provoked, but the SHO barely glanced at her, obviously distracted as she turned away and left them.
'I've never assisted anyone before,' she told him when they were alone again, realising that it was only fair to warn him even if that meant he cast her aside for someone more experienced. 'Except for being assistant number two or three and just holding a retractor. I hope I don't slow you down too much.'
'We're ahead on time,' he told her calmly. She was pleased to see him absently pick up a biscuit and take a bite out of it, his attention now on the journal beside him.
The anaesthetist walked in and went straight for the coffee. 'Neil, I'm leaving that chap's epidural in for pain relief on the ward,' he said. 'We've stuck him on a PCA pump. All right with you?'
'Fine. Good idea.' The Prof nodded.
Merrin looked up at the anaesthetist. 'What's a PCA pump?'
'Patient-controlled analgesia,' he told her, taking a few long swallows of his drink. 'He can press a button to give himself more pethidine, up to a pre-set level.'
'Does it work better than giving regular injections?'
'Patients seem to prefer it.' He tilted his head, looking at the name badge she'd pinned to her jerkin. 'Are you a student, Merrin, or one of the new house surgeons?'
'Merrin Ryan, Christopher Jennings.' The Prof glanced up from his journal. 'Merrin's my new house officer, Chris.'
Merrin shook the hand the anaesthetist held out to her, moving slightly to make room when the other doctor hitched up his theatre pants and sat beside her. 'How long do you leave the epidural in for?' she asked.
He lifted one shoulder. 'Usually somewhere between twenty-four and thirty-six hours. Sometimes they don't tolerate it that long.'
'Because it falls out?' At his frown she added, 'I mean, might the needle fall out when he moves around in bed?'
'There's no needle,' he said, continuing at her puzzled nod, 'Just a plastic cannula, similar to a drip only more flexible. And don't worry. It's securely taped.'
'Oh, I see.' Merrin took a hasty, embarrassed sip of her coffee. 'Sorry. I suppose that was a stupid question.'
'Not remotely. Important to ask. We all know that the real learning doesn't start till after you leave medical school.' She saw that he was eyeing the professor's remaining chocolate biscuit. 'Are you going to eat that, Neil?'
The Prof looked up and seemed, she thought, about to deny it, but then he met Merrin's hard look and lifted his eyes briefly to the ceiling. 'Apparently I am,' he said slowly, taking a bite of the biscuit, meeting her regard with ill-concealed weariness over top of it. 'Sorry.'
'Is there anything I should know about it on the ward?' she asked the anaesthetist, pleased that she'd had at least some minor success in persuading her boss to take care of himself a little better. 'Since I'm on call tonight.'
'It won't be any more trouble than normal pain relief,' he told her. 'The anaesthetic staff basically look after it and the nurses will call them if there're any problems. I'll check him tonight and every day. The site occasionally gets sore, in which case we take it out, or he might experience some itching or nausea but I'll chart something for both those things.'
'It's so interesting,' she said enthusiastically.
'Is it?' Merrin saw him exchange an unreadable smile with the professor but neither of them said anything more.
'Why isn't it used more often?' she asked. 'I mean, it sounds like a great idea for pain relief after abdominal surgery.'
'Well, we do use it fairly often.' He finished his drink. 'Where did you train?'
'St Martin's,' she told him.
'I'm surprised you haven't seen it there.'
'I probably just wasn't aware of it,' she admitted.
The anaesthetist pushed his cup away then rose. 'I'll start getting the next case ready.' He looked at Merrin. 'Want to come and help?'
'Yes, please.' She gulped the last few mouthfuls of her coffee and dumped the mug into the sink. 'Is that all right, Prof? You don't mind if I spend
'I've never assisted anyone before,' she told him when they were alone again, realising that it was only fair to warn him even if that meant he cast her aside for someone more experienced. 'Except for being assistant number two or three and just holding a retractor. I hope I don't slow you down too much.'
'We're ahead on time,' he told her calmly. She was pleased to see him absently pick up a biscuit and take a bite out of it, his attention now on the journal beside him.
The anaesthetist walked in and went straight for the coffee. 'Neil, I'm leaving that chap's epidural in for pain relief on the ward,' he said. 'We've stuck him on a PCA pump. All right with you?'
'Fine. Good idea.' The Prof nodded.
Merrin looked up at the anaesthetist. 'What's a PCA pump?'
'Patient-controlled analgesia,' he told her, taking a few long swallows of his drink. 'He can press a button to give himself more pethidine, up to a pre-set level.'
'Does it work better than giving regular injections?'
'Patients seem to prefer it.' He tilted his head, looking at the name badge she'd pinned to her jerkin. 'Are you a student, Merrin, or one of the new house surgeons?'
'Merrin Ryan, Christopher Jennings.' The Prof glanced up from his journal. 'Merrin's my new house officer, Chris.'
Merrin shook the hand the anaesthetist held out to her, moving slightly to make room when the other doctor hitched up his theatre pants and sat beside her. 'How long do you leave the epidural in for?' she asked.
He lifted one shoulder. 'Usually somewhere between twenty-four and thirty-six hours. Sometimes they don't tolerate it that long.'
'Because it falls out?' At his frown she added, 'I mean, might the needle fall out when he moves around in bed?'
'There's no needle,' he said, continuing at her puzzled nod, 'Just a plastic cannula, similar to a drip only more flexible. And don't worry. It's securely taped.'
'Oh, I see.' Merrin took a hasty, embarrassed sip of her coffee. 'Sorry. I suppose that was a stupid question.'
'Not remotely. Important to ask. We all know that the real learning doesn't start till after you leave medical school.' She saw that he was eyeing the professor's remaining chocolate biscuit. 'Are you going to eat that, Neil?'
The Prof looked up and seemed, she thought, about to deny it, but then he met Merrin's hard look and lifted his eyes briefly to the ceiling. 'Apparently I am,' he said slowly, taking a bite of the biscuit, meeting her regard with ill-concealed weariness over top of it. 'Sorry.'
'Is there anything I should know about it on the ward?' she asked the anaesthetist, pleased that she'd had at least some minor success in persuading her boss to take care of himself a little better. 'Since I'm on call tonight.'
'It won't be any more trouble than normal pain relief,' he told her. 'The anaesthetic staff basically look after it and the nurses will call them if there're any problems. I'll check him tonight and every day. The site occasionally gets sore, in which case we take it out, or he might experience some itching or nausea but I'll chart something for both those things.'
'It's so interesting,' she said enthusiastically.
'Is it?' Merrin saw him exchange an unreadable smile with the professor but neither of them said anything more.
'Why isn't it used more often?' she asked. 'I mean, it sounds like a great idea for pain relief after abdominal surgery.'
'Well, we do use it fairly often.' He finished his drink. 'Where did you train?'
'St Martin's,' she told him.
'I'm surprised you haven't seen it there.'
'I probably just wasn't aware of it,' she admitted.
The anaesthetist pushed his cup away then rose. 'I'll start getting the next case ready.' He looked at Merrin. 'Want to come and help?'
'Yes, please.' She gulped the last few mouthfuls of her coffee and dumped the mug into the sink. 'Is that all right, Prof? You don't mind if I spend
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