“What have we got?”

“9 year old male, Dean Pearson, got run over by a delivery van outside his house. He’s in respiratory arrest. His father rode in with us.”

Susan met the paramedics outside in the ambulance bay and wheeled the boy into the trauma room. He was unconscious and had a large gash on his forehead. As well as having trouble breathing, he had a suspected rib fracture.

His father was walking along behind them. He was wearing a plaid check shirt and jeans and had an unshaven face, hidden underneath his baseball cap. He lit up a cigarette, looking extremely fed up and like he would rather be somewhere else entirely.

“Page surgery”, Susan called as she worked on resuscitating the child and one of the nurses picked up the phone in the corner of the room and dialled.

Susan had been joined by Cleo in the room and they, along with Abby and several other nurses were rushing around trying to treat the child. He was now conscious but in a bad way.

“It’s not working”, Cleo admitted, after trying a variety of different tactics to try and make it easier for the boy to breathe. “We’ll have to inturbate him.”

“Want to call the father in first?” asked Abby.

Yeah, I’ll go and get him.”

Cleo stepped outside and met Peter running down the corridor

“Trauma 1” she told him, on her way to find the boy’s father before it was too late. She found him outside, smoking his cigarette.

“Mr Pearson?” she asked.

“Yeah?” He seemed very hostile and angry.

“Your son’s in a bad way, we’re going to have to inturbate him. Do you want to talk to him before we do?”

“You bet I do.” He threw his cigarette down angrily and stormed through the admit area with Cleo chasing after him, trying to calm him down.

“You stupid idiot, what the hell were you doing?” He burst through the doors to the trauma room and was yelling violently at his frightened, near- unconscious son.

“Sir, I really think you need to...” Now Susan tried to calm him down with no effect.

“I told you not to go outside. I’m late for work because of you!”

“Get him out of here.”

“Come with me sir”, coaxed Abby and tried to lead him out of the room but he paid no attention and pushed her out of the way and continued to yell at his son.

“Call security”, Susan told a nurse.

“No need, I’ll talk to him.”

Peter followed the man out of the door and started shouting at him in the hallway.

“What do you think you’re doing? Your son nearly died and all you can think of is loosing your job?”

“He has to learn his lesson. He’s always disobeying me.”

“That’s no excuse. You should take responsibility.”

“I never asked to be a father.”

“What?!” The man turned and started to walk away but Peter grabbed his arm forcefully and refused to let him leave. “Being a parent is the most precious thing in the world. Many people would kill to have a child of their own. You don’t know when you’re going to loose your kids so be damn thankful while they’re still around.”

The man scoffed at Peter and walked away. It was clear that none of Peter’s words got through to him.

The staff treating the boy could hear every word of Benton’s little outburst through the partially open door.

Susan went outside to confront Peter about his behaviour, despite Cleo’s bet efforts to stop her.

“What on earth was that? That’s no way to speak to the patients!

Cleo joined them outside. “Susan, don’t...”

“No, why the hell did you react like that?”

“Leave it...” Cleo warned. She knew why Peter was acting like this.

“Don’t...” Peter was trying to search for the words. “You don’t know anything about my life.”

He turned and walked slowly towards the elevator, leaving Susan and Cleo standing in the hallway.

“That really wasn’t a good idea”, Cleo told her colleague. “I wouldn’t wind him up.”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“Oh God... It’s really not my place to say.”

Cleo knew she shouldn’t share his feelings with anyone else but she was backed into a corner. She should have just kept her mouth shut.

“He’s just found out that Reese isn’t his son” she finally said. “And Roger is fighting him for custody.”

Susan sighed. She had really put her foot in it. He must be going through hell. what was she going to say to him?