‘No need.’ There was a sudden flurry of activity by the door as Jordanna pushed her way through. ‘I’m here.’
Isla eyed the med bag, oxygen cannister and mask with relief.
‘That was fast,’ she noted.
‘Was it? Good, I felt like I went round in circles for a while, asking about a hundred people if they knew anything.’
Isla grunted. ‘No one ever wants to be seen to be associated with it. Did you bring Naloxone?’
‘Ah, that’s what it is, is it? Yeah. I have that.’
‘Great.’ Isla concentrated on getting in a cannula whilst Jordanna dealt with the oxygen mask. They would need to support respiration with a bag-valve mask before she began to administer the opioid receptor antagonist.
‘I thought it was Naltrexone?’ a male crewman asked suddenly. Tellingly, Isla thought.
‘No—’ she lifted her head ‘—Naltrexone is used to treat drug addiction by blocking opioid cravings, and alcohol cravings for that matter, but it can’t treat overdoses. Naloxone can treat the overdose but not the craving.’
The two might sound alike, but their different half-lives really made the distinction. Not that she thought the crewmen wanted that much information.
‘Okay, let’s start with nought point nought four milligrams—’ Isla prepped the syringe ‘—and see how that goes. Be ready for them.’ As soon as the medication hit the brain and began to reverse the effects of the overdose, Isla knew the patient could lash out.
Carefully, she administered the drug.
* * *
‘What happened to you?’ Gerd demanded as he walked into the medical centre a few hours later to see Jordanna on the couch with an ice pack on her eye.
‘She got belted by an ungrateful patient.’
‘Ah—’ the senior nurse nodded ‘—I heard about that.?
?
‘Already?’ Jordanna lifted the pack up and winced.
‘You know how news travels fast,’ Isla noted, carefully taking her colleague’s hand and placing the pack back down over the eye. ‘And that kind of news travels even faster.’
‘Yeah, well, he’ll be escorted off the ship as soon as we get into port, and he’ll never work for Port-Star again.’ Gerd blew out with satisfaction. ‘The security staff will be here any minute to take a statement.’
‘Ah, speak of the devil,’ Jordanna added, as they heard voices heading up the corridor.
All too familiar voices, Isla realised, as Nikhil’s rich tones infiltrated the room. She froze, part of her wanting to flee, the other part knowing she would need to give her report.
She didn’t dare look at either Jordanna or Gerd; nonetheless she waited, her heart jumping in her chest, but neither of them said anything more. Apparently, the grapevine hadn’t included anything about Nikhil having been in her cabin, and for that she was eternally grateful.
And then Nikhil and the security guard were heading through the surgery doors, and she just about had time to plaster a cheery smile on her face.
‘How’s the eye, Nurse?’ Nikhil asked at once, and Isla couldn’t help smiling as Jordanna practically glowed at the concern.
‘I’ll survive.’
‘Glad to hear it. Are you up to giving your statement?’
‘Sure.’ The ravishing American flashed a killer smile despite the black eye, but Nikhil had already turned away, leaving her with the equally tall, equally dark, but not quite as handsome security guy.
Jordanna’s smile faded for a second and Isla almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
But then Nikhil’s razor gaze turned on her, and she had to concentrate on radiating a nonchalance she simply didn’t feel.