She’s withdrawn and closed when I bluster in to the cubicle, and instantly I have to change demeanour. Close the curtain, low lighting, soft voice. Her friend is sitting quietly in the corner busily fiddling with her mobile phone, but listening intently.
‘What happened?’ Her partner assaulted her. They had been drinking; it was the early hours of the morning.
Watch Dr Georgina Phillips re-tell Places of refuge:
Places of refuge by Dr Georgina Phillips appears in EMERGENCY: Real Stories from Australia’s ED Doctors, available now from Penguin Books Australia.