I was dressed as an Orderly, had dyed my hair black, added pads into my cheeks to give me a rounder face, wore thick glasses and carried test gauges and a spanner. I went to the Sister just coming on duty and said,
"Evening Sister, just to let you know I have nearly finished pressure testing the oxygen units."
She was busy signing in so hardly gave me a second glance. As I walked off down the passage towards Pauline's room she called out after me.
"When you have done that and as soon as visiting hour is over start mopping the floors"
I made a face at the guard at the door to Pauline's ward who just laughed at me. I did not go straight in to her ward but went to the next ward which was the end room in that wing. I plugged in the gauges and made a thing of testing each outlet.

The other Sisters and Orderlies just assumed I was one of them so let me be. The next ward was the one I wanted to be in but as I got to the door the guard said,
"You just come on duty? Show me your ID."
I simply pointed to the clip-on ID on my top pocket and he merely glanced at it before saying,
"OK carry on."
I was pleased that my online investigation, work and printing had produced a good enough forged ID to pass his check!

I went in and found that only one bed out of the six was occupied and that there was no one else in the room. Good, I thought, at least they have isolated her a bit but the security is shocking! I moved up to the oxygen gauge set to one side of her bed and she just glanced at me then closed her eyes again!
"Excuse me but where is your femoral artery?"
I whispered. Her eyes popped open as she turned her head and stared at me wide eyed.
"Ssh,"
I whispered,
"It's me, I told you I have got your back! What happened?"

She explained that as she drove back to the Base her brakes had failed her around the one sharp curve and she had gone over the cliff.
"But its only bruises and bumps,"
she assured me.
"Hang Pauline, I am so sorry! Whats worse is that they think I did it!"
I said.
"The only thing I am guilty of is threatening your thigh with my knife,"
I said smiling sadly at her,
"and for that I humbly apologise, I overstepped the mark. I don't blame you for swearing at me!"
She blushed as she sheepishly said,
"thanks for coming."
Just then her eyes opened wide again as she felt my hand under the blanket.
"Whaaa?"
"Keep quiet"
I ordered her,
"here are two knives just like your favorites! With one difference, these are sharper! I don't trust your guards to watch over you so I will be here as long as possible but these are in case you don't need me to look after you,"
I said smiling gently at her. She just grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze,
"Thanks"
she whispered. Just then the guard stuck his head around the door to watch me as I moved onto the next oxygen point.

As I moved to the last oxygen point I felt her eyes watching me so turned slightly and gave her a wink. Just then I heard a voice I recognised greet the guard.
"Everything in order?"
the man asked.
"Yes Commandant, only approved staff have entered all day!"
I saw a slight smile on the face of Pauline as the Commandant walked in.
"Hello my dear,"
he said gently as he walked in, nodding to me as he passed,
"How are you doing?"
"Better thanks,"
Pauline replied,
"I will be discharged in the morning. By the way have you spoken to my uncle yet?"
She was obviously referring to me as that was how I was becoming known, even by the rest of the team.
"That man is a pain in my butt,"
he grumbled,
"But I know him and he did not do it!"
She just laughed and said,
"I know Commandant, he is watching my back. He told me that more than once and I am starting to believe him."

As I finished checking the last oxygen outlet I turned and, behind the Commandant back, blew her a kiss and walked out! The commandant did not know why she was laughing. I moved into the next ward and continued checking the oxygen system all the time monitoring who passed the doorway. She had no other visitors and I wondered about that as I would have expected at least one or two because she seemed to be a nice person, okay, except for the swearing! I will be glad when visiting hour is over, I thought, then there will be less movement and I can stay in the passage, even if it meant mopping it.

As I completed the last ward the end of visiting time bell rang and I watched as the visitors filed out. Upon exiting the last ward I turned and looked down the passage only to see that the guard outside Pauline's room was not there! I moved as quickly as possible down towards her room grabbing the mop as I went. The door was closed but I pushed it silently open only to see a large man leaning over Pauline. I threw the mop at him and he spun around, I had not seen him before but he was huge! He let go of her and came for me in a crouched run. I waited until he was almost on top of me before deliberately falling backwards and as he lost his balance and fell towards me I lifted my knees, one catching him in the groin and the other in the solar plexus. He rolled off me groaning but as I got up he grabbed me by the ankle and jerked my down onto the ground. Damn why had I been so casual, I only had one knife on me and I was lying on it!

As he got to his knees and tried to reach for my throat I heard a swishing noise and a knife flashed over my head into his throat. He let go of me and as he grabbed for his throat I rolled out sideways, just then the second knife hit him lower down and went straight into his heart. I sat there for a minute then turned to see Pauline sitting up staring at the man.
"I was sleeping and next minute he was on top of me strangling me before I could do anything and he was a strong bastard as well then you saved my live!"
she jabbered.
"yes,"
I replied,
"then you saved mine."
I was going to tell her I had it covered but I figured she needed to be told that throwing her knives were justified because she saved a life. Then it struck me,
"Where is the guard?"
I asked.

I quickly went over to her, gave her a hug before she could fend me off and my only other knife. Then picking up my mop and taking my cellphone out I ran out the door. The guard at the main door was still sitting there oblivious to the drama in the ward! I phoned the Commandant and without bothering to even identify myself said,
"Your guard is gone from Pauline's ward door and a guy just tried to strangle her! She is okay though except shaken. Get her out of here."
Then switching off my phone I picked up my bucket and moved down the furthest passage away from Pauline's and started mopping the floor.

I watched as the guard at the main door answered his phone then came running down and into Pauline's room. I got a shiver as a sudden thought struck me, what if he was also part of it? He could finish her off so I quickly dropped my mop and went in after him. I saw him standing over the dead man and as he looked up at me I shouted loudly,
"What have you done?"
And backing out of ward I continued shouting,
"Sister, Sister"
and at that a couple of the nursing staff came running. That's it I thought, try kill the lot of them.

I was about to run off when I saw Pauline stick her head out around the door of her room so signaled her to come over to the vacant nursing station where I stood. I grabbed a nurses coat then picking her up, put her on a gurney, covered her with a blanket and calmly pushed her through the swing doors and down the passage to the lifts. Once in the lift I selected the button for one floor down, pulled her off the gurney and put the coat around her. As the doors opened and we stepped out of the lift I reached in and pushed the highest floor's button and let the lift doors close. I slowly walked her down a long passage and to the other lift which would take us directly to the X ray department.


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