‘Good morning, minister. Let me take you through to Lord Samuels.’
The president of the Royal College of Physicians rose as the minister entered the room. He waited until she was seated before offering her coffee.
‘No, thank you,’ said Emma, who didn’t want to waste any more time than necessary, while trying not to give the impression that she was in a hurry.
‘As I explained yesterday, minister, the matter I wish to discuss with you is personal, which is why I didn’t want us to meet in your office.’
‘I fully understand,’ said Emma, waiting to hear his arguments in favour of Guy’s and St Thomas’s being joined at the hip with King’s.
‘During question time yesterday’ – Ah, thought Emma, so I must have made some blunder after all, which he was kind enough not to raise in the chamber – ‘I noticed that when you paused to take a drink, you spilt some water over your papers. You then answered the question without referring to your notes so no one noticed, although it was not for the first time.’
Emma wondered where all this was leading, but didn’t interrupt.
‘And when you left the chamber, you stumbled and dropped some papers.’
‘Yes, I did,’ said Emma, her mind now racing. ‘But neither incident struck me as important at the time.’
‘I hope you’re right,’ said Samuels. ‘But may I ask if you’ve recently found it difficult to grasp objects like cups, your briefcase, even your pen when you’re signing letters?’
Emma hesitated, before saying, ‘Yes, now that you mention it. But my mother always accused me of being clumsy.’
‘I also noticed that you hesitated on a couple of occasions while you were addressing the House yesterday. Was that because you were considering your reply, or was your speech in some way restricted?’
‘I put it down to nerves. My brother is always warning me never to relax when I’m at the despatch box.’
‘Do your legs sometimes feel weak, so you need to sit down?’
‘Yes, but I am nearly seventy, Lord Samuels, and I’d be the first to admit I ought to take more exercise.’
‘Possibly, but I wonder if you would allow me to conduct a short neurological examination, if only to dismiss my own concerns.’
‘Of course,’ said Emma, wanting to say no, so she could get back to her office.
The short examination took over an hour. Lord Samuels began by asking Emma to take him through her medical history. He then listened to her heart and checked her reflexes with a patella hammer. Had those tests proved satisfactory, he would have apologized for troubling her and sent her off to work. But he didn’t. Instead, he went on to assess the cranial nerves. Having done so, he moved on to a close study of her mouth, looking for fasciculation of the tongue. Satisfied that he was far from satisfied, Lord Samuels said, ‘The examination I’m about to conduct may be painful. In fact, I hope it is.’
Emma made no comment when he produced a needle and proceeded to stick it into her upper arm. She immediately reacted with a yelp, which clearly pleased Samuels, but when he repeated the exercise on her right hand, she did not respond.
‘Ouch!’ she said as he stuck the needle into her thigh, but when he proceeded to her lower calf, she might as well have been a pincushion, because she felt nothing. He moved on to her back, but Emma often couldn’t tell when he was sticking the pin in her.
While Emma put her blouse back on, Lord Samuels returned to his desk, opened a file and waited for her to join him. When he looked up, she was sitting nervously in front of him.
‘Emma,’ he said gently, ‘I’m afraid that what I’m about to tell you is not good news.’
51
WHEN A MINISTER resigns because of some scandal, the press dip their pens in the blood and make the most of it. But if they have to surrender their seals of office because of illness, a very different attitude prevails, especially when the minister in question is both liked and respected.
The traditional letters between a prime minister and a colleague who has to resign unexpectedly were exchanged, but on this occasion no one could have missed the genuine regret felt on both sides.
It has been the most exciting job I’ve ever done in my life, and a privilege to serve in your administration.
The Prime Minister wrote in response, Your exceptional contribution to public life, and unstinting service to your country, will not be forgotten.
Neither the Prime Minister nor the departing minister of state mentioned the reason for Emma’s sudden departure.