Moonlight Magic

It was breakfast time on the ward… 7am, and people were beginning to stir.

“I’ll just go and check on Eric before I go.” Said Julie, mainly to herself but also loud enough so Sandra could hear.

“I think you and Eric have got a thing going.” Replied Sandra throwing on her coat eager to get away as usual.

“Don’t be daft.” Said Julie turning her head back slightly as she walked down the corridor towards his wardroom. “I just want to make sure he’s Ok.” As soon as she walked through the doors she knew there was something not quite right because she could see his bed by the window was already made…and immaculately as well…far better than they, the nurses would usually do it. She approached his bed slowly, looking around her from one side to the other just in case he was sat in one of the other chairs or on one of the unoccupied beds. But he wasn’t. He was nowhere to be seen. He had obviously got up in the night, put on his clothes, made his bed and left…But how? She had been on duty all night with Sandra. Surely she would have seen him leave…after all, he wasn’t a young man any more…he was old, admittedly she didn’t know how old, because he had only just got his memory back and he hadn’t said, but even so, she found it hard to believe he could have sneaked past the nurses station without either herself or Sandra seeing or hearing him. She stood motionless looking at his empty bed for a few seconds trying to take in what had happened. He was gone. He can’t be. She still didn’t believe it and ran out of the wardroom towards the toilet and shower room. She didn’t even knock and just barged straight in. They were both empty which is good in one way…that she didn’t scare the living daylights out of an unsuspecting patient…but bad in the other way.

He wasn’t in there either.

Standing outside the male toilets she stood for a moment to gather her thoughts. Maybe he had just gone for a walk…That was probably it. He had gone for a walk and was downstairs in the lobby. But it was early and the coffee shop wasn’t open yet so if he was down there, he would just be sitting...or walking around and even though he had got his memory back she knew he was still unsteady on his feet and the last thing she wanted was for him to have a fall and hurt himself…let alone the implications it would have on her and Sandra’s career. Imagine…they would always be known as the nurses that allowed an old male patient to slip past them and go for a walk around the hospital…not good.

She had to go down to the lobby and find out.

She almost sprinted down the corridor, past the nurse’s station to the lifts at the far end.

“Hey.” Shouted Sandra who, unusually, was still on the corridor just behind the desk to the nurse’s station. “What’s the hurry?”

Julie didn’t reply as she frantically pressed the button for the lifts to go down.

“Julie. What is it?” Asked Sandra now sounding concerned as she knew Julie wouldn’t be acting like this unless there was something wrong.

“He’s gone.” Julie replied sounding out of breath.

“What?”

“Eric. He’s gone. He’s not in his wardroom.”

“He’s probably just gone for a walk Julie. You know what this lot are like. They’re always wandering off.” Said Sandra trying to calm the situation.

“No Sandra.” Said Julie walking around in small circles frustrated that the lifts weren’t arriving yet. “His bed is made. His clothes are gone. I know Sandra. He’s gone.”

“Look. Calm down. He won’t be far.”

The left hand lift chimed and the doors opened allowing Julie to scamper inside and repeatedly press the green button for the ground floor.

“I’m going down to the lobby to have a look.” Julie spluttered as the doors began to close, making her say her next sentence as fast as she could. “If he comes back…keep him here…Julie.” The doors shut and the lift began its descent to the ground floor.

Ping…went the lift and the doors opened.

Julie almost flew out of the doors even before they’d finished sliding open and began her search for Eric which wasn’t too difficult this early in the morning. If it had been after 9am the reception and lobby area would be swarming with people attending their appointments, people bringing people to their appointments, people collecting people from their appointments, volunteers, nurses, doctors, porters, patients coming and going and just about anyone else you can think of, but at this time…which was just after 7am, the place was quiet…Thank goodness.

Julie quickly made a sweep of the lobby and its seated area…no luck. The café wasn’t open yet but she had a look anyway just in case he was sitting where he shouldn’t be…nope. Finally she made her way to the front entrance where there were three sets of huge glass sliding doors designed to keep the cold out and the heat in but gain she couldn’t see him anywhere.

She negotiated the sliding doors and stood outside in the morning sun where there was a handful of people scattered about having a cigarette. One of them was a young police officer who saw her, and whether it was out of embarrassment at being caught smoking or had genuinely finished smoking, threw his cigarette into the gutter, stood on it and walked towards her with a cheeky little grin on his face.

“It’s a fair cop.” He said smiling at her. “Before you say anything. I know it’s bad for me…and yes…I’m trying to stop.”

“Oh…I…sorry.” Stuttered Julie feeling her face flush red. He looked very handsome in his uniform and she felt a mess having just finished her night shift.

“Oh…I…have you seen an old man walk past here?” She asked knowing straight away it sounded like a stupid question…there were lots of old men here…he had probably seen loads.

“Well…yes…I…” He began before Julie interrupted him.

“Sorry…I mean…an elderly patient has gone missing from the ward and I’ve come down to look for him.” She then began to describe what he looked like and what he was wearing.

“Well…miss..?”

“Oh…Julie. My name’s Julie. I’m a nurse on the geriatric ward. Upstairs.”

“Well Julie. That was an excellent description. I wish all of the people I spoke to could describe what they had seen the way you just did.” She smiled and was just about to answer when he spoke first getting his notebook from his pocket.

“So…this elderly gentleman. Does he need to be here in the hospital? Is he a danger to other people or to himself?”

“Err…well…he…”

“You see Julie, I’m asking these questions because this has happened to me a couple of times before. Someone discharges themselves from hospital because they don’t want to be here, for whatever reason, and unfortunately unless they are a danger to some else…well…there’s not much we…the police, can do.”

“But…he…he’s old…and I didn’t say goodbye.” She said feeling silly again for what she’d just said.

“Look Julie. You’ve given me such an amazing description, I’ll put the word round the lads that if they see this chap, they’ll stop and chat to him and make sure he’s Ok…Ok?”

“Oh…thank you…err…” She said squinting in the sun to see his badge, “PC178.”

“Dave…call me Dave.”

“Dave…thank you Dave.” She said smiling and folding her arms across her body because although it was a glorious morning it was still quite chilly.

“Oh look at you Julie. It’s cold. You go inside and if I find your old chap I’ll come back here and tell you OK?”

“Yes…thank you Dave.” She said turning and making her way back through the sliding doors taking the occasional peak back at him over her shoulder.

Once she was completely back inside she turned to wave goodbye but he was gone.

She took a moment to think about Eric and the reality of the situation hit home…all she could do was hope he was Ok and safe because last night might have been the last time she would see him.

Maybe. Who knows?