‘The ICU would still connect to the ORs, Colonel,’ she acknowledged, ‘but that’s a long way around for one of the wards. In an emergency it would take too long and I’d end up having to rush men to Theatre through the women’s ward, or vice versa.’
‘Ah, I see.’ She could almost hear his tone relax.
Had he been as apprehensive about this meeting as her?
Somehow, that made her feel a fraction better.
‘Then there’s another option.’ Fitz moved his hand across the plans and she shivered, stopping herself from recalling quite how that strong palm had felt on her skin. ‘If we moved the ORs to this location we could put the plant room for the medical gas supply system here. The ICU would go here and the wards could be there, or there. The generators would then go here and we could even tap into the aquifer with a new pipeline to ensure the running water for the facility is as clean as it possibly can be until the government builds a new waste management plant next year.’
Quickly, she ran it over and over in her head. It looked promising, although her sixth sense told her there was one area that could be improved from a medical point of view, but which they couldn’t have foreseen as engineers.
‘Would that work for you, Major?’ Fitz asked.
‘It looks like a viable solution and I like the sound of it,’ she mused. ‘I might like to make a couple of tweaks to the internal layout designs if it’s to work optimally. How long do I have to go over it?’
‘How l
ong do you need?’
Fitz’s voice was so flat she couldn’t work out what he was thinking.
‘Not long. I’d like to get it back to you by the end of today, as long as we don’t get an influx of emergencies. With Colonel Duggan back at Razorwire, we’re down a surgeon and a teacher.’
‘At the moment we’re still going through the hospital itself to make the last structural repairs to the east wing, such as it is.’ Carl smiled. ‘But I’d like to start on the external foundations this week. I’m heading out with a logistics convoy to inspect the ongoing railhead operation in the north and won’t be back until tomorrow, so what if I leave the plans with you overnight and then go through them with you when I return?’
Her body numbed.
If Carl was going off-site then it meant that if there were any issues needing immediate discussion or resolution she’d have to deal with Fitz directly. The thought of having to work on anything one on one with him set her stomach churning with fear.
‘I’m heading a medical convoy out into the communities myself tomorrow.’ She sent out a silent apology to Amir for taking his place after she’d just offered it to him. ‘I’ll be gone for a few days.’ She feigned apology. ‘I could look at it tonight and then pass it to my second-in-command to go through it with you?’
Fitz spoke before Carl could answer.
‘Major Howes, if you could ask Staff Sergeant Bell to start on that area of ground we discussed this morning?’
‘Colonel.’ Carl dipped his head, heading quickly out of the door.
Fitz waited for it to close before confronting her.
‘Why are you taking a mobile medical unit into the communities?’
Elle raised her eyebrow. They both knew the question wasn’t within his remit as commanding officer of the Royal Engineers. She could have challenged him, but instead she chose to play it straight down the line as strictly professional.
‘I have a wave of IPVs to administer.’
‘IPVs?’
‘Inactivated polio vaccines. Part of the medical role out here is to ensure every child under the age of ten has been vaccinated against polio and measles. We can’t guarantee the husbands will make the trip to me for their children so until the charities arrive to begin the grandmothers’ health groups, we stand more chance of getting the men to agree if we go to them.’
‘And the grandmothers’ health groups are...?’
‘Like many of the places the charities have worked, out here it’s down to the men to decide whether their wives and children can get medical help. Over the decades they’ve found that the most effective way to encourage attitude change is to teach the grandmothers. They are some of the most valued and respected people within their communities and they have more influence over their sons and sons-in-law than the young wives do over their husbands.’
‘I see. But until we’ve completed a lot of the rebuild, the charities aren’t going to be out here. So going into the communities makes them more amenable?’
‘Sure. A lot of it is more about lack of information and advice than anything. Not all families have the means, or inclination, to get to the hospital, so I go to them. We try to educate them on why getting their child immunised is so important, and describe symptoms such as acute flaccid paralysis so that they know what to look out for and when to bring their child to us at the hospital.’
‘Which communities?’ he bit out.