"This is Louise Tyler, 36. Injured in the explosion, severe burns to upper body, in particular her neck. Breathing is shallow, pulse is low at 54, and blood pressure is 60 over 30." The paramedic spoke as they wheeled Louise through to resus, with Dixie following along behind.
"It's strange her being so quiet." Dixie spoke to no one in particular as she stood back whilst the doctors worked on the usually loud receptionist.
"I'm not happy with her breathing, I think we're going to have to intubate." The doctor who seemed to be in charge of Louise's case spoke, before a nurse rushed off to get the kit that was needed to facilitate the request.
"I'm worried that that will aggravate the burns on her neck." Another doctor spoke.
"I am too but I don't think we have any other option, her breathing is becoming shallower and her pulse is slowing down. If we don't, we're going to lose her."
"Okay, well we need to intubate, then dress this wounds and call a plastics surgeon. We also need 6 units of blood as soon as we can." The second doctor spoke, who now had the intubating kit having been handed it from a nurse. The nurse shone a torch down Louise's throat as the doctor tried to thread a throat through down to her lungs in order to help the receptionist breathe. "It isn't working. Her throat is too tight."
"Try a smaller tube." The other doctor called, who was on hold to plastics.
"I already tried with the smallest one, it's not happening."
"How's her breathing?" The doctor who was on hold asked.
"Not great, she's only just managing to breathe and oxygen saturation in the blood is getting lower. We really need to do something." A young nurse replied as she looked towards the screen.
"We can't slit into her neck to put it in because I'm worried about the damage that it'll do."
"Plastics are in theatre and won't be done for another couple of hours."
"Is she stable enough to transfer to St James?"
"She would be if we could get her intubated." Came the reply.
"Well we need to try again, St James have a free plastics team on standby for us, if we can get her over there then she has a chance of surviving this." The doctor replied.
"You mean that she's going to die?" Dixie asked.
"Not if we can help her to breathe." The doctor told her.
"Let me try." Dixie spoke, determined to help her friend, she walked around to where the doctor was stood and took the tube from the doctor. After a while she managed to push it through and suddenly the receptionists breathing began to improve now that she was being helped.
"Okay, the ambulance is outside ready to transfer her, let's get her out." Unfortunately Dixie never saw this as she collapsed on the floor in resus. "I need a trolley in here, quickly!" The doctor shouted as he saw the woman who had just saved her friend now lying in a heap on the floor.
"This wedding has been deadly." A doctor spoke as they made themselves a coffee whilst on their break.
"Yeah, already they've lost Charlie Fairhead and I wouldn't be surprised if we lost another before the day is out."
"Poor Dr Hanna, or Walker now. I knew her back at medical school and I never thought I'd see her getting married."
From outside the door they suddenly heard the black phone go, the phone that signalled non-emergencies.
"I'll get it." The doctor spoke before putting his coffee down and walking towards the phone.
"Hello, Holby ED."
"Hi, it's the plastics team over at St James, we thought you'd want an update."
"Is this about Louise Tyler?" The doctor asked.
"Yes, I'm sorry to tell you that she died in theatre, she began to bleed and we couldn't manage to stop it."
"Okay, thanks for the update." The doctor replied, sadly thinking about the statement that had been made not long before about losing another life before the day was out. For a second he wondered how many more lives would be lost as a result of the wedding reception.