Cook, Robin - Fever by Cook Robin

Author:Cook, Robin
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf

The team functioned efficiently as one resident drew up the medications, another got out the electrode paddles, while the third helped position Michelle. One paddle went under Michelle’s back, the other anteriorly on her chest.

“All right, stand back,” said the chief resident. “We’ll use a fifty-watt second shock to start, programmed to be delivered at the R-wave. Here goes.”

He pressed a button and after a momentary delay Michelle’s body contracted, her arms and legs jumping off the surface of the bed.

Cathryn watched in horror as the doctors stayed bent over the machine, ignoring Michelle’s violent reaction. Cathryn could see the child’s eyes open in utter bewilderment and her head lift off the bed. Thankfully her color rapidly reverted to normal.

“Not bad!” yelled the chief resident, examining the EKG

paper as it came out of the machine.

“John, you’re getting good at this stuff,” agreed the woman resident. “Maybe you should think about doing it for a living.”

All the doctors laughed and turned to Michelle.

Dr. Keitzman arrived breathless, hands jammed into the

pockets of his long white coat. He went directly to the bed, his bespectacled eyes quickly scanning Michelle’s body. He snatched up her hand, feeling for a pulse.

“Are you okay, chicken?” he asked, getting out his stethoscope.

Michelle nodded but didn’t speak. She appeared dazed.

Cathryn watched as John, the chief resident, launched into a capsule summary of the event in what was to Cathryn incomprehensible medicalese.

Dr. Keitzman’s upper lip pulled back in a characteristic spasm as he bent over Michelle, listening to her chest.

Satisfied, he checked a run of EKG paper offered by John. At that moment he caught sight of Cathryn pressed up against the wall. Keitzman glanced at the charge nurse with a questioning expression. The charge nurse, following his line of sight, shrugged.

“We didn’t know she was in here,” said the charge nurse defensively.

Dr. Keitzman walked over to Cathryn and put a hand on her shoulder.

“How about you, Mrs. Martel?” asked Dr. Keitzman. “Are you all right?”

Cathryn tried to talk but her voice wouldn’t cooperate, so she nodded like Michelle.

“I’m sorry you had to see this,” said Dr. Keitzman.

“Michelle seems fine and she undoubtedly did not feel anything. But I know this kind of thing is shocking. Let’s go out in the hall for a moment. I’d like to talk to you.”

Cathryn strained upward to see Michelle over Dr.

Keitzman’s shoulder.

“She’ll be okay for a moment,” assured Dr. Keitzman. Then, turning to the charge nurse, he said, “I’ll be just outside.

I want a cardiac monitor in here, and I’d like a cardiac

consult. See if Dr. Brubaker can see her right away.” Dr.

Keitzman gently urged Cathryn out into the corridor. “Come down to the nurses’ station; we can talk there.”

Dr. Keitzman led Cathryn down the busy corridor to the chart room. There were Formica Parsons tables, chairs, two dictating telephones, and the massive chart racks. Dr.

Keitzman pulled out a chair for Cathryn and she gratefully sat down.

“Can I get you something to drink?” suggested Dr.

Keitzman. “Water?”

“No, thank you,” managed Cathryn nervously. Dr.

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