family. Her children clinging to her and not wanting to let her go. When I saw her in the theatre again, all prepped, I couldn't get rid of the image of her family.. all the loving arms around her, the hugs.. I simply couldn't do it. Once the scalpel passing the skin and the blood bubbling up from the small incision, I felt sick and had to vomit on the theatre floor.. I've never supported the smell and the sight of blood anymore.'
'But you tried to expose yourself to it and you were able to draw blood from your patients?'
'Hmm yes, but the haemophobia came back'.
'When was that?'
'After my marriage… I couldn't bear the idea of my wife and son getting involved in an awful accident. And when that happened anyway..' His voice choked, the sentence remained unfinished.
'Oh Martin!', Louisa exclaimed. She quickly stood up from her chair, with James in her arms she climbed the few steps towards the podium stood behind her husband's chair in just a few seconds. She planted her son on his lap and hugged him from behind.
'But – if my information is correct, you performed a lifesaving operation on her, some months ago. And we all were witness of your brilliant diagnosis and immediate action an hour ago, saving a young man's life… Making his parents the happiest persons on earth. And you did it without vomiting. I think that every man and woman loving his or her partner and children deeply, will have this same feeling of fear that something awful could happen to them. No need to be afraid of blood. Your beautiful wife and lovely little son deserve it that you get yourself treated. It won't be easy, you may need to go dig up memories you'd rather forget, but it'll be worth it. Look at Saskia, she showed us that it can work'.
Then smiling at Louisa, he added,
'Your lovely wife will give you the support you need!'
Luisa nodded fearfully. The audience fell completely silent. Martin gulped again and while supporting James with one arm, he squeezed Louisa's hands with the other, already searching for the support he needed.
James looked up to his father's emotional face. He smiled and stroke his father's cheek with one of his little hands and everyone could hear his clear baby voice say: 'Dada'
The audience burst into relieved laughter. Even Martin showed a smile.
'That's it, ladies and gentlemen, these doctors know what to do now and this little boy here made the best conclusion we could ever had for this seminar… His daddy is the best. Thank you Dr. Ellingham, for your courageous revelations and for your adequate performance when Jeroen needed that so much. You too dr. Elzenbosch!
please enjoy the new chapter.
For your information: the names Saskia and Jeroen (pronunciation sounds like Yeroon) find their origin in a series of children's books about a pair of twins with those names. The books were very popular in my youth and a lot of girls were named Saskia at the time, whereas there are also a lot of men of about 55 years old now that are called Jeroen.