Night Call by Radclyffe

Author:Radclyffe
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: ! Yes
ISBN: 9781602820319
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2008-10-10T05:00:00+00:00

chapteR fOuRteeN

What’s our ETA?” Linda shouted, leaning around the Plexiglas shield that separated Jett from the treatment bay in the helicopter. She clamped a hand on Jett’s shoulder to get her attention.

Jett pulled her headset away from her ear so she could hear and checked beside her. Linda, Tristan, and the patient were crowded into the space just to her right and behind her. When she was transporting an adult, usually all she could see were their legs. “About fifteen minutes.

Problem?”

“The baby’s looking bad. Bleeding again, Tris thinks.”

“Roger. Tell her to hold on. I’ll push it.”

Linda nodded and scrambled back to inform Tristan. “Another fifteen minutes max. How’s it going?”

Tristan knelt on the deck next to the incubator, sweating under the heat lamps that kept the 2800-gram preemie warm. She shook her head grimly. “O2 SATs are falling and her pressure’s bottoming out.

God damn it, they never should have transferred her when she was this unstable.”

“Is it her lungs?” Linda squatted next to Tristan and rehooked her safety harness. The ride was smooth—it always was with Jett flying—but she didn’t want to get tossed around if they hit unexpected turbulence.

“I don’t think so. She’s either septic or bleeding again.” Tristan raced through a mental checklist of therapies she needed to institute and the signs and symptoms of further decomposition she couldn’t afford to miss. Linda was experienced and a great medic, but Tristan alone

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RADCLY fFE

could make the decisions that might mean life or death for the neonate.

“I think they’ll need to go back in to be sure.”

“I’ll radio ahead to tell them we have a full alert.”

“Better give the OR a heads-up too.”

“Will do.”

“How much blood did they send with us?” Tristan asked, watching the BP tail downward. Either the baby was bleeding or her heart was quitting on them.

“Just the one unit.”

“Is it all in?”

Linda tilted the small plastic bag and squinted at it. “Just about.

Do you want me to start some saline?”

“Yes, but keep it slow. We don’t need to add fluid overload to her problems.” Tristan gently probed the abdomen. “Tight as a drum.

There’s so much pressure below the diaphragm, I’m having trouble ventilating. Another couple of minutes and I’m going to have to open that incision. Jesus. Call the surgeons again and see what they say.”

A minute later, Linda pulled off her headset. “I talked to Quinn.

She says if we release the sutures, the sudden drop in intra-abdominal pressure will probably make her blood pressure fall too. She might arrest. Last resort only, she said.”

“She’s going to arrest if I can’t get some oxygen into her.” Tristan checked all the monitors again. “Tell Jett to find someplace closer.

We’re not going to make it like this.”

“All right.” Linda scooted forward and got Jett’s attention. “We’re in trouble back here. Is there anyplace else?”

Jett shook her head. “It’s too late to turn back to Atlantic City, we’re more than halfway to PMC. We might try Cooper in Jersey, if they can take us. Hold on, I’ll get them for you.

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