The Silent Christmas by M J Lee

Author:M J Lee [Lee, M J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-09-27T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Macclesfield General Hospital, Cheshire

Jayne stood in front of Robert’s bed in the hospital. Off to the left, the machines were still beeping regularly. His face was peaceful, as if he was in the deepest sleep he had ever experienced. His breathing was regular; a slight rise and fall of the NHS sheet and blanket revealing he was breathing at all.

The doctor had been very positive when he saw Jayne and Vera. ‘He’s had a good night’s rest and the antibiotics seem to be clearing up the chest infection.’

‘I can vouch for that,' said Vera. ‘He was so quiet all night, I had to get up every five minutes to check.’

‘You do know the machines will go off if there is any change in his heart rate or breathing?’

Vera drew herself up to her full five-foot-one-inch of height. She seemed to tower over the doctor. ‘I used to be a nurse. I’m quite capable of checking vital signs.’

‘I’m very sorry, Mrs Cartwright, we rely on the machines to do it for us these days.’

‘There’s nothing better than a human touch.’

‘So he’s getting better, Doctor?’ Jayne intervened between the two of them.

‘It’s still a little bit too early to judge, Mrs Sinclair, but the prognosis is good. We’ll know for certain in a couple of days.’

‘I hope he can be better before Christmas,’ said Vera.

‘We all do, Mrs Cartwright. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other patients to see.’

Vera had stayed for five minutes more, briefing Jayne in excruciating detail of what she had to do if there was any change in Robert’s vital signs.

And then she too was gone, back to the home to have a nap and a shower. She would return later. Luckily, Mr Smith had plenty of food in his bowl so Jayne wouldn’t have to return to Didsbury that night.

After checking on Robert, which involved simply watching his chest rise in rhythm to the beat from the machine, she sat in the chair opposite his bed and took out her laptop.

The three other beds in the ward were occupied, but as two of the patients were sleeping and the other was listening to the television through his earphones, she had finally found a quiet place to work.

The discoveries this morning were interesting. David’s great-grandfather had been a soldier in the British Army fighting in World War One. But why did he have just one German button? She had heard of soldiers bringing back German helmets as souvenirs, but a button? And how did he get hold of it? Surely, a person would take more than one button?

She shook her head. And why did he have the green label? Did it mean something to him? A label for a Christmas tree? And what was the leather object? Was it from the same time, or something completely different? Perhaps it was something they used in the trenches?

These objects must have meant something to Tom Wright, otherwise why keep them safe and secure, wrapped up in the bottom of a chest?

For a second, the hospital ward seemed to blur and slowly dissipate.

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