Chapters (73)
- Rabbit Hole
- Also by Mark Billingham
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Preface
- PART ONE
- 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
- PART TWO
- 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
- PART THREE
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- EPILOGUE
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Back Cover
The final bout is another one that’s going to be close, even if it’s a man against a woman. Marcus is the ward manager, because he’s the senior nurse, I suppose. Very tall and wiry, Nigerian, I think, because he told me he was born in Lagos. That’s in Nigeria, right? I reckon ‘even-tempered’ would be the best way to describe him. I’ve only seen Marcus really lose it once – with Lauren, no surprise there – but he doesn’t really smile a lot either. In fact thinking about it, he doesn’t seem to have much of a sense of humour at all. I would have thought that was pretty bloody important working in a place like this, some of the stuff that goes on, but he’s obviously good at his job or he probably wouldn’t be ward manager. The rest of the staff all seem to like him, anyway.
He talks very slowly like he’s choosing his words carefully, and in perfect English, like someone reading the news, but every now and again there’s a slight stammer which gives certain patients a golden opportunity to take the piss. Some people just enjoy being cruel – naming no names – but a few of the others seem to genuinely find it funny because they don’t understand boundaries. You know, ‘Look out, here comes M-M-Marcus’, all that. Lauren always manages to dig out an appropriate song to try and wind him up. Elton John or David Bowie are particular favourites.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes . . .
B-B-B-B-B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets . . .
Ha, ha, ha. Stupid b-b-b-bitch.
I’m not too sure what part of Africa Femi’s from, but she’s got a thicker accent than Marcus. Small, but stronger than she looks (I think all the nurses are), and she’s really good at bringing certain patients out of their shells. The ones who just withdraw in here, you know. She talks about her kids with them or tells terrible jokes and sometimes she even joins in when Lauren’s singing, which is probably taking the cheery thing too far.
She’s another one who’s definitely got a short fuse, though, but I’ve only ever seen it with other members of the staff. Saying that, I don’t think she likes confrontations because one time I caught her crying in the toilets after a bust-up with someone. She doesn’t take any shit, I mean she’s not a pushover or anything, but Femi’s one of those the patients will go to if they need a favour or a word putting in with Dr Bakshi or something.