Worth The Risk

Will nodded and dragged a hand through his greying hair. ‘Too right she was! Her mother was in a state of total panic, which didn’t help. I spoke to the hospital today and they’re going to increase the dose of inhaled corticosteroids before they discharge her.’

Ally frowned. ‘She was on a reasonable dose—’

‘If she was taking it.’ Will stared at her, all traces of humour gone from his craggy features. ‘I don’t think she was.’

‘But why?’ Ally looked astounded. Why would a nine-year-old girl not take her medication when she knew what the complications were of not taking it? ‘She’s not exactly at the age of teenage rebellion.’

Will’s mouth twisted. ‘I don’t know. I just think that the dose she was taking should have prevented that sort of attack. Have a chat to Lucy, will you?’

Lucy Griffiths, the practice nurse, ran an asthma clinic and knew all the patients better than anyone in the practice.

Ally nodded. ‘Yes, of course. We obviously need to check her inhaler technique.’

‘Thanks, Ally. Any news on young Pete Williams, by the way?’

Ally’s eyes widened. Did everyone know? ‘How did you know about Pete?’

‘Never try and keep a secret from Uncle Will.’ Will waggled his finger and then grinned. ‘Actually, I met Jack in the Hare and Hounds last night. Sounded a pretty dramatic rescue.’

‘Yes.’ For a moment Ally’s thoughts flew to Sean Nicholson and then she frowned. Why on earth had the man got to her so badly? ‘Anyway, in answer to your question, I was planning to phone before I start surgery. I did try last night but he was still in Theatre.’

Will’s face was suddenly serious. ‘He’s a good lad.’

Ally nodded, her voice soft. ‘I know that. I’ll have a long talk with him once he’s up and about.’

‘Do that. Oh, by the way…’ He stopped her as she was about to leave, not quite meeting her eyes, ‘Join me for lunch, will you? There’s some practice business we need to discuss.’

Practice business? Ally gave a mental shrug and let the door swing closed behind her. Time enough for that later. What was happening to little Kelly Watson?

She found Lucy in the treatment room, preparing for the asthma clinic.

‘I hear we’ve got problems with Kelly.’

Lucy nodded, her pretty face serious. ‘Too right. I spoke to the registrar and he wants to increase her inhaled steroids, but I don’t think that’s the best approach, do you?’

Ally propped herself against the wall and frowned thoughtfully. ‘When did we last check her inhaler technique?’

‘Last time she had an attack.’ Lucy flipped through her records. ‘And we checked her peak flow. In fact, we went through her entire management plan. I was totally satisfied that both she and Mum understood what she had to do.’

‘Well, something’s badly wrong,’ Ally murmured, ferreting around in her mind for a solution. ‘Any ideas?’

Lucy understood the problems of the asthma patients better than anyone. ‘Well, if I had to hazard a guess I’d say it was something to do with her mother.’

‘Her mother?’ Ally’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Surely she wants her to be well?’

Lucy frowned and tapped her pen on the desk. ‘You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But she doesn’t seem very keen on increasing Kelly’s drugs.’

‘Well, that’s understandable, I suppose. No one likes taking drugs.’

‘No.’ Lucy stared at her thoughtfully and then shrugged. ‘Well, anyway, I’ll get them in and then let you know how I get on.’

‘Brilliant.’ Ally straightened and smiled. ‘Thanks, Lucy. See you later.’

Her surgery was busy, a constant stream of coughs, colds and ear infections, and halfway through she snatched a moment to phone the hospital about Pete. Hearing that his condition was now stable, she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d have a thing or two to say to him when he was discharged! In the meantime, she made a mental note to visit him and take him something to cheer him up.

Her next patient was a young woman, thirty years of age, whom Ally remembered from her recent pregnancy.

‘Hello, Jenny, how are the twins?’

Jenny Monroe smiled and rolled her eyes. ‘Hard work and getting harder. They can’t crawl yet but they’ve discovered that they can roll everywhere so I can’t leave them alone for a minute.’

‘I remember it well.’ Ally sat back in her chair and laughed, her mind scooting back to when Charlie had been that age. ‘Nightmare!’ Only it hadn’t been a nightmare. Not really. In many ways it had been wonderful, except for all the other traumas…

‘My mother’s got them for me for a few hours…’ Jenny fidgeted slightly. ‘I’ve got this thing on my leg and I’ve read so much lately about skin cancer it’s been worrying me.’

‘Let me have a look.’

Ally waited while Jenny pulled down her leggings, and then bent to examine the mole on her patient’s leg. Alarm bells rang instantly in her mind. It had a jagged, uneven edge and was a mixture of black and brown, both signs highly suggestive of malignant melanoma.

‘Are you a sunbather, Jenny?’ She rummaged in her drawer for a ruler and measured the mole carefully.

Jenny looked sheepish. ‘Well, not regularly, Dr McGuire, but I love the sun and I love to be tanned. It makes you feel better, doesn’t it?’

It depended on your skin type, Ally thought wryly. When you were very fair, as she was, it was better to stay out of the sun altogether and settle for looking pale and interesting.

Ally frowned. ‘Remind me where you work.’

‘I’m a bank clerk.’

‘And you holiday abroad?’

‘Oh, yes!’ Jenny smiled. ‘Mike and I live for our two weeks of sunshine!’

An indoor job all year round and two weeks a year sunbathing—the very worst combination.

Jenny watched her curiously. ‘Why are you measuring it?’

Ally hesitated and made a note on her pad. ‘You were quite right to come and see me, Jenny, because suspicious moles do need to be checked out.’

‘And this is suspicious?’

‘It certainly needs to come off.’

Jenny swallowed. ‘Do you think it’s cancer?’

Ally hesitated. ‘It’s impossible to say, without removing it and examining the cells under a microscope.’

‘But you think it might be, don’t you?’ Jenny probed, her eyes wide and anxious.