Chapter 11
Dr. Patterson and Dr. Andrews told their patents to go to their family physicians to get checked out and cleared to return to work. But both Tim and Kate ended up in the ER at Bethesda over the weekend. They were there on the ‘pretense’ of seeing their ER doctors to get a release. But the real reason, of course, was to see Tony in action.
Tony popped his head out of one trauma room, only to be called to another. He ran to the room, not seeing that he had visitors. Tim and Kate went to the observation window of the room Tony was in and watched.
There had been a head-on collision between a car and an SUV. The car, as the medics had said was no longer there, but somehow the driver was still alive. The passengers in the SUV were shaken up, but appeared relatively unharmed. Tony had been called into help with the woman who had been driving the car. She was unconscious and in pretty bad shape. Tony slipped on a new pair of gloves. He checked the woman’s eyes, shining a light in. He then checked to see if she had any broken ribs running his hands gently and expertly along her rib cage. All the while he was calling orders to the nursing staff and giving his patient reassurances that she would be okay.
Kate and Tim watched as if captivated by the scene in front of them. Tony was moving with precision. He checked the woman out from head to toe in a matter of seconds. He called orders out in accordance with the injuries he found. Tony exited the room only after the woman had been wheeled to the O.R.
“I feel like I need to be charging admission.” Tony said as he walked out of the trauma room to where Tim and Kate were. They had not realized Tony knew they were there.
“I…” Tim started. “…I just wanted...I had to see….” Tim struggled.
“We wanted to see you…in action.” Kate said.
Tony nodded. He had actually expected them to show up. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when a man came through the doors carrying his child. A small 4 year-old girl. She was lying, limp, in her dad’s arms and her face was blue. The father was beside himself, begging for help. Tony took the girl from her dad’s arms and carried her into a trauma room. He placed her on the stretcher and immediately listened to her chest. She, indeed, was not breathing. He tilted her head back. He then inserted a scope with a light to try to see the obstruction. Seconds later two very large pieces of candy were removed from the girl’s windpipe.
After a few moments of observation, Tony carried the girl out to her dad.
“I found two pieces of candy.” Tony explained. “I told Alison that she should only eat one at a time. She mentioned her big brother….”
Alison’s father nodded, knowingly. He reached for his daughter as she reached for him. She then climbed into his arms. Jake was always taking Alison’s candy. She has to either hide it or eat it.
“I told her some great hiding places.” Tony said, letting the little girl go. “She will be fine. Her color returned quickly and she started talking almost immediately. She was a little scared, which is to be expected. But she will be just fine.”
Tony then addressed Alison. “A certain little girl just needs to watch how much candy she eats at one time. Just one piece, got it.”
Alison nodded. “Thank you, Dr. Tony.” She said, with a little prompting from her father.
“You’re very welcome, sweetheart.” Tony said. “Remember what I said, one piece of candy at a time.”
Alison nodded again. Alison’s dad, Jason Bartlett, thanked Tony profusely. Alison looked back and waved as she and her dad left the hospital.
Kate and Tim were REALLY going to have to reevaluate their opinions of their SFA. They decided as they, again, watched the action unfold in front of them.
TBC
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