Rescued by Dr. Rafe (12 page)

‘Health and Safety. We don't take any chances.'

‘Nice one.' Mimi was already unzipping the bag and taking out the tubular framework. The cot wasn't as sturdy as the ambulance issue ones, but it would do.

‘I want everyone out of here. Pete and Stan, supervise that, will you?' Mr Harding gave the crisp order and no one moved. Clearly no one was going anywhere until they saw their workmate safely down the stairs and out of the building.

Mimi snapped the carry cot framework open, testing its stability before she laid it next to Grant. ‘You, and you...' She pointed to Mr Harding and another man. ‘I'll need you to help us hold the cot steady and lift him on to it.'

She put everyone exactly where she wanted them, issuing directions to everyone. Grant was lifted carefully on to the carry cot and she tucked the pulse monitor alongside him.

‘I need a coat...' Everyone immediately started to take their coats off and Mimi smiled. ‘Thanks, guys, just one. That'll do.' She took a light waterproof jacket and tied it over Grant, securing the sleeves together under the cot to augment the flimsy-looking straps.

‘Ready?' Rafe had been keeping an eye on Grant, trying not to notice that Mimi was both unstoppable and magnificent when she swung into action.

‘Yep. I want three volunteers to help with the stairs...' Mr Harding signalled to two burly men, who stepped forward with him. ‘Right, now. This is what I want you to do.'

Under Mimi's direction, Rafe and the two volunteers manoeuvred Grant safely down the stairs. Dirty brown water was already sloshing around on the concrete at ground-floor level, and two ambulance men met them at the bottom of the stairs.

‘We need to get a move on. Looks as if we don't have as much time as we thought...' Mr Harding was looking anxiously towards the back of the building, which faced the river.

‘Okay.' Rafe allowed one of the ambulance men to take over his place at the carry cot and turned back up the stairs. ‘You go on ahead; I'll fetch the medical bag.'

He took the stairs two at a time, glancing behind him when he got to the top to see Mimi, standing alone in the middle of the loading bay. ‘What are you doing, Rafe? We need to get out...'

‘I'll only be a minute. You go.'

‘Forget the bag; we can collect it later...' She turned as an ominous groaning came from the back of the building, accompanied by the crash of metal hitting metal.

‘Mimi. Go...' He shouted the words but she still hesitated, as if she was waiting for him. ‘Now!'

She glanced at the stairs, then the entrance to the loading bay, obviously gauging which she should make a run for. Then she started to sprint towards the sunlight pouring through the entrance.

She didn't make it.

A loud crack sounded and a metal door at the far end of the loading bay flew off the wall, a great plume of water behind it. It travelled six feet and then crashed down, catching Mimi on the side of her head. Rafe heard her scream above the roar of the incoming flood, and then he lost sight of her.

‘Mimi...' Her name tore from his throat in a ragged cry as he raced down the stairs. Pausing for one moment to try and locate her, he ripped off his jacket and plunged into the water.

Buffeted by the powerful force of the flood, he waded through waist-high water to the spot where he'd last seen her. Groping for her, almost blinded by mud, he plunged down into the water again and again. Choking and retching as dirty water found its way into his throat, he ducked under the torrent again. If he couldn't find her, then he too would be lost.

His hand touched something soft. He reached for it and found her arm, and tugged her towards him. Now that the water was reaching the same level as it had been at the back it was calmer and he managed to haul her lifeless body up into his arms. As he did so, a long shape disentangled itself from her leg and Rafe saw it borne away from them in the rush of water.

As he pulled her over his shoulder, it registered at the back of his mind. The dark brown body of the snake, with black zigzag markings. It looked like an adder, but he couldn't stop to find out. His first priority was to get Mimi out of here, and get her breathing.

He heard her choke, one feeble sign of life, and pushed doggedly forward towards the light coming in through the open shutters of the loading bay. Willing hands were there at the door, guiding him up to dry ground. Carefully, he laid her down on her side, on the bed of coats that had hurriedly been prepared for her.

‘Mimi...' Rafe cleared her mouth and dirty water dribbled from her lips. Then she choked again, expelling the rest of the water from her lungs.

‘That's right, honey. Breathe for me.' She had to breathe. If she didn't he would suffocate too.

She took one huge gasp of air and then her eyes snapped open suddenly, wide and frightened.

‘All right. It's all right, Mimi, I've got you.'

Her hand moved unsteadily to the side of her face, where blood was trickling from a nasty gash. Rafe caught it in his.

‘I see it. Just lie still for me, honey; you're going to be all right.'

She started to whimper, hanging on to his hand. Mr Harding was kneeling down on the other side of her, watching anxiously, and Rafe spoke quickly to him. ‘I think I saw an adder in the water. Tell everyone to be careful...'

Mr Harding nodded. The word was passed around the group of men behind them as Rafe wiped the blood from her face, hoping that none of it was the result of a bite.

Nothing. Just the cut, running along her jawline. Mimi was moaning fitfully and Mr Harding caught hold of her hand, talking to her and keeping her still. Rafe turned his attention to the leg of her trousers, which was ripped and soaked with blood.

There was a four-inch cut on her ankle, and blood was pumping from it. Above it, three double puncture marks, just below her knee. The snake, washed out of its home and terrified, had bitten her repeatedly, probably releasing its full supply of venom. Rafe pushed back the instinctive dread which clutched at his heart. No one had died from an adder bite in years.

‘Mimi...?' A man's voice behind him. Rafe glanced round and saw one of the ambulance crew who had come for Grant.

‘I need gloves, a dressing pad and a splint for her leg. We go in two minutes.' Rafe rapped out the words and the man nodded, turning.

‘Rafe... Feel...sick.'

‘I know. I want you to stay still, honey. Can you do that for me?' He wrapped his hand around hers.

‘Yes. Stay still.' Somehow she managed a lopsided smile. ‘Hold on to me...'

‘I'm here.' Her breathing was becoming increasingly laboured and she had started to wheeze. Her eyes fluttered closed and Rafe shouted for adrenaline.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

T
HEY
RAN
ON
sirens and flashing lights, Grant on one side of the ambulance, Mimi on the other. She had gone into anaphylactic shock, but prompt treatment with adrenaline had stabilised her. Rafe had splinted her leg to keep it still and now all he could do was watch and wait until they could get her to the hospital.

A team was waiting for them in A and E. Rafe followed the gurney in a daze, pushing past the nurse who caught his arm.

‘I'm sorry...' He felt the nurse's grip on his arm, tighter now and more insistent, and he stopped, keeping his eyes on the retreating back of the doctor who was walking beside Mimi. ‘But I have to go to her...'

‘You have to step back now.' The nurse looked up at him, oozing no-nonsense sympathy. ‘We need to get you clean and dry and then examine you.'

‘I'm all right.'

‘Maybe. But you're in the way here.' Rafe didn't move and the nurse leaned closer. ‘Mimi's one of ours. We'll look after her.'

* * *

Rafe had called Charlie and they'd waited together in one of the family rooms. Finally the doctor who had been treating Mimi appeared, her face impassive.

Rafe had hung back, knowing he had little right to stand with Charlie and hear what the doctor had to say, but Charlie had beckoned him over. They listened together and Rafe numbly shook her hand, thanking her.

‘Now tell me what all that means.' Charlie spun his wheelchair around, motioning Rafe to a chair opposite him.

‘It means...' Rafe could hardly bear to think about it, but he knew that Charlie needed to know and he had to be strong for him. ‘She's come through the worst of it. Mimi's very ill at the moment, but she's strong and fighting back. There's no reason why she can't make a full recovery.'

Charlie nodded. ‘What is she facing now?'

‘She went into anaphylactic shock when she was bitten. That means they probably won't use any antivenom unless they absolutely have to, in case her body reacts by going into shock again. At the moment she's fighting back, but they'll need to keep a close eye on her. She's also inhaled a lot of dirty water, and that's irritated the lining of her lungs. That'll mend, but she's been admitted to the ICU and sedated. Rest and care are the best things for her right now.'

‘What else...?'

‘Everything else is relatively minor. She has some cuts, a lot of bruises and a fractured ankle. I missed it when I first examined her...' Rafe was still kicking himself for that.

Charlie rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah, you missed it because you were busy saving her life.'

‘I just did...'
What any doctor would do?
He hadn't. He'd felt close to many patients, battled for them with every ounce of his strength. But he'd always been able to maintain enough distance to keep himself sane. Never felt that his own fate was inextricably linked with the person whose life lay in his hands and that if they died he would too.

‘How long will it take? Before she's up and around again.'

Rafe really didn't want to look that far ahead. He'd seen all the things that could go wrong in the course of his work, and he didn't want to think about any of them. But Charlie needed as much information and reassurance as Rafe could give.

‘From what her doctor says, she'll be in the ICU for two, probably three days, if everything goes well. The inflammation on her lungs should resolve by itself in a few days...'

‘And the snake bite?'

‘It depends, Charlie. We need to wait and see. They won't transfer her down to the general ward until she's through the worst of it. But, after that, an adult can experience swelling and pain for up to nine months.'

‘Nine months! But what about her new job?'

‘I'll contact them and let them know what's happened. I can ask them to keep the post open for her but... To be honest with you, I think they'll be needing to fill the post before she's well enough to go back to work.'

Charlie shook his head, puffing out a breath. ‘She so wanted that job.'

‘Look, Charlie. At the moment, the best thing we can do is to take each day at a time. Looking ahead is just going to be overwhelming. She was treated promptly, she's being well cared for and her condition is stable. That counts for a lot.'

‘Yeah, I understand.' Charlie reached forward, gripping Rafe's hand tightly. ‘Thanks. When will they let us see her?'

‘Soon. I'll go with you, and ask.' Rafe still knew enough people here and his word might carry some weight. At the very least, he could stay and explain what was happening to Charlie.

‘Thanks. I appreciate that.'

It was the least that Rafe could do. If he hadn't gone back for the medical bag. If they hadn't been arguing about it... Overwhelming guilt gripped at his chest, leaving him breathless with remorse, and he tried to shake it off. That was for later. Right now he had to give Charlie as much support as he could.

‘We'll go up there now and see what's happening, and then we'll go to the canteen for something to eat.'

‘I can't eat, Rafe...'

‘We'll do it anyway. The next couple of weeks are going to be hard, and you need to pace yourself.'

Charlie nodded. ‘Just don't bring me chocolate.'

‘You remember that?' Suddenly the years fell away and he was walking up to the ICU, a sandwich and a bar of chocolate in his pocket for the pretty ambulance driver who spent every waking hour sitting by her brother's bedside.

‘I remember thinking it was just as well that someone was feeding her up. I had this idea that I'd sneak out when the nurses weren't looking, get to a phone and order up a pizza for her.'

Rafe nodded. ‘Happens a lot. I've seen people who are seriously injured, and who think they just need a minute before they can get up and walk away.'

‘I guess we all think we're indestructible.' Charlie's eyes were suddenly full of tears. ‘Mimi always has...'

‘She's going to come back to us, Charlie.' Rafe felt himself choke, and in a sudden terror wondered whether this was a response to the fact that Mimi too was choking. Maybe intubated. Frightened and unable to speak. He hoped that someone was holding her hand.

He
had
to stay calm.

‘When you see her, I want you to remember this. She's going to look pretty bad. But I want you to remember that they're looking after her well, and that she's going to mend.'

Charlie took a deep breath. ‘Thanks, mate. Got it.'

* * *

Visiting hours were over, but the ICU doctor had allowed them in for ten minutes. Mimi's body seemed very small in the bed, overwhelmed by the paraphernalia around her that was monitoring her and keeping her stable. Rafe breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was breathing on her own.

‘Why is she in this room?' Charlie's brow creased.

‘It's nothing to worry about. They'll put patients where they can best manage them; a separate room doesn't mean that she's any better or worse than anyone else.'

‘Okay.' Charlie looked at the cannula in her arm. ‘Is she in pain?'

‘The drugs they're giving her will be enough to keep her comfortable.' Rafe looked at the label on the bag suspended above her head. He had every confidence in the people here, but he still couldn't help checking.

‘Her toes...' Charlie was staring at the lightweight cast that encased her right foot. The other leg was hidden under a canopy, and Rafe dreaded to think what that looked like. Probably swollen, blistered and almost black by now.

‘Her toes are just the way we want them to be.' He couldn't resist brushing them with his fingers, just to check that the cast wasn't too tight. The small, intimate act almost brought him to tears.

Looking at her face was an almost unbearable effort, but he made himself do it until the shock began to numb. One eye was bruised and closing fast, and a row of stitches ran along her jawline.

‘I...I want her to wake up.' Charlie reached for Mimi's hand, taking it in his.

‘I know. She's better asleep right now, mate. Just hold her hand and tell her you're here.'

‘Will she hear me?'

‘Maybe. Hopefully not, but tell her anyway.'

It was such an effort to stand back, watching Charlie touch her and hold her hand. Hearing him say the words that Rafe wanted to say to Mimi. But he had no right to say them.

* * *

They'd eaten and then left the hospital. Charlie had given Rafe a lift back to the brewery to collect his car, and Rafe had followed him home. The lights of the bungalow were ablaze, and clearly Charlie's house guests weren't going to bed until he returned. Rafe nodded in satisfaction and accelerated on down the road, not looking at Mimi's house when he passed it. There was no way he was going to be anywhere other than the hospital tonight.

He dumped his overnight bag in the small cubicle that adjoined the duty doctors' rest room and lay down on the bed, fully clothed, trying to tell himself that he wasn't going to do what he was about to do. Then he gave up all pretence of sleep and went upstairs to the ICU.

He'd expected a gentle invitation to go and get some rest from the ICU staff. But the doctor on duty knew Rafe and beckoned him inside.

‘She's very restless. I don't want to give her any more medication if I can help it.'

‘What's she on now...?' Rafe held out his hand for the notes, knowing that he was pushing his luck.

‘Just go and talk to her, see if you can calm her down.'

‘Yeah. Of course...' Rafe followed the doctor to Mimi's room and walked inside.

In the muted light, he could see her hand twitching. Grasping for something. Maybe she was still back at the brewery, fighting to find something to hold on to, in the rush of water. The feeling that his heart was going to break, right there and then, hit Rafe.

‘She's been like this for a while. She tried to pull the cannula out...'

Not good news. Rafe looked at Mimi's arm and saw that a bandage had been put over a new cannula insertion, to try and prevent her from getting to that one. ‘Can I sit with her?'

‘That would be good.'

Rafe pulled up a chair and sat down. Whoever Mimi was reaching for probably wasn't him, but that didn't matter. She was reaching for someone, and he could be anyone she wanted him to be if she'd just calm down and go to sleep.

He took her hand and felt her fingers curl around his. It was probably just an automatic reaction, but she seemed to relax a little.

‘You're safe, Mimi. Nothing's going to hurt you.'

She lay still. He stood up, leaning over to brush a few strands of hair from her forehead. ‘Go to sleep now. You're safe.'

Although her eyes were closed, he could see movement behind the lids as if she was dreaming. She was still fighting it, though. She moved in the bed and seemed to stiffen, as if in pain.

‘Honey, please try not to move. You need to rest.'

Suddenly her eyes snapped open. They seemed unfocused and Rafe had no idea whether she could see him or not. But he repeated his reassurances, hoping that he was getting through to her.

She blinked twice. Then her lids drooped and she lay quiet. Rafe sat down beside the bed, holding her hand, feeling the tears course down his cheeks. This was the only place he needed to be tonight. Every night, until Mimi woke up again.

* * *

Three nights. Three nights when he'd been able to sit with her while she slept. Charlie had been there every day. Jack had come in, looking gaunt and tired, and been allowed to spend half an hour with her. But that was the daytime. At night Mimi was still his.

Rafe knew that he shouldn't be doing this. He was pushing his luck, asking more favours than he should, but he didn't care. He drove home for a couple of hours' sleep first thing every morning, and then back in the afternoon to speak to Charlie. If the ICU staff were willing to allow him to stay on and sit with her during the night, Rafe wasn't going to question it.

Mimi was improving. She'd been breathing for herself, her lungs recovering from the assault of the water. Each night she seemed to sleep more peacefully. On the third morning, as he tried to slip unnoticed out of the ICU, her doctor caught up with him. Eddie and Rafe were old colleagues and he had always made time to speak to Rafe when he visited.

‘We're going to discontinue the sedative and if she's still stable we'll transfer her on to one of the general wards.'

The small spot of light at the end of the tunnel suddenly turned into brilliance. ‘Thanks...' Rafe tried to catch his breath. ‘Thank you.'

‘I'll get someone to call you. When she wakes up? Or are you going to get some shut-eye?'

In a world where Mimi was awake, Rafe doubted whether he could get any sleep. ‘Thanks, but... Let her brother spend some time with her first. I'll wait.'

Eddie raised his eyebrows quizzically, but didn't ask. ‘Okay. Just to let you know.'

‘Thanks.' Rafe took the doctor's hand and shook it, gripping tight. ‘You know when people tell you they don't know how to thank you?'

Eddie chuckled. ‘Yeah, I know that one.'

‘Well, trust me. They don't. I'm indebted to you...'

‘Watch out. I might just collect.' Eddie turned and walked away, leaving Rafe to wander down to the canteen for breakfast in a daze of happiness.

* * *

‘Thought I'd find you here...' Rafe was holding the paper in front of him, pretending to read it so that he didn't have to look at anything else. But Charlie's voice made him look up.

‘You're early. Can I get you anything?'

‘How can you eat at a time like this?' Charlie peered at Rafe's plate, where his untouched breakfast was beginning to congeal. ‘Correction. How can you buy food and not eat it at a time like this?'