Chapter 1,1

Today of all days he couldn’t afford to be late leaving work.  With the noise of the hectic A&E Dept still ringing in his ears and the adrenalin of one too many cups of lukewarm coffee cursing through his veins, SHO Dominik Napier was determined that he would be at the hotel in plenty of time to meet his Grandfather.  

Dom had been looking forward to this weekend ever since his Grandpa had phoned to say that he was coming up to Liverpool and not even the sound of yet another ambulance pulling up outside was enough to stop him rushing to the Doctors’ room to change from his scrubs. 

When Dom was a little boy, Max loved to tell his only Grandson tales of his childhood growing up on the family farm outside Warsaw The hot endless summers spent playing in the woods with his big brothers and the cold winter nights huddled around the fire listening to his Mother playing the piano.  Dom would listen and long for the day when he was old enough to visit his Grandpa’s homeland, never realising that it wasn’t only people who were casualties of war, whole countries suffered too.

As he pulled his holdall out of his locker Dom was startled when the Sister in charge of A&E came crashing through the door.

‘Dom, thank God you haven’t left yet, we’ve an emergency just arrived.’

‘ Not tonight’ he groaned ‘where’s Cathy? You know I wanted to get away on time.’

‘Cathy has been called down to ITU. Come on Dom there’s nobody else; do you want this old bugger to die?’

‘As you asked so nicely Sister how can I refuse’ said Dom putting his stethoscope back around his neck.  ‘Where is he?’

Reluctantly following the Sister into the end cubicle Dom looked at horror at the old man lying on the trolley.  His face was the colour of wax and the telltale droop to his mouth indicated that this poor old chap had suffered a massive stroke.  Dom gently took hold of old man’s hand as he looked up at the nurse and said.

‘Can you call Mr Grogan down please; I think that my Grandfather needs some help here.’

‘Oh Dom I’m so sorry I didn’t realise, I just thought he was some old chap.’

‘Well you weren’t wrong Sister, he is some old chap, it’s just that he happens to be my old chap.’ Said Dom turning to hide the tears that he knew were well up in his eyes.