Chapter 2
"Okay
Katie, now just follow what I say and If you need help finding something, don't
be afraid to ask!" Dr. Littrell told his nurse as they wheeled their young
patient into a trauma room. He quickly pulled on some gloves and went to work
examining the little girl.
"Hey
there Sweetie, I'm Dr. Littrell and this is Nurse Katie," Brian said as he
leaned down to eye level with the child.
"What's
your name?"
"Tara."
She whispered.
"Where's
my Mommy?" She asked, a tear rolling down her freckled cheek. Dr. Littrell
brushed back the child's fine blonde hair.
"She's
getting fixed up in the other room, she's gonna be just fine! But now I need
you to tell me where it hurts, honey, can you do that?" He told her
gently.
She
nodded.
"My
side hurts and so does my hand." She told the doctor, holding up her left
wrist.
He
looked at Katie who was inserting an IV into the child's arm. "Could you
go take the X-ray machine out of Trauma one and take some of the patient?"
He asked, flashing her a reassuring smile.
Katie
blew some hair out of her face and nodded, trying to stay calm in the chaos.
"Sure, be right back!" She said, exiting.
Dr.
Littrell positioned his hands over Tara's ribs.
"Okay
Darling, now tell me if this hurts when I press here." He gently prodded
against the little girl's chest and side, stopping when she whimpered.
"Okay
honey, what about here?" He asked pushing into her belly.
Tara
shook her head no. Brian proceeded to check her for injuries, including her
head, which he cleared of a concussion. Just as he finished the exam, Katie
came flying back in with the X-ray.
"Sorry!"
She said breathlessly putting on her lead apron. "Dr. Turtle needed it for
the mother."
Dr.
Littrell waved his hand. "That's fine Katie, why don't you take the X-ray
and then we'll set Tara's wrist and fix up her ribs, cause I'm almost positive
they're broken. How's the Mom?" He asked his nurse quietly.
Katie
smiled, "She's gonna be fine," she told him, handing Brian his own
apron to wear while she shot the X-ray.
Tara
was asleep from the pain medication Dr. Littrell had put into her IV and didn't
make a peep as the two hospital workers went to work on her injuries.
Katie
smiled, she liked it here already and she could tell she was going to enjoy
working with Dr. Littrell and the rest of the staff at Backstreet General.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Got
another one for you!" Yelled paramedic Howie Dorough as he wheeled in the
stretcher containing a large man in his forties.
Doctors
Turtle and Richardson came running over from the small lounge where the staff
had been eating lunch, as the day had been very slow besides the trauma from
that morning.
Dr.
Turtle grabbed the side of the stretcher and looked at Howie, "Give me the
rundown." Howie nodded.
"45
year old Frank, who won't tell me his last name, was leaving the local bar and
was hit by a car. The damage isn't too bad, as he is coherent and mad as hell.
I started an IV in the field and tried to bandage up his head, but he refused.
You may want to put him in restraints." The paramedic said, gesturing to
the patient, who was kicking and trying to sit up.
"LET
ME GO!!" He slurred. "Stupid ass hospital! I don't need no doctor! A
whisky will cure me right up!" Dr. Turtle made a face at the man's alcohol
breath.
"Sir,
if you'd just calm down.."
"Get
off me bitch!" Frank yelled, kicking Dr. Turtle in the side hard. She
stumbled back into Kevin, who caught her.
Dr.
Littrell, Nick and Katie were out as well now and trying to help restrain the
large man, each grabbing an arm and a leg. Katie tried to hold on to his large
frame as he stood up, but he swiped at her arm, cutting it, and clamped his
teeth down on her shoulder. The petite nurse went into the wall and looked on
in a daze, holding her bleeding arm.
Kevin
had returned to the patient after making Dr. Turtle sit down and was having a
rough time keeping him steady. "Hold him still Nick!" He yelled to
the young med. student, who was restraining Frank's legs, while Dr. Littrell
attempted to tie the restraints around them.
"Get
off!" Frank yelled again, stumbling to the door.
AJ,
who had heard all the commotion, was running in from an exam room and plowed
right into Frank as he turned the corner. Upon seeing the two ladies hurt, his
eyes glazed over with fury.
"You
stupid drunk! sit your ass down on that bed right now!" He said grabbing
on to Frank's arm. Frank shrugged off AJ and continued to the exit. 'Okay,
that's it!" AJ landed a punch square into Frank's jaw and ducked as he got
one in return. The two went at it till Dr. Richardson injected Frank with a
tranquilizer and Brian hauled AJ off of the patient.
"You
all right AJ?" Asked Dr. Littrell, looking over the med. student and
taking in the bruising on his face.
"I'm
fine," He said. "Take care of the ladies will ya? and if he gives you
any more trouble, give me a holler." With that, the rebel doctor in
training walked off to the bathroom to clean himself up. Brian shook his head
at the new staff.
"This
is turning into some first day for you guys!"
***
