Table Of Content1 Emergency!
'Gail, you must have a rest. Go and have a coffee.'
Gail looked round. Dr Kennedy was standing
behind her. She looked down at the man in the bed.
'He's OK,' said Dr Kennedy. 'I'm here now. Go on,
you're tired.'
Gail smiled. 'Are you sure?' she said.
'You've been here for five hours. You can't work all
night! Come back in twenty minutes.'
'But it's Saturday night. We're always very busy on
Saturdays ...'
'Go on!' said the doctor.
Gail looked at him. He was tired, too. Saturday was
always busy in the casualty department. There were
road accidents, fights, and all the other emergencies.
'All right,' she said. 'I'm going.'
She walked to the coffee machine, and bought a cup
of coffee. Then she went to the small office for nurses,
and sat down. The coffee wasn't very good. She didn't
like coffee from machines. Gail took a newspaper from
the desk, and opened it. She looked at one or two stories.
They weren't very interesting. Then she stopped. There
was a big picture of Alex Hayle on the page. She liked
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his new record . . . What was it? ... Ah, yes, Midnight Gail looked at her watch. The concert finished at
yadnuS saw tI .wPoarnty. Sehev relaed wthet st otrsy.ap flah saw tI .thgindim
ehs ylnedduS .egap txen eht ta dekool liaG .gninrom
thginoT trecnoC - tsruhdiM ni ecaF weN heard the bell. There was an emergency!
rD .tnemtraped ytlausac eht otni kcab deirruh ehS
ni reerac olos a rof .rood eht sdrawot gninnur saw ydenneK
Alex Hayle is singing in
September. Since then he
xelA !thginot tsruhdiM '!hsarc rac a neeb s'erehT .gnivirra si ecnalubma nA'
rebmun eerht dah sah
kcor eht ni regnis eht saw he shouted. 'Come on!'
one records, and he is
ggronupi mNeowc Fearcee wun tnil elamst ecnalubma owT .mih retfa nar liaG
eht fo rats tseggib eht
year. New Face had six Top
year. He is .ntwwoedn dteyk-otohl reehSe. .rehcterts a htiw rood eht hguorht
Ten hits in Britain, and they
His concert is at the There was a man on the stretcher. She couldn't see his
have sold over twenty
Midhurs.td oUoniltebd f ofo tootbla all saw erehT .ecaf
detinU eht ni sdrocer noillim
.kcolc'o 9 ta muidats sih tuc s'eh dnA .kniht I ,kcab sih nekorb s'eH !yrruH'
States. Alex left the group
eht fo eno detuohs ',doolb erom sdeen eH .ecaf
ambulance men. 'Bring some blood, quickly!'
'His next of kin ... his wife, or his father or mother,' 'Very funny,' said Gail. 'Are you his manager?'
said Gail. 'We need the information, because ...' 'I'm his manager,' said the man. 'Now have you
'He hasn't got a wife. His mother and father are ... finished?'
are dead. Write my name down. I'm his manager.' 'One more question,' said Gail. 'What's his religion?'
eht deen eW ?sretsis ro srehtorb yna tog eh saH' '?xelA ?noigileR' .dehgual eH
name of someone in 'h?oist foagm eilhy .s'eod hcruhc hcihW .noigiler' ,liaG dias ',seY'
'Look, darling. He hasn't got any family. Do you The short man turned to his friend. 'Has Alex ever
understand? Put my name.' been to church?' he asked.
'I don't know.'
The short man's face was very near Gail. She could
smell the cigar and she could smell drink, '.twooon .dehsinif ev'uoY .gnilrad ,"wonk t'noD" etirW'
yrrow t'noD .rekcuT rM ,uoy knahT' .liaG dias ',seY'
a s'ehS .mih retfa gnikool si yesaC rD .elyaH rM tuoba
wonderful doctor.'
.rotcod tseb eht tnaw I ,lleW' .nam eht dias '?ehs sI'
.ruot trecnoc dnuop noillim net a fo elddim eht ni si xelA
I don't want a doctor in a little hospital like this one.'
.liaG dias '?mih ot deneppah tahW'
The tall man spoke. 'Alex drove from the concert. He
was very tired. Clarence told him to come with me.
He didn't. He was driving too fast. He crashed the car,
d ...' na
'Be quiet, Roger,' said Tucker. 'She doesn't need to
eht em teg ,gnilrad ,woN' .liaG ot denrut eH '.wonk
doctor. I've got some questions.'
'All right,' shed isaasid ',, y'wsuhabt 'sy yreovur e nraam yee asnaCd a rdDdr edsns?a' ydenneK rD ,lleW'
'Clarence Tucker. Tucker International Management Gail. 'I can ...'
Limited. 573 Shaftesbury Avenue, London. That's 'Did you hear me?' shouted Tucker. 'I want the doctor.
L-O-N-D-O ...' Now!'
6 7
Gail walked away. Tucker and his friend weren't He walked quickly back to the lift.
net eht tuoba deirrow erew yehT .xelA tuoba deirrow 'What's wrong with him?' said Tucker. 'Hey! Nurse!
rood ehT .tfil eht ot tnew ehS .ruot dnuop noillim Can we have some coffee or something?'
.tuo emac ydenneK rD dna ,denepo Gail smiled. She was getting some tea for an old
ni saw dn'Haobws ius hhe ?s' 'syhed aaslk edd.lo ehT .moor txen eht ni namow
nem owt eht era erehW' .dias eh ',doog yrev ton s'tI' the hospital.
'?mih htiw era ohw a ton ,latipsoh a si siht' ,dias ehs ',rekcuT rM'
yrev ton er'yehT' .liaG dias ',ereht revo er'yehT' restaurant. There's a machine over there.'
friendly!'
'Right,' said Dr Kennedy. He went towards Mr Tucker.
.rekcuT dias '?rotcod eht uoy erA' 3 Room 534
'Yes, I'm Dr Kenn ...'
dias ',eno siht ton ,latipsoh etavirp a tnaw I .thgiR' G ail had to work until six o'clock the next morning.
Tucker. 'When can we move him?' When she got back to the Nurses' Home, her
,kcab sih nekorb s'eH' .ydenneK rD dias ',t'nac uoY' friends were having breakfast. She told them about the
and he's in a coma. You can't move him.' car crash.
'That's Alex Hayle!' said Tucker. 'He can't stay in a 'Wow!' said Penny. 'Alex Hayle! I've got all of his
tseb eht deen eW .latipsoh ecivreS htlaeH lanoitaN '?ni eh si moor hcihW !sdrocer
doctors. We need a private hospital.' m'I .xis tsap flah s'ti ,kooL' .liaG dias ',wonk t'nod I'
yesaC rD' .ydenneK rD dias ',rotcod tseb eht tog s'eH' going to bed! Good night ... or is it "Good morning"?'
'... s'ehs dna ,tsilaiceps a si
'And she's working in a little hospital, in a little town,' Gail woke up in the middle of the afternoon. She had to
na si elyaH xelA ,dneirf ym ,kooL' .rekcuT dias begin work at ten o'clock on Sunday evening. She turned
international star. He sells millions of records every on the television while she was eating. She wanted to
year, and ...' hear the news. There was a video of Alex Hayle on the
.mih deppots ydenneK rD five o'clock news. Gail turned up the sound.
er'uoy dna ,latipsoh siht ni s'eh ,amoc a ni s'eh dnA' 'That was Alex Hayle, and he was singing Midnight
'.thgin dooG .mih gnivom ton Party. Alex is in hospital in Midhurst. He crashed his
8 9
sih ot ekops eW .thgin tsal trecnoc sih retfa rac
manager, Clarence Tucker, outside the hospital.'
Gail sat up in her chair. There was Tucker on the
television.
'... I've just been with Alex. He's going to be all right.
t'nac eH .gnilims saw eh dna deb ni pu gnittis saw eH
od ot gniog s'eH !yrrow t'nod tub ,ruot trecnoc eht hsinif
eht rof enoyreve knaht ot tnaw I .raey txen ruot rehtona
'.uoy knahT .meht ta gnikool si xelA .srettel dna srewolf
lla eb ot gniog saw xelA .noisivelet eht ffo denrut liaG
ehS !amoc a ni saw eH .kcab sih ekorb eh tuB !thgir
!deb ni pu gnittis saw eH .dnatsrednu t'ndluoc
At that moment Penny came in. It wasn't very busy on Sunday evening. At eleven
.435 mooR ni s'eH !xelA was I' .ynneP dias '!liaG !yeH' .ydenneK rD rof roolf htfif eht ot og ot dah liaG kcolc'o
'... s'tI .wonk uoy ,roolf htfif eht no krow I She had to get some medicine. She got the medicine,
'And is hne is inttainmg lulpa ta enhd ts mwialsin ge?h's s aniedh GTa i.lt.fil eht ot kcab deklaw dna
.nwod tas ynneP the black coat. He was standing outside Room 534. She
'What?' she said. .mih ot revo deklaw neht ,tnemom a rof deppots
'?gnilims dna pu gnittis eh sI' 'Hello,' she said. 'What are you doing here?'
'He's in a coma,' said Pent'nnyse. o'Hd er ebkrcoukTe rhMis b.earcekh. gYnoituiaw m'I .uoy s'ti ,hO'
'.taht wonk eht dias ',xelA raen elpoep VT ro sretroper yna tnaw
'His manager, Mr Tucker, was on television. He said man.
'."gnilims dna pu gnittis si xelA" a evah ot gniog tsuj m'I ,em esucxE' .liaG dias ',hA'
'Ah!' said Penny. 'I understand. Dr Casey spoke to us look at him.' She thought quickly. 'Dr Kennedy asked
today. We mustn't speak to the newspapers or television '.etal m'I .kcolc'o nevele ta mih ta kool ot em
about Alex. Tucker spoke to the head of the hospital. 'The nurse on this floor looked at him ten minutes
eht ni ti tuc eH .wonk uoy ,ecaf s'xelA ees t'nac uoY ago,' said the man.
'.elbirret s'tI .evom t'nac eh dnA .hsarc 'I know,' said Gail. 'Excuse me.'
10 11
She opened the door and went in. She closed the door She opened the door, and walked out. The head nurse
saw eH .deb eht ni xelA saw erehT .reh dniheb ylluferac from the fifth floor was there.
in a coma. She couldn't see his face. There were a lot of 'Nurse,' she said, 'can I speak to you? In my office?'
bandages round it. She looked at the machines round Gail looked at the man in the black coat. He was
the bed. They were all right. smiling.
.liaG dias ',sey ,rE'
They went to the head nurse's office.
'Sit down,' said the head nurse. 'What were you doing
'?435 mooR ni
'Why?' asked Gail.
evah t'nac elyaH rM .roolf siht no krow t'nod uoY'
visitors. This afternoon about twenty nurses came to
this floor. They wanted to see him. This is a hospital, not
'.trecnoc kcor a
'I'm from the casualty department,' said Gail. 'I was
saw I .ni mih thguorb yeht nehw ... thgin tsal ereht
worried about him. I had to come here for some
medicine. Dr Kennedy wanted it ... I just looked in the
room. I'm sorry.'
'I see,' said the head nurse. 'Well, don't do it again. Do
you understand?'
'Yes,' said Gail. 'I am sorry.'
She left the office, and went towards the lift. The man
in the black coat smiled at her.
ton m'I .eybdoog dna' ,dias eh ',esruN ,gnineve dooG'
'?thgiR .niaga roolf siht no uoy ees ot gniog
13
dna ,oga shtnom wef a hsarc rac a dah xelA .su rof ti
4 A new face
weN a rof ecaf wen a s'ti os ... yregrus citsalp dah s'eh
ecaF weN puorg eht ni saw xelA ,rebmemer uoY !ecaF
two years ago. And here he is ... Alex Hayle!'
I t was two weeks later. Gail was working in the office
riah sih ,lleW !xelA saw ereht dnA .detrats cisum ehT
in the casualty department. The telephone rang. Gail
a saw ti tuB .emas eht erew sehtolc sih ,emas eht saw
picked it up.
... yldab ecaf sih tuc eh ,seY ?yregrus citsalP .ecaf wen
'Casualty,' she said.
?amoc eht tuoba tahW ?kcab nekorb eht tuoba tahw tub
,ydenneK rD ot kaeps I dluoC' .yesaC rD si siht ,olleH'
Gail listened carefully. Then she stood up. 'That's not
please?'
Alex,' she said. 'It's not!'
'Just a minute,' said Gail. She went and got Dr
Kennedy. He picked up the phone. Gail sat down again.
...?tahW ... enihpesoJ ,olleh hO ... ereh ydenneK'
But they can't! ... They have? ... When? ... No! ...
llet yeht t'nac yhW ... ?mih gnikat yeht era erehw dnA
'.retal uoy eeS ... sey ,seY ...!elbirret s'tahT ... ?uoy
He put the phone down. He was very angry. Gail
could see that. She waited.
'That was Dr Casey,' he said. 'Mr Tucker has taken
Alex Hayle from the hospital.'
'But he's in a coma!' said Gail.
er'yehT .ecnalubma etavirp a ni mih koot yehT .seY'
going to a private hospital. Dr Casey is very angry.'
Gail often thought about Alex. One evening, a few
months later, she was watching television isn'ta htWhe ? xNelAur ssie esre'hw tuB' .thguoht ehs nehT
.emmargorp cisum kcor a saw tI .emoH happened to him?'
'And now we've got the new record from Alerxeh oHt eakoypsl elia!G ,gnineve taht ni emac ynneP nehW
gnis ot gniog s'eH .xelA si ereh dna ,thgiN yadrutaS s'tI .ti tuoba lla wenk ynneP .xelA tuoba
14 15
ot xelA koot yehT' .dias ehs ',repapswen eht ni saw tI' ruof ro eerht dah enaiD .elbat a ta nwod tas yehT
ni tsilaiceps a morf yregrus citsalp dah eH .dnalreztiwS shopping bags. She put them under the table.
Geneva.' 'New clothes,' she said.
'But he broke his back! You kn.loiawG t hdaet,k sPae n'?nwy.o Yn oguniod uoy era tahW'
saw him.' raen s'tI .latipsoh etavirp llams a ta gnikrow m'I'
no mih nees ev'I' .ynneP dias ',won thgir lla s'eh ,lleW' Frampton. It's a wonderful job. The hospital's very
'!gnicnad saw eH ... noisivelet '.llew yrev em yap yeht dna ,evisnepxe
5 An old friend
The next Saturday Gail was shopping in Midhurst.
She was looking for some new trousers. She went
into a clothes shop in the High Street, and looked at
some pairs of jeans. Fifty-five pounds! Everything was
eht ni cisum eht ot denetsil dna deppots ehS .evisnepxe
ni drocer eht gniyalp erew yehT .thgiN yadrutaS .pohs
all the other clothes shops that afternoon, too. 'It's going
to be a big hit, maybe number one,' thought Gail.
'!sraey rof uoy nees t'nevah I !iH !liaG'
'?uoy era woH' .dias ehs '!enaiD' .dnuor dekool liaG
tneduts erew yehT .dneirf dlo na saw egdirtraP enaiD
nurses together, five years before. liaG gnillet saw enaiD .ruoh na flah rof deklat yehT
'I'm fine,' said Diane. 'Come and have a coffee. I want about her job.
to hear all your news.' '... I like the job, but it's very sad sometimes,' she
They went to a cafe, and got tweol bciroreft fae edash. eGHa .inla mop gennuoeyd a retfa gnikool m'I' .dias
her handbag. car crash a few months ago. He broke his back ... He
'No!' said Diane. 'I'll pay. Really.' was in a coma for three months!'
16 17
'?won amoc a ni t'nsi eH' .drawrof tas liaG
latipsoh etavirp ehT 6
'No,' said Diane, 'he woke up two weeks ago. It's very
eh ,wonk uoY .mih htiw gnorw gnihtemos s'erehT .das
s'tahW ... eno suomaf eht ... rats kcor taht s'eh skniht G ail stopped the car and looked at the map. Yes, this
his name?' saw tI ?latipsoh eht saw erehw tub ,daor eht saw
.ylteiuq liaG dias '?elyaH xelA' somewhere near here. There were tall trees on both
'?wonk uoy did woh tub ... xelA .thgir s'tahT' sides of the road, and there were no houses. She looked
s'nam eht s'tahW ... rE' .liaG dias ',gnihton ,hO' at the map again. There was no hospital sign on the
name?' eht gnola ylwols evord dna rac eht detrats ehS .daor
siH .rehtie srotisiv yna evah t'nac eH .rekcuT drahciR' road. Then she saw a small road on the left. There was a
'... dias eH .nam elbirret a s'rehtorb sign on the corner. It was very small: 'Chamford Private
'His brother?' llams eht gnola evord dna tfel denrut liaG .'latipsoH
daeh eht si neerG rD .neerG rD fo dneirf a s'eH .seY' road for nearly a mile. Then she could see the hospital.
.srotisiv yna tnaw t'nseod eh ,yawynA .latipsoh eht fo It was a beautiful old house with gardens in front of it.
Poor Richard! He cut his face badly in the car crash, you
'.nam ecin a s'eh tub ,elbirret skool eH .wonk
Gail thought for a moment. 'Er ... Diane,' she said,
yna deen latipsoh ruoy seoD .boj wen a rof gnikool m'I'
new nurses?'
'Yes,' said Diane, 'we always need good nurses. Why?
'? ... uoy erA
.liaG dias '?latipsoh eht ees dna emoc I naC'
.yadnuS s'tI .worromot emoC' .enaiD dias ',thgir llA'
ta kool a evah nac uoY .syadnuS no ereht t'nsi neerG rD
the hospital. Then maybe you can write to him about a
job.'
'.worromot uoy eeS' .liaG dias ',sknahT'
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