Chapter Five
FRANCIS
Kennington Park Road
The disastrous evening at the Blackbird left its mark.
I know, in theory, there were quite a few things I should’ve done. First of all, I should’ve listened to my best friend and taken a long, hard look at myself. Then I ought to have written in the Blackbird group chat and apologised to everyone for the way I behaved the other night.
And finally, though not at all less important, I should’ve called Anne and thrown myself at her feet, begging for forgiveness for ruining the official introduction of her new boyfriend and, ultimately, for acting more like a sulking child than a twenty-six-year-old doctor.
Of course, I’ve done none of the above.
Instead, I’ve spent the past few days running away from my responsibilities with my tail between my legs, using work as a convenient excuse not to reply to messages or answer any of my friends’ calls.
At this point, I’m half-expecting an unannounced visit from one of the Elliott-Arnett husbands.
I’m not sure which one, but if I had to bet, I’d put my money on Seb.
By now, Remi’s probably so furious about my sudden disappearance that his husband wouldn’t dream of letting him come over, mostly to spare me the final blow. Then again… never say never.
It could just as easily be the other way around.
Sebastian would have every reason to be just as pissed off at me.Not only have I undoubtedly put his sweet husband into a foul mood, but I must have also come across as a world-class arsehole for being less than warm to Ian’s infuriating little brother.
Come to think of it, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ian’s little brother had it in for me too…
I can only hope that work, and little Leo, are keeping Seb and Remi busy enough to give me at least a couple more days before I have to scrape together the remains of my wounded pride, just enough to start apologising to half the world.
Still, my best friend was absolutely right about one thing: I do need to stop wallowing in self-pity before I end up ruining everything good I’ve got left in my life, which, all things considered, is actually quite a lot.
When I think about what some of my young patients and their families are going through, I can’t help but feel ashamed of how ungrateful I’ve been lately towards the people who care about me. Anne included.
The good intentions are finally there, and I fully plan on acting on them.
Tomorrow, though.
It’s my day off, and I absolutely intend to indulge a few more of my bad habits.
In fact, by half eleven in the morning I’m still in my pyjamas, and as I shuffle towards the sofa with a bottle of prosecco tucked under one arm and a bag of crisps in hand, ready to treat myself to a very civilised pre-lunch apéritif, my phone starts ringing at the worst possible moment.
I answer without even checking who’s calling, convinced it can only be one of the Elliott-Arnetts.
I know full well I can’t avoid them much longer, so I close my eyes and brace myself, gripping the phone like a lifeline and preparing for the worst, only to be met with a frantic voice on the other end of the line that’s the last one I expected to hear.
“Dr Starkey? Can you hear me? I’m sorry to bother you on your day off, but… we have an emergency here!”
Eddie?
Why on earth is he calling me on my mobile?
Before my brain has time to catch up, I snap back, irritated: “Why didn’t you use the pager, Eddie? You do know that’s the proper way to report an emergency…”
I immediately realise my tone is harsher than intended, but the young nurse doesn’t seem to notice, in fact, he sounds like he’s about to have a panic attack.
“I know, doctor, I shouldn’t have called your private number… I’m sorry, but I didn’t know what else to do. Little Adkins is, oh God, she’s been left alone and now… Eliza noticed and alerted the head nurse, and then the police arrived and…”
His whole speech is so disjointed and confusing that I have no choice but to cut him off, hoping to make some sense of it.
“Eddie, stop, please…” I say, making an effort to use the calm, steady tone I reserve for my young patients.
“Take a breath. Count to ten slowly, then start again from the beginning. I’m here, I’m listening, and I want to help you, but first, I need to understand what’s going on at St Thomas’, okay?”
Even though I can’t see him, I have no trouble picturing him nodding earnestly.
Eddie’s an incredibly diligent and capable nurse, if only he weren’t quite so emotional.
I hear him following my instructions, breathing in time with the count, and after a few seconds, I gently prompt him to begin again.
In the background, I can clearly hear the familiar sounds of the hospital. Still, when Eddie starts speaking again, his voice is steadier, and although he’s clearly shaken, I can finally begin to make sense of what he’s saying, even if I don’t like it one bit.
“Adele’s mum, Kelly… I don’t know if you ever noticed, but now and then, she’d disappear from the ward for half an hour, maybe a bit more…”
“What?” I growl, the name Adele alone enough to make my chest tighten painfully.
“And why didn’t you report this to the on-call doctor or the head nurse?” I press, my tone sharper and more agitated than I’d like, despite my best intentions to stay calm.
“Doctor, the girl… Kelly, she always seemed so exhausted, we didn’t have the heart to make things harder for her. She was always on her own… And it was never for long, just short breaks, and Eliza and I made sure to keep an extra eye on the baby.”
I can already feel the rage that’s been simmering in my chest beginning to flare.
But Eddie’s right, who am I to judge? This isn’t an easy job. And while rules and procedures exist for a reason, we can’t afford to lose our humanity. Sensitive people like Eddie and Eliza are invaluable in a work environment where suffering is a constant presence.
Kelly Adkins is, without a doubt, a young mother, alone and exhausted, shouldering a burden far too heavy for someone so fragile.
And I’m more convinced than ever that, once Adele is finally discharged in a few days, we’ll need to involve social services to ensure she gets the proper support she needs.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realised I’d been holding, relieved that the situation might not be as serious as I feared, though I still don’t understand why Eddie felt the need to call my personal number on my day off.
But before I can ask, the young nurse continues his story, and I realise, with a sinking feeling, that it isn’t over. Not even close.
“I know, Dr Starkey, we made a mistake. Eliza and I should have reported those little disappearances but… we never imagined… never, I swear, that it would come to this…”
His voice breaks, and Eddie begins to cry. At this point, the tightness in my chest is no longer fuelled by anger, it’s pure, unfiltered terror.
“Eddie!” I raise my voice, panic creeping into my tone. “Tell me what happened! Where is Adele?”
Oh God. She’s still on antibiotics for pneumonia. If her mother took her without telling anyone, she could suffer a relapse and then...
“Doctor, Adele is here…” Eddie replies quickly, sounding oddly surprised. “Where else would she be…”
My foggy brain finally starts to connect the dots, but before I can say anything, Eddie speaks again.
“The problem isn’t Adele, it’s her mother.
Kelly Adkins hasn’t shown up at the hospital in twenty-four hours, and now the police are involved because we’re officially dealing with a case of child abandonment.
Dr Starkey, if you care about Adele as much as I think you do, I suggest you come here right away. ”