Page 33 of Larapinta

‘So, you’re thinking?’

‘Emma, I’m not thinking anything. I just want to take a larger sample to make sure, okay?’

‘When?’

‘As soon as possible.’ He lifted one hand. ‘Not because of any sinister reason, but because I know you, and how you’ll worry. A doctor makes the worst patient. So, let’s get this sorted as soon as possible. I’ve added you to my list for first thing tomorrow morning. So, fasting from now.’

Emma nodded but knew her chin and lips were shaking. Geoff and his wife, Lucy, had been friends to Emma and Jeremy since they’d moved to Darwin. He reached across the desk and took her hand.

‘And Emma? In the unlikely event that it is cancerous, it’s early days, and the treatment is successful.’

Emma blinked back tears as she stood. ‘Thanks, Geoff. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

As she crossed the hospital corridor to go back to Geriatrics where she was undertaking a specialisation, Emma paused. Jeremy would probably be in the wards, and she needed some time to compose herself before she talked to him.

She turned to the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor. Spending some time with Dee would take her mind off things, and she knew Dee would appreciate some company. She was going stir crazy stuck in bed. Ryan came in as much as he could, but he was waiting for his cousin, Cy, to come home from Western Australia so he could take over the management of the cattle station, so Ryan could stay in town.

Emma stood outside Dee’s room for a moment; she smoothed her hands over her hair, composing herself. Fixing a smile on her face, she walked into the ward.

‘Hey, Dee. I was going past and I thought I’d call in.’

‘Hi, Emma. It’s good to see you.’

‘How are you feeling?’ Emma tried not to look concerned as she looked at Dee and then picked up the OBS chart from the end of the bed. Dee’s blood pressure readings had been increasing all day.

‘Pretty yuck.’

‘Have you seen your doctor yet today?’

‘No, apparently he got an emergency call to theatre.’ Dee lifted her hand and rubbed her shoulder. ‘Do you think you could chase up some paracetamol for me. My headache’s back.’

‘What’s wrong with your shoulder?

‘I’ve had a pain there for a couple of hours.’

Emma reached for the trolley with the blood pressure monitor and pressed the button to call the nurse as she did.

‘I think you might be ready for theatre,’ she said. ‘How long since you’ve eaten?’

Dee’s eyes widened. ‘I didn’t eat my lunch. I was feeling nauseous.’

‘So, morning tea?’

‘No, I had a Weetbix about seven, but it didn’t stay down.’

Emma’s own worries fled as she looked at Dee’s blood pressure. It was way too high. If it wasn’t addressed by taking the babies, there was a likelihood of damage to her liver and kidneys. ‘Where’s Ryan today? Is he coming in?’

Dee looked up at the clock on the wall. ‘He’ll be on his way in now.’

The nurse came to the door of the ward and looked in. ‘Do you need me, Mrs Porter-Carey?’

Emma squeezed Dee’s hand before she walked to the end of the bed to speak to the nurse privately. ‘I’ll give Ryan a call and tell him to hurry up, Dee, and I’m going to go and find another obstetrician if your doctor’s in theatre.’

She turned to the nurse. ‘Nil by mouth, and no painkillers until Dr Jennings gets here.’ Emma was not impressed that the nursing staff hadn’t called another doctor. It was lucky she’d called in when she did.

‘Yes, Dr. Langford.’

The next half hour passed in a blur. Emma met Geoff Jennings in the corridor outside the ward. After a quick examination of Dee, he agreed that the babies needed to be taken. As Dee was prepped for theatre, Emma called Ryan and told him to get to the hospital as quickly as he could.