Capturing the Single Dad’s Heart by Kate Hardy Read Free Book Online

Emergency Department. I’ve got a patient who came in for an X-ray—but the department sent her through to us because when they’d finished she couldn’t stand up, and she can’t feel anything from the middle of her chest downwards. I think it might be a prolapsed disc or a spinal cord problem, but we really need a specialist opinion. Would you be able to come down and see her?’
    â€˜Sure. I’m on my way now,’ Erin said. She put the phone down, grabbed the pen to write on the whiteboard and smiled at the receptionist. ‘I’m stating the obvious here—I’m going down to the Emergency Department.’ She wrote her whereabouts next to her name on the whiteboard, and was just about to leave the unit when Nate came round the corner.
    â€˜Just the man I wanted to see. Are you up to your eyes, or can I borrow you?’ she asked.
    â€˜What’s the problem?’
    â€˜The Emergency Department needs our specialist opinion. Our patient might have a spinal cord problem, which would be me; or she might have a prolapsed disc in her neck, which would be you.’
    â€˜I’ll come with you,’ he said.
    â€˜Thanks.’ She smiled at him and scribbled ‘ED with Erin’ next to his name on the board.
    Downstairs in the Emergency Department, she found Joe Norton and introduced Nate to him. ‘Depending on the problem, it could be either one of us, so we’re saving a bit of time,’ she said.
    â€˜Thank you both for coming,’ Joe said, looking relieved, and took them through to the patient. ‘This is Mrs Watson,’ he said. ‘Mrs Watson, this is Dr Leyton and Mr Townsend from the spinal unit.’
    Erin noticed that Mrs Watson’s face was ashen and she was trembling slightly. Clearly her sudden inability to walk had terrified her and she was fearing the worst.
    â€˜Dr Norton called us down as we’re specialists in the area where he thinks the problem lies—so please don’t be scared, because we’re here to help,’ Erin said gently. ‘Mrs Watson, we know some of your medical history already from Dr Norton, but would you like to tell us in your own words about how you’ve been feeling?’
    â€˜Call me Judy,’ Mrs Watson said in a shaky voice.
    â€˜Judy. I’m Erin and this is Nate. He’s a surgeon and I’m a neurologist,’ Erin explained, ‘so hopefully between us we can sort everything out for you.’
    â€˜I’m so scared,’ Judy burst out. ‘It must be really serious for them to have called you. Does this mean I’m never going to walk again?’
    â€˜Not necessarily, so try not to worry,’ Erin said.
    â€˜I know that’s easier said than done,’ Nate added, ‘but tell us what’s been happening, and that will help us to work out what the problem might be and how we can help you.’
    â€˜It started a few months ago,’ Judy said. ‘I kept waking up with my right hand all numb and tingling. I thought I was just lying on my arm in my sleep, so I didn’t want to bother the doctor with it. But then I woke up last week feeling a bit fluey—and after that I started getting real pain in my neck and shoulders. I took painkillers, but they didn’t do a lot.’
    The symptoms were starting to add up for Erin; she glanced at Nate, who mouthed, ‘TM?’
    She gave the tiniest nod—she’d been thinking transverse myelitis, too—but said to Judy, ‘That must’ve been worrying for you. Did you go to see your doctor about it?’
    â€˜Yes, and he said he thought it might be carpal tunnel or it might be a problem with my neck, so he was going to refer me for an X-ray.’ Judy bit her lip. ‘That’s why I came to the hospital today. I thought I was just going to have an X-ray and then everything would be sorted out—but then, when it was over, I couldn’t stand up, and I