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May. 31st, 2007 08:36 pmThere was a crowd in the middle of the road, never a good sign. Even having been on duty for the last sixteen hours, Guppy still doesn't even contemplate walking past, but approaches the rabble, flashing identification and finding them part for him. He crouches down next to the woman with blood on her head, and tries to calm her down.
"I'm Dr Sandhu, what's your name?" he asks, grabbing a clean pad from his bag and placing it gently but firmly over the blood flow.
"Jenny." the woman replies, calming slightly though tears still run down her cheeks. "They didn't even stop."
"Just came barging past." says one of the bystanders. "She wasn't doin' anything, next minute wham, one skateboard full in the face. Knocked her clean unconscious that."
Guppy internally groans, wondering why these things seem to come in waves. He's been dealing with the aftermath of the skateboard gang riot all day. Normally he only sees them when they've fallen off their own boards, but over the last few days they seem to have declared war.
"Do you think there's a problem with violence in this city doctor?" asks a small wiry man on his other side.
Guppy glances up. "No more than normal. I think we're just in the middle of a big wave of stupidity at present. Why?"
"No reason." the man replies, shifting closer to Guppy. He smelled of an unpleasant aftershave. "I had a kid in the other day, your department, said there was a riot going on."
"I'm not at liberty to discuss the riot." Guppy says, helping the fallen pedestrian lie down carefully whilst waiting for the ambulance.
"Oh yes, I respect that. Got to be careful who you talk to, don't want the department getting a bad reputation. And then there's that consultant who was sacked recently, great loss to the community I'm sure."
Now Guppy turns to face the man with an irate expression.
"Hang on a minute, you're that slimy chap from the Holby Gazette aren't you? Well I'm treating a patient, so buzz off."
"But you have acknowledged that there was a riot, Dr Sandhu, so maybe you'd like to fill in the details. Are our hospitals safe for patients?"
"Yes." He turns his back on the man. "This conversation is over."
Somehow he manages to avoid any further harrassment, aided by the crowd's expulsion of the man from the inner circle, until the ambulance arrives. Leaving his patient in the capable hands of the paramedics, he sets off home and flops down for a couple hours sleep, which he even manages to get for once.
He is awoken by the squeak of the letterbox as the evening paper drops through. Stumbling out of bed, he picks up the newspaper and opens the first page.
'Local doctor claims 'big wave' of violence in our city.
As day three of the skateboard gang war rages, a local doctor spoke out about the impact these antisocial hooligans have had on our city, and confirmed that a miniature riot took place inside our very own Holby City Hospital Accident and Emergency department on Tuesday. Despite his assurances that the hospital is safe for patients, did local MP Harry Harper's save the department for nothing?...'
Guppy stares at the newspaper, then facepalms.
"I'm Dr Sandhu, what's your name?" he asks, grabbing a clean pad from his bag and placing it gently but firmly over the blood flow.
"Jenny." the woman replies, calming slightly though tears still run down her cheeks. "They didn't even stop."
"Just came barging past." says one of the bystanders. "She wasn't doin' anything, next minute wham, one skateboard full in the face. Knocked her clean unconscious that."
Guppy internally groans, wondering why these things seem to come in waves. He's been dealing with the aftermath of the skateboard gang riot all day. Normally he only sees them when they've fallen off their own boards, but over the last few days they seem to have declared war.
"Do you think there's a problem with violence in this city doctor?" asks a small wiry man on his other side.
Guppy glances up. "No more than normal. I think we're just in the middle of a big wave of stupidity at present. Why?"
"No reason." the man replies, shifting closer to Guppy. He smelled of an unpleasant aftershave. "I had a kid in the other day, your department, said there was a riot going on."
"I'm not at liberty to discuss the riot." Guppy says, helping the fallen pedestrian lie down carefully whilst waiting for the ambulance.
"Oh yes, I respect that. Got to be careful who you talk to, don't want the department getting a bad reputation. And then there's that consultant who was sacked recently, great loss to the community I'm sure."
Now Guppy turns to face the man with an irate expression.
"Hang on a minute, you're that slimy chap from the Holby Gazette aren't you? Well I'm treating a patient, so buzz off."
"But you have acknowledged that there was a riot, Dr Sandhu, so maybe you'd like to fill in the details. Are our hospitals safe for patients?"
"Yes." He turns his back on the man. "This conversation is over."
Somehow he manages to avoid any further harrassment, aided by the crowd's expulsion of the man from the inner circle, until the ambulance arrives. Leaving his patient in the capable hands of the paramedics, he sets off home and flops down for a couple hours sleep, which he even manages to get for once.
He is awoken by the squeak of the letterbox as the evening paper drops through. Stumbling out of bed, he picks up the newspaper and opens the first page.
'Local doctor claims 'big wave' of violence in our city.
As day three of the skateboard gang war rages, a local doctor spoke out about the impact these antisocial hooligans have had on our city, and confirmed that a miniature riot took place inside our very own Holby City Hospital Accident and Emergency department on Tuesday. Despite his assurances that the hospital is safe for patients, did local MP Harry Harper's save the department for nothing?...'
Guppy stares at the newspaper, then facepalms.
