The Doctor's Longed-For Family
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‘I will, of course.’ His mouth made a crooked slant, one that she was beginning to recognise. He knew exactly what she was thinking, and the fact that he had the ability to read her mind so easily was making her increasingly uncomfortable.
She started towards one of the treatment rooms. ‘I’m going to check up on a six-year-old who was brought in here a little earlier. His mother was brought to A and E after a violent domestic incident involving her husband, and the episode seems to have triggered the child’s asthma. He’s in a bad way.’
Matt frowned. ‘Was it simply stress that started the attack, or do you think there could be an underlying infection that’s adding to his troubles?’
‘There may well be an infection of some sort. He’s certainly very chesty. We’re doing tests to check on that, and we have him on antibiotic therapy in the meantime, but I think whatever happened at home tipped him over the edge and sent his lungs into spasm.’
They went into the room together a moment later. The little boy was propped up against pillows, and a nurse was checking the monitors and recording his vital signs on a chart.
Abby went over to him and adjusted the oxygen mask, which had become slightly dislodged. ‘Breathe in through here for me, Ryan, will you? It will help you to feel better. Here, you can hold it, if you like.’
Ryan struggled to pull in a few breaths of oxygen. He was a frail, thin little boy, with fair hair that added to his pallor. He was ashen-faced and very distressed, so that Abby was worried for him.
He gazed up at her. ‘I want my mum…’ he said in a thready voice. He turned his head and tried to look around the room, obviously searching for her, but he was very weak and the effort exhausted him. He sank back against the pillows, a teardrop trickling down his cheek.
Abby wished that she could comfort him. She wanted to reach out and hug him. ‘I’m sure she’ll be here to see you in a little while. We just need to make sure that you’re feeling better so that you’ll be able to talk to her when she comes to sit with you.’
‘My mum’s poorly,’ the boy said heavily, pulling the mask away from his mouth for an instant, and Abby held it for him so that he could still breathe in the oxygen. ‘I wanted to stay with her.’
‘I know you did,’ Abby said. ‘She was hurt, wasn’t she? But someone’s gone over to the grown-ups’ A and E to find out how she is. The nurses are looking after her right now, but as soon as she’s strong enough we’ll see if we can bring her over to you.’
His expression was solemn, as though he was thinking things through. After a moment or two, he said, his voice barely more than a whisper, ‘Daddy hit her in the tummy.’ His face started to crumple. ‘I tried to stop him. I shouted…But he pushed me out of the way…and my mum fell down.’
His breath gave way, and Abby said gently, ‘It must have been very upsetting for you to see that.’
Ryan nodded, a very slight movement of his head, and he started to chew at his bottom lip. Abby glanced up at Matt, and saw that he was frowning, his gaze intent on the boy.
‘Has this sort of thing happened before?’ he asked.
Again, Ryan nodded. Abby said, ‘I know this is hard for you, but you should try not to worry too much. It was very clever of you to ring for the ambulance, and your mother must be very proud of you. You did what you could to help her, and now, because of that, you’re both being looked after. You did very well.’
The boy didn’t look as though he was too sure of that, and Abby guessed that he would go on fretting until he actually saw his mother again. He stared wretchedly into space, and she moved away from the bedside in order to cast a glance over his chart.
Matt was still frowning, and said in an under-tone, ‘Where was the father while the boy was ringing for the ambulance, do you know?’
Abby shook her head. ‘It seems that he left the house, and no one has seen him since. The paramedics spoke to the neighbours and they said this kind of event wasn’t unusual. Apparently he likes to have everything his own way and the couple are always arguing.’
‘Has anyone checked the woman’s medical records to see if there are any other recorded instances of possible abuse?’
She nodded. ‘Yes. I had a word with someone in the department, and they were looking into it. She’s had rib fractures, apparently, and a few unexplained falls.’
Matt’s jaw flexed. ‘He needs to be stopped.’
Abby pressed her lips together. ‘You’re right, of course, but if his wife won’t take a positive stand and bring it out into the open, there’s very little that we can do to help her. She has to find the courage to make the first move.’
The nurse came to the bedside and tucked a teddy bear against the pillow, sitting him next to Ryan and folding the toy into the crook of his arm. ‘I’ve brought a friend to keep you company,’ she told him. ‘Teddy’s not very happy. I think he wants a cuddle.’
The boy was too weary to respond, but he rested his fingers over the bear’s soft belly, patting him gently, and then he breathed in through the mask, making a ragged little sigh.
Abby turned to Matt and said quietly, ‘I’m giving him a bronchodilator through the nebuliser, but it isn’t working fast enough, so I’m going to see if I can get him to swallow a dose of prednisolone. I don’t think we’re going to achieve the best results while he’s still upset, though.’
‘That’s probably true. The best thing would be to keep him as calm as possible.’
The nurse brought the medication in a plastic cup and Abby held it to the boy’s lips. He pulled a face, but she urged him to drink it, saying softly, ‘I know it doesn’t taste very nice, but it will help to make you feel better.’
When he had finished, she helped Ryan to put the mask in place once more, and then she handed the cup back to the nurse, asking quietly, ‘Is there any news about his mother?’
‘They’re still treating her in the adult A and E department for possible damage to her pancreas. Andrea is looking after her over there. She said she would let us know what’s happening.’