‘I banged my head,’ Murray had explained wearily.
Lila hadn’t seemed too concerned about the injury, focussing on another aspect of the situation.‘And that made your clothes fall off?’
‘They’re in the bag in the corner there,’ Amber had conceded, nodding to a Lidl bag on the floor.‘I brought them in the ambulance with us.’
To Bernadette’s surprise, Lila had laughed.Laughed!Albeit there was an edge of menace in her tone as she’d turned back to what they’d now ascertained was her very current husband, and said, ‘Oh honey, you’d better be dying, because if not, there’s an exceptionally high chance that I’ll kill you.’
‘If I don’t kill you first,’ Amber had added, glaring in his direction.
That had been the point at which Bernadette had felt it necessary to intervene, realising that no good could possibly come of having these three people in a confined space.Besides, she only had one particularly pernicious, debilitating allergy in life, and it was to Lila Atkins.
‘Why don’t you come with me?’Bernadette had suggested to Amber.‘Murray, your results will be here shortly.I suggest that you wait here until that happens, although you are welcome to get dressed.Mrs Atkins, you can stay with him, but if you’d refrain from killing him, that would be excellent.We’re already overloaded and I don’t want to add another emergency to the workload.’
With that, she’d opened the curtain, held it for Amber to pass and then led her over to the nursing station, slightly concerned that the woman’s face had rapidly paled, and she was now trembling.
‘Are you okay?’It was one of those questions that had been caring but unnecessary, because the answer was already clear to see and to hear in the shakiness of Amber’s voice.
‘I just… I just… No.’
Bernadette had quickly glanced at the clock on the wall and made a split-second decision.It was just after four o’clock.Her shift had finished ten minutes ago.The staff had everything as under control as it ever was on a Saturday and, right now, the person who needed urgent care was the woman who was standing beside her.
Caleb had been over at the whiteboard, but she knew one eye and ear had undoubtedly been on the unfolding drama surrounding Murray Atkins.‘Caleb, I’m finished for the day, so I’m just going to nip over to the cafe, and then I’ll be back for my things and to give you a complete… update.Can you take over Mr Atkin’s care and the patient in bay 16?That one is just waiting to go to the fracture clinic.’
A rugby player.Three dislocated fingers and a broken wrist.Apparently, a player from the other team was in bay 24 and threatening to charge him with assault.
‘No problem, Nurse O’Brien, I’ll see to that straight away,’ Caleb had responded, with complete professionalism and only Bernadette would have detected the undertone of intrigue in his voice.He’d totally be demanding a full rundown of events later.
‘Why don’t you come with me and we’ll get a cuppa,’ she’d said to the trembling woman next to her.‘I bet you’ve had nothing to eat or drink all day.’
‘No, I’d better…’ Then a change of heart.‘Actually, yes.Thank you.’
Now that Bernadette had delivered the promised beverage, she could see that a little colour had come back to Amber’s cheeks, and she’d stopped shaking.
‘I’m so embarrassed.How did I not see that he was married?What gets me,’ Amber was saying now, ‘is that I had no idea.I just accepted everything he said and walked right into that.How stupid am I?It should have been patently obvious.’
Bernadette tried desperately to take some of the sting out of the whole mess.‘Not stupid.I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trusting someone until you have a reason not to.And from experience, I can tell you that when someone is having an affair, they can cover their tracks and be very plausible.’
‘I think I’ve just learned that lesson.Actually, I knew that already.My husband had an affair.We’re divorced now.Even more reason that I should have been so much more fricking suspicious than I was.You know, I think the fact that Murray is a doctor had something to do with it.Just added an element of trustworthiness somehow.’
Bernadette deliberated how much to say.Since she’d divorced Kenneth, she’d found real power in sharing her experiences with other woman, especially ones she suspected were struggling with their relationships.The support group she’d set up for women leaving destructive or abusive relationships had a constant stream of new attendees, many of them patients she’d met in the ED.She’d never crossed a line by asking them directly about their situation, but she’d carefully left information where they’d have access to it and mentioned that there was available support.Some of them she never saw again.But some would walk through the doors of her support group a week later, a month later, sometimes a year.But that all came from her ability to demonstrate understanding and empathy from shared experiences, so…
‘I understand.My ex-husband was a doctor.And a terrible human being.He and Murray were very good friends and the reason I know that woman in there – Murray’s wife – is because she was also my ex-husband’s mistress.Before she married Murray, obviously.Actually, not “obviously” – nothing would surprise me about Murray or my ex.’
Amber’s eyes widened with astonishment.‘Oh.My.God.I’m so sorry.I didn’t realise your husband was like that.Murray told me who he was, and I know this is one of those weird twists of fate, but I actually did the flowers for Dr Manson’s funeral.When I saw you this morning, I had such a feeling that I knew you and when he told me who you were, it all made sense.Or as much sense as any of this makes.’
Bernadette cast her mind back.‘That’s strange because I had exactly the same feeling of recognition, but I couldn’t place you.’Bernadette still couldn’t make the connection.Five years ago, she hadn’t organised the funeral flowers – Nina had taken care of all the arrangements – and there were so many people at the service, the chances of her remembering one face in the crowd was slim, so how would she recognise this lady?‘Did we speak at the funeral?’
‘No.Actually, yes.The reason I got the job was through Marge Drummond.I’m a friend… Iwasa friend of her daughter, Estelle.And then… it’s a long story, but I ended up coming to the service with Marge, to support her.I saw you there.’
Bernadette was flummoxed.Stunned by the coincidence.‘That’s so bizarre.I’m actually meeting Marge tonight.We meet up, with some other friends, on the anniversary of Kenneth’s funeral every year.Sorry, I know that sounds very odd.’
Saying that triggered a memory, a missed call from Marge earlier.Bernadette hadn’t had a chance to call her back.She’d do it as soon as she made sure Amber was fine and on her way home.Or maybe Amber might want to stick around and come meet up with Marge too?She still looked like she could do with a friendly face and some company.
Amber seemed equally surprised by this.‘So that means today is the anniversary of his funeral?Oh wow.That means it’s also the anniversary of the first time I saw Murray bloody Atkins.He gave the eulogy…’
‘He did.’
‘If I wasn’t so utterly mortified over what has happened to me today, I’d definitely be repeating this story at dinner parties.How completely freaky that I’ve met you again today in this way.It’s like that documentary where twins who’d been adopted at birth sat next to each other on a train forty years later.My mum always says that coincidences are just the universe pointing you in the right direction or telling you to pay attention to something.I think I just got the message loud and clear.Don’t be a tit when it comes to men.Although, at least the universe also sent you to make me feel better.’
