Free A DEATH TO DIE FOR by Geoffrey Wilding Page A

preparing for the spring exams and his chances of being able to concentrate with everything that was going on were pretty slim so we agreed that it was important that Helen should try to keep his regime as normal as possible to give him a fighting chance.
     
    While she was away I busied myself with the over bed TV and became absorbed with a history programme on UKTV which is not a channel that we had at home.
     
    Early evening saw Helen and Jim back at the hospital, I recounted to Jim what the new consultant had said about further tests and a little later as if almost on cue Tingha and Tucker appeared at the door, they asked if it was OK to prep me for the lumber puncture which they were intending to carry out after visiting, we said yes and Helen and Jim stepped out into the corridor, I think that Jim went to get a cola for himself and a hot chocolate for Helen.
     
    The doctors told me that I would need to roll on my right side and explained that they were going to give me several anaesthetic injections to the area of my back where they needed to insert the needle into my backbone and once done they would leave me for a while for the anaesthetic to take effect and then return to carry out the lumber puncture, so with that they asked me to adopt the foetal position and after adjusting my clothing they wiped my exposed back with alcohol rub and then proceeded with the injections.
     
    I’m not sure how many they decided were necessary but after the first couple of scratches I didn’t feel much at all because the anaesthetic was starting to work, when completed they rubbed my skin again with the swab and said they would be back later.
     
    Time past, Helen and Jim had by now returned to the room and finished their drinks and we were all starting to wonder where the doctors had got to, more time went by and eventually they returned apologising for the delay by explaining that they had been called to deal with an emergency.
     
    They asked me to roll on my side again and tested the area of my back with the cap of a pen and asked me if I could still feel anything, to which I gave an affirmative answer so Tucker, who seemed to be taking charge this evening asked Tingha if he would go and get another dose of anaesthetic, Helen realising that it was starting to get late and that this could take sometime thought that it would be a good time for her and Jim to leave and we said our goodbyes.
     
    I had not really been looking forward to this procedure as I had needed to have it done a couple of times about 25 years previously when I had injured my back at work, so this delay was starting to vex me somewhat.
     
    When Tingha got back Tucker injected my back another three or four times, they both left but this time returned in about twenty minutes and having tested the numbness of the area again and finding it satisfactory Tucker decided that he was going to proceed with the lumber puncture.
     
    They asked me to get into the foetal position once more and to try to hold onto to my legs because it was important that I should stay steady while they put the needle in to my spine so I curled up on the bed and with my good arm I tried to cradle my knees.
     
    From this position I could not see what they were doing but I felt a pressing sensation on my back as though they were feeling where they need to insert the needle and then I felt a pressure point release as the needle broke the skin, but there was no pain, I heard Tingha and Tucker mumbling to each other but I could not make out what they were saying.
     
    The next sensation I felt was the end of the needle sort of grating on the surface of my backbone, this went on for a bit as though Tucker was trying to find the gap between my vertebrae, then he said could I please curl up more tightly, I tried but to no avail as he still did not seem to be able to find the gap he was searching for.
     
    He then said that he was sorry but that he would have to try again in another position, I