Darren, Can You Open Your Eyes, Poppet?

Can You Open Your Eyes, Poppet?

University Hospital Aintree, Immediate Observation Ward Liverpool

Dedicated to all the Staff of this wonderful University Training Hospital

and to the Royal Liverpool too

Darren, can you open your eyes for me poppet? 

Darren poppet

open your eyes my luv.


Ah! That’s good luv
Look ahead
I just want to see your eyes Darren.

Darren's Granma grips his dad. 


Darren what year is it my luv? 
Hey?
Squeeze my fingers Darren.

Thanks Darren 

That's it, you can go back to sleep now, lovely.

And with that she glides across the ward
‘Florence-Nightingale-like’
, no sound …
Thanks Ken, her eyes smiling.

Darren's dad crouches down 

beside his pride and joy, 

gently stroking the soft cheek.

Words of encouragement, whispered.

He's peaceful now. 

Not like earlier
He’d glanced across wide-eyed and panic-struck, 


… … elp me!!


was all I could read.

A few steps to that ward station
more like a marathon 

and horseflies cursed, 

watching a young man all of eighteen

turning inside-out and outside-in,
writhing 
…
no one to help him, 

other patients oblivious.

But he's peaceful now. 

The drip reconnected 
and order restored.

I keep spewing up,

I don’t know wot’s matter wiv me.



Coz you’ve banged your head Darry.


…his elder sis just arrived,
Soothes his back,

hugs hims closely;
and aunt and uncle,
and now at last, mum too.

Oh Mam, I’m so scared…



She hugs him for all he’s worth

… typically loving scallie family

salt of the earth: LIVERPOOL.

The family confer. 

Darren sleeps within them
This is the worst he's had, 

he just went down while eating.

A laugh and joke
blankets anguish, 

a million questions unanswered 

swirling around them,

pulsating with the rush and hush 

of this midnight hour, 

as trolley beds, drips and people
come and go; 

doctors, nurses, stethoscopes and painkillers;

the mortuary attendant a couple of beds down 

drawing the curtain round of closed down life.

Life has gone; LONG LIVE LIFE.

The angel returns.



The doctor is coming round in a few minutes. 

We’ll take him off the feed and put him on insulin.

Every time he bangs his head! 

But what damage is he doing? 
 wonders mam aloud …

the family joke but give no answers.

The Ward Sister is called.


A turn for the worse?


Eighteen years of anger, resentment

and why me?!!?


The gentleness, firmness, quiet command; 

Vanessa's beautiful voice 
in the background from aeons ago.[i]

Slowly the pieces reconstruct.

…he knocked back a full bottle, 

I watched him! mam continues aloud

he's been on lagers too. 

Four hours kip, no breakfast.

Now I understand a little.

Cheltenham General 

Newcastle Royal

Haddassah, Jerusalem

and other hospitals, too.

Another nurse approaches, loving, 
commanding, 


Please!

All of you give him space. 

It's creating heat.

No nonsense.

Vanessa most surely … …


Darren squeeze my hand, 

Darren push me away with your feet.

Get all this stuff off!
He's boiling hot!!

Irritation with the family 

who won't clear the deck; …

Get the fan, Leanne. 

Get everything off him. 

Yes, everything!


Yes. He’s responding. Good. 

We're gonna test your blood sugar again,

Okay, luv?


Seven point nine. That's great. 

One hundred and thirty over seventy - brilliant. 

It's great. His pulse is fine. Seventy-two.

Palpable tension retreats
out through swing doors …
banished …
calm and peace restores.

Gran looks across,

smiles only with her eyes,

radiant, full of thanks and relief,

her grandson through the worst.

She moves across, leans over,
he hugs her,
sis rubs his thigh
and rolls her eyes.

We laugh.

Men! … She smiles across …

When will they ever learn?!?

Author Note (2006)

One Sunday night in August 2006 A&E Obs [ii] Ward, University Hospital Aintree following a severe allergic reaction to a horsefly bite to the lower leg resulting in a nine day admission; that night whilst in the observation ward, I witnessed this scene a couple of meters from me. An inspiration.

The dedication of the nursing team, the doctors and support staff, and of course that remarkable spirit that makes up family life and to which all of us aspire, and also that indomitable Scouse spirit that still enables the ladies of the family to roll their eyes and laugh.

For me observing, an emotive moment, reminding me of my own family down south, but also that we are all great people, resilient, proud, independent and free. We are an island people.

[i] My younger sister ~ I recall her voice, as a nurse, when I was turning outside-in and inside-out
[ii] Accident And Emergency Observation

13 November 2021
All Rights Reserved

© 2023 Kenneth Thomas Webb