The nurse blinked her eyes to catch the small tear that was forming, "Alright, I’ll let the social worker know. I think that I saw Alex earlier tonight." She turned to the right and reached for the wall phone.
"Dr. Trivoli, Please report to O.R. #1 STAT!" The loud speaker blared, paused, and repeated again.
Garrett’s attention was grabbed as though someone had reached out and vigorously shook her without any warning. Almost immediately her pocket came to life with the sound of the pager beeping. She looked down and studied the number that was imprinted across the display screen. She looked over to Danni, "It’s the O.R., call them and tell them I’m on my way." The tall athletic body of the surgeon was being propelled though the doorway by her long powerful legs as she spoke. She quickly made her way to the stairwell and taking the steps two at a time, she pushed herself up the two flights of stairs. The metal door at the landing slammed open as she launched herself down the hall in the direction of the O.R. entrance. Nearing the doorway she peeled off her trauma gown as she sidestepped her way past an X-ray Tech with a slow moving portable machine. Yanking the right side half of the double doors, she entered into the main desk area. She slowed only long enough to grab a blue hair bonnet and shoe covers, while dropping the lead apron to the floor. Snapping the bonnet down over her shoulder length hair with one hand, she leaned on the desk for balance. "What’s going on?" Her words were punctuated by heavy breathing. She leaned over and slid her foot inside of the covers. The older woman at the desk looked up only to see the back of the surgeon as she vaulted down the hall.
Through the window in the door, she could see the scurry of activity in the operating suite. Hastily she picked up a facemask and placing it on her face, pinched the small metal piece over the bridge of her nose. Pushing open the doors, she entered the surgical arena. The circulating nurse was holding a gown that Garrett thrust her arms through, and spun around so as to have the gown tied shut. The surgeon reached for the pair of sterile gloves that had been laid out for her use as the nurse swiftly tied the loose ends of the facemask to secure it in place.
Striding over to the operating table, the surgeon snapped her gloves into place. "What’s going on, Rob? What can I do to help?"
"She’s bleeding out." His speech was fast and frank. "For every piece of the tear that I get sewn up, another area rips more." He quickly glanced over at Garrett. "I’m losing ground here," he confided.
"Hemostats! Suture!" The instruments were promptly placed into her outstretched hand as she entered into the life or death battle allied with Dr. Kreger.
The screams of anguish heard earlier were now turning into whimpers of discomfort as the medication began to take effect. Having thoroughly examined the man and ascertaining that his only apparent injuries were indeed the multiple fracture sights of both his legs, Dr. Potter felt obligated to ease the patient’s pain. A thought brought a smile to the freckled face of the physician, ‘I wonder if I gave him that to relieve his pain or more to relieve the pain we are experiencing from listening to his screaming.’ Much to the pleasure of all concerned, the medication was doing its job. A quiet peace was once again coming to the trauma hallway and the staff that still remained with the patient in Trauma Room #3.
Jamie stepped outside of the room to look at the X-rays that had already been done. She cued the viewer and began studying the routine films that were part of the trauma protocol. Having seen nothing to alarm or concern her on the cervical spine, chest or abdomen films, she felt good about her choice in pain control for the patient. Her job was just about done, and now it would clearly be an orthopedic case. Still, with the severity of the accident and knowing the fact that one person had been killed at the scene, she thought that it would be best to at least get a CT Scan of his abdomen, just to be on the safe side. She pondered only momentarily the wrath that she might incur from the tall, gorgeous, and demanding trauma surgeon if she didn’t.
"Lori, call CT and tell them we’ll need an abdomen scan for this patient," she said leaning into the doorway of the trauma room.
"Sure thing, Dr. Potter." The insecure nurse was beginning to regain her composure. Her shyness was something that she had trouble with all of her life. She loved being a nurse, but felt at times somewhat overwhelmed by the emotional demands of her patients. Her conservatively styled blonde hair and tall shapely body made her look older, but when she smiled, the illusion was gone in an instant as the youthful appearance of braces glistened in the light.
Jamie was now watching, as the X-rays of the lower extremities were becoming available. Shaking her head at the multiple fractures that were very evident on the X-rays, she advised the young nurse, "It may be a while until Ortho has all of the splinting done. You may want to let them know in CT."
The nurse reached for the phone and did the doctor’s bidding. Hanging up, she informed the physician, "They’re just finishing up that second trauma now, so whenever we are ready will be all right with them."
"Good, and here comes Ortho now." She waited for the tall, lanky form to come closer to her before addressing him. "Hi! I don’t believe that I’ve met you," she held out her hand to him.
His large hand was gentle at the touch of the handshake. "I’m Dr. Armand Selep, I’m covering for your regulars tonight." His eyes held her in his gaze.
"Jamie Potter, E.R. Attending." She smiled pleasantly at him, her hand lingering in his grasp.
The young nurse looked at the two, feeling embarrassed by her intrusion on the intimate moment, she nervously coughed trying to bring them back to the realization of where they were. "Dr. Potter," Lori spoke softly. "CT Scan is waiting for the patient," she reminded her.
Surprised at her reactions to the tall dark-haired man, the physician could feel her face begin to flush. Trying as hard as she might to subdue her inner feelings, she quickly started rattling off a brief report of the patient’s mode of trauma and her findings. "Thirty year old male, unrestrained driver of a tractor trailer that was involved in a head-on crash with an SUV. Obvious deformity to the right leg and ankle, complaining of severe pain in both lower extremities." She pointed to the viewer where the X-rays of his legs were displayed. Clearing her throat, she continued. "There was a reported death in the SUV. We would like to have those legs splinted before he goes to CT Scan to check out his abdomen."
The tall doctor stood with his hand rubbing his face and the barely visible growth of beard, studying the X-rays. Blinking several times as he compared one view of the leg to the other, he began to shake his head. "Those are some pretty bad fractures." He paused and looked into the trauma room at the patient. "Seems pretty quiet for the likes of those injuries," he mused.
"Well, you should have been here when he first came in." Jamie chuckled, "We snowed him pretty good. He was disturbing the entire E.R. with his screaming."
"Yeah, I bet." Armand smiled down at the physician. "Let me get started splinting then," he said. "While he’s in the scanner, I’ll notify my attending. I’m sure he’ll want to take him to the O.R. tonight."
"All right, then." The red-haired doctor nodded in agreement. Adjusting her glasses on her face, Jamie watched as the orthopedic surgeon assembled his supplies to splint the legs.