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A P N O E A (Medical Thriller)
The story is centred on the single minded specialist in Anaesthesia, Professor Caine, whose organised life and routine is disrupted with the arrival of an accident victim, Sally Peterson, at the ultra modern Mill Hill University Hospital. Sally ends up in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due not only to her injuries but sensitivity to one of the anaesthetic drugs causing prolonged cessation of respiration - apnoea.
Caine isn't entirely happy with certain aspects of the case. What is the connection between Sally's uncle Samuel Peterson, and - 'The Sally Peterson Trust' - bequeathed by her grandfather? What roles do the private nurse Ms. Jones and the Peterson's attorney, Clive Bottomley, have in this episode? Then there is Tanya Engelsson the ICU nurse, and the petty criminals Billy and Jason Brand and Danny, who are in the picture constantly, clouding the issues. While he is thus preoccupied, Caine himself falls victim to a sudden, unexplained illness and ends up in the same ICU ! During recovery from the protracted illness, his mission to solve the mystery exposes him to a web of greed, treachery, violence and murder, very nearly his own
Prologue
Through the haze he saw them as a blur, sometimes he just heard the voices. There were footsteps, voices all around him, on occasions seemingly close and at other times appearing to be miles away. There were those interminable hours, days - he didn't know which - when darkness engulfed him completely, when there was no awareness of even being there. Then there was the constant chugging sound, going on incessantly near him - but it seemed to be a comforting one - when he was aware of it. From time to time however, he would hear the high pitched whine, which produced a feeling of choking, a helpless inability to breathe. In the same instant there would be the excruciating pain down his entire being, when it felt as if a hot poker was being thrust down his windpipe into his lungs. And as suddenly as it started, the sensation would pass, followed by confidence, comfort, when the chugging sound next to him would take over. What did it all mean? Where was he? Was this a nightmare or the reality of the after life in hell? He could not see, move any part of his body or communicate his feelings of horror, revulsion, anxiety and hopelessness. All he could do was think, when he was awake for long enough. He would try to listen to the voices, try to muster some invisible force within him to produce some deliberate positive movement from some part of his body. It was futile. Time and again there were those waves and waves of darkness which would keep sweeping over him, lowering him into an abyss until he could feel no more. Darkness go away, cried his soul, but no one could hear him. Or did they? Footsteps - They were getting closer. Soon, he had his answer, when the footsteps stopped near him...
Extract from 1st chapter
Staff nurse Tanya Englesson emerged from the ladies' room smoothing the back of her uniform as she closed the door behind her. Because she had started work earlier the night before, she was actually leaving before the normal shift ended. Nonetheless, she still felt tired and lightheaded from working on the Intensive Care Unit without any sleep for over twelve hours. However, her gait belied any sense of fatigue. Her tall Scandinavian frame was erect, the jutting breasts swayed, the firm hips undulated majestically as she strode down the corrido, a sight which made most men turn their head in her direction and gape. She was aware of the sensation she created, and took advantage of her assets whenever the opportunity presented itself. At that time of the morning however, there was no audience to watch and admire her. It didn't matter today. She was longing for her bed and a few hours sleep before she made any other plans. After being on duty for the last seven nights, she now had four days off during which she could renew her social life, and compensate for the deprivations of working nights. She took the lift to the ground floor and walked out through the front entrance.
"Hi, Sharon..." she called out to the girl at the front reception as she made her way down the steps.
Sharon merely grunted a reply and waved casually. Although she had met Tanya on a few occasions at parties held in the nurses' home, she didn't particularly like her. Tanya was too pushy, too sure of herself and her looks and made most other girls feel inadequate. In fact, there weren't many women who would swear to really liking Tanya.
Tanya was aware of the hostility of the womenfolk, but instead of regret it only confused and bemused her. She was a fun-loving girl, and if God had given her the body and looks to match, it wasn't her fault. During the war, her father Eric Englesson, had been rescued by the Royal Navy from the North Sea after his cargo ship had been torpdoed by a German U boat and spent several months recovering from his injuries in England. Later he had volunteered to serve in the British Navy and because of his intimate knowledge of the Scandinavian waters and the fjords of Norway in particular, had been very useful in the latter years of the war effort. He chose to remain in the U.K after the war and had married his childhood sweeteheart, Inga from Sweden, who died a few years after Tanya was born, from a rare blood disorder. Ever since Tanya was old enough to remember, her father, while still grieving for her mother, constantly reminded Tanya of the hours of
darkness and despair as he had been floating helplessly in the raging sea. Until his dying day he had been grateful for his lucky escape and urged his daughter to live her life to the full, because a second chance may never come - Maybe she had taken him too literally. Smiling absentmindedly Tanya headed towards the nurses home which was situated at the far end of the grounds beyond the Accident and Emergency block.
As she went past the parked cars she recognised the new Mercedes belonging to Professor Caine. Like several other nurses she harboured certain romantic feelings for Harold Caine which she knew would never be reciprocated. It was a waste of time.
`You're thirty-five and it's time you settled down, my girl' she mused.
She had almost reached the nurses home and some of the girls on the morning shift went past her hurriedly towards the hospital. Some exchanged greetings and others merely glanced at her as they sped to their destinations.
Tanya reached her room on the first floor and turned the key. She was unsure whether to have a quick shower or go to bed straight away, as she opened the door to the dark interior of the room and reached for the switch on the right wall. The ceiling light didn't respond. Rather than walk over to the bedside lamp she undressed in the dark kicking her shoes to one corner of the room and her uniform to the other, towards the clothes bin. After locking the door, she took off her remaining under garments and headed for the bed having decided to have a few hours sleep first.
She didn't know exactly what happened next. She was hurled across the room on to her bed by an assailant - who spun her round on to her back as she fell - and ended on top after and covered her mouth firmly with his hand. He pinned both of her arms under his knees sitting astride her and with the free hand smacked her hard several times on both sides of the face.
" Thought you could get away with it … did you … bitch ? " he rasped, while at the same time reached out and urgently and coarsely started kneading her full breasts.
She was completely bewildered - Who was this man ? Why had he attacked her ? What could she do to free herself ?
Before she could finish her thoughts, he was awkwardly struggling to get inside her. He was strong, much too strong for her to protest or fight him off...
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