Bellevue by Robin Cook

Author:Robin Cook [Cook, Robin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Horror, Thrillers, Medical, Crime
ISBN: 9780593718834
Google: H_f4EAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 2024-12-02T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Wednesday, July 3, 1:22 p.m.

Mitt stood at the stainless-steel scrub sink outside of OR #4. He was in the process of using a disposable, blue plastic nail file to clean the subungual area of each finger. Dr. Kevin Singleton was to his right. To his left was Dr. Taylor Smith, Bellevue’s chief of Head and Neck Surgery. All three men were scrubbing for the upcoming thyroidectomy on Diego Ortiz. Mitt was attempting to concentrate on what he was doing to proactively avoid thoughts about Elena Aguilar in the PACU and his possible role in her seemingly downhill clinical course. He specifically didn’t want to wonder how her electrolytes could have gotten so screwed up.

Kevin had introduced Mitt to Dr. Smith out in the surgical lounge but the introduction had been cursory, as Dr. Smith had simultaneously become preoccupied by an incoming call on his mobile.

To Mitt’s eye, Dr. Taylor Smith was a man of indeterminate genealogy, probably in his early fifties. He was darkly complected, rather hirsute, and slender with a scraggly, graying goatee and mustache, which Mitt thought might be to compensate for scant hair on his head. Mitt mused that he’d rarely come across Taylor as a male given name although he knew several women, including the popular singer. As these arbitrary mental gymnastics about Dr. Smith passed through his mind, Mitt recognized it was merely an attempt to keep from thinking about Elena Aguilar.

“Dr. Smith,” Kevin called, interrupting Mitt’s thoughts. “When I introduced Dr. Fuller out in the surgical lounge, I didn’t get a chance to tell you that he is one of our brand-new NYU surgical residents.”

“You don’t say?” Dr. Smith questioned with a slight English accent that confused Mitt even more. “Welcome, young man. How are you finding it so far?”

“Challenging,” Mitt responded, which certainly was the case.

“Well, then, we’ll have to make this interesting for you,” Dr. Smith added. “I was wondering why I was getting two assistants, and a fourth-year resident at that. How much do you know about thyroid surgery?”

“I know approximately where the thyroid gland is located,” Mitt said.

“Ha, ha, I like your sense of humor!” Dr. Smith responded. “To start off, do you know why this is being handled as an inpatient rather than an outpatient procedure, which is the way I’ve been doing most of my thyroidectomies these days?”

“I’m not sure,” Mitt said.

“The patient has a history of severe hypothyroidism requiring thyroxine replacement. Post-surgery, he’ll need to be covered intravenously for a short time until he can take it orally. It is safer as an inpatient.”

“That makes sense,” Mitt said. He remembered the patient’s history from doing the admission workup.

When the three had finished scrubbing, they entered the OR in descending order of status. Once inside, Dr. Smith introduced Mitt to the two nurses, Marianna, the scrub nurse, and Juana, the circulating nurse. During the gowning-and-gloving routine, the same order was followed with Dr. Smith first, Dr. Singleton second, and Mitt last. During the process Dr. Smith maintained

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