I feel like I've not written in such a long time. This idea came to me in my bed a few nights ago. If it's popular I'd love to write a few chapters on it. I'll even continue it if people enjoy it.
"Ellie Smith, 12 years old, fallen into a bedside cabinet in her room. She has a bad cut on her head and query fractured left hand. Lost consciousness for about 2/3 minutes." Ian reiterated as he wheeled a young girl with light brown hair into the cubicle. Faith nodded as she watched Iain encourage Ellie onto the bed.
"She is also a LAC" Iain added "Carer in reception and social worker on the way."
"Just announce it to the world, why don't you? Looked After Child, no mum, no dad, no one to love me, no one to care" Ellie said. Iain and Faith were slightly shocked by the outburst.
"By the way, don't you realise, it's not meant to be LAC anymore. It's child with care experience because we are still a person first" Ellie said before rolling her eyes.
"She definitely knows her stuff" Iain said as he raised his eye to Faith who smiled realising that perhaps this wasn't the first thing that Ellie had said something like that.
"Sit back and I'll get a doctor to come and have a look at you" Faith said as she gently put her hand on the girl's arm. Ellie just twisted her eyes towards the nurse, why was she being so nice to her? No one was nice to her.
"Wait until you see the firecracker in cubicle 3" Faith said to Stevie as she walked over to the nurse's station.
"In what way?" Stevie asked turning around.
"She's honestly a mini you" Faith said, "One look at her and it's you."
"Well, good on her. It's the best way to be" Stevie said. "So do I get to meet her?"
"Yip, she needs her head looked at and query wrist fracture" Faith said, and Stevie nodded. That sounded like an easy one.
"Hello, I'm Doctor Nash and I will be treating you today" Stevie said as she pulled the cubicle curtain open and walked in with Faith.
"Right, did you black out?" Stevie asked as she gently peered at the cut on the front of the girls head.
"Couple of minutes" Ellie huffed. "How much longer is this gonna take?"
Ellie twisted uncomfortably.
"Well, we are very busy, so you just need to have some patience" Stevie said and Ellie rolled her eyes. She sat back slightly with crossing her right arm tightly across her chest.
"Right, I'm going to send you for a CT scan just in case and then we'll get this stitched up" Stevie said pressing gently on the cut.
"Now, let me see this wrist" Stevie said gently taking it in her hand. "Can you take your hoodie off so I can get a proper look at it?"
Ellie shook her head.
"I need the hoodie off so that I can have a proper look" Stevie said firmly.
"No" Ellie shouted. Stevie took a step back surprised at the backlash from asking such a simple thing.
"No, no. I'm not doing it" Ellie shouted "No, no means no. You can't make me"
The tears started to fill in her eyes. It was getting too much, and her head and wrist were hurting. She squeezed herself into as much of a ball as she could.
"You are correct. No does mean no and we aren't going to make you do anything" Faith said softly as she started stroking the girl's hair, moving it out of her face. Faith glanced at Stevie making sure to catch her eye. Stevie raised her eyes indicating that she had noticed too.
"We won't force you to do anything, but we do need to look at the wrist. Would you let me roll your sleeve up?" Stevie asked and Ellie looked up at Stevie, not willing to move her face yet. Seeing the doctor's genuine look, she agreed.
"Okay, I'm just going to gently roll it up. I'm going to roll it as far as I can because I want to check all of your arm" Stevie explained as she spoke through to the girl what she was doing. Stevie kept an eye out for marks on the girls as she rolled the hoodie up to about halfway between her shoulder and elbow, no marks were visible.
"Right, well this needs an x-ray" Stevie said before gently putting it down and pulling the hoodie down again for the girl.
"I'll get that booked" Faith said.
"You've got that other hand tight over your tummy. Is it hurting?" Faith asked softly but Ellie shook her head.
"Are you sure? I can have a quick check?" Stevie said.
"No, it's fine" Ellie said and Stevie nodded. Normally, she would do a quick check of the stomach but because of the way that the girl was behaving. She knew that she needed to try to build up trust with the preteen. She didn't want to push her too much.
"Okay, we'll be back shortly. But if that stomach ache does come back, please can you shout for someone" Stevie said and the girl nodded.
"Stevie walked away and Faith followed her.
"What do you think?" Faith said as they got further away from the cubicle and Stevie shrugged.
"She's a weird one" Stevie said.
"She's hiding something. Why won't she take off the hoodie?" Faith said and Stevie shrugged.
"I couldn't see any marks on her arms" Stevie said.
"It's the way that she said no means no" Faith said.
"She's a LAC right, mention it to the social worker. We don't know what has happened in her past" Stevie suggested. "Keep an eye on her tummy as well please"
Faith nodded as Stevie stormed off to her next patient.
Faith continued with her patients keeping a close eye on Ellie when she could.
"Faith, they are ready for that young girl in cubicle 3 to go to x-ray now" someone called. Faith jumped into action. She walked over to cubicle 3 and smiled at Ellie.
"Come on sweetheart, they are ready for you to go to x-ray now" Faith said.
"I'm just going to prepare you now that they are likely going to ask you to take off your hoodie" Faith said. She wanted to warn the girl to try to reduce the chance of a meltdown once they got up the stairs.
"Do you have anything on underneath?" Faith asked wondering if that's what the issue was. Ellie hesitated. She had a vest top on underneath but that wasn't the issue.
"How about we get you a gown? Would that make you feel better?" Faith suggested and Ellie nodded but still held some hesitance.
"Can I put it on myself? You know by myself." She asked softly just above a whisper. Faith nodded.
"I'll step out of the room, that's not an issue" Faith said and Ellie nodded. That made her feel a bit better.
"Let's go up first though so we can get into the queue – there might be a bit of a wait I'm afraid" Faith said supportively. She gently took the girl's right arm and helped her off the bed. As she put her left leg down to stand up, Faith noticed something.
"Ellie," Faith said tentatively, "have you started your periods?"
"Ellie shook her head.
"What? No, what are you on about?" Ellie said starting to panic.
"Hey, calm down. I'm going to help you" Faith said as she sat the girl back down onto the bed.
"What's going on? Why is this happening?" Ellie ranted worriedly.
"Take a deep breath. I'm going to explain everything" Faith said knelling down in front of the girl.
"I will help you clean up, then we will go for the x-ray. After that I will explain exactly what is happening. I promise" Faith said and Ellie nodded.
"I will be back in one minute" Faith said as she left the cubicle.
"Stevie, I'm going to be a tiny bit late getting Ellie up to the x-ray" Faith said putting her hand on Stevie's back to get her attention.
"What? Why?" Stevie asked turning to look at Faith.
"Well, she's just started her period so I'm going to sort her out first" Faith said and Stevie nodded.
"Well that does explain the stomach pains" Stevie said before turning back to the paperwork that she was completing.
Faith quickly management to find spare joggers and underwear. She found the period supplies which can be handed out and quickly grabbed some pads. She collected wipes before returning to the cubicle.
"Clean yourself with these wipes, let me know if you need any help" Faith said handing the girl the wipes. Ellie nodded and turned around. Faith put the pant inside the pair of pants before handing these to the girl as well. Then the joggers. Ellie was very grateful for Faith's help. However, she was still hesitant and would only allow Faith to get so close. She made sure to be facing away from Faith.
"Put your joggers and pant in this bag" Faith said as she opened a yellow bag. Ellie bundled up her clothes and placed them inside the bag.
"Can you get into the wheelchair now?" Faith asked supportively and Ellie nodded.
"Thank you for you know, everything" Ellie said softly as she got into the wheelchair. Faith smiled.
"No problem, sweetheart, no problem at all" Faith said as her heart shattered for this poor little girl. Ellie grabbed her bag from the bed before they went in the lift.
"Open your bag for me" Faith instructed and Ellie did as she was asked before looking up.
"I'll pop these in here, do you have someone you can speak to at the care home to get you more?" Faith asked as she put 3 spare pads in the back pocket whilst Ellie shook her head.
"It's fine though, I'm pretty sure they are just in the bathroom cupboard, and we can take what we need" Ellie said shrugging. Faith nodded, she reminded herself that it was important for her to speak to Ellie about what was happening before she left.
They arrived at x-rays and to their delight, there were only two people in front of them.
"Here is a gown, do you want to nip into the disabled toilet to put it on?" Faith asked and Ellie nodded. She quickly changed before returning to the wheelchair. She sat down nervously. Faith smiled at her.
What do you have in your bag?" Faith asked, "I didn't see a phone."
"Not allowed a phone until I'm 13 which I think is a stupid rule" Ellie mumbled huffily, and Faith laughed. The girl was really growing on her, and she felt that the poor girl was just really misunderstood.
"I don't have much in my bag. Just this photo" Ellie said taking it out and holding it tight against her chest.
"I've never shown it to anyone" Ellie mumbled softly, and Faith nodded before turning towards the girl. Maybe, just maybe the girl will trust her and show it to her. Ellie glanced at Faith one final time trying to be sure that this was someone she could trust.
"It's my mum" Ellie said turning the photo over. Faith's breath got stuck in her throat. She knew exactly who this was. How was she going to handle this? She needed to help this girl and knew exactly the person that was needed.
Any idea who Ellie's mum is? Will her mum work in the ED or be a relation of someone in the ED? What do you think?