Flowers for Millie

by Patsy Collins
^{(creative writers at http://www.morewriting.co.uk)}

The girl will be here in a minute; I'd better pull myself together. I can't have her coming in and finding me crying like a kid. Getting old is no excuse for falling apart. Now what's her name? Pretty name I remember, a flower maybe? Rose, Lilly, Daisy? No; it started with an ‘M' same as Millie and it was Millie who told me what it meant. Myrtle! That's it Myrtle.

Why can't I remember names? I'm OK with everything else. I remember that myrtle is a scented bush and brides sometimes have a sprig in their bouquets for luck. I remember how Millie blushed when she talked about weddings and how that gave me The Idea. That was before she went in for her hip op and got that blasted MRSA thing and ...

For goodness sake, fella; get a grip. The girl, Myrtle, will be here and you don't want to be crying then. Another thing I remember; she's not a girl she's a highly trained professional. Professional what, I don't recall. Job descriptions are as bad as names. Nurse, I suppose must be part of it. Thankfully I don't have to go to that dirty infected hospital to get the ulcer on my leg dressed. Myrtle takes care of that and checks I'm doing OK. Says I need looking after. Before Millie got ill, I was thinking of discussing The Idea with Myrtle. She's a sensible gir ... highly trained professional and she'd understand things from the woman's point of view.

Here she is.

"Come in Myrtle. How are you today?"

"I'm fine, Henry. What about you and that leg of yours?"

"Both still here."

"Let's have a look then."

I sit down and roll up my trouser leg whilst she washes her hands. She kneels at my feet.

I tell her, "It's looking much better and doesn't hurt at all now. That's thanks to all your highly trained professional care, my dear."

She laughs. "I'm glad someone appreciates me."

"Oh?"

"Sorry, it's nothing."

"You can tell me."

"It's just that some patients seem to ignore my advice about basic cleanliness and then wonder why they end up with infections."

"I can see why that would bother you, but really you can't blame them with the way the hospitals carry on."

"What do you mean?"

"Nurses going to and from work in their uniforms and wards not being cleaned and then everyone gets that MRSA and it eats away at them until they die."

"Henry! Hey come on now - what's brought this on?"

Silly fool that I am, I've got tears streaming down my face.

"It's Millie. She went in for her op and now ..."

"I remember you said your lady friend was having a hip replacement. What's happened?"

"She had the op all right and was doing great. Walking about on the flat and was about to try the stairs last I heard."

"You've not been in to see her?"

"I went every day until they wouldn't let me in. Now I might never see her again."

"Is she really so ill?"

"She's got that MRSA - that's the right name isn't it? The one they can't cure and ..."

"MRSA is an infection that most commonly develops in hospital. It stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus."

"How do you remember all these names?"

"I'm a highly trained professional."

I almost manage a chuckle at our old joke. Myrtle, bless her, sees I'm still upset.

"I could do with a cup of tea. Would it be OK if I made us both one?"

"Of course it would, my dear. I'd have offered you one, but you've usually got to rush off."

"It's time for my lunch break. I've got sandwiches, I'll eat them here if that's OK?"

"Of course. That'd be grand."

To tell the truth, without Millie to visit, I was getting fed up with my own company. Silly really as I've been on my own since I retired from the army. Never bothered me before but since Millie and I started going on outings and things together, I've found I like a bit of female company. Myrtle is a dear; she's stayed chatting before whilst eating her lunch. I'd like her to do that every visit, but don't want her to feel she's obliged to spend time with me.

"Oooh, Henry, what gorgeous flowers! Are they for your girlfriend?" she calls from the kitchen.

"I tried to take them to Millie, if that's what you mean."

Myrtle calls Millie my girlfriend, cheeky young professional. Maybe that's what first put The Idea into my head?

"Here's your tea. Now tell me what's going on with you and Millie. The way you were talking last time I came, I thought you'd be engaged by now."

"Well, um er..." I was proper flustered. Surely her high level of training didn't include mind reading?

"You said you couldn't visit her because of the MRSA?"

"That's right. They wouldn't let me in and they wouldn't even let me leave her the flowers."

"That's a shame. Look, I'm going up there this afternoon; I've got some samples to drop off. You tell me her full name and which ward she's in and I'll see what I can find out."

"It's Millie Hepworth and she's on Scarsdale ward."

"What a coincidence!"

"What is?"

"Her having the same surname as you."

"She hasn't. Mine is Hepwoth and hers is Mortimer. Oh lummee." Realising what I've done I feel a fool.

"Henry, could it be that's what you'd like her name to become?"

"Well ... Oh darn it; yes. But what's the use?"

"Don't put yourself down. You're a lovely man and she seems to enjoy your company. Even your leg is healing up nicely and there's nothing else wrong with you."

"But she's got that methi resistant thing. People die from that."

"I know there have been a few scare stories on the television, but it's not quite as bad as it's made out to be."

"But they won't let me in, family only they said." If I'd only got on and put The Idea into action then that wouldn't have been a problem.

"That's not necessarily because she's so ill. It might just be to try and stop it spreading."

"Shame they didn't think of that before they gave her an incurable disease."

"It's an infection and it can be cured."

"Really? You're not just saying that to cheer me up?"

"No, it's true. It has the reputation of being incurable, because it's resistant to the most usual antibiotics."

Myrtle has that, 'being patient with the patient' tone of voice and I know I've got myself in a bit of a state what with being so worried about Millie.

"Most? There's some they can use then? What'll happen to her?"

"Until I've been to the hospital, I won't know about Millie's case but I can explain MRSA to you if you like. It's one of the things we're trained to look out for."

"Please, my dear."

"It stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The first bit just means it's resistant to many antibiotics and, of course, that makes treatment a little more difficult. Staphylococcus aureus is a common germ. It's often found on the skin of healthy people; about three in ten people carry it without any problems at all. Sometimes it goes into the skin and causes infections such as boils or abscesses."

"Boils don't kill you," I say. I'm beginning to cheer up now.

"No, they don't. Hopefully all that's wrong with your Millie is a skin infection. That's quite likely as it usually occurs after a cut of some sort."

"And she'd be cut for the op."

"Exactly. That's probably why it's most common amongst people in hospital. Many patients will have a wound of some kind or need injections or a catheter and any of these could potentially allow the infection into the body."

"So this MRSA doesn't kill people; it's just the papers making stuff up again?" I ask.

"Partly. It's rarely fatal, but the infection can become serious if it's not properly diagnosed and the wrong antibiotics are issued to start with. That's not likely to happen now though as hospitals are well aware of the problem. If the blood gets infected then the patient would get septicaemia or sometimes bones or organs are infected. That's usually because a person is already ill or has a poor immune system. I imagine that Millie was well before the operation?"

"Yes, fighting fit. She's almost never ill and if she does get a cold she shifts it quick. That's good then?" My Millie wouldn't let some silly bacteria get her down. Don't know why I thought that.

"Yes, but even if she has developed a serious infection, that can still be treated with antibiotics."

"So how do the docs know if someone's got MRSA?"

"If an infection with S. aureus is suspected a sample, usually of blood or a swab of the wound, will be taken and tested. If MRSA is confirmed then further tests will show which antibiotic will treat it."

"So they'll just give Millie the right pills and she'll be fine?"

"If she just has a skin infection such as a boil, she might not even need medication, draining the boil might be enough. If antibiotics are needed, they'd most probably be given by injection. After that the most import thing is to ensure it doesn't spread. Skin to skin contact is the usual way it's spread, so all staff will wash their hands well between each patient and keep bedding, towels and dressings away from other patients."

"I'd have thought they should do that anyway."

"Of course they should. I just mean extra care will be taken and visiting might be restricted to help reduce the chances of the infection spreading."

"How do they stop the nurses catching it?"

"It's not likely that a healthy person without uncovered cuts would become infected," Myrtle reminds me.

"So why can't I visit?"

"I don't know, Henry. I suppose they're just being cautious."

"Locking the stable door by the sound of it. If they'd be cautious before, could it have been prevented?"

"In theory, if all staff wash their hands before touching any patient or piece of equipment and wards are kept clean then the infection won't spread. But as I said, the bacteria is commonly carried on people's skin. Millie herself may have been carrying it."

"Oh, I see. She might have sort of infected herself?"

Myrtle nods her head.

"But she's going to get better?"

"Yes, Henry. Shall I take a picture of the flowers and see if they'll let me show her that? I'm sure she'll be happy to know you bought them."

"Good idea. I'll get my camera and take the film in for the one hour developing they do in the High Street."

"No need, I can use my phone."

Myrtle takes a picture of the flowers and one of me waving to Millie.

"Shall I give her a message? I have an idea there's something you'd like to ask her?"

I chuckle. "We both have an idea, Myrtle dear, but you just tell her to get well quick so I can go and visit."

Myrtle goes and leaves me to my thoughts. I never asked her about The Idea, but it doesn't matter. I've made up my mind and I'll be asking my dear Millie, just as soon as I can.