The Glasgow Coma Scale Read Online Free PDF

something with your talent,’ people had kept telling her at high school. ‘It’s a gift, don’t let it go to waste.’ She’d heard it put that way so often – the talent was the important thing, Lynne herself merely its vector – that when ultimately she’d elected to move far from home to
do something
, it had felt to her like rebellion, rather than simply capitulating to what she’d been urged. In time, it had come to seem an act of feckless impetuosity, one more misjudgement to rue.
    ‘Ah shouldnae even call them kids. If they’re mature enough tae be daein whut they think their future career’ll consist ay, they should be mature enough to take honest criticism from folk that know. Whut’s mair irresponsible anyway, mollycoddling yir students, assuring them they’ve got skills they huvnae, or don’t huv
yet
, or setting them straight: “Look, pal, ye’re a competent draughtsman, but nothing mair. Huv ye considered transferrin tae Illustration?” ’
    ‘That doesn’t sound,’ Lynne conceded, ‘like harassment, exactly.’
    Angus struck the table with his palm. ‘Thank you, Lynne! If ye want to succeed – even if ye want tae fail nobly – then ye huv tae dae the hard yards, and ah see nae point pretendin otherwise. Naebody benefits fae bein lied to, even tae spare their ego.’
    ‘No, but there are ways, don’t you think? Ways to make your opinion known without being deliberately hurtful. You were quite harsh with me, I remember.’
    He blinked. ‘Well, aye. Daresay ah wis.’
    ‘ “There’s a big chunk gone from the Amazon rainforest where they’ve cut down trees to make the paper you draw on.” Remember that? “Why’re you so determined to ensure they died in vain?” ’
    ‘The thing is, but—’
    ‘You used to say I was too posh for art school.’ Somewhere along the way, this maddening condescension had become fondly recollected. ‘And I had to explain a few things about Eastbourne to you.’
    ‘Suicide Land, aye, ah mind.’
    ‘And remember that time you made me leave the studio because I’d been drawing with a propelling pencil?’
    He laughed. ‘Hey, Lynne? It’s been, whut, five year? Let it go.’
    ‘It became a sort of contest – who would get the most hurtful crit each week. Who’d be honoured.’
    ‘But it wis well meant, Lynne, ye see? Ah’m no a total monster. Besides,’ he said slyly, ‘if that wis the worst ah ivver said . . .’
    ‘Anyway, I’m a case in point, aren’t I?’ No, he had said worse, but Lynne felt it better not to remind him of his crueller remarks. He was right: they had stung, but they had rarely, she could see now, been unwarranted. ‘You told me I wasn’t cut out to be an artist, and I wasn’t. It didn’t deter me. If anything, it freed me. All I pick up a pen for nowadays is to sign off time sheets or authorize letters threatening legal proceedings.’
    Angus’s mouth was working, twisting. Some difficult declaration must be on the way. She waited, intrigued, until he inserted his little finger into the side of his mouth and levered free a shred of gristle; he inspected his fingertip before wiping it, with great delicacy, on the edge of his plate.
    ‘Well, the boot’s on the ither foot now, right enough. All ah wis offerin wis guidance. You understood that – but not everywan did. Sumdy developed a persecution complex.’ He put on a feeble, griping voice: ‘ “Mr Rennie disnae take ma work seriously.” “I suffered psychological damage because Mr Rennie nivver gave me a pass on my final exam.” Wan person complains, then the floodgates open and aw the attacks start in. Before ah know it, ah’m up in front ay the board tae give ma response, and funnily enough, ma honest response disnae go doon so well. Ah shouldnae’ve . . . och, but ah was angry. Ah knew what wis comin, but couldnae move out the road. Ye mind if ah smoke?’ She shook her head, could see he didn’t know whether that meant yes or no, but could not