STRIKE
A
call for help from the Delivery Suite emptied the coffee room in
seconds just as Karen and Abigail wandered in. They had just
delivered twins and felt they deserved a break. There were plenty of
other midwives around.
"You
in Unison or the Royal College?" asked Abigail, vigorously
stirring her coffee.
"Unison"
replied Karen with her coffee halfway to her mouth, "why?"
"I
wondered if you'd be striking on Thursday?"
“Strike!”
Karen was startled, “No, never, not me. I couldn't”
“So
you'll be a scab then." Abigail sounded just like Karen's
father. It turned out she was the union rep and was very persuasive
in her arguments, just like Karen's Dad had been. It was as hard to
resist as a tornado.
"The
Government are taking the piss."
So
it was that on a chilly November morning Karen found herself outside
her hospital with a placard in her hand. A large group of hospital
employees surrounded her cheering and waving when rush hour motorists
blew their horns in support.
Karen
still had her doubts that this was a wise course of action. She was
torn between the injustice of the reneged pay deal and the inborn
desire to be upstairs helping new Mums
and
their babies.
“How
does this strike harm the Government?” she commented to the
paramedic standing alongside her. She stamped her feet as much for
emphasis as against the cold."The people who suffer are the
patients."
Before
he could reply an old lady hobbling by butted in.
“You
can say that again. My hip op has been cancelled three times! Three
times already! But it's not an emergency so I don't matter, never
mind the pain that's driving me mad"
“But
madam, we haven't had a pay rise in four years and staff are leaving
the health service in droves. Soon there won't be anyone left to care
for you when you do get your operation.” the paramedic protested.
“Oh,
I know, I know, but when you can't get about even to do a bit of
shopping you get tired of waiting." and with that she limped
away
The
paramedic sighed and Karen watched the old lady, struggling to cross
the busy road.
“What's
the alternative, that's what I'd like to know.” The paramedic said
over his shoulder to Karen as he went to the old ladies aid, raising
his hand to stop the oncoming cars and assisting her across to the
other side. Karen grinned, the urge to care was so strong in most
health care staff they couldn't help themselves.
434 words – 84 over the suggested
limit. So not too bad.
I feel I have responded to my reviewers
comments. I find writing authentic sounding dialogue quite difficult.
Even reading it out loud doesn't help. Is there a way of expressing
tone of voice, I wonder?
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