Narrative Writing by Hannah

You suspect someone is slowly poisoning you

Allison lay in a hard cold hospital bed in a coma. Nurse Fiona Jensen, was caring for Allison, as she lay unconscious, in the white hospital room. Allison had been in a horrific car-crash that left her in a terrible condition, she had a deep gash across her forehead, she was paralysed from the waist down as her spine had suffered a traumatic injury.

Allison was an only child and her parents died from saving her in a fire, when she was 10. Allison grew up not knowing any extended family, apart from her dad's sister Eliza, who is now her caregiver. Eliza has been in Australia, for work for the past week, right on the day when Allison was in a crash.

She opens her eyes and takes a huge breath, as if she has held her breath for the last 18 years of her life. Her body is full of life again. Allison’s golden locks sat on top of her head in a knotted mess,  she lifts her head off the well worn pillow.

Nurse Fiona, runs into the room as she hears the groan of Allison as she finishes her deep slumber. Fiona comes over and sits on the edge of the bed and says, “I will go and get Doctor Adam Thompson, so he can explain what happened to you.” As Allison nods, Fiona runs out of the room to get the doctor.

Allison’s head throbs as she tries to remember what happened before the coma. Doctor Adam rushes into the hospital room with Nurse Fiona following, not long after. Doctor Adam sighs, “Unfortunately, you have been in an accident, you also have a deep gash across your forehead, you have had a spinal cord injury that has left you paralysed, but you have a possible chance of walking again. You are extremely lucky to be alive.” He looked at her with sorrow, “My son, Isaac, too, was in that accident, he lost his life from the breakage of the bone in his neck.” Those few words made Allison feel really guilty, as she survived. “I’m very sorry for your loss, doctor.” Doctor Adam gets up and says, “There is nothing we can do now, you should probably get some rest.” Doctor Adam leaves the room with Fiona following. Allison’s eyes slowly shut as she falls into a deep sleep.

Allison wakes up all of a sudden when she feels fluid going into her body. Doctor Thompson is standing by her bed, changing a bag full of fluid, that flows through a tube and into the veins in her hand. “Don’t mind me, I’m just changing the saline.” Allison dozes off to sleep. She awakes a few hours later when she is in immense pain. Her hand is only just able to move to reach a bright red button for medical assistance.  Nurses rush into the room and change her saline bag and gives her a few pills to get rid of the pain. After about twenty minutes the pain is gone and a nurse comes into the white room with a very serious look on her face. “We took a blood test and somehow you are getting poison into your system. Just make sure you don’t take any medicine without nurses permission and medical reason. I’ll go inform Doctor Thompson and get him to change your saline bag.” The only person who has had access to the saline bags was, Doctor Thompson.

Five minutes later Dr Thompson walks in, he has a suspicious look on his face. He says, “If anyone deserved to die in that crash it should have been you. If it weren't for you, my son would be alive right now.” Those words were really unpleasant in Allison’s point of view and they  really hurt Allison. He walks out of the room slyly and slams the door. An hour later Allison was brushing her golden locks for the first time in a week. As she starts gently brushing her hair, the brush glides through her hair but after a while big clumps of her golden locks come out after every stroke of the brush. As she see’s her hair falling out, she  lets out a high pitched scream.

Fiona runs in, “Is everything alright?” At this point Allison is freaking out, “I was brushing my hair when suddenly it started falling out.” Fiona walks over to the corner of the room where a pile of Allisons freshly washed clothes lay, she picks up a cream beanie and hands it to Allison. Allison smiles with gratitude, she places the beanie on her head. As Fiona starts to leave the room, Allison’s body stiffens, starts shaking as if there were an earthquake inside her body. Fiona shouts for other doctors and nurses for assistance. They eventually calm her down and give her back the ability to breath.

Allison falls into a deep slumber, she is asleep for 2-3 hours. Her eyes open widely as she is in immense pain, worse than before. Doctor Thompson wants her to die slowly in agony. She lets out an ear piercing scream. Doctors and nurses run in to see what the problem is. They eventually calm her down with a few painkillers, and let her rest.

When Fiona comes into change Allison's saline bag, Allison awakens. Nurse Fiona changes her saline bag. Fiona asks, “Who has changed your saline bags? Has anyone suspicious been in the room, if so what did they say?” She tried to remember, Doctor Thompson flooded her thoughts, was it him? Is he purposely trying to kill me? “Doctor Thompson is the only one who has changed my saline bag, he also said something really suspicious before, ‘If anyone deserved to die in that crash, it should have been you. If it weren't for you my son would be alive right now.” Fiona looks quite concerned, “Well the saline bag he has used has a poison symbol on it, it is normally used for humans who wish to die, because their illness cause them to much pain.” Allison tries to take every word in, she thought to herself he did try to kill me. Fiona says, “I will report him to the boss, but first I will lock your door so he can’t enter.” She shuts and locks the door.

Fiona and the executive Doctor Colin walk in to talk to speak to Allison. He explained to her that they have arrested Doctor Thompson for attempted murder. Allison felt bad, but was also relieved she will not have a doctor trying to kill her. At that point Allison’s aunt Eliza, runs in, she is bronzed after her week in  Australia. She rushes over to Allison and gives her a big hug, and whispers into her ear, “I am so glad you are okay, I didn’t want to lose another family member.” As her aunt said that, she remembered her loving parents, she felt prickles of tears in her eyes. I became relieved that my Aunt Eliza was here with me and then the next words from her will always haunt me. “Allison, I am so glad that you are alive. I am just going to find one of my good friends who works here, Doctor Thompson.”