And the Rest Is History(21)

Two days. Just two days. I could do that.



I don’t know about anyone else, but when confronted with personal tragedy, I’m always slightly affronted that the world seems to carry on as if nothing has happened. I never know whether this is a good or bad thing. True, it can sometimes help to keep things in perspective, but it doesn’t make things easy. The world didn’t stop for me and it certainly didn’t stop for Peterson who remained alone in his room, seeing no one except Markham.

Dr Bairstow sent for me.

‘Good morning, Dr Maxwell.’

‘Good morning, sir.’

‘Thank you for coming.’

‘No choice, sir. In the absence of any other senior staff, we seem to be stuck with each other.’

‘A burden,’ he said gravely. ‘I wonder which of us will crumble first.’

I knew who my money was on.

‘I’ve sent for a new Chief Medical Officer.’

I caught my breath and experienced, once again, the shock of Helen’s loss.

He was watching me carefully. ‘It seems callous, I know, but we cannot afford to be without full medical support.’ He laid a file in front of me. I opened it. The photo was on the inside cover.

A twelve-year-old boy with a bony face, large ears and heavy eyebrows stared back at me. I know I was at the age when policemen and doctors were beginning to look young, but even so … Was he some sort of infant prodigy?

‘Dr Nathaniel Stone,’ he said. ‘He will be with us possibly later today or, more probably, tomorrow. He will certainly be in place before our next assignment.’ He paused expectantly.

‘1064, sir. The shipwreck of Harold Godwinson.’

He knew that. He was just giving me the opportunity to ease myself back in gently and I was grateful.

‘I would appreciate your reassurance that none of you intend actually to participate either in the shipwreck or the rescue.’

‘Happy to give it, sir. Observe and document only.’

‘Excellent. Let us hope then that it is some time before we need to put our new doctor’s skills to the test.’

He paused again and began to align the files on his desk. ‘Dr Peterson…’

I kept myself calm. ‘Yes, sir?’

‘I am grieved to hear that you and Dr Peterson do not find yourselves able to support each other during this time.’

‘Yes, sir.’

Without looking at me he said, ‘I would not, if I were you, assign any importance to anything Dr Peterson does or says over the next week or so. He is, naturally, very shocked and distressed. He has not yet even begun to grieve. There are, I believe, certain stages to be worked through. I am certain that he will prevail, and when he returns to us – as I am sure he will – it will be good for him to find his colleagues ready and willing to offer him the support and understanding he will certainly need. I always think that true friends should never allow a few words, hastily uttered, to sever the ties of strong and longstanding friendships.’

I don’t know how he knows these things. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he had the entire building bugged. But then, if he did, he would have seen what was happening in Sick Bay. In time to prevent…

He held out his arms…

‘And you, Max, how are you?’

‘Absolutely fine, sir.’

‘I’m very pleased to hear that. How are you really?’

I hesitated.

‘How are you, Max?’

‘I…’

He waited.

‘I keep seeing … that moment … replaying it in my head…’ Time for the truth. ‘Sir, I froze. I did nothing.’

He started with the files again. ‘Traditionally, in a crisis, there has always been the choice of fight or flight. I have always maintained that there is a third option. Freeze. I believe that in such circumstances as you found yourself yesterday, when there is no time for rational thought, a person follows their instinct. Your instinct was to freeze. The alternatives were either to run away – and I don’t suppose that thought even entered your head – or to fight. I’m sorry to say this, Max, but Helen Foster was doomed the moment she stepped out of that door. Nothing you could have said or done could have saved her. And had you, at that moment, made any sort of move, then he would have shot you as well. Which means that, at the end of the day, Matthew would still have been carried off, and Leon would be mourning the loss of his wife as well as that of his son. You may not have thought it through, but you did exactly the right thing.’

‘Sir…’

‘Dr Peterson, when he is able to think more calmly, will realise this. It is unreasonable to expect that degree of clarity from him at this moment.’

I nodded, aligned a few files myself, and then said, ‘Will there be anything else, sir.’

‘Not at the moment. You are, at present, my only functioning senior officer and so I shall be leaning on you quite heavily over the next few days.’

I nodded. He was keeping me busy. Not giving me any time to fret.

‘My next task is personally to inform Dr Peterson about our new member of staff. I would not like him to hear it from anyone else.’

‘Will he leave us, do you think?’

‘I hope not. Thank you, Dr Maxwell, that will be all.’