‘The other problem is that as we resuscitate him, his skin will also start to swell, becoming like leather squeezing tighter and tighter on his chest wall. As it constricts, it squeezes down on the chest, preventing the lungs from inflating properly.’ Pierre continued. ‘Once I’ve made the hole in his throat and we’re getting oxygen into his lungs, I may well have to make a few incisions into the skin on his chest.’ He seemed to have found what he was looking for in the bag, and a scalpel flashed in the light. He looked straight into Julie’s eyes. ‘I’m going to need you to help me. You’ll have to hold him steady. Can you do that? If you can’t, I need to know now.’
Julie returned his look steadily. ‘Just tell me what to do.’
Whatever he saw in Julie’s eyes must have reassured him. He bent low over the injured man. ‘I’m going to do something that will help you breathe,’ he said. ‘I may have to cut into your chest. It won’t hurt, but I’ll give you something for the pain, and then we’ll get you to hospital.’
He glanced at Julie and she could tell from his expression that he didn’t hold out much hope for the man on the ground. ‘He won’t be aware of what we’re doing,’ he said. Gently he tipped the man’s head backwards so the front of his neck stood out and he felt below the prominence of his Adam’s apple. Then swiftly, but confidently, he inserted the scalpel into the victim’s trachea. Julie used a sterile swab to dab away the blood, and then Pierre inserted a tube through the incision into the throat. ‘Bag him,’ he instructed Julie. She fixed an ambu-bag over the tube and squeezed air into the lungs. Within seconds Julie could see the colour seeping back into the victim’s face. But as Pierre had predicted, almost immediately his breathing started to become laboured again.
‘Merde!’ Pierre cursed. ‘It is as I thought. He will need an emergency escharotomy—where we incise the skin on his chest to help him. I hoped the tracheostomy would be enough until we got him to hospital.’ Once more he bent over the patient and, using the scalpel, scored two deep incisions across the chest. Immediately the skin parted, leaving deep furrows across the chest. To Julie the procedure seemed almost barbaric.
Pierre glanced up and, catching her questioning look, said, ‘The burnt skin will have to be removed later once we are sure he is stable. He won’t have felt anything even if he was conscious as the nerve endings are too badly damaged. This way he has a better chance of survival.’
‘Does he?’ Julie whispered. ‘Does he have a chance, do you think?’
‘The extent of his burns…’ He shook his head. ‘Well, they are bad. But I am hopeful. The sooner we get him to hospital the better. Let’s get him into an ambulance.’
As the paramedics helped Julie and Pierre load the injured man onto a stretcher, Pierre said to Julie, ‘I need to go with him in the ambulance.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ she offered. ‘I just need to make sure the people I’m with are okay.’
Pierre shook his head. ‘We can’t wait. He has to go now. Anyway, there is only room for one of us to go with him. And it is better that I go.’ He hesitated, glancing over Julie’s shoulder. ‘Could you do something for me?’
Julie looked around. There were still four or five casualties needing medical attention but they were being attended to by paramedics. Furthermore, she could see a fluorescent jacket with ‘Doctor’ emblazoned on the back. It seemed as if her help here was no longer required.
‘Sure,’ she said. ‘Just tell me what.’
‘Can you drive?’
Julie was surprised at the question.
‘Yes,’
‘Do you have a car with you and have you been drinking?’
‘No and no,’ she replied.
Pierre dug around in his pocket before pulling out a set of keys and pressing them into Julie’s hands. ‘I don’t like to ask you, but see that girl over there?’ He pointed to a young woman who was leaning against a wall, looking dazed. ‘She is my niece. It’s her I came to find here. She is alone. Please, could you take her home? See that she’s all right? Tell her that I’ll be back as soon as I can.’
He watched as his patient was loaded into the ambulance. Julie could see he was worried. For his patient, his niece, or both, Julie couldn’t be sure.
‘Okay,’ she said, a little reluctantly. She would much rather have followed up the patient in hospital. Perhaps assisted in Theatre—if the DJ made it that far. Still, she could hardly refuse her new boss’s request—and he was probably right about space in the ambulance. Besides, she did need to make Richard sure and his friends were reunited with their parents, who…she glanced at her watch…should be arriving to collect them any time now.
‘Thank you,’ Pierre said softly, just before the doors of the ambulance closed. ‘I owe you a favour,’
As soon as the ambulance pulled away, with its lights flashing and siren blaring, Julie crossed over to Pierre’s niece. The girl looked up at Julie’s approach.
‘He’s gone to the hospital, then?’ The girl nodded in the direction of the departing ambulance. The words were slightly slurred. Had she been drinking? Julie wondered. Apart from that, and an ashen pallor to her skin, she looked okay.
‘Yes, he had to. He asked if I could take you home. He’s concerned about you. Are you okay? Has someone checked you over?’
The girl took a deep, shuddering breath. ‘I’m fine. A bit shook up, but that’s all. I was outside when the alarms went off. Is the person in the ambulance going to be all right?’
‘I hope so,’ Julie said. ‘He’s getting the best possible care. I’m Julie, by the way.’ She held out her hand to the girl who shook it reluctantly.
‘Caroline,’ the girl replied shortly.
‘If you wouldn’t mind waiting just a few minutes while I check on the guys I came with? Then I’ll drive you home.’ Julie said.
‘Whatever,’ the girl said. ‘But really you don’t have to take me home. I’m quite able to look after myself. Uncle Pierre treats me like a kid.’ Caroline’s mouth was set in a sullen line
‘Please,’ Julie said, ‘let’s just do as he asks. He’s my boss and if I don’t see you home I’ll be in trouble.’
Caroline gave a loud theatrical sigh. ‘He’s such a bully. But okay—I’ll wait here for you.’
It only took a couple of minutes for Julie to check on her young charges. Although still shocked, their fright was beginning to wear off and turn to excitement. Their parents had begun to arrive and, seeing that Richard’s parents had everything under control, Julie returned to Caroline. She was relieved to find that she had waited for her. Somehow she wouldn’t have put it past the girl to have sneaked off while her back was turned.
‘Do you know where your uncle’s car is parked?’ Julie asked. Caroline pointed in the direction of a low-slung sports car across the road. Julie whistled under her breath. She had always wanted to drive once of those. She grinned at Caroline.
‘He does have some pluses,’ she said, and Julie briefly caught a glimmer of a smile.
‘C’mon, then,’ she said. ‘Let’s get you home.’
CHAPTER TWO
‘WHERE to?’ Julie asked Caroline as she eased the car into the traffic. Although it was late, the city centre was busy with late-night partygoers, many of whom had come to investigate what was going on. Caroline named a street that made Julie gasp. It was commonly known as Millionaires’ Row by the locals.
‘Is that where your parents live?’ Julie glanced at Caroline and there was just enough light from the streetlamps for Julie to catch the wave of grief that crossed the girl’s features.
‘My