Chapter 8

"Mum? Mum are you awake?" Serena opened her eyes slowly and lifted her head from her pillow, looking over towards the door. Her daughter's face smiled back at her as she stepped cautiously into the room, a mug of coffee in her hands. "Here." she said, placing the mug on the bedside table.

"What time is it?" Serena panicked, checking the clock.

"It's a little after 9...you must have been tired!" Eleanor perched herself on the edge of the bed and looked down at her mother. "Are you feeling okay? You're looking a bit pale and I heard you coughing last night." she stated as Serena rubbed her face and pushed herself up to sitting.

"I'm fine...where are you going all dressed up?" she asked as she took in Eleanor's appearance, new jeans with a freshly-laundered white top.

"I'm going into the City with Margot for a bit, do you need anything?" she asked dutifully, taking out her phone and reading a message.

"No, go ahead and have fun. There's twenty pounds in my purse on the sideboard, take that." she smiled as Eleanor leant and hugged her.

"Thanks! Margot's outside so I'd better go, see you later." She jumped up and left the room, Serena groaning and raising a hand to her throat...she really didn't feel very well. She was reaching for her coffee when her phone buzzed beside it. Picking it up, she saw Michael Spence's name flashing, she sighed as she answered the call.

"Michael...I'm fine...No not really...Well I suppose so...Give me an hour...Okay bye." She hung up and leapt out of bed, rushing to get changed. Michael had informed her of a major RTC on the outer-City ring-road and AAU was backed up with patients but only two Consultants. Brushing her teeth quickly, she ran a comb through her hair and raced downstairs. She knew how serious things could turn without enough Consultants on-hand. As she put on her shoes, there was a knock at the door. Grumbling, she hobbled towards it, throwing it open and coming face to face with Hanssen.

"Ah good morning Ms. Campbell, I assume you've been called into the Hospital too?" he asked as he noticed she was slightly stunned.

"Umm yes, but why are you..." she motioned to her doorstep as she reached to put on her other shoe.

"Well unless I am mistaken, your car is currently still in the Hospital car park. I thought I'd drive you in, save on a taxi fare." he explained and she smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, I'd completely forgotten." she sighed exasperatedly as she hunted around for her keys. "Ah!" she exclaimed, finding them thrown near the key bowl. Hanssen was watching her with a look of amusement on his face as she finally had everything she needed. "Right, come on then, no time to simply stand around!" she said jokingly as he headed down the path and she locked the door behind her.

"Wake up late?" he asked her as they drove quickly towards the Hospital.

"Later than usual." she allowed, as she coughed into the crook of her elbow.

"Well that doesn't sound good." he commented, glancing over at her. "Are you feeling quite well?" She snorted and threw him a withering look.

"I am feeling fine, thank you. It's only a cough." Hanssen didn't look convinced as they continued on their way, preparing themselves for whatever they were about to face.

"Bay 4 please!" Serena shouted, pointing down the ward as the patient was wheeled past her. Grabbing the next file being thrust at her by Harry Tressler she looked up as Michael called her name.

"Two ambulances have been diverted to St. James's to help us ease our congestion. Right, we have a white male, early thirties, unconscious since arrival, suspected 'splenic rupture' and broken femur."

"Bay 6!" she said, walking with the bed and dumping the files on the main desk on her way past. "Any ID? Next of kin?" she asked, taking out her stethoscope and reaching for his chest.

"No wallet or ID were found at the scene...the police will inform us if any are discovered." Serena nodded her head as she moved to his abdomen and felt the area, frowning. "Abdomen feels distended. I suspect an internal bleed, get him straight to Theatre. The spleen is our main priority!" She grabbed Hanssen's arm as she passed him. "Heading into Theatre, Michael's assisting." she told him as he nodded and turned back to his patient.

"BP's dropping." Michael said as he kept an eye on the monitor.

"I can't stem the bleed...damn it!" she swore as the cavity once again filled with blood. "Suction!" Taking a breath, she re-focused her attention on repairing the source of the bleed. "No, I'm going to have to remove the entire organ." she said angrily, turning to Michael. "It's far more serious than I originally thought..." Michael nodded his head in understanding and returned his attention to the monitor.

"BP's still dropping, Serena you need to do this now." She glared at him as she turned to the scrubs nurse beside her.

"Scalpel...Suction." She set to work, deftly disconnecting the spleen from the pancreas and removing it. "Suction." Continuing to work, she breathed a sigh of relief when Michael spoke.

"BP improving, you got it." he said, reaching out to take the instruments from her. "I can finish here, you look like you could do with a sit down." he said gently and she realised she did feel quite ill.

"Okay." She headed to the scrub room and took off her surgical gown and gloves, pushing through the doors and heading back to the ward. As she was heading for the office, Harry Tressler came straight towards her, file in-hand. She sighed, realising there was no time to stop. Reaching out, she took the file from him and followed him across the ward.

"Right, fractured wrist...laceration to the forehead...patch her up and send her up to Keller." She demanded as she thrust the folder at a nearby nurse and followed Harry to the next patient. Wiping the back of her hand across her forehead, she took a breath and smiled at him. "What seems to be the problem?"

"The patient has been experiencing chest pains, shortness of breath and blurred vision." he said as Serena reached for her stethoscope, listening to her chest. "Heartbeat's irregular. Get her transferred up to Darwin." she said, turning and heading back to the main desk.

"Excuse me, Ms. Campbell, are you sure we should transfer her?" Harry asked, a questioning look on his face.

"That's what I just said isn't it?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, but, I'd like the chance to observe her here...I don't think she's told us everything."

"Look, Dr. Tressler...I am the Consultant here and as such, I am telling you to transfer the patient to Darwin. We do not have the knowledge or expertise to deal with Cardiovascular conditions here."

"But..."

"NOW, DR. TRESSLER!" she said loudly and forcefully as her head began to thump. He nodded his head and rushed off, heading for the phone to call ahead. Serena felt her vision blurring as she reached out a hand to grab for the wall. She felt an arm wrap itself around her waist and move her quickly into the office where she was lowered to the ground, until she was lying on her back. She felt her knees being raised as she gasped for air, trying to push away the feeling of sickness.

"It's ok Ms. Campbell, just breathe through it." Hanssen's calm voice brought her back to the present and she found her vision improving as her head began to feel clearer. "Slowly. Deep breaths." he said gently, stroking her leg as she focused on slowing her breathing. She closed her eyes, opening them again and looking towards him. "Feeling better?" he asked as she pushed herself up to sitting, her back against the wall.

"Yes, much better, thank you." He turned and reached for a bottle of water kept under the desk, passing it to her.

"I assume this is water, but then again, knowing Mr. Spence, it could very well be vodka." he said seriously and she smiled, taking a sip.

"Nope, just water." she said, feigning disappointment.

"You haven't been feeling quite right all morning, have you?" he asked her as he knelt in front of her, reaching for her arm and taking her pulse.

"I'm fine, I just felt a little light-headed that's all." she reassured him. "Maybe I've got the beginnings of this illness everyone's been getting." she grumbled, taking another sip of water.

"Do you think you should be at home?" he asked her as he raised the back of his hand to her forehead.

"No, we're far too busy here...speaking of which, we should probably get back out there." Hanssen nodded, looking at her suspiciously.

"If you're sure?" He stood up and reached a hand down to her, easing her up gently, holding onto her until he was satisfied she wasn't going to keel over.

"It's lucky you were around when you were." she told him as he released his grip on her and headed to the door. Turning back, he nodded stiffly.

"Luck had nothing to do with it." he said cryptically as he left the room, returning to the chaos beyond.