‘Your wife’s expecting twins?’ Alice asked, unable to keep the surprise from her voice. Josh Winters looked like he should have had a surfboard under his arm, not a stethoscope around his neck. He certainly didn’t fit the image of a young doctor, married with twins on the way.
‘I know, I know.’ He laughed, then added, ‘Don’t worry about old sour-grapes Linda. She’s just peeved that the great Jeremy Foster is actually coming back. No one had written him off more completely than her. She was hoping for a nice fast ticket to consultant. And to make matters worse,’ he said in undertones, ‘Linda is the only woman in this hospital Jeremy hasn’t even attempted to pull.’
‘He surely can’t be that bad.’
‘You mark my words, he’s insatiable. At least you’re one female intern that doesn’t have to worry about succumbing to his charms. That bump of yours will act like a crucifix to a vampire for our Jeremy, so at least you won’t be putting Linda offside on that score. I hope she’s shaved this morning.’
Alice found herself smiling, which was quite a revelation in itself. She hadn’t been doing too much of that lately. It looked as if Josh was going to be nice to work with—heaven knew, she could use a few allies with the insatiable Jeremy and the bearded Linda breathing down her neck.
‘There you are. I assume your letters of confirmation did explain it was this Monday you started.’ Linda McFarlane’s tone was anything but friendly. ‘We’re all waiting for you at the nurses’ station.’
‘You said to meet outside the ward,’ Josh argued, apparently unruffled by her tones.
‘I most certainly did not. What are you going to learn here? The medical students have been at the nurses’ station, going through the patients notes and X-rays for half an hour now. At least they’re showing some initiative.’ And, turning on her heel, she walked smartly onto the ward.
‘But she did say to meet outside,’ Alice whispered furiously to Josh as they followed her onto the ward. Linda McFarlane, with her cold grey eyes and severe hairstyle, did nothing to endear herself to Alice.
‘What Linda says and what she actually admits to are somewhat conflicting,’ Josh said darkly. ‘Watch your back.’
But Alice wasn’t listening. The only back she was watching at the moment was the impeccably suited, wide-shouldered back of her new boss as he held an X-ray up to the light. His blond hair, expertly cut, tapered into his long neck. He looked as immaculately groomed and tastefully dressed as any film star from the glossies, and by hospital standards he was the closest thing to a legend Melbourne City was likely to produce.
‘Finally, we can start,’ Linda said pointedly, and Alice found herself holding her breath as Jeremy Foster turned and gave the briefest of smiles, his blue eyes flicking briefly down to her bulging stomach. Alice felt a small blush appear as she remembered Josh’s ‘vampire’ comment.
‘Pleased to meet you.’ He held out his hand as the introductions were made, and Alice was painfully aware of her moist palms as she returned his handshake. No amount of gossip—and there had been plenty—had done him justice or even come close to adequately describing him: sun-bleached blond hair, blue eyes and an arrogant haughty smile. Momentarily stunned, she stared back at him, lost in her thoughts.
‘We’ll get started, then,’ he said in a clipped voice, and Alice looked away, suddenly embarrassed.
She tried desperately to concentrate as they made their way around the ward, to ignore the flutter of butterflies Jeremy seemed to so effortlessly have started. Linda had the most to say—after all she had already met most of the patients and seemed to take every available opportunity to ram home how well she had coped. Jeremy didn’t seem fazed by her attitude, listening intently. But every now and then he overrode a decision Linda had made or changed a drug regime, effectively assuring all present that he was the one in charge. It soon became apparent to everyone that Linda was having a lot of trouble accepting her boss’s return. Her simmering resentment became increasingly obvious as they made their way around and at the final patient’s bedside Linda let her bitterness surface.
‘Mrs Marshall came in on Thursday with acute pancreatitis. She has a history of alcohol abuse. She’s been nil by mouth on IV fluids with a pethidine infusion to control her pain. Currently, we’re weaning her off the pethidine and she’s now on five mls an hour. I was thinking of starting her this morning on clear fluids.’
‘Good morning, Mrs Marshall. I’m Mr Foster, the surgical consultant. How are you feeling this morning?’
Mrs Marshall was struggling to sit up. ‘A bit better, but I’d really like a drink of water.’ Alice looked on. If this was Mrs Marshall looking better she’d have hated to have seen her on Thursday. Pancreatitis could either be acute or chronic. It caused severe abdominal pain and the patient rapidly became seriously ill. Although managed medically, it still came under the domain of the surgeons. In this case it had been precipitated by Mrs Marshall’s ingestion of large quantities of alcohol.
Jeremy flicked through the patient’s blood results as Mrs Marshall fiddled in her locker. ‘Her amylase levels are still very high.’
‘But they’ve come down markedly,’ Linda said.
‘Still, it might be a bit early to be starting her on fluids,’ Jeremy responded calmly.
‘Just small sips—you can see yourself how agitated she is,’ Linda pointed out. ‘She’s making a lot of work for the nursing staff, trying to get out of bed and get a drink.’
‘Which is probably more related to her pain and her alcoholism. Keep her nil by mouth for now and increase her pethidine,’ Jeremy said.
Linda pursed her lips. ‘Surely we’re just replacing one addiction with another. A few sips of water must be better than increasing her pethidine.’
Jeremy picked up the drug chart. ‘Mrs Marshall is in pain, and that needs to be addressed. A PRN order of Valium might be wise also, given her withdrawal from alcohol.’
He turned from Linda’s angry gaze and addressed the patient.
‘Mrs Marshall, we’re going to keep you nil by mouth for now. I know you want a drink but it really is safer not to at the moment. We’ll increase your pain control and I’ve written up an order for some Valium which will help you to settle.’
Surprisingly, Mrs Marshall seemed a lot happier with his decision than Linda and leant back resignedly on her pillows.
‘A psychiatric and social work referral would also be appropriate,’ Jeremy said, handing her folder back to the charge nurse.
‘She had all that last time she was in,’ Linda said. ‘That’s why I didn’t order the works this time around. She always swears she’s going to give up this time, and then back she bounces.’
Jeremy nodded. ‘Which, while mildly frustrating for us, must be absolute hell for Mrs Marshall and her family. See she gets the appropriate referrals.’
‘Bravo, Jeremy,’ Josh whispered, and Alice actually found she felt like cheering herself. Jeremy had certainly put the obnoxious Linda in her place.
‘I’m not entirely happy with her.’ Jeremy looked over at Alice. ‘When we finish up here, can you do some blood gases on Mrs Marshall?’
‘Sure.’
‘I’ll see you both later in pre-op clinic.’ With a small nod he walked off, as Linda marched furiously behind him.
‘I’ll start writing up the notes, then, while you do the gases,’ Josh suggested. ‘Then we can grab a coffee.’
‘I doubt it,’ Alice said with a sigh. ‘I’ve got three IVs to resite and a pile of drug charts that need writing up, and there’s a couple of bloods that need doing.’
‘Alice,