‘I think so, I’m just going to do an initial examination and we’ll set up an IV for antibiotics. I’d usually have a colleague with me, but we’re stretched very thin tonight and all the nurses are already busy. So you’re stuck with just me for now, at least until the surgeons from orthopaedics come to see you.’
‘Hazza’s Mrs is going to kill me if I miss the wedding.’
‘I take it that’s the groom?’ Before Tom could answer, another man burst into the room.
‘Oi, oi, Tommy boy, are they going to amputate?’ The man had a huge grin on his face and an ever bigger black eye.
‘I might ask them to, if it’s a choice between that and facing Beth. She told me to make sure Hazza didn’t do anything stupid, but I can just imagine what she’s going to say about having me in the photos with a cast on, or crutches.’
‘Yeah, I think I’d rather face a chainsaw than Beth when she’s on the warpath. Where is Hazza anyway? Last time I saw him he was having a bet with James about who could last longest in the water and they said they were going in.’
‘I thought he was here.’ Tom’s face seemed to drain of all colour as he spoke, and Eve felt as if her blood had turned to ice, exactly like the water would feel this late at night in March.
‘Have you tried phoning him?’ Eve’s tone was urgent and both men looked at her in surprise.
‘I don’t really know what happened to my phone.’ Tom patted the pocket of his shirt as if it might suddenly appear and the other man shrugged.
‘Yeah, I tried but it went straight to voicemail.’ His lack of concern made Eve want to shake him.
‘Well, try again.’ She was raising her voice now, but she couldn’t seem to keep control of her emotions. ‘Where exactly was he when you last saw him? Why didn’t you do anything to stop him going for a swim?’
‘Christ, I think Beth’s got competition.’ The man with the black eye laughed, and Eve completely lost control.
‘You bloody idiot. You’re standing there laughing and your friends could be out there suffering from hyperthermia or worse still, drowning. What kind of moron are you?’ She was really shouting now, barely aware of what Tom and his friend were saying in response, as Meg suddenly appeared in the cubicle.
‘Are you okay, Eve?’ It was a repeat of the question she’d asked earlier, but it was clear from the look on her face that she already knew Eve was far from okay.
‘These idiots have let the groom and another of their friends go into the sea. It’s pitch-black and freezing out there and even if they don’t drown, they could still die.’ A sob caught in Eve’s throat and suddenly tears were streaming down her face. She’d never met the groom, or his friend, so she couldn’t explain why she was crying for them. Except deep down, she knew her tears weren’t for these strangers.
‘I don’t know why she’s going so mental.’ The man with the black eye gestured towards Eve. ‘Hazza’s all talk, he wouldn’t really get in the sea in this weather. He thought it was cold when we went to Croatia for my stag, so he’s not going to go swimming in Cornwall in March.’
‘Who says I won’t?’ Another man came strolling into the cubicle.
‘Hazza!’ The man with the black eye slapped him on the shoulder. ‘You’ve got this doctor shouting at me like I’m a five-year-old for apparently letting you drown or freeze to death.’
‘Nah, James bottled it.’ Hazza shrugged and all the adrenaline that had been racing around Eve’s body seemed to drain out of her, but she still couldn’t stop crying.
‘Christ, can’t you give her a Valium or something.’ Black-eye man was on a roll now.
‘I’m going to have to ask you both to go out to the waiting room if you aren’t receiving treatment. Your friend needs to be seen by the orthopaedic surgeons and I’ll let you know when you can come and see him.’ Meg’s tone was calm but forceful, brooking no argument and to Eve’s surprise, both Hazza and the man with the black eye complied without protest.
‘You don’t have to ask me twice. If I wanted to be moaned at, I could have stayed at home. Come on, Hazza.’ Black-eye manput an arm around the groom-to-be’s shoulders. ‘Let’s get out of here. We’ll come back and see Tom when we know whether they’re going to chop off his leg.’
Cackling with laughter, the two of them left and Meg turned back towards the patient. ‘I’m going to call the orthopaedic surgeons and ask them to come down and see you now, but in the meantime, I’ll get one of the nurses to set up an IV with some antibiotics.’
‘Yeah, she said that’s what you were going to do.’ Tom threw a look towards Eve, who didn’t trust herself to speak, tears still streaming down her face.
‘Eve, do you want to take a bit of a break? I can handle things here.’
‘It’s too busy and I?—’
Meg cut her off, putting a hand on her arm. ‘You need a break. It’s fine. I can take it from here.’
Eve had been about to argue again, but she knew Meg was right and in the end, she just nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and trying desperately to halt the tears that wouldn’t seem to stop coming.
‘I feel like such an idiot.’ Eve took the cup that Eden passed her in the staffroom at the end of the shift. The tea looked as if a spoon could have stood up straight in it, it was so strong. When she took a mouthful, it was sickly sweet as well and it was all she could do to swallow it.
‘I know you don’t usually take sugar, but they say strong, sweet tea cures everything, don’t they?’ Eden briefly rested a hand on her shoulder. ‘And you’re not an idiot, sometimes it just all gets too much.’
