And she was crazily in love with him.
'What's wrong?' His searching gaze made her blush and she turned her attention to Freddie, trying hard not to let her feelings show on her face.
She'd suspected it, but now she knew for sure. And she knew that, for her, this was the real thing. She'd never been one to 'fall in love' repeatedly. There'd never been anyone that she'd been interested in as more than a friend.
Until now.
'Ellie?' Ben's tone was slightly sharp. 'I need to take some blood from Freddie.'
She gave a start and pulled herself together,
Blood. From Freddie.
She picked up the right equipment and passed it to Ben with a shaking hand, aware that he was still watching her closely.
After one final, searching look that left her pulse rate in total disorder, he turned his attention back to their patient.
'I need to take some blood from you, Freddie—can I call you Freddie?' Ben was talking calmly, explaining what he was doing as he carried on giving Ellie instructions in an undertone. 'He's shocked, so can you run through some normal saline and then call X-Ray. I want an erect chest X-ray and then I want you to pass a nasogastric tube...'
He found a vein easily, taped the venflon in place and then injected some antibiotics just as the surgical registrar walked into the room.
Ellie lubricated the end of the tube and eased it gently into Freddie's nose. 'Swallow for me, Freddie,' she urged, and he did as she asked, his eyes suddenly dull and sunken.
Ben briefed the surgical reg and they conferred for a few minutes while Ellie gave Freddie a quick wash and changed him into a hospital gown.
'When they've sorted out your tummy, a nice nurse is going to do your hair,' she told him chattily. 'Full salon treatment. Wash, condition, cut—if you want a cut, that is,' she added quickly, and then broke off as she saw Ben and the registrar exchange amused looks. 'What? What did I say?'
'Nothing.' The registrar gave her a warm smile and she turned her attention back to Freddie, making him as comfortable as she could in the short time available before he had to have his X-ray.
The registrar picked up the notes and gave them both a nod. 'We'll take it from here. I've rung Theatre and they're expecting him. Have you sent off bloods?'
Ben nodded. 'FBC, U and E, blood sugar and amylase.'
'Great. Thanks.'
'I'll help you with the trolley.' Ellie took Freddie's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. 'Freddie, you need to have an operation, but when you're better I'll come and visit you and bring you some new clothes.'
'Don't let him shoot the dog,' Freddie mumbled, and the registrar looked startled.
'He's a very nice man. He won't shoot the dog,' Ellie said firmly, making a mental note to speak to the social workers about Freddie. Maybe he did have a dog. It certainly didn't pay to make assumptions.
She wheeled the trolley as far as Theatre and then said her goodbyes, returning to A and E and immediately picking up the phone to Social Services. She spoke to the duty social worker who, it turned out, knew Freddie Hayward very well.
'He was a salesman,' the social worker told her, 'but then he started to drink and lost his job. His wife threw him out and he's been on the streets ever since. He's actually a really nice man. He turns up at the hostel on King Street occasionally. What's happened to him?'
Ellie told her and asked if she knew anything about a dog.
'I've never heard anyone say anything about a dog but I'll ask some questions,' the social worker assured her. 'Which ward will he be on? I'll go and visit him and see if we can sort something out. He won't be able to sleep rough when he's discharged from hospital.'
Feeling
thoroughly depressed about Freddie and disconcerted about the strength of her feelings for Ben, Ellie walked back to the treatment room where she'd been put in charge of dressings for the day and started to wade her way through the queue of people.
Her stomach was rumbling but she knew that she couldn't have eaten anything even if she'd had the time, which she didn't.
'That's healing nicely,' she told one lady who'd come back for the second time to have her burn checked. 'You can make an appointment with your practice nurse and they'll carry on dressing it until it's better.'
'Thanks, Nurse.' The lady sat quietly while Ellie carefully dressed the bum. 'It was such a stupid thing to do anyway. Can you believe I knocked the kettle over? And that hot water could do so much damage?'