Chameleon's Shadow

Confidential Memo To: Dr Robert Willis, Psychiatric Dept From: Nursing Station 3 Senior Nursing Officer: Samantha Gridling Patient: Lt Charles Acland 893406 Room: 312 Date: 5 December 2006

Thank you for taking my call and apologies for interrupting your session. Further to the brief outline I gave you over the phone, please find further details below. I’ve since questioned my staff to see if anyone else has had a run-in with Charles, and several have reported a refusal to answer questions, being sworn at, an almost permanent anger and suspicion about medication and analgesia. There’s no question in my mind that he’s targeting the female nurses, since none of the male nurses made any complaints.

FYI: One of the auxiliaries – Tracey Fielding – told me he ordered her to ‘take her fucking hands’ off him this morning when she tried to straighten his bed. Tracey says he spoke quite fluently and she had no trouble understanding him. She decided to treat it as a joke and answered, ‘You should be so lucky,’ but abandoned the bed-making because Charles was clearly on edge.

The two incidents I mentioned to you over the phone were also directed at women, myself being one, and both involved violence or threats of violence. They are:

1. Yesterday evening, Charles lost his temper with his mother. She told me she was trying to comb his hair when he caught her by the wrist and forced her arm on to the bed. She said he looked ‘absolutely furious’ and twisted her hand backwards until she was kneeling on the floor. It was only because her husband came into the room and managed to release her that Charles didn’t hurt her badly. Both parents are understandably upset and I suggested they stay away for twenty-four hours. I’d like you to talk to them about going home for good. While no one can condone Charles’s behaviour, it’s clear to all of us that his mother is driving him mad. She calls him ‘her little boy’ (!!!) both to his face and in front of others.

2. As soon as Mr and Mrs Acland left, I went to check on Charles. His door was closed, he’d detached himself from his drips and he was standing by the window. I invited him to get back into bed. When he took no notice, I walked towards the buzzer to call for assistance, and he moved in front of me to stop me doing it. Upright and with clenched fists, he’s over six feet and very intimidating. I warned him that his behaviour was unacceptable, and he said quite clearly, ‘I don’t give a shit.’ To avoid provoking him further, I left the room. When I returned five minutes later with a male nurse and a security guard, Charles was back in bed and reattached to his drips. Correctly! He was very pale, and I think he gave himself a scare, but he’s a damn sight more ‘with it’ than any of us realized. His recovery speed is extraordinary.

I’d appreciate a visit ASAP after your return from Warwick. Pro tem, I’ve re-rostered the staff so that Charles has only male attendants, but there aren’t enough available to make the rota workable for more than 48 hours. I’m also concerned that his mother won’t stay away. FYI: I will be on station till 17.00 but am contactable at home on 821581.

SNO Samantha Gridling, Nursing Station 3