‘It isn’t like that, I promise you the pathologist will look after Callum and care for him every step of the way.’ An image of Drew came into Eden’s mind, and she knew without a doubt she could make that promise.
‘I can’t stand the thought of him being in the mortuary all by himself either.’ Rachael swayed, and for a moment Eden was worried she might faint. She probably would have done if James hadn’t been there to hold her up.
‘Do you think it would help if you spoke to the pathologist first? He’ll be able to reassure you that Callum will be looked after exactly the way you’d want him to be if you were there with him.’
‘Would they do that?’ It was James who answered, the look of surprise on his face overriding the expression of devastation for just a second or two, before the pain took over again.
‘I know one of the pathologists who definitely would.’ Eden was certain Drew would be willing to help Rachael and James in whatever way he could.
‘I think I might be able to cope with it a bit better if I knew who was going to be…’ Rachael’s face crumpled, the words too much for her to say out loud, and James drew her towards him.
‘I’ll go and speak to one of the team, and I’ll ask that Callum isn’t moved until you’ve had a chance to discuss it.’ Eden rested a hand on Rachael’s shoulder, knowing she’d fight tooth and nail to make sure things weren’t made any more difficult for Callum’s parents than they already were.
* * *
‘I’m so glad you managed to get away.’ Eden had called Drew to see if he was at work and available to talk. When he’d said he could make himself free in fifteen minutes, she’d asked him to meet her at the entrance to the hospital.
‘I told you I would.’ He made it sound so simple, but his response made her smile through the tears that had been threatening to start again. She loved the fact that if he promised to do something he’d follow through with it.
‘Thank you for coming, I know I probably wasn’t making a lot of sense when I called.’
‘I think I got the gist of it.’ Drew took hold of her hand and it was the weirdest sensation. Like a jolt of electricity passing through her body, at the same time as making her feel safer than she had before he’d taken her hand. She’d experienced that frisson of excitement before, but never quite so strongly, and certainly never at the same time as the certainty that she could put her complete trust in the other person. Drew let go of a long breath. ‘From what you said you lost a young patient and his parents are understandably devastated, but the thought of him having to undergo a postmortem is making that even worse and you’d like me to reassure them about the process. Is that right?’
‘That’s exactly it.’ Eden didn’t want him to let go of her hand, but she knew he was going to. ‘Is that something you can do?’
‘Of course. When do they want to meet?’
‘Would you be able to do it now? I don’t think Rachael will be able to leave Callum until she can be sure he’ll be taken care of.’ Eden swallowed against the lump in her throat that felt as if it might choke her. How could Rachael ever be expected to walk away and leave her son behind? Eden was certain she wouldn’t be able to do it, and even the thought made it hard for her to catch her breath.
‘I’ve got some reports to write up, but I can do them later. This is far more important.’ Drew’s hand brushed against hers again, and she had to fight the urge to curl her fingers around his. It would have been inappropriate and unprofessional, but that didn’t stop her wishing she could.
The walk back to the viewing room, where Callum’s parents were waiting, passed in silence, but it wasn’t the uncomfortable kind. It felt as if there was an unspoken understanding between them that needed no words. The hospital chaplain had arrived just as Eden was leaving to meet Drew, and she’d asked Isla to arrange for another one of the team to wait outside the viewing room, in case the chaplain had to leave before she got back. It was the protocol they had to follow, with an unexplained and unexpected death, and hospital policy meant they couldn’t leave Callum alone with his parents. It seemed completely ridiculous as if anyone looking at Rachael and James could possibly imagine they might have had something to do with their son’s death, but as far as the law was concerned nothing could be ruled out completely until the postmortem was over and an official cause of death had been determined.
Isla, whose shift had been due to end when Eden had spoken to her, had obviously decided to undertake the task of staying with Callum’s parents herself. It was a mark of the kind of person she was and Eden felt lucky that she had so many colleagues who shared her values, especially on days like today.
‘Thank you so much for staying on, but I can take over now.’ Eden hugged Isla, whispering the words in her ear. They’d all been affected by the events of the day, and Isla’s body seemed to sag with relief at the prospect of getting off home. Cases like Callum’s always made the staff count their blessings and forget about all the stupid minor niggles and inconveniences of life, at least for a little while. Isla would be hugging the people she loved all the tighter when she next got the chance, and it was exactly what Eden would be doing too, once she was reunited with Teddie.
‘See you later.’ Isla mouthed the words to her and slipped silently out of the room. James and Rachael remained by their son’s side, as the hospital chaplain looked on; even she must have felt powerless at a moment like this. There was nothing any of them could say that would make things any better for Callum’s parents, but they were going to have to let their son go soon. As much as they might want to sit by his side for the rest of their lives, there were legal processes to follow. They’d be able to see him again after the postmortem, but that first initial wrench from his side was going to be agonising.
‘Rachael, James, this is Drew, one of the pathologists.’ Eden’s voice was quiet and it felt wrong to talk at all in the stillness of the room, but they needed to hear what Drew had to say.
‘Thank you for coming to talk to us.’ James held out his hand and Drew shook it. It was amazing how social norms could come to the fore, even in the most extraordinary circumstances.
‘I’m so sorry about Callum.’ Drew’s use of his name immediately broke down the first barrier, Eden could see it in Rachael’s eyes. He could just have saidI’m so sorry for your loss, but using his name made it clear he was talking about their son as a person and not just a body on a bed. It was a tiny gesture that made a world of difference. Drew might not think he always read social situations right, but he had this time.
‘Thank you.’ Rachael’s voice was little more than a whisper and silent tears rolled down her cheeks, as she turned back towards her son, resting her head against his chest for a moment.
‘I can’t even imagine how difficult this is for you, and I know the last thing you want is for Callum to be put through anything else.’ Drew’s voice was steady, but there was an unmistakable empathy there too. ‘The reason we need to do the postmortem is so that we can be certain what caused Callum’s death. It might seem futile, when it can’t bring him back to you, but it might give you information that can safeguard you or other members of your family, if it turns out there are any hereditary factors involved. What we discover when we examine Callum could also contribute to preventing the same thing happening to other people.’
‘We understand why you need to do it, but what his mum… what we both need to know is what will happen to Callum while he’s with you?’
‘We’ll examine Callum thoroughly and undertake a physical and chemical analysis to identify any diseases or abnormalities that may have contributed to his death. I’ll be with Callum for around four hours and I can promise you that my team will treat him with the utmost dignity and respect. We all want to find the answers for you, but I know nothing we can do will make this any less painful.’
‘Callum would have wanted his death to eventually help someone else, wouldn’t he?’ Rachael looked at her husband, who nodded, his eyes red-rimmed and swollen. Although James wasn’t crying right now, it was obvious the tears could start again at any moment. Rachael turned back towards Drew. ‘Will you… Will he look like Callum again when you’re finished? We won’t be able to see where you’ve opened him up, will we?’
‘No, we’ll make sure of that.’
‘Will we be able to make the arrangements for the undertakers to take Callum to the chapel of rest after that, so we can keep visiting him until the funeral? That’s what I want.’ Rachael put a heavy emphasis on the last four words, in case anyone was planning to try and talk her out of it.
