go over,’ Niffy urged. ‘New girl’s decked Willow and you know the most about this stuff.’
Min began to trot towards Willow, but there was a reluctance in her sloping shoulders and bowed head.
Gina watched as Min came over and began to issue instructions without even looking directly at Willow.
‘We need to lie her down, Miss Chrysler,’ she said.
‘Apply light pressure to the bleeding. Maybe we could use a sweatshirt, or paper towels.’ At this request another winger shot off towards the changing huts.
Gina, who knew first-aid basics from camp, helped to ease Willow down onto her back. ‘You’re going to be OK . . .’ she reassured her, but she felt as anxious as Miss Chrysler. This was all her fault.
66
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‘Where’s the wound?’ Min asked, kneeling close to Willow now, but with her head still held at a strange angle, as if she couldn’t face looking at the injured girl directly.
‘Her face – it’s all over her face!’ Miss Chrysler was close to tears and rapidly losing all credibility in front of the group of girls.
Min twisted her head and took a look, then jerked away again. ‘Forehead, OK, that’s fine. No soft tissue, loads of blood, but a surface wound.’ She sounded impressively knowledgeable. ‘Possibly concussion,’ she added, ‘but we’ve got to press on the wound lightly to slow the blood loss.’
The winger who’d gone to the huts was racing back with a great ball of paper towel in her hand. As Min stood up to take the paper from her hands, she seemed to buckle slightly and then just crumpled to the ground.
‘Oh hell, there goes Min!’ Niffy exclaimed.
‘What on earth . . . ?!’ Miss Chrysler shouted out.
By the time the school nurse had bustled out onto the playing field, she had two patients to care for. She briskly instructed several girls to support Willow as she walked to the first-aid room for treatment.
Min had to be cared for on the field. Gina worked 67
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SECRETS AT ST JUDE’S
with the nurse as Min’s legs were raised above the ground. Gradually she came round from her faint.
‘What happened to you?’ the nurse asked. ‘Is it the sight of blood?’
Min nodded weakly.
‘Dear, oh dear. Something to do with the vagus nerve, I believe.’ She was patting Min’s face with a wet paper towel. ‘Often hereditary. Anyone else in your family keel over at the sight of blood?’
Min shook her head. ‘Hardly!’
‘OK, stay down here for at least five minutes, then your friends can help you back to the boarding house, where you’re to take it very easy for the rest of the afternoon. Right, I need to go and see to the other casualty.’
The nurse treated the useless Miss Chrysler to something of a glare as she set off again.
Niffy and Gina linked their arms round Min’s waist and shoulders to help her back to the boarding house; Amy accompanied them.
‘Imagine being a games teacher and not knowing what to do with a bump on the head!’ Niffy said indignantly. ‘She was absolutely useless.’
‘Totally,’ Amy agreed. ‘You were good though, Gina.’
‘Oh no . . .’ Gina shrugged off the praise. ‘I feel so 68
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NEW GIRL
bad. I had my eyes closed. I hit the ball without even looking!’
‘You got her on the follow-through,’ Niffy said, then added kindly, ‘Don’t worry about it. I’m sure she’ll be fine. Cracking shot though!’ She grinned at Gina.
‘Yeah!’ Amy agreed. ‘I didn’t think you’d be such a big hitter.’
‘Oh . . . just luck, I guess,’ Gina replied, but felt more than a little pleased at the compliments.
‘We’ve only got one more house match, on Saturday, then the hockey season’s over,’ Niffy began.
‘Willow’s out, so I’m thinking, if we give newbie here a few tips, a little bit of practice, show her how to direct the swing . . . What do you think,
Min began to trot towards Willow, but there was a reluctance in her sloping shoulders and bowed head.
Gina watched as Min came over and began to issue instructions without even looking directly at Willow.
‘We need to lie her down, Miss Chrysler,’ she said.
‘Apply light pressure to the bleeding. Maybe we could use a sweatshirt, or paper towels.’ At this request another winger shot off towards the changing huts.
Gina, who knew first-aid basics from camp, helped to ease Willow down onto her back. ‘You’re going to be OK . . .’ she reassured her, but she felt as anxious as Miss Chrysler. This was all her fault.
66
Secrets of St Judes 16/4/08 4:47 pm Page 67
NEW GIRL
‘Where’s the wound?’ Min asked, kneeling close to Willow now, but with her head still held at a strange angle, as if she couldn’t face looking at the injured girl directly.
‘Her face – it’s all over her face!’ Miss Chrysler was close to tears and rapidly losing all credibility in front of the group of girls.
Min twisted her head and took a look, then jerked away again. ‘Forehead, OK, that’s fine. No soft tissue, loads of blood, but a surface wound.’ She sounded impressively knowledgeable. ‘Possibly concussion,’ she added, ‘but we’ve got to press on the wound lightly to slow the blood loss.’
The winger who’d gone to the huts was racing back with a great ball of paper towel in her hand. As Min stood up to take the paper from her hands, she seemed to buckle slightly and then just crumpled to the ground.
‘Oh hell, there goes Min!’ Niffy exclaimed.
‘What on earth . . . ?!’ Miss Chrysler shouted out.
By the time the school nurse had bustled out onto the playing field, she had two patients to care for. She briskly instructed several girls to support Willow as she walked to the first-aid room for treatment.
Min had to be cared for on the field. Gina worked 67
Secrets of St Judes 16/4/08 4:47 pm Page 68
SECRETS AT ST JUDE’S
with the nurse as Min’s legs were raised above the ground. Gradually she came round from her faint.
‘What happened to you?’ the nurse asked. ‘Is it the sight of blood?’
Min nodded weakly.
‘Dear, oh dear. Something to do with the vagus nerve, I believe.’ She was patting Min’s face with a wet paper towel. ‘Often hereditary. Anyone else in your family keel over at the sight of blood?’
Min shook her head. ‘Hardly!’
‘OK, stay down here for at least five minutes, then your friends can help you back to the boarding house, where you’re to take it very easy for the rest of the afternoon. Right, I need to go and see to the other casualty.’
The nurse treated the useless Miss Chrysler to something of a glare as she set off again.
Niffy and Gina linked their arms round Min’s waist and shoulders to help her back to the boarding house; Amy accompanied them.
‘Imagine being a games teacher and not knowing what to do with a bump on the head!’ Niffy said indignantly. ‘She was absolutely useless.’
‘Totally,’ Amy agreed. ‘You were good though, Gina.’
‘Oh no . . .’ Gina shrugged off the praise. ‘I feel so 68
Secrets of St Judes 16/4/08 4:47 pm Page 69
NEW GIRL
bad. I had my eyes closed. I hit the ball without even looking!’
‘You got her on the follow-through,’ Niffy said, then added kindly, ‘Don’t worry about it. I’m sure she’ll be fine. Cracking shot though!’ She grinned at Gina.
‘Yeah!’ Amy agreed. ‘I didn’t think you’d be such a big hitter.’
‘Oh . . . just luck, I guess,’ Gina replied, but felt more than a little pleased at the compliments.
‘We’ve only got one more house match, on Saturday, then the hockey season’s over,’ Niffy began.
‘Willow’s out, so I’m thinking, if we give newbie here a few tips, a little bit of practice, show her how to direct the swing . . . What do you think,
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