Chameleon

'What the hell!' he exclaimed grabbing the figure by both wrists and pulling her out of the shadows.

'Steady on!' said Sue. 'Why so jumpy?'

Jamieson was speechless with surprise and dismay at what had almost happened. 'What on earth!' he exclaimed. 'I nearly laid you out.'

'I can think of better welcomes,' said Sue. 'Why so nervous?'

'What are you doing here?' exclaimed Jamieson. 'I've been trying to contact you all day.'

'Do we have to speak on the stairs?'

Jamieson opened his door and they both went inside.

'I was feeling guilty about how I treated you on the phone yesterday so I thought I would come up and say I was sorry. The people in the gate-house told me where you were staying. I saw you start to cross the courtyard when I came in the front door so I thought I would give you a surprise.'

Jamieson shook his head and took her in his arms to hold her close. He was still upset at what had happened. 'You're crazy,' he murmured.

'Some welcome.'

'I'm sorry. It's lovely to see you but…'

'Relax. I don't intend interfering in anything. Daddy has arranged accommodation for me in the town so I won't be in your way.'

'Your father?' said Jamieson.

'Don't go all cold on me,' said Sue. 'He doesn't interfere a lot in our lives and you know it. He has money and he likes to see me happy so where's the harm? I wanted to be near you especially right now.'

'Why right now?' asked Jamieson.

'Because I'm pregnant,' replied Sue.

TEN

'That is absolutely marvellous!' exclaimed Jamieson enfolding Sue with both arms and holding her tightly. He rested his cheek on the top of her head.

'You're sure you're pleased?' asked Sue, her voice betraying evidence of doubt.

'Pleased? How could you think anything else? I'm absolutely delighted! I can't begin to tell you how glad I am,' said Jamieson, letting Sue go and spreading his hands as if appealing for divine assistance. The look on his face now left Sue in no doubt about how he felt and their eyes met in one of these moments when two people in love achieve almost perfect communication. It made Jamieson think momentarily on the last time it had happened. It had been near the end of his time in hospital after the accident. It had been on the day he had realised just what an insufferable fool he had been and he had apologised to Sue for his behaviour.

For Sue, it had been the moment when she knew she had got her man back. The change in Jamieson's personality had not been permanent as she had feared in her worst moments. The self-pitying, sarcastic monster she had been putting up with for months had vanished. After Jamieson's apology they had looked at each other without saying anything but understanding everything. Sue had cried for the first time since the accident but the tears had been of relief and happiness.

A knock came to the door and Jamieson opened it. He found Clive Evans standing there.

'I thought I heard voices,' said Evans.

'Come in,' said Jamieson. 'Meet my wife. I've just had some wonderful news.' Jamieson's face was creased in smiles. 'I'm going to be a father.'

'Congratulations,' said Evans warmly. 'Is this your first child Mrs Jamieson?' he asked shaking Sue's hand.

'Please call me Sue. Yes it is.'

'What are you hoping for? Boy or Girl?'

Sue looked at Jamieson and said, 'Well?'

'Don't care,' said Jamieson putting his arm round Sue again and squeezing her shoulder. 'Mind you, if it should be a boy and if he should play wing three-quarter for Scotland, I can't honestly say that I'd be terribly disappointed.'

The laughter was cut short when Jamieson noticed the look on Evans' face and he realised that something was wrong. 'Something's the matter?' he said.

Evans nodded. 'I knocked on your door to tell you that one of the women in ward eight has died and two more are deteriorating fast. The antibiotics aren't working.'

'This is crazy,' said Jamieson. 'Surely we can't have a second infection immune to treatment. Are you sure it's not the Pseudomonas again?'

Evans shrugged apologetically and said, 'I can only say what I found on the slide. It definitely looked like a Staphylococcus infection. 'I suppose it's possible that the Pseudomonas is still lurking there. We won't know for sure until the morning.'

Jamieson sighed in frustration and said, 'I suppose we'll just have to bite the bullet until then.'

'Fraid so,' agreed Evans.

Jamieson thanked Evans for bringing him the news and showed him out.

'What does he do?' asked Sue.

'Clive Evans? He's the bacteriologist at the moment until they appoint a replacement for Richardson. He has the room next door.'

'It sounds as if your infection problem is getting worse not better,' said Sue.

Jamieson nodded and told her about the eight women who had developed infections in the last twelve hours.

'Eight!' exclaimed Sue.

'Within hours of each other.'

'Did they all have their operations on the same day?' asked Sue.

'I thought of that,' said Jamieson. 'No they didn't and so far I haven't uncovered any other common factor.'

Sue went through the options that Richardson and the ward sister had already considered and then lapsed into silence for a moment while she tried to think of another idea. Jamieson switched on the electric kettle to make coffee.

'Why has it taken so long this time for the infection to develop in these women?' Sue asked. 'I seem to remember you saying that the others developed the illness within hours of their operation.'

'They did,' agreed Jamieson. 'But this time Evans thinks it's another bug to blame.'

'This isn't a hospital,' said Sue. 'It's a septic tank!'

'But it's not,' replied Jamieson.

Sue looked puzzled.

'Everything is spotlessly clean and sterile and no one can find where the contamination is coming from. That's the real problem. It appears to come out of the blue.'

'No ideas at all?'

'One,' replied Jamieson a bit reluctantly.

'Well, I'm waiting.'

'It could be deliberate,' said Jamieson.

Sue looked aghast, as if she couldn't believe her ears. There was a long silence before she whispered, 'You can't be serious.'

'I wish I wasn't,' said Jamieson. 'But if we can't find the source of the infection after all the tests that have been done I have to consider the possibility of deliberate sabotage.'

'But how?' asked Sue, her mind rebelling against the notion. 'Why?'

'At the moment I'm considering the possibility that the instruments used in surgery have been deliberately interfered with.'

'But that is absolutely awful!' exclaimed Sue. 'Surely there has to be another explanation? Who in their right mind would do a thing like that?

'No one in their right mind,' said Jamieson, putting emphasis on the word, 'right'.

'You mean someone mentally deranged? On the staff?' Sue asked, her eyes wide with horror.

'Frankly I don't know what I mean right now but certain things need explaining.'

'Like what?'

'Like why does a consultant surgeon take it upon himself to collect surgical instruments from the sterilising department and keep them in his office overnight and why does the same consultant surgeon lie about going to choir practices in the evenings when he is doing no such thing.'

'You have been busy,' said Sue. 'I take it we are talking about Mr Thelwell?'