(Part 01)
Jade Flowers stood barely five feet tall and was slender and small and the afternoon sun shone on her shoulder length blonde hair.
She was a Doctor, and a very pretty Doctor at that, though that alone hadn’t been sufficient to change her marital status in her first 34 years, but despite that she was very experienced and well respected in the village of Highfinch where she practiced.
The village of Highfinch sits just on the edge of the Pepperstock Hills and the Lily Green Hollows Golf Club separates the village from the Hamlet of Lily Green, and the combination of those two and Kingfisherbridge made up the parish of St Martins where Jenna Lawton was the Vicar.
Although he practice was in Highfinch, Jade wasn’t confined to the village obviously and her home visits could take her all over the north east corner of the Finchbottom Vale and into the Pepperstock Hills.
The Vale nestles comfortably between the Ancient Dancingdean Forest to the south and the rolling Pepperstock Hills in the north, those who are lucky enough to live there think of it as the rose between two thorns.
The Vale was once a great wetland that centuries earlier stretched from Mornington in the East to Childean in the west and from Shallowfield in the south to Purplemere in the north.
But over the many centuries the vast majority had been drained for agriculture, a feat achieved largely by the efforts of the famous Mornington Mills, of which only three had survived to the present day and even those were no longer functional and were in various states of repair.
There were only three small bodies of water left in the Vale by the 21st Century, one in Mornington, one in Childean and third of course was in Purplemere.
Jade was a singleton since her louse of a boyfriend, who she was expecting to marry, was now a bitter memory.
She had suspected for some time that he was sleeping with her best friend and then out of the blue he confessed to her one night.
From that moment on Jade had taken the pledge to pour all of herself into her work and waste no more time on men.
Of course the age old problem with pledges and promises is that fate normally intervenes.
Jade had been over to the Royal Downshire Hospital in Purplemere to attend a case conference.
It was a lovely sunny summer afternoon as she left Purplemere on Tuesday and headed out of town, eager to get out into the country again towards Highfinch and was looking forward to a stress free journey through the beautiful countryside of the Vale, which was beautiful enough in itself but as she got closer to the Pepperstock Hills she knew it would get even more so.
On that fateful day however her trip was curtailed when just ahead of her a school girl was hit by a car, it wasn’t the drivers fault, the girl just stepped out, distracted by her mobile phone, and bang she was flying through the air.
(Part 02)
On that fateful day however her trip was curtailed when just ahead of her a school girl was hit by a car, it wasn’t the drivers fault, the girl just stepped out, distracted by her mobile phone, and bang she was flying through the air.
Jade was two cars behind the one that hit the girl, a red Espace, and she immediately got out of her car and ran to assist, phoning for an ambulance as she did so.
When she reached the stricken girl it didn’t look good she was lying on her back with her head to one side.
One arm was under her back the other lay across her belly, and both legs were in very unnatural positions, clearly there were multiple fractures visible and an awful lot of blood.
She estimated she was either 12 or 13 and the uniform was from a private boarding school for girls Kettlewell Hill.
Jade checked for a pulse and found it, it was weak but it was there.
The female driver of the Espace was absolutely distraught and the man from the BMW behind her was desperately trying to calm her down.
Jade picked up the girls phone and then while she was attending to her someone handed her a hand bag.
A young man said
“Can I do anything?”
“Yes” she said “in the boot of the blue Clio you’ll find a car rug”
“Ok” he said and off he went.
She stayed with the girl and opened the handbag and looked for ID and found it in the purse, a travel card in the name of Clarissa Yeo.
When the young man returned with the red plaid blanket Jade covered the poor girl’s broken body and continued to monitor her vital signs until the ambulance arrived.
“Hi Jade” Paramedic Sam Liburd said
“Hello Sam, her name is Clarissa Yeo and it’s not looking good”
She quickly did the hand over relaying the pertinent facts and then stood back and let Sam and his partner Andy Mason do their stuff before they loaded her into the ambulance, which was headed for the Downshire.
Jade remained at the scene for about an hour after the ambulance left and gave a full statement to the police, she also sat with the distraught driver until her husband arrived and then she got in her car and got back on her way home.
It was when she had arrived back at her house in Highfinch that she realised she still had the girls mobile phone.
“Shit” she said at the discovery
Jade was starving so she quickly made herself a sandwich before getting changed and getting back in the car.
She ate her sandwich as she drove to the Royal Downshire Hospital and parked in the staff car park.
In the Emergency Department she spoke to the Sister in charge who informed her that the girl had gone straight upstairs for emergency surgery but was now in the intensive care unit.
So Jade thanked her and went upstairs to the ICU.
(Part 03)
In the Emergency Department she spoke to the Sister in charge who informed her that the girl had gone straight upstairs for emergency surgery but was now in the intensive care unit.
So Jade thanked her and went upstairs to the ICU.
“Hello sister” Jade said
“Yes” she replied suspiciously
“It’s Doctor Flowers” she said
“I recognise the name but not the face” Sister Madden replied
“I was looking for a young girl” Jade elaborated to Sister Madden
“A school girl hit by a car”
“Oh yes” Sister said “Are you related?”
“No I witnessed it” she replied “and gave first aid until the ambulance arrived”
“I see, well it’s not good news I’m afraid” the sister said gravely
“Oh no” Jade said and sat down and after a moment or two remembered why she was there.
“I have her mobile phone, she was using it when she stepped into the road I thought I would give it to her family”
“There’s no one here” Said the Sister “her only family are in Hong Kong”
The news hit Jade like a slap in the face.
“Has no one come from the school?” she asked
“No” replied a Doctor
“But they’ve contacted the family” the Sister contributed
“Very big of them” the doctor responded
Jade saw by his name badge he was Ben Steppenbeck
A relatively young man with the same colouring as herself.
“Then Clarissa is dying then?” Jade said
“Yes” he replied “and it’s unlikely her parents will reach us before she does”
“Are the school aware of that fact?” she asked and the doctor nodded in response
“Well that just won’t do” Jade said with determination and stood up
“May I use the phone in your office doctor?”
“Who do you want to call?” he asked
“The headmistress” she replied “Do you have a number Sister?”
“Yes” she replied and handed her a scrap of paper “her name is Hardacre, and she’s really stuck up”
“You can use my office on one condition” the doctor said
“What’s that?” she replied expecting a proposition
“That I can listen in” he said
“Done” she said
They went into his office and she sat in the chair and putting the phone on speaker she dialled the number.
Meanwhile Dr Steppenbeck closed the door and set his mobile phone on the desk.
“Kettlewell Hill!” a woman answered
“Mrs Hardacre please” Jade said
“I think you mean Ms Hardacre” she responded in monotone
“Yes” she replied
“And you are?”
“Doctor Flowers, Downshire Hospital”
The line went dead momentarily before another woman’s voice said
“Ms Hardacre speaking”
“I’m Doctor Flowers from the Downshire” Jade said
“Oh yes” she responded flatly
“You understand the seriousness of Clarissa’s condition? And that it’s unlikely she will last the night, and certainly won’t live long enough for her parents to see her alive?” Jade asked at length
“Yes it’s very tragic” the headmistress replied
“We were wondering when the schools representative would be arriving to sit with her for her final hours” she said
“The school isn’t sending anyone” Ms Hardacre responded with surprise.
(Part 04)
“The school isn’t sending anyone” Ms Hardacre responded with surprise.
“Why not?” Jade responded
“It’s not our responsibility” Hardacre replied
“That’s a disgraceful attitude” Jade said angrily
“She is one of your charges, she is your responsibility, whatever happened to “in loco parentis”“
“The girl was not on school property at the time of the accident”
The headmistress interrupted
“And she didn’t have permission to be outside”
“So she got what she deserved? Is that what you’re saying” Jade said red with rage
“Well it wouldn’t have happened would it if she had remained in school?” Hardacre replied
“So you take their money and then wash your hands of them” Jade said crossly
“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer” She said
“So I take it you won’t send anyone?” she asked
“That’s correct” the headmistress replied
“You’ll let her die alone?” Jade asked “What about pastoral care?”
“We don’t molly coddle at Kettlewell Hill” she answered
“What faith is she?” Jade demanded
“What? I’ve no idea” she replied
“Then check your records and find out” Jade barked
“Who are you to give me orders” she said affronted
“Listen Ms Hardarse” Jade snapped, deliberately mispronouncing her name
“Clarissa will be dead by morning and she should have the benefit of her faith at the time of her passing”
“Very well” she said and tutted
“A few moments later” she returned.
“Christian” she said flatly “Anglican”
“I would like to tell the parents when I see them, what a great support you have been” Jade said
“But I can’t because you’ve been no bloody help at all and I will be giving them a detailed account of how you have catastrophically failed in you duty of care to a young child in your charge”
“How dare you threaten me, you jumped up little tart” She said angrily
“This school has a lot of friends to deal with the likes of you”
And then Hardacre hung up.
“How rude” Jade said “I hadn’t finished with her by a long chalk”
“What a bitch” Dr Steppenbeck added and picked up the phone he’d laid on the table.
“That was brilliant” he added and tapped a couple of keys and then the phone emitted the following
““Kettlewell Hill!”
“Mrs Hardacre please”
“I think you mean Ms Hardacre”“
“You recorded it?” Jade said and Peter nodded
“I wish I’d thought of that” she said
“Not to worry” he said “give me your number and I’ll send you the file”
“Oh yes! Is that your normal ploy to get Doctors phone numbers?” Jade said tongue in cheek
“No I’m serious, it might come in handy if the old cow sets her powerful friends on you” he said
(Part 05)
Jade went to the hospital chapel to see the chaplain but she was told he was already performing the last rights on an elderly patient.
So she left a message for Reverend John Stadius and then Jade decided she could not let Clarissa end her life alone so she volunteered to sit at her bedside until the end.
So she sat and held the hand of the poor young girl who but for a moments loss of concentration would have had a life full of infinite possibilities.
At around 2.30am Reverend John Stadius quietly entered the room.
He was a rather tall man in his forties, they briefly made eye contact and he smiled at Jade.
No words were exchanged, Rev Stadius just went straight into his well-practised ritual.
It was less than an hour later when the candle light of a twelve year old girl was snuffed out and Mr and Mrs Yeo would have a child to mourn.
The door to the on call room opened and Jade quietly entered but
Ben Steppenbeck was not in the bed and then she heard footsteps in the corridor and she turned around to find him standing there.
“She’s gone” she said and threw herself at him and burst into tears.
He held her in his arms for ten minutes or so until she had composed herself.
“I’m sorry about that” she said as she dried her eyes “I’m normally more together than this”
“It’s fine really” he insisted “It shows that you care”
“I’m so angry” she said
Stating that she was angry was actually a gross understatement she was also overwhelmed with sadness that the schoolgirl, a boarder at Kettlewell hill girls school, that Jade had seen hit and mortally wounded by a car had been so disgracefully let down.
The girl’s parents were in Hong Kong at the time and they were not expected to arrive in the UK before the girl passed.
Jade was horrified that a twelve year old girl was going to die alone and she was further angered by the fact that the girls school weren’t prepared to send anyone to be with Clarissa as she slipped away.
It was Jade who sat with her through the night and was holding her hand as she died.
She really wanted to tell the Yeo’s how appallingly the school had behaved to Clarissa, but couldn’t bring herself to impose on their grief.
So she decided instead to try to get the interest of the newspapers but even the “Sunday News” a paper known less than affectionately as the “Sunday Screws” brushed her off.
Ben Steppenbeck gave her the name of a well-respected freelance journalist, Bob Philips who was renowned for being tenacious and he took all the information, a copy of the medical file, a sworn statement by the attending physician, Dr Steppenbeck, and most damning of all the recording of the telephone conversation with the headmistress Ms Hardacre.
Bob gratefully took the information and wrote a very hard hitting story but even he was unsuccessful and was blocked at every turn.
When he told Jade of his failure the words of the headmistress Ms Hardacre echoed in her head.
“This school has a lot of friends to deal with the likes of you”
And clearly those friends were being well employed.
So it appeared that she had failed Clarissa because she didn’t have any wealthy or powerful friends of her own to employ.
(Part 06)
So it appeared to Jade that she had failed Clarissa because she didn’t have any wealthy or powerful friends of her own to employ.
But she only thought that because she wasn’t fully appraised of the facts.
Ben Steppenbeck had become her ally in the quest to expose Ms Hardacre and Kettlewell Hill School, but that was partly because he had fallen in love with the sparky little firebrand, with the smell of injustice in her nostrils.
But what cemented his feeling for her was the comforting hug she sought from him in the minutes after the girl’s death.
Having watched her efforts fails with the media Ben knew he had the solution to her problem which might well have secured her love for him, but it would come at great cost.
Because the solution to Jades problem was Ben’s father Edwin Steppenbeck.
He and his father had first fallen out when Ben chose medicine as a career rather than following in his father’s footsteps but their estrangement hardened after his mother Amanda died and they hadn’t spoken for 5 years when he and Jade were shown into Edwin’s study by the butler.
Edwin Steppenbeck was a very wealthy and powerful man, good looking like his son and for a man in his early sixties he was slim and athletic looking he might even have been described as elegant.
“Hello Father” he said as the butler closed the door
“Well this is a surprise” Edwin said “You must be desperate, so what is it? Have you knocked her up?”
“Excuse me” Jade snapped “I’m actually here”
“She’s a feisty one I’ll give you that” Edwin said
“I’m still here” she snapped
“I am right in saying that you are the reason my son has deigned to visit me?” he said
“I am” she agreed
“Well all I can say is that he must have the strongest possible feeling for you to come here” Edwin said and Jade looked at Ben who was looking at the floor.
“Yes and I can tell you that those feeling are more than a little reciprocated” Jade retorted raising herself up to her full five foot one.
“I’m glad to hear it” Edwin said “Despite his stubbornness, he is steadfast and loyal”
Ben looked up at his father and a smile passed between them, not a bridge building smile, but a “we know there is a bridge” kind of smile.
They sat in Edwin’s study and Jade made an impassioned plea for help.
And explained about how she wanted to give the story to the papers and the way it was being blocked by powerful friends of the school.
Then she played him the recording of the conversation with the headmistress.
“No one at that school cared enough about that poor girl” she said “they were heartless”
“Which journalist did you give the story to?” he asked
“Bob Philips” she replied
“I know Bob, he’s a good man and if he says he’s being blocked then he is being blocked” James said “and someone is definitely using their influence”
He paused for a moment and then said
“However I own the Sunday News”
So when everything was settled, Edwin and his son shook hands and Jade kissed his cheek.
“I like this girl Ben” Edwin said “and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of her”
When they were outside by the car she said
“Why didn’t you tell me how you felt?”
“Because I didn’t want to scare you away” he replied
“You could never do that” Jade said and kissed him and his father was smiling as he looked on from his study window.
A week later the Sunday News ran a story on the front page headlined “Scandalous Neglect at Kettlewell Hill”
Jade was doubly pleased because as a result of the expose the story snowballed day by day and the school haemorrhaged pupils from the moment the story broke with an almost perpetual stream of angry parents picking up their charges .
The headmistress Ms Hardacre had been sacked by the school governors but the papers wouldn’t let it go and fresh revelations about her surfaced in each subsequent addition.
Jade felt no pity for her though, justice had been served.
The main reason for her happiness however was that she was in love and Ben Steppenbeck loved her back and after only a few weeks he proposed to her.
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