The warmth of the room and the noise of the machines meant the watching police officer struggled to stay alert. Her vision blurred as her own breathing matched the rhythm of the shallow rise and fall of Barrymore's chest, and her eyelids started to close…..
"It gets you like that sometimes."
A cheerful voice behind her jolted her back to reality.
"Oh, you startled me, Dr….. um…."
"Dr James," There was a lilt of laughter in the dark haired doctor's voice. "But don't worry – I won't tell if you don't."
Moving around to the other side of the bed, he picked up the patient's charts.
"I've asked the nurses to make you a cuppa, why don't you take a stroll down to the desk and have a break while I do Mr Barrymore's routine checks?"
"I shouldn't…"
"It'll be fine," Dr James smiled cheerily. "There's only one way into ICU, and that's through the doors by the nurse's station, you'll see all the comings and goings."
Giving in to temptation, the constable walked along to talk to the nurses. She had almost finished her coffee when Dr James walked past with a smile and a wave, and reluctantly she returned to her post.
Fifteen minutes later the steady sound of the life support machines suddenly became an ominous, single low beep.