organised with antibiotics, painkillers and other medications that were kept in the ward. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder through the steel mesh that now encircled him and pressed forward with his task.
He quickly located and sized up the stocks of the drugs he was after on the shelves, knowing that he needed to strike a balance between taking as much as he could without taking too much and alerting the other staff members, particularly the hard-arsed Sister Patricia who ran the ward like a detention camp and possessed a sharp eye for detail.
“Though shalt not be greedy,” he reminded himself quietly.
He packed five small boxes into his underpants, dropped several ampoules into the murky water in his bucket and then quickly rearranged the remaining stock on the shelves in an effort to disguise what he had taken. He re- locked the doors with a gentle and quiet snick and tested it just to be extra safe, thus ensuring he didn’t make the mistake he’d once previously made by leaving the door ajar. Taking a deep breath, he put on his
“Craig!” Hearing his name called from behind him sent a knife of despair straight through his spine.
Somehow he managed to resist the urge to run screaming down the hallway like someone who belonged in the psych ward, and slowly turned around as if nothing was wrong. He was momentarily confused and yet also relieved to see Natalie Bassett standing behind him. She was dressed in tight jeans and a black silk blouse that held Craig’s gaze for a moment too long before his eyes reached her face.
“Well hi princess, if I’d known you were coming to pay me a visit I would have got dressed up for the occasion,” he said, sweeping a hand across his dirty blue scrubs, hoping that the tone of his voice wasn’t as high and nervous as it sounded in his own ears.
“How are you Craig?” she asked unsmiling, sounding a little nervous herself.
“Fine, never better. I’ve just spent the last half hour cleaning up the shit of some eighty-seven year old bag, who is too old and weak to make it to the toilet on her own, but apart from that I’m great.”
Natalie regarded his scrubs with new found distaste and took an involuntary half step backwards.
“Good to hear, and too much information as usual.”
“Yep. I tell you, I’ve never seen so much crap in my life. I think she must have been saving it up for the last four years. And of course it had to happen just before the end of my shift. I hope someone knocks me on the head with a shovel if I get that bad. But enough about me and my problems,” he said, realising that he was talking way too much, which he attributed to his nerve-wracking illicit cargo. “What are you doing here?”
“Bryce is in the emergency ward.”
“What? What for?”
“They think it’s a nasty bout of food poisoning. I just thought I’d come and let you know. Maybe you could pay him a visit or something to cheer him up.”
“Yeah, sure. Anything for Bryce. I’m about to finish my shift so I’ll just get cleaned up and come on down in five.”
“Ok, thanks. He’d appreciate that I think.”
Craig turned and headed off down the corridor. Bryce was one of his genuine friends, someone who for whatever reason liked him, warts and all and Craig was the first to admit that he had plenty of warts. Bryce wasn’t someone who wanted Craig to be someone else, someone nicer, more diplomatic and less confronting. They’d met four years previously when they worked together at Carmichael’s Security – still Bryce’s current employer - and had remained close friends ever since.
Craig made his way to the cleaner’s storeroom and was relieved to find it empty. His heart was still beating fast, as if he had just taken three flights of stairs at a gallop. He removed the boxes from his underpants and carefully dried and transferred the ampoules from his bucket to his backpack which he had stashed earlier behind a small mountain of toilet paper. He stored the mop and bucket and threw his gloves in the medical waste bin. He cracked the door to check that the hallway was clear and made a calm dash to the staff locker room which was two doors further down the hall and fortuitously empty apart from someone taking a shower. He changed out of his work clothes and headed down to the Emergency ward on the ground floor.
The emergency ward was, as usual, jammed with sick and injured people who suffered patiently, and some not so patiently, waiting their turn to see a doctor based on their triage prioritisation. Craig searched his way through the rabbit warren-like corridors, glancing into each treatment bay and room as he went past them. He eventually located Bryce, who was sitting on a bed, sipping at a cup of ice and watching the emergency ward proceedings with dull and tired eyes.
“Hey mate. You look like shit,” smiled Craig.
“Really? Seems strange when I feel so awesome,” replied Bryce, smiling weakly.
“You haven’t been cooking up your chili-con-carne again have you? I’ve told you before to go easy on the chillis. You make it potent enough to kill a dead donkey.”
Bryce managed a small laugh even though it felt like his insides were turning outside.
”No, no chili con carne this time.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“They’re still not sure. We’ve only seen the triage nurse. We’re still waiting to see a goddam doctor.”
Natalie joined them, carrying sandwiches and coffee that she’d bought from the cafeteria. She smiled sympathetically at Bryce, flashing dozens of straight, white teeth and stroked his cheek tenderly.
“Hey baby. Feeling any better?”
“A little,” Bryce croaked, soaking up the attention.
Craig decided that he had had enough of the lovey-dovey display being performed in front of him and gently hefted his backpack to avoid any tell-tale clinking sounds from within.
“Ok. I’ll leave you two love birds alone now. I’ve got something I need to do. I hope you feel better big fella. I’ll give you a call tomorrow and see how you’re going.”
Craig Thoms headed out through the automatic double doors of the Emergency ward. He felt tired, tired from work and tired of work. He wanted to head home to bed and sleep for a week, or at least eight hours, but first he had a delivery to make.
Chapter 6
Nero’s bar was filling up fast with an early evening crowd meeting for drinks after work, keen to make the most of their Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
Natalie and Bryce, hand in hand, squeezed past a small cluster of people obliviously blocking the door and saw Jen, Craig and Grant at their regular table near the front window. Bryce had known the owner of the bar since high school and had supplied him the hardware for the security system at the bar for cost price plus five percent. As a payback, the owner reserved
Craig sat spread-eagled across one of the lounges with his feet up on the table and had Jen and Grant in fits of laughter as he recounted the highlights of his week. He smiled at Bryce and Natalie as they sat down at the table.
“Hi kids, thought you might not be turning up tonight. How’s your menstrual pain Bryce? All fixed up now?”
“I’m getting there,” said Bryce smiling weakly, his face still pale and a little thinner from eating nothing but dry toast and water for the previous two days. “And Nats has been taking good care of me.”
“Yeah she must be, I’ve barely seen her in the last two days.” added Jen.
“Maybe you should have stayed home tonight seeing as you’ll just end up buying my drinks all night anyway,” said Craig. “Could’ve saved yourself a whole lot of money because I’ll need ten or fifteen beers after the week I’ve had, let me tell you.”
“Well we’ll see about that,” retorted Grant manfully. “I’m loaded up a new camera which my little bro sold me at cost price.”
“Well bully for you,” Craig smirked. “But fancy equipment is no substitute for skill, intelligence and a bit of heart.”
“Ok boys. That’s enough of the pissing contests.” Natalie interceded gently, but firmly. “It’s my turn to
