Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman (historical books to read TXT) 📕

hour later, Jude came back. He sat down in his original place without saying a word.

‘Are you OK, love?’ Mum asked, gently.

Jude gave her a look like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Full of hurt and love and anger. Mum actually blushed and turned away. Seconds later, Jude did the same. It was obvious, neither of them was going to tell me what was going on. The minutes crawled by as we all sat in stony silence.

‘Mrs Margaret McGregor?’ A nurse finally called out from outside the room next to the reception desk.

Mum stood up slowly, doing her best to protect her finger.

‘Mrs Margaret . . .’

‘She’s here,’ I called out. ‘She’s just coming.’

Mum tried to stand up. I attempted to help her but it was hard going.

‘Are you trying to melt into that chair or are you going to get up and help?’ I snapped at my brother.

In a daze, Jude stood up. We steadied Mum between us and all walked into the nurse’s little cubby-hole.

‘My mum needs to see a doctor,’ I said when we’d barely got our feet into the room.

‘All patients are assessed here first before they see a doctor,’ the nurse informed us.

‘That’s fine,’ Mum said, casting a warning look at me.

The nurse shut the door behind us as Mum and Jude sat down. I stood up behind him. The nurse headed back to her chair stating, ‘I’m Nurse Carter. I’ll be your primary nurse whilst you’re at the hospital.’

‘Good. Fine.’ Mum nodded.

‘Formalities first, I’m afraid. Before we can administer any kind of medical care, I’ll need to see your ID cards.’

‘Sorry?’ Mum frowned.

‘It’s the new government ruling. All patient IDs have to be checked and registered. I think it’s their way of trying to stop benefit swindles.’

‘I beg your pardon?’ Mum’s frown deepened. ‘I’m not even on benefits.’

‘It doesn’t matter. This hospital and every other nought hospital in the country gets a certain amount of money per patient we treat. The government are claiming that some hospitals have been trying to abuse the system. So the government’s foolproof plan,’ the sneer in Nurse Carter’s voice made it only to clear what she thought of this so-called ‘foolproof’ plan, ‘is to check each patient’s ID card photo and fingerprint, so that patients can’t hop around from hospital to hospital getting sickness certificates and hospitals can’t lie about the numbers of patients they treat. That’s the theory anyway.’

‘And if I refuse to hand over my ID card?’ Mum asked.

‘Then we can’t treat you,’ Nurse Carter shrugged, regretfully.

‘I don’t think I have it. I left it at home.’

Nurse Carter sighed. ‘Then I’ll need the ID cards of at least two other people who can vouch for you.’

‘I resent this. I’m not trying to defraud anyone,’ Mum fumed.

‘I know. And no-one here is accusing you of anything of the kind. But unfortunately we have no choice.’

Mum lifted up her hand. Although her palm was facing down and the back of her hand upwards, Mum’s index finger was a V pointing up at the yellowing ceiling.

‘Why don’t you just chop off my finger and hold it to ransom until I can prove I’m who I say I am?’

‘That won’t be necessary,’ the nurse smiled. She turned her gaze on Jude and me. ‘These are your sons?’

‘Yes,’ Mum answered brusquely.

‘They’re fine boys.’

‘I think so.’ Mum allowed herself a faint trace of pride as she looked straight at Jude. ‘Very fine boys.’

As Jude blushed, I ruffled his hair.

‘Get off,’ he scowled at my grinning face.

‘Which one’s the oldest?’

Mum paused for only a moment as she remembered Lynette. ‘Jude here,’ she supplied before my brother could. ‘And this is Callum, my youngest.’

‘OK, Jude,’ Nurse Carter smiled. ‘May I see your ID card?’

Jude dug into his jacket pocket and pulled it out. I did the same. Nurse Carter swiped them through something attached to her computer. It looked a bit like a machine for checking credit cards.

‘What’s that for?’ Jude asked.

‘All done.’ The nurse handed Jude’s ID back to him. She held out her hand to give back mine.

‘What is that?’ I asked. I hadn’t failed to notice that she hadn’t answered Jude’s question.

‘It just stores your ID details and thumbprints on our hospital database.’

‘I don’t want my sons’ fingerprints stored,’ Mum leapt to her feet, her face pale. ‘Wipe it off – NOW.’

‘Don’t worry, Mrs McGregor. As soon as you’re able to bring your ID card, your sons’ details will be deleted.’

‘You’re sure?’ Mum said slowly, sitting back down.

‘Positive. That’s standard hospital procedure.’ Nurse Carter looked from Mum to Jude and I and back again. She was trying – and failing – to keep the curiosity out of her expression.

Jude looked down at his hands. And then I realized what was going on. So much for my so-called intelligence. I hadn’t realized until now why Mum had panicked at the thought of Jude’s prints being on file somewhere. Today was obviously my day for being incredibly slow on the uptake.

Nurse Carter lifted Mum’s right hand by the wrist. ‘How did you do this anyway?’

‘It was an accident,’ Mum mumbled. ‘I hit something I shouldn’t’ve.’

Nurse Carter gave Mum a considering look. ‘I see,’ was all she said.

The nurse examined Mum’s hand very carefully, turning it this way and that as gently as she could. But even at her gentlest, the nurse still made beads of sweat break out over Mum’s forehead and brought a pained shimmer to her eyes.

‘Well, you’ve definitely dislocated something in there!’ Nurse Carter said at last.

I mean – duh! We knew that already. And the look Mum gave the nurse said as much.

‘Yes, I know! But it never hurts to get a second opinion on these things! You’ll need an X-ray and then we’ll get a doctor to sort you out. OK?’

Mum nodded.

We had to wait an hour before one of the only two X-ray rooms in the entire hospital became available. And then we had to wait another forty-five minutes before a doctor came to see us. The