“It is my job to determine which ones of these units you really need, and which ones to tell to stay home. We don’t want the wrong people to show up and get in your way.
“The supplies outside are mainly trauma care including everything you need to set bones on at least five thousand more patients, including all the pain medications you will need. While I would never presume to tell anyone here how to do their jobs I would like to suggest getting a positive control on the narcotics and other controlled substances. There is also enough blood and plasma to last you a week, maybe two. Everything that should be, has been packaged in dry ice, but it should be refrigerated soon. We will have more of those last two things here for you very soon.”
She was totally embarrassed for coming out here expecting an argument. Instead of an argument, the man was delivering to her everything she could have asked for. The relief she felt was indescribable, “Well Captain, Frank, let me be the first to thank you.”
She smiled, tears were forming, and she covered her mouth with her hands, “Maybe I could kiss your boots or something? I don’t know. What other good news are you going to give me? Did you bring a spare doctor or two as well?”
“Well, no, but I did bring two fully trained combat medics and ten guys who have been trained to assist in medical treatments as well as offer battlefield first aid, and there are doctors on the way. I’m sure if we ‘treat’ too many patients some lawyer somewhere will get mad, but you are in need. Some of the men might be a little crusty by normal professional standards, but they will get the job done.”
“From the looks of the area while we were flying in this place is, for lack of a better term, a battlefield. Plus, there will be a complete hospital unit here in less than twenty-four hours. Several are coming into the area actually; we want to spread them around the region. Those units will have basically everything a regular hospital has in staffing and materials. The only real difference is that they are going to be in tents or tent like structures. They won’t be critical care units, but they should be able to relieve some strain on the local hospital system.
“I hope that it’s ok with everyone here, but I just called those groups in before asking anyone as soon as we landed. Your people all look exhausted. I also found out that the person in charge of this entire facility was killed in the attack, and you basically stepped in when others couldn’t or wouldn’t and kept this place running, rather than just allowing it to degrade into chaos. On that first day, you started as the Head Nurse, or Charge Nurse or something like that, in the E.R., and then, all the sudden, you wound up doing administration as well as treatment. I heard you were everywhere; you were where you needed to be when you needed to be there. Most people cannot pull that off on the best of days, and you from what I hear, pulled it off in spades,” he said.
She suddenly realized that tears were steadily streaming down her cheeks. It was very much a “girl” thing and she wasn’t used to that kind of feeling. “Girl stuff” wasn’t really her, “Thank you, I think I need to sit down for a few minutes.”
The stress she had experienced since the attack was finally coming to a head. Other than the crying incident after the one patient died in the E.R. that day, she had been bottling it up.
There had been some people from the news media that made it into the hospital somehow. The only other signs they had seen from outside the normal staff had been the untrained, but well-intentioned volunteers, but no supplies. Now, finally, someone had shown up with something from the outside world. Maybe they could get through this.
“Ma’am, are you ok? I know people tend to forget about hospitals in these bizarre situations, and instead focus on food, water, and construction equipment. I assure you, we have not forgotten about you, or the other hospitals in the area. Are you ok? Can I get you some water?” the Captain asked sitting down beside her on a waiting room chair.
She shook her head, which was now buried in his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Frank continued, “I have been listening to stories for hours about how you took charge. I’m not sure that you knew this, but some doctors cut and ran to their families. Yet you stayed. Now that someone finally explained it all to me I kind of get it. I understand you have no immediate family in the local area, but still you stayed here. You worked until you virtually passed out, you had no fear when it came to taking short cuts if it would save lives. If it makes you feel better these are qualities lacking in most people and are the recipe of a true hero.”
She looked him in the eyes and embarrassingly almost kissed him, but instead just wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands, “Captain, Frank, I was just doing my job. So many people needed help, and I just kept going. I wasn’t trying to be a hero. I was just trying to survive.”
“Spoken like a true hero,” he said softly, “Most of the people I have met who are considered to be heroes never set out to be. It merely occurs when skill combines with determination and meets an extreme situation head on.”
Frank’s cellular phone ended their moment. He looked at the caller ID before speaking, “I’m sorry but I have to take this. But remember, from this point forward the U.S. Army is on your side. If you need anything at all, even if it is just someone to talk to, you call me, no matter what the time of day or night,” he pressed a business card into her hand and proceeded quickly outside to take his call.
She sat for a moment before realizing she was staring at this strange man through the door while he spoke to whoever it was on the phone. She saw him push the disconnect button on his phone as he started back inside. She quickly looked away while blushing, hoping he hadn’t seen her staring, feeling embarrassed that she was staring in the first place. She found herself confused as to why she had been looking at him at all.
Captain Banner came directly back to her and was all business, “Nurse Cooper, it was very nice to meet you. I am being called to Washington for a briefing. My men will remain with you until the hospital unit gets here sometime in the next twelve to twenty-four hours. The incoming unit had to pack generators and equipment as they will bring their own living quarters. We don’t want them to get in anyone’s way, or deplete your limited resources, but they are now on the road.
“My men here are good, and they do all the real work anyway. I usually spend my day trying to stay out of their way. I think I know all the help you need. I would like to send you an email outlining what I think your additional needs might be. If I missed anything, I would appreciate it if you could reply to that email correcting anything I have gotten wrong. I’ll be sure you get as much of whatever is on that list sent to you as fast as I can.
“If it is possible I’d like to keep a single point of contact here at the hospital and from what people tell me you are the backbone here, so it may be best for everyone if you are that person. I know that it is extra work for you, and I am sorry about that, but I’ll do everything I can to help you.”
“That’s fine,” she smiled at him, “Anything you can do would be great.” She gave him her email information and he departed quickly. She was glad he had appeared, and hoped he would deliver. Something about him made her believe that he always came through. She wondered why more men weren’t like that. Maybe that was why she was still single. Men had always failed her. Perhaps she had just met the wrong ones. She hoped he wouldn’t be one of them.