Heart Of Courage. Sue MacKay
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went down. After cleaning his grazed cheek and forehead with disinfectant in case he got an infection, she picked up a needle and syringe. ‘I’m giving you a local anaesthetic so I can suture the back of your head. Ready?’
The sergeant turned whiter. ‘Yes.’
Within minutes she’d finished and was tugging her gloves off to toss in the bin. Then she unlocked the drugs cabinet and put a few antibiotic tablets in a bottle. ‘Here you go. One every twelve hours until they’re finished. And some analgesics.’
Reluctantly he took them, and quickly shoved them in his pocket. ‘Thank you, ma’am.’ And he was gone.
Shaking her head, she called, ‘Who’s next?’
‘Bruised ribs and a punch to the gut,’ Simone informed her as she nodded to a lance corporal to approach.
‘I’ll check those ribs,’ Sophie said. He might need an X-ray. Pressing carefully over the reddened, swollen area, she judged the lad’s reactions and with what she could feel decided he’d been lucky. ‘Take it easy for the next couple days.’
Cooper was finishing up suturing a corporal’s knife wound, and glanced up as Sophie approached. ‘This man won’t be holding a rifle for a few days. The knife went nearly through to the other side at one place.’
A commotion at the unit’s door had Sophie whipping around to see what was going on. The room spun. Grabbing at the nearby table, she held on until her head returned to normal.
‘Sophie? Captain Ingram?’ Cooper was before her, reaching for her arms.
She stepped back on shaky legs. ‘I’m fine, Captain.’ There was no air in the room. Her feet were leaden. ‘I’m fine,’ she repeated more forcefully.
‘I’ll see what the racket is about.’ His lips were tight and his eyes were shooting daggers in her direction.
Just then an MP and a soldier pushed inside, the sergeant she’d released held between them, his head lolling forward.
‘Put him on the bed,’ she ordered as she focused on work and not the pounding behind her eyes. ‘What happened?’
Someone told her, ‘He was halfway back to his quarters when he dropped. Out cold, he is.’
Cooper lifted the man’s legs and helped manoeuvre him onto the bed. ‘This the guy who hit his head on the kerb?’ he asked her.
Nodding, she picked up the sergeant’s arm to check his pulse. ‘Concussion for sure. He was denying any symptoms, and I couldn’t nail any, apart from his obvious headache. I want him sent into the city hospital for a scan. Simone?’
‘Onto it,’ was the reply.
Silly man. Why did he let pride get in the way of receiving the correct treatment? Even if she hadn’t foreseen him losing consciousness she’d have been better prepared to treat his symptoms.
Cooper nudged her shoulder lightly with his. ‘You did your best.’
‘Pulse is low.’ She raised the eyelid on the man’s good eye. No one home.
‘Respiration rate is low,’ Cooper commented.
It felt good having him working beside her. ‘He’s coming round. Sergeant, can you hear me?’
The sergeant’s eyes opened briefly.
Thank goodness. It was a start in the right direction. ‘You blacked out. We’re going to send you for a scan.’ She spoke slowly and clearly.
He opened his eyes for a little longer.
‘That knock on your head is more serious than I first thought.’ Not that she’d had much to go on. ‘Has your headache got worse?’
He nodded once, then put his hand up to his mouth.
‘Bucket,’ Cooper called loudly.
Simone returned to say the ambulance was backing up to the door.
Since Cooper was dealing with her patient Sophie filled out a form for the hospital ED. ‘Simone, I want you accompanying him after we’ve finished checking him over.’
‘No problem.’
Fifteen minutes later the unit was quiet, empty of everyone except Sophie and Cooper, who was putting the kettle on to boil.
‘Want a cup of tea? Or hot milk?’ he asked.
Sinking onto a stool, she felt shattered. So not up to speed. The heat and her pregnancy were taking their toll. ‘I made a mistake not insisting he tell me his symptoms.’
‘I heard some of your conversation. He was never going to admit things in front of his men.’ Cooper dropped teabags into two mugs. ‘Tea it is.’
‘I should’ve known to take him into another room.’
‘He should’ve known to talk to you. Are you on parade at zero seven hundred?’
The thought made her feel even more tired. ‘Yes.’ Four more days to go. ‘Never thought I’d say this but I’m looking forward to stopping work, and I haven’t even been busy in here.’ She glanced at the stack of notes from their earlier patients. ‘Most of the time, at any rate.’
‘You could ask to be stood down.’
She raised one eye brow at him in reply.
‘I figured,’ was Cooper’s only comment.
While she drank her tea she cruised the internet for places to rent in Auckland.
‘Can’t that wait?’ Cooper asked with his usual bluntness.
‘The sooner I set up appointments the sooner I’ll find somewhere and can get my mess sorted.’
‘There is an alternative, Sophie. You can bunk down at my place for a few days if you’re still determined to find your own place.’ He was frustrated with her. It showed in his tone and the tightness of the hand holding his mug.
It was more than she needed right now. Shutting down the laptop, she took her tea and headed for the door. ‘See you after parade.’
* * *
‘Attention,’ shouted the sergeant leading the parade.
Boots slapped the tarmac as rows of soldiers stood straighter than straight.
Cooper was to the side of the ground, standing at attention but not part of any unit. Sophie was at the front of the medical corps, eyes to the front. She hadn’t said a word to him over a hurried breakfast in the canteen. Exhaustion had rippled off her like heat waves in the desert. Her fatigues needed straightening and her hair could do with being tied tighter but far be it for him to point that out. Someone on the parade ground would do it and cop her wrath for their effort.
List stood at the front, ready to talk to the troops. He glanced Cooper’s way, and then at Sophie. A frown appeared on his brow, and he dipped his head at Sophie.
What? Cooper’s gaze returned to her. She seemed to be struggling to stay upright, swaying on her feet. Her chin was pushed forward as though she was willing herself to stand erect. As he made to step out and head to her she slumped in a heap.
Cooper ran. ‘Sophie.’ Instantly dropping to his knees, he reached for her, felt for a pulse. It was slow but at least it was there.
Simone had been standing two away and was as quick to reach her as he’d been. ‘Sophie, what’s happening? Did you faint?’
‘Let’s get you inside out of this heat. I need to check your BP.’ Low blood pressure would explain what had happened. Might explain a few incidents where she’d appeared to lose focus briefly. Like when she’d lost her balance outside Harry’s on the day he’d arrived. It made Cooper think he was on the right track.
Sophie flopped against him, blinking and trying