Chapters (67)
- Cover
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
‘It’s not been right since I came out of the hospital. It wasn’t much though, just like a little sore place. Nothing.’
‘May I have a look? I’ll try not to cause you any pain but I do need to see.’
She lifted the bedcovers.
What had indeed probably been a small spot that he had scratched, was now a long mass of suppurating ulcer, the stench coming from it making her gag. The bedclothes were wet with pus and she did not need to take his temperature, the fever must be over forty. His skin was damp, his face red, but underneath the surface flush, it was like candle wax.
‘All right, this is very serious, Lionel. You’ve got a rip-roaring infection here and I am ringing for the ambulance. You should have rung us, or got Mrs Logan to ring, days ago. I know you haven’t wanted to cause bother, but I also know how much pain you will have been in and it’s dangerous to leave these things.’
Lionel Brown was struggling to sit up. ‘No,’ he said, shaking his head over and over, ‘I’m not going back in that hospital, ever, I said that to you, and I won’t go in any ambulance. I’m staying here.’
Cat put her hand over his. ‘Listen,’ she said quietly, ‘I’m not going to lie to you. If you don’t go to hospital to have this treated, you will die here. I can’t look after this, I don’t have the drugs or the facilities, and it’s not right for you to be here – this is an infection you could pass on. So, I’m sorry but I’m overruling you, because you need the sort of treatment and care only the hospital can give you.’
She turned away, calling the emergency number.
Lionel was rolling his head from side to side on the pillow, mumbling ‘no, no’. The warden stood at a distance from the bed, hand over her nose and mouth, eyes full of alarm.
‘How did he let things get like this, Dr Cat? Why didn’t he say anything? No, you don’t need to answer that, I already know. He’s dreaded ever going back to that place.’
‘Bevham General is a very good hospital but he wasn’t looked after well on the ward, I agree, and I’m going to put in a complaint. He got this infection in there and even a small sore should have been spotted and dealt with.’
As the paramedics, with infinite care and gentleness, were getting Lionel Brown into the ambulance, the warden touched Cat’s arm. ‘He isn’t really going to die, is he? I mean, they’ll sort it out once he’s there?’