Kate knew it wasn't going to be a normal day at work when she stepped in to the Intensive Care Unit and saw a couple of armed police officers stood guard outside one of the unit's side rooms.

"Hi Trish," Kate greeted as she saw the sister in charge of the unit for the day. "What's all this in aid of?" she asked, pointing at the rather scary looking men.

"Morning, Kate," Trish replied. "Funny you should ask," she said, "because your patient for the day is their person of interest,".

"Great," said Kate unenthusiastically. She was fairly sure the boys in blue would prevent her from getting on with her job many times during her shift.

"Come on," said Trish, "I'll introduce you," she continued as she led Kate to one of the officers.

"This is Kate," Trish said. "She's going to be your man's nurse for the day,".

The officer gave Kate the once over before stopping at her ID badge. He reached for it and read the name. "Staff nurse Kate Fleming," he said before reaching for an official looking black book and writing Kate's name in it.

"Yes that's right," Kate said awkwardly. She gave Trish an unimpressed look. The man wasn't particularly friendly. "Can I go in?" she asked the officer, pointing to the room behind him as he closed the book and stood silent. The man nodded. He obviously wasn't one who used a lot of words. "Excellent" Kate mumbled to herself as she exhaled. This was going to be a long day.

Entering a small anteroom she observed a BARRIER NURSING sign on the door in to the patient. Grabbing a plastic apron, gloves and face mask from separate storage boxes on the wall, Kate entered the room. Her patient was covered head to toe in bandages and the sweet sickly smell of burnt human flash that met her nostrils instantly told Kate her patient had suffered severe burns.

"Morning Sue," Kate greeted the other woman in the room who was coming to the end of her night shift.

"Morning Kate," Sue greeted. She was another staff nurse in her fifties. "How are you?".

"Not too bad. How are you?".

"All the better for seeing you," Sue said. "My bed is calling me very strongly,".

"I've pulled the short straw haven't I?" Kate guessed.

"He's going to keep you busy," Sue agreed. She had been on her feet most of the night looking after the patient since his arrival on the unit in the wee small hours of the morning.

The two nurses stood at the foot of the bed surveying the chart of the patient's observations. "Tell me about him then," Kate said as she prepared to take handover.

"He's a very interesting chap," Sue started. "Unusual because we don't know his name. He's in Witness Protection,". Kate raised her eyebrows at this fact.

"What do you think he did to end up there?" Kate wondered out loud.

"No idea," Sue said,"but I think he upset quite a few people. He was being moved to a place of safety when the convoy was attacked. Three police officers died and this chap barely made it out alive. Fifty percent of his body suffered third degree burns. Twenty percent is second degree,".

"Shit," said Kate. Seventy percent of his body had been burnt. "Is he gonna make it?".

"Critical but stable is what the doctors told the police,".

"That's good. I was expecting something like 'not expected to survive' ," Kate said.

"He spent most of the night in theatre. The trauma team have debrided as much as they could. If he's still alive tomorrow he's to go back to theatre for a dressing change and more debridement," Sue said and Kate noted that down. She would pass that on to the next shift. Transferring an ITU patient to theatre took a lot of planning and preparation. "Dressings are jelonet and gauze with lots of absorbable cotton wool. He is oozing a lot,".

"Lovely," Kate said. She could already tell she was going to have her work but out keeping his wounds clean.

"From the top then," Sue said as she ran through the chart, "he's intubated. He was a difficult intubation due to all the oedema in his airway. The anaesthetist has asked us to be very careful not to dislodge his endotracheal tube when we turn him,".

Kate scribbled that point down. If the tube became dislodged the man was as good as dead.

"He's got circumferential burns on his chest so he had escharotomies to help his ventilation. Gases aren't too bad now. Lots of black sooty secretions on suctioning,".

"Circulation?".

"On norad to help his blood pressure," Sue replied. "He's lost a lot of volume through his burns and they continue to ooze so he is needing lots of fluid replacement. Doctors have prescribed what they want,".

"Neuro?".

"Currently sedated with propofol and fentanyl. We're keeping him deep for the time being,".

"I can see why," Kate said. Who would want to be conscious with that amount of burnt skin. The pain would be awful.

"Otherwise he's on lots of antibiotics to prevent septicaemia. Next doses are due at 8am and keep a close eye on his potassium. It's the high end of normal at the moment. If it goes higher they might start him on dialysis,".

"Great," said Kate, fully prepared for the work she needed to do.

"Any questions?" Sue asked as she gathered her stuff together.

"The boys in blue behaving themselves?".

"They have been overnight,".

"Any cute ones?" Kate joked.

"Had some Northern Irish one in here a little while ago with a nice twinkle in his eyes,".

"Oh really?" Kate said interested. Sue had been divorced a while and was actively looking for husband number 2.

"Wedding ring," she revealed sadly.

"Shame," consoled Kate.

"There might be one for you," Sue added.

"The ink on my divorce papers is barely dry, Sue," Kate pointed out. "Besides, I'm very happy with the man in my life at the moment,".

"How is Josh?" Sue asked.

"He's good," Kate said with a smile on her face. "Finally settled in to nursery,".

"That's good to hear," Sue said. "Give him a kiss from me on one of those lovely chubby cheeks," Sue instructed as she headed for the door.

"Will do," Kate promised. "Sleep well,".

"Will do," Sue said before the door shut behind her and Kate was left alone with her patient.

She got to work immediately documenting the observations before checking all the infusions and giving her patient the drugs prescribed for the morning. The doctors joined her in the room for a little while on the rounds and tinkered with a few things, generally happy with the patients progress.

Around mid morning she noticed one of the infusions was close to running out which was going to have to be replaced. Ditching her apron, gloves and mask in the bin she headed out in to the main unit, the officer of little words letting her pass without a problem.

As she headed to the drug cupboard she heard a Northern Irish accent and turned to see a copper on the phone. He was possibly the one who had caught Sue's eyes earlier. He seemed to be instructing some colleagues how to find the unit.

Getting the necessary equipment and drugs, Kate prepared her patient's infusion before heading back to her room. The guard nodded and moved slightly to permit her entrance. Irish copper had finished his call and stood waiting for his visitors.

Putting on another apron, gloves and mask she entered the main room and proceeded to change the infusion as quickly as possible and without any air getting in to the lines which could harm the patient. She became aware she was being watched and saw Irish copper had been joined by two others in the anteroom. A younger man and woman. They were multiplying very quickly in number Kate thought to herself as job done, she headed to the anteroom. The three officers were talking in hushed voices about her patient as she removed her apron, gloves and mask.

"Can I ask you a question?" one said behind her as she headed to the equipment store. She turned and saw it was the younger man who had spoken. Very young looking with brown eyes that she was usually a sucker for.

"Depends on the question," Kate retorted sassily. If they were anywhere but work she would say she was sort of flirting with the guy.

"Critical but stable. What does that mean exactly?" The man asked.

"He's been lucky. His chances are good," Kate explained.

"He doesn't look very lucky," Steve retorted.

Kate grinned warily before heading in to the equipment store whilst the three officers headed out of the unit. Kate watched them go through the glass panel in the equipment room door. The younger man had instantly caught her attention and she felt her cheeks blush. Hopefully he would be back on the unit soon.