Chapter 4

Zoe opened the door to the staff room, hoping to find someone in there. She saw Sam and Tom standing close to each other over by the lockers. She did think they were good together. They did seem very cozy and cute there.

"Ah, glad I've found someone!" Zoe said in triumph. "We've been requested to send two doctors to the scene of a RTC on the Forest Road. Could you two go?" Without waiting for a reply, she continued. "Sam, we've been told there's an injured person down a slope, and it's not safe for anybody to go down without a harness. So, could you do that?" Zoe paused to await a response from Sam. Sam nodded. "Tom, this person is believed to be a child. So, could you take over their treatment, when they're ready to be transported?"

"Of course," Tom replied.

"Great. Please suit up and meet Jeff and Dixie outside in five." With that Zoe left them to get ready.

They jumped out the back of the ambulance. Tom was immediately called over to assist Jeff with treating someone. Before he rushed off, he gave Sam a quick peck on the lips and told her "good luck and be careful". When he looked over her shoulder, he looked at the other car involved. He thought he recognized that car. Surely it can't be, he asked himself. He couldn't think of the matter anymore, as Jeff was now shouting at him.

Sam headed off to where the rescue team was. They got her kitted up and started to lower her. When she was satisfied that she was low enough, she told them to stop and give her a little slack.

She heard a groan and noticed a slight movement from the person. She decided to proceed with: "hello, I'm Doctor Sam Nicholls. Can you tell me your name, please?"

"Joey. Joey Kent," he struggled to get the words out.

"OK. Joey, I've noticed you've got a laceration on your back. I will have to stitch it up before we move you. I'm just going to take off your jacket..."

Before Sam could reply, she was interrupted by Joey. "NO!" he heard a small gasp. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just the last thing I got, and ever will get, from my brother."

"What happened to him?"

"He was killed in Afghanistan."

"It's fine. I understand."

"Um, can you slowly remove my jacket, then?" Joey asked, slightly unsure of what he was actually saying. "I know you have to follow protocol, but I'm not really bothered about spinal damage right now," Joey let her think about this.

"Right, I will take off your jacket." Sam paused. "Slowly."

"First you'll have to reduce the open fracture of my left arm. Also, in my right hand there is two pieces of glass. I know you're the doctor, but I just thought I'd say". Joey smiled to act as a sort of apology, to Sam.

"It will be painful". Sam said, as she positioned herself.

"I know."

"I'm going to give you ten milligrams of morphine."

The fracture was reduced and Sam carefully bent his arm, to remove the left sleeve. She then grabbed a blanket, to let him roll onto. She had to remove the larger piece of glass from his right hand. Joey tried to stay quiet and disguise his pain. She got the jacket off and placed it in her bag. She then cut off Joey's t-shirt off, which he was fine with. Sam looked over the cut, she was glad it wasn't terribly deep, and proceeded by stitching it up. They didn't really talk much. Sam understood that Joey was in too much pain to talk. She gave him another ten milligrams of morphine.

Sam immobilised his neck and left arm and got him strapped onto the board. There was no way she could get him back up the slope, and he needed to be moved quickly. She radioed up to the rescue team and asked them for helicopter assistance.

Tom was told that he no longer had to travel to the hospital with the patient, which he was a little glad about. Helicopters and him? No.

Sam went with Joey, to continue treating him. She was worried that the impact on his ribs had done some internal damage. They were definitely broken.

There wasn't any conversation, until Joey remember something from earlier, "Sam," he started, "earlier you said you understood, about my brother, how?"

"I was an army medic. I never lost a sibling, but I lost a few friends."

"Oh, right. I'm sorry."

She smiled at him; thanking him for his sympathy. "Was your brother at Camp Bastion?"

"Yeah."

"What was his name?"

"Benny Kent. He was a medic too."

"Brother of Ketan Kent?" Joey nodded, as best as he could. "I was with Ketan on his first tour. Benny and his team came with us on a few missions. How's his wife and kids?"

"I went to live with them, just after he was killed, because they couldn't cope alone."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Your brothers were friends of mine, so I'd like to help if I can in away, is that OK?"

"Yeah, that's fine. That's great." Joey replied, knowing full well that that was unlikely to happen.

The helicopter started to descend to the land outside the ED. Zoe and Fletch were waiting for its arrival. They rushed forwards, to help Sam lift out Joey.

"Right, what have we got?" Zoe asked.

"This is Joey Kent, 13. Was knocked off his bike in a RTC. Open fracture of the left arm has been reduced. One shard of glass has been removed from his right hand, another still there. Small fragments of glass all over his chest. Multiple lacerations on his legs. A laceration on his back was stitched up at scene. Broken ribs, with possible internal damage. Also, he has complained of severe head pain, he had a helmet on." Sam explained.

By this time, they had reached resus. "On my count of three. One, two, three," Zoe counted as they lifted him onto a bed. "Have we got any notes? Have the parents been called?"

"No," Sam stated.

"Fletch, go grab the notes please and call the next of kin."

With that Fletch walked out to reception to ask Noel.

Back at the scene, it was calming down. Tom and Jeff had managed to stabilize their patient, and were just about to load them into the ambulance, when Tom was called over to the other car.

"You go," Jeff said.

Tom ran over. "Dixie, what have we got?"

"Middle aged female. She'll need to be cut out."

"Is she conscious?"

"Just. Also, she's had a bit to drink - by the sounds of it."

"OK," Tom went round to her side of the car, and bent down to start work. "Hello I'm Doctor Kent."

"Tom?" Was the mumbled reply he got.

"Mum?" Tom said in disbelief. It was her. Great. "Dix, I can't treat her. She's my mother."

"OK, love. Go back over to the other car and take the first ambulance back to Holby. You need to go treat that young boy, that was involved, don't you?"

"Oh yes. Right, later," and he ran off.