Lay Low

Chapter Twenty

Before they had the chance to ask me any more questions, the Doctor arrived with the X-ray results. He pinned them up on the black screen and flicked the switch.  It flickered for a few moments and then my hand became clear on the screen.

Doctor Jones used his pen as a pointer.

"As we had already suspected, you can see clearly that there are fractures in both these fingers". He pointed to my little finger and ring finger on my left hand.

"They will need to be splinted together and immobilised but I see no reason why they shouldn't heal well".

He whipped off that film and put another one up in an expertly fashion.

"Now this was a little more interesting." He mused. "So to speak..." he corrected himself when he saw Max's scowl.

My rib cage flashed up on screen.  The doctor pointed at the left side.

"There are two rib fractures that we were expecting to see" He flexed his pen. "They are located here and here."

PC Hughes scribbled furiously in her notebook.

"However if you look: here, here and here."  His pen flew over the scan picture."  In a couple of other places we can see some old fractures that have healed but these three here are distinct fractures that are still not fully healed.  These probably were inflicted in the last few months."

He looked at Max and the police officers.

"Well, the older fractures are similar to those we see when people have been repeatedly kicked, for example.  With regards to the two new fractures, they are cleaner in break and when we look at the marks on Jacob's back these suggest that it is consistent with having been hit with a blunt instrument."

I felt a few sets of eyes on me.  "It was a broom" I said.

Doctor Jones nodded slightly. "That would certainly do it."

"And the strap marks and bruising are obviously signs of being hit with a belt.  Well, the buckle end of the belt usually to cause bruising and the skin to tear the way it has."

The Doctor looked at me and I simply nodded.

Both Max and Sergeant Jeffries began to look a shade paler.

PC Hughes took up the slack.

"So these injuries are consistent with repeated occurrences of physical abuse?"

"Yes" replied Doctor Jones simply. "I presume you will be completing a Forensic Medical Examination?"

Sergeant Jeffries spoke; "Yes.  We will need everything and copies of the films. Usual practice."

"I'll get onto it" he said, scribbling onto the page in front of him.  He flicked through the notes.

Doctor Jones turned to me. "It says that you were here five months ago with a dislocated shoulder."

I winced as I remembered the pain. I nodded.

"How is it now?"

"Fine"

"Healed well? Do you have full range of motion?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Good good. Right I will prescribe some painkillers for today's injuries." He scribbled onto his pad and handed the sheet to Max. "If after these you are still having pain, go to your GP."

Max shook his hand. "Thank you Doctor."

Sergeant Jeffries and PC Hughes spoke in low voices to each other for a few moments, and then PC Hughes stepped out of the room.