A Fatal Misunderstanding

“Another good days work,” Dr Jamal smiled.

“A good days work, Dr?” Nurse Gladis looked at him questionably.  “You’re the best surgeon there is in this city, that alone this hospital, !”

“Who me?” Dr Jamal said with his best Indian accent and cheeky chappy smile.

He pulled off his latex gloves and apron and threw them into the waste bin, before walking to the staffroom to collect his belongings from his locker.

It was a chilly November night, and the small crystals were forming on the ground by the hospitals front entrance, where the drainpipe above was cracked and dripping.

Dr Jamal took a large stride to avoid the icy patch before pulling his coat around him and fastening it up.  As he walked towards the train station, he could feel the iciness in the air and wondered if it would snow.  He’d only been in England for the past seven years and so far without fail it had snowed every winter, something he hadn’t experience growing up in India.

His beard and moustache kept his mouth from catching the cool air and his tightly woven turban which sat neatly on his head, secured warmth and a shield from any sharp winds.  However, neither helped the chill reach the end of his nose.

He walked down the steps to the station and pushed his ticket through the machine.  It was quiet, mainly because there were few trains at that time of the evening.  As he walked onto the platform, he could hear shouting.  A small group of youths stood on the other side of the tracks, shouting and swearing at two younger teenage boys on the platform.  Dr Jamal sat on the bench to wait for the train.  He’d lived in the city long enough to know that you keep yourself to yourself when there’s trouble, especially late on a Friday evening.

The shouting became more heated, threats and testosterone was fuelling an already nasty row between the two parties.  Suddenly, the main bravado of the group jumped onto the tracks and ran over to the two boys on the platform, head butting one and kneecapping the other.  Both boys lay on the ground, one screaming out in pain, whilst the other muted and motionless.

“Yo Blud,” one of the gang shouted across the tracks and like a cheetah stealthily jumped the tracks and joined his friend.  He pulled a knife from his pocket and stabbed the screaming boy until his cries were less than a yelp.  “Run Bruv,” he screamed and both boys, fled across the tracks and the gang disappeared.

Dr Jamal had already gotten to his feet, as soon as the glistening of the blade had left the boys pocket.  By the time he reached the boys, one of them had called someone from his mobile phone.

“Hello.  Hello can you hear me?” he shouted to them as he tried to ascertain which boy needed his attention more urgently.  He began putting one boy into the recovery position, whilst calling for an ambulance on the boys phone.  Before he had a chance to look at the other boy, he heard scurried footsteps coming down the station steps and relieved for back up turned around.

“You dirty terrorist!” he heard as a group of lads, not dissimilar to the ones who had just run off, but this time a little older in appearance.  “Get your hands off my brover yeah!” before Dr Jamal was knocked to the ground.

“The bloody thief’s got your bros phone blud,” he heard another shout, before Dr Jamal was completely struck out cold.

*   *   *

As Dr Jamal lay unconscious in the Accident and Emergency room, the two boys were being treated by doctors and nurses, one who was in a much worse state than the other.  Their family and friends waited outside, anxious and plotting revenge.

As Nurse Gladis went to the boy’s family, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.  “I’m afraid we have to get him to surgery.  He is in a critical state.  He has received several stab wounds to his internal organs.  There is a significant amount of internal bleeding.  We must operate now.”

The boy’s family wept.  His brother stepped forward angry and anxious “Please save my brother?  This is the best hospital in the city yeah.  You can save him right?”

Nurse Gladis looked meaningfully at the boy and his family in what was possibly the hardest night of their life.  “Your brother is in the best place possible,” and without hesitation she looked at the boy and leant closer, “however,” she whispered so only the boy could hear her, “You have nearly killed one of the best surgeons in the City and a very valued colleague, your brother could have been helped sooner if you hadn’t of assumed the worse!” and with that, she left the room.