A normal day

Away from work

Signed off sick

In fact

The schedule:

Two hours reviewing

Correcting

A Local Authority document

A Placement Plan

Second draft

Will you sign?

Another hour

Emailing solicitor

Corrections

Concerns

She notes again

Illegalities

You will not sign

Solicitor takes over

Another hour

Virtual meeting

Second solicitor

Court appointed Deputy

For my boy

Reviewing court issued document

Discussing implications

Next steps

Ways forward

Solicitor takes over

Another hour

Meeting with Care Coordinator

Case Manager

Discussing

Therapy

Carers

Accomodation

Telling the story

Again

Medical negligence

Disability

Court battles

How solicitors needed

To take over

A normal day

Until

My head explodes

The pain

The pressure

Movement in my head

Zero to sixty

Under two minutes

Thunderclap

I cannot speak

I cannot move

I cannot think

The pain

The pain

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Convinced

If I look

In a mirror

I will see

My head

Pulsing

Throbbing

Moving

The pain

The pain

Under two minutes

Thunderclap

Incoherent

They leave

Tell me to rest

Stumble to bed

Fall asleep

Three hours

Later learn

I’m lucky to wake

At all

Thunderclap

How odd

Head hurts

Moving

Throbbing

Pulsing

The pain

Advice?

111

Symptoms

Onset

Thunderclap

111

Lights up red

999

Now

Am I wasting time?

It’s only…

…a headache?

999

Is the patient breathing?

Is the patient conscious?

What’s the emergency?

Symptoms

Onset

Am I wasting your time?

Sorry

You must get to hospital

Hours for an ambulance

Can someone take you?

Thunderclap

A&E is heaving

So are the patients

Into buckets

Others holding misshapen limbs

Others elderly

Moaning

Crying

Sobbing

Am I wasting your time?

Only a headache

Sorry

Thunderclap

Waiting

Waiting

Waiting

Should I go home?

Paddington Bear Hard Stare

A friend

She does it well

You’re not going anywhere

Triage

Symptoms

Onset

Sorry?

Thunderclap

Wait there

Senior doctor

CT scan

Symptoms

Onset

Thunderclap

Faster

Than imaginable

Come with me

Lie down here

Chin down

Head still

Woosh

Woosh

Woosh

CT scan

Thunderclap

Wait there

Consultant

CT clear

I half rise…

…ready to go

Am I wasting your time?

Sorry

Not so fast

Sit down

Thunderclap

Symptoms

Onset

CT clear

Could be

Brain bleed

Aneurysm

Stroke

Sit down

Stay here

Thunderclap

Trolley

A corridor

Second Consultant

We’re so sorry

We have nowhere else

Lie down

Stay here

…just a headache?

Sorry

Symptoms

Onset

Thunderclap

Brain bleed

Aneurysm

Stroke

Admission

Lumbar puncture

A third Consultant

Cold air

From opening doors

More ambulances enter

And more

And more

A trolley

A corridor

We’re so sorry

We have nowhere else

Stay there

Thunderclap

Seven hours

We have a space!

AMU

SDEC

Moving you now!

More trolleys

In corridors

Paramedics waiting

Doctors rushing

Nurses constantly moving

We have a space

But not a bed

Lie down

Stay there

Trolley

Sorry?

Thunderclap

Nine hours

We have a bed

We have a space

Symptoms

Onset

No

You’re not going anywhere

…just a headache?

Sorry

Thunderclap

The lights

Too bright

The pain

Too intense

The noise

Never stops

The Nurses:

We need a bed!

We need a doctor!

Patient has been on ambulance

For two days

They need a hot meal

They need a bed

Where are the doctors?

Thunderclap

A staff member collapses

Heart palpitations

Cannot breathe

Panic

Another trolley

We love you!

We’re here!

We’ll help you

Overwhelmed

She weeps

Thunderclap

It hurts

It hurts

Paracetamol

Ibuprofen

Morphine

So not…

…just a headache

Sorry

Thunderclap

Just take your blood pressure

Device lights up red

Device lets out a shrill wail

Warning!

Warning!

Warning!

178

186

197

210

You’re on blood pressure medication

Right?

Right?

Right?!

Sorry

Thunderclap

Lumbar puncture

Sharp scratch!

Lidocaine

Anaesthetic

Slight pressure

Scream

Sharp scratch!

Licodaine

Anaesthetic

Surely you can’t feel it?

Weeping

Crying

Where?

My back!

Lidocaine

Anaesthetic

Shaking

We’re out!

Failed

Just a headache?

Sorry

Thunderclap

Sobbing

Shaking

The pain

My head

My back

Don’t move!

Lie flat!

Theatre

Anaesthetist

Imaging

Sorry

Thunderclap

We need a doctor!

She needs a doctor!

Where are the doctors?

Will a nurse do?

I’m a Sister

We need a doctor

She cannot go

Without a doctor

Theatre

Thunderclap

Ready to go?

A Theatre Nurse

A Health Care Assistant

A Doctor

The lights whoosh overhead

I close my eyes

Sorry

Thunderclap

Anaesthetist

Doctor

Theatre Resident

Nurse

Lean forward!

Sharp scratch!

Lidocaine

Weeping

Where?

My back!

Sharp scratch

Lidocaine

Still weeping

Where?

My back!

Sharp scratch

Lidocaine

Finally…

Nothing

Shaking

Pushing

Pulling

Hold still!

Right place!

Just a moment more!

Sorry

Thunderclap

Back weeping

Eyes weeping

Body shaking

Secret Fluid

Lumbar puncture

Blood

Bruising

Shaking

We’re out!

Success!

We got it!

So sorry

Thunderclap

Lie flat

Lie still

Don’t move

Eight hours

Morphine

Sleep?

You’ve got to be kidding

Sorry

Thunderclap

Eight hours

We’ve got a ward!

Moving you now!

Stay still!

Lie flat!

Don’t move!

Twelve hours

Sixteen

Twenty two

Thunderclap

Good news!

Lumbar clear!

CT clear!

Brain bleed? No

Aneurysm? No

Stroke? No

Blood pressure?

Ah

Blood pressure

Is there any stress?

In your life?

Sorry

Thunderclap