Page 148 of Knights Game

When I did a placement in Accident & Emergency, no one ever worked on emergency cases alone, not like this. There was a team of people, you need the hands.

“Levi,” I snap. “I need you.” He pauses, phone in his hand. “Hold this here, push hard. Do not take off pressure, do you understand me? I need to check his vitals.”

“I’ve got Fletcher on the phone, tell him what you need.” Roman says, putting the phone on speaker. My hands remain firmly on Luca’s wound whilst Levi gets himself ready to take over and replace the pressure.

“Gauze, anaesthesia, fluids, antibiotics, suture kit with staples, surgical kit, transfusion kit, povidone iodine, blood. What blood type is he?”

Levi clears his throat. “Erm, same as me I think.”

“What blood type are you?”

“O negative.”

I stand opposite Levi and start pressing Luca’s stomach, feeling for tenderness. I’m running things over in my head. Checking stuff off in a methodical logical way.

It’s a process.

Take each step at a time, breaking it down piece by piece.

“How long since it’s happened?”

“Probably about 30 minutes,” Roman replies.

“I need to check the wound. I can’t…” I know it’s a risk but the longer we wait the worse it could be. “…I can’t wait for the stuff. Get me a bottle of vodka. We need to sterilise my equipment.”

“Is he going to be alright?” Roman asks, Levi still pushing down on his cousin’s stomach, his hands covered in the blood that has saturated the gauze already.

Too much blood.

“His stomach isn’t showing signs of other trauma or internal bleeding. But I need to stop the bleeding. Levi, swap places. Take my bag, inside is a small surgical kit. Wipe it all down with some alcohol, put it on a tray that you have also wiped down with alcohol and bring it back to me.”

He just stares at Luca.

“Levi,” I snap. “Move your fucking arse.”

He jumps into action. I lift the gauze slowly to see whether the pressure has done anything to stem the bleeding, which is a big fat no, looking at the saturated material in my hand.

“I need to go,” Roman says.

“Now? I need your hands Roman. I’m not— I’m not equipped.”

“I need to go, Layla.” I glance across at him, and see in his eyes the despair, the anger. “I need to—”

“Then go! But it better be to kill whoever did this to him,” I say turning back to Luca. “Shit.” I throw the gauze away and replace it with a new piece. I take one hand off the wound and touch his forehead, running my hand through his hair.

He looks so helpless.

“Luca, you better not die on me you arsehole. Can you hear me? We are going to patch you up, and you’re going to be just fine, okay? What was it you said to me, don’t give up so easily. It’s just a stab wound. Pussy.”

“Here.” Levi appears with the tray. “Where do you want it?”

“Put it next to me. When I ask you to pass me something you pass it to me, when I ask you to do something you do it. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” he says. “Layla…”

“Don’t you fucking talk to me,” I seethe. “If your plan has got him killed…”

“This was his plan.”

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