The Midwife's Christmas MiracleA Christmas Knight by Kate Hardy

Author:Kate Hardy
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781742903965
Publisher: Mills & Boon Medical

CHAPTER TWO

TUESDAY went without incident in Minors, but on Wednesday Louisa was called in to help in Resus.

‘Essie tells me you’re very experienced, so I’d like you to work with me, please, Nurse Practitioner Austin,’ Dominic said.

She noticed again that he’d addressed her by her title rather than by her name. Was he just being like that with her because she was new, or was he like that with everyone? Then she remembered that Essie had called him by his first name. Better get things straight now, then. ‘OK, but can we spend thirty seconds now to save us a lot of time when our patients arrive?’ she asked.

He frowned. ‘How do you mean?’

‘It goes without saying that I respect your seniority, but I’m used to working on first-name terms. It’s quicker, easier, and less of a mouthful. Would you mind?’

He blinked. ‘OK, Nu—Louisa.’

‘Thank you, Dominic.’ She used his name deliberately. ‘So what’s happened?’

‘Car crash. Three casualties,’ Dominic explained. ‘Both drivers are coming in with suspected whiplash, and the passenger has suspected multiple fractures. Ronnie and Sasha are going to treat the drivers, and I need you with me as lead nurse to treat the passenger—Sally will assist us.’

She nodded. ‘How long have we got to prepare?’

‘Five minutes. I’m going down to the ambulance bay now.’

She busied herself getting the trolley ready; when Dominic came back with the paramedic and their patient, the team swung into action.

‘Rhiannon, this is my team, Louisa and Sally,’ Dominic said calmly. ‘They’re going to help me look after you.’

‘Hurts,’ Rhiannon mumbled. ‘Where’s Gary?’

‘Your husband’s right here,’ he reassured her. ‘Ronnie’s looking after him, and as soon as she’s checked him over and made him comfortable, he’ll be able to come and see you. And we’re going to give something to help with the pain,’ he said. ‘I’m going to put an oxygen mask on you to help you breathe better, and then we’re going to have a proper look at you, OK?’

On Dominic’s direction, Sally gently cut through Rhiannon’s clothes so he could do a full body assessment, top to toe. Meanwhile, Louisa hooked Rhiannon up to a cardiac monitor, put in a second line and started taking obs.

‘Heart rate 135, respirations twenty-six, blood pressure 82/54,’ she said. Tachycardia and low blood pressure pointed to major loss of blood—probably caused by internal injuries, Louisa thought.

‘We need to get some fluids in. Start with a litre of Hartmann’s, and get six units cross-matched for me,’ Dominic said—and looked approving when he saw that she already had the saline solution in her hand.

Dominic had given Rhiannon painkillers to make her more comfortable; but when her blood pressure didn’t respond to the fluids and her sats started dropping, he glanced at Louisa. ‘Can you do ABGs for me, please, Louisa? And, Sally, I need X-rays.’ He listened to Rhiannon’s chest.

From the bruising on Rhiannon’s skin, it looked as if she had several broken ribs. No doubt Dominic wanted to check for pulmonary contusions. There were a lot

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