‘Sounds about right.’ Libby nodded, running her eyes over the burns on the child’s legs.

‘These blisters have ruptured and they’re weeping. She’s obviously feeling pain.’

‘Which is a good thing,’ Libby said softly, and Andreas nodded.

‘Absolutely. As we both know, it’s a sign that the nerve endings aren’t damaged. I’ve checked her chest and it seems clear so there’s no sign of smoke inhalation. What we have to worry about now is fluid loss.’

Libby nodded. She knew that fluid loss was proportionately greater in children than adults.

‘Poor little mite. You’ll want to admit her,’ she said immediately. ‘When you’re finished here I’ll call Bev and see if she can go in the side room. Melanie Parker is well enough to be on the main ward now.’

Andreas nodded. ‘It would probably do her good to be mixing with the other children. OK, let’s get on with this. What’s her name?’

Libby checked the notes that the paramedic had left. ‘Jenny.’

‘Right, Jenny…’ Andreas positioned himself so that he was close to the girl without actually touching her. She was still screaming hysterically. ‘We are going to take that pain away.’

Jenny continued to scream for her mother and Libby exchanged worried looks with Andreas.

‘Let’s get on with it,’ he muttered, and Libby breathed out heavily. It was horrible, seeing the child so distressed.

She was sobbing now and Libby couldn’t stand it a moment longer. She pulled up a chair, wrapped the child in a sterile towel and scooped her onto her lap, cuddling her close.

‘There, sweetheart,’ she crooned. ‘Mummy will be coming in a minute. There’s a good girl.’

She continued to talk soothing nonsense while Andreas searched for a vein. Libby prayed that he’d find one quickly, watching his lean, brown hands as he tapped and squeezed until he was satisfied.

He rocked back on his heels and pulled a face. ‘Well, I think that looks hopeful.’

The A and E sister stepped forward. ‘I’ll squeeze.’ She wrapped her hands around the tiny wrist and squeezed while Andreas slipped the cannula into the vein with ridiculous ease.

Libby let out a sigh of relief and Charlotte whistled in admiration.

‘Nice work,’ she said cheerfully, taping the cannula in place and attaching it to the bag of intravenous fluids. ‘Here’s that morphine you requested.’

She waved the syringe under his nose and Andreas checked it carefully before taking it from her and injecting it slowly into the tube.

‘We’ll start with this and she can have more in ten minutes if it hasn’t done the trick.’

Jenny clung to Libby, shivering and sobbing until gradually the drug took effect and the little girl slumped in Libby’s arms.

Andreas straightened and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. ‘OK, let’s do a map of those burns and dress them, and then I want to pass a catheter so that we can measure her urine output.’

They worked as quickly as they could and Jenny clung to Libby, obviously seeing her as some sort of substitute mother.