‘Jenny, can you fast-bleep the vascular surgeon, the on-call anaesthetist and warn Emergency Theatre?’ Alex finished examining the patient’s abdomen and Jenny noticed that the patient’s skin was mottled over his lower body.

Alex was staring at the monitor. ‘He’s tachycardic and hypotensive. Tom, give him a unit of Haemaccel.’ He turned his attention back to the patient and put a reassuring hand on the man’s shoulder. ‘Mr Palmer, we need to pass a tube into your bladder and then you’re going to need an operation I’m afraid.’

The man groaned. ‘What’s happening to me?’

‘You have what we call an aortic aneurysm,’ Alex said briefly, looking up as a man hurried into the room dressed in theatre scrubs. ‘Paul—thanks for coming.’

He briefly outlined the condition of the patient and the vascular surgeon examined him and pronounced that he’d operate immediately.

‘I’ll clear the corridors and get them to hold the lifts,’ Jenny said, knowing that the transfer to Theatre was crucial and that any delay could be life-threatening.

She made the necessary calls, checked the oxygen and suction and made sure that all the right equipment was ready for the short trip to Theatre.

If anything happened on the way, they needed to be prepared.

‘Mr Palmer, is there anyone you’d like me to call?’ she asked, and the man nodded, his face pale and sweaty.

‘My daughter. Can you phone my daughter? She works on Anderson Ward.’

Jenny made a note of the name and handed it to one of the other staff nurses who promised to call straight away.

Fortunately the transfer passed without incident and the patient was wheeled into Theatre within minutes.

Jenny hurried back to A and E and made her way to Resus to clear and restock the room.

Tom and Alex were still there, deep in conversation.

Tom raked his fingers through his hair, visibly stressed. ‘But how did you know it was an aortic aneurysm? You knew straight away.’

‘He had classic symptoms.’

Tom pulled a face. ‘Well, you gave me a fright when you ordered all those units of blood.’

‘My guess is he’s going to need every one of them. If that aneurysm bursts, he’s going to have a massive bleed,’ Alex said grimly, his handsome face pale and drawn. ‘We were lucky to get him to Theatre.’

Jenny looked at him, hiding her concern.

She knew he wouldn’t thank her for it, but she was worried about him.

There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that he should have been at home, resting, not working a punishing schedule in the A and E department.

She was desperate to persuade him to go home but she knew there was no point. Alex would do exactly what he wanted to do.

All she could do was finish her shift, go home and hope that he wasn’t in too bad a state when he finally appeared.

CHAPTER SEVEN

HE FELT terrible.

It was almost nine when Alex eventually arrived home and the first thing that hit him as he walked into the house was a delicious smell coming from the kitchen.