Chapter 5
"Hey,
Dr.Turtle, how's the ribs?"
The
redhead surgeon sighed. "I'm fine, thank you. It's been a week, AJ, I'm
totally okay."
The
rebel smirked. "And you didn't even kick Richardson in the balls when he
was touching you last week. You must have been in pain."
Dr.Turtle
sighed. "He kept his little friend away from my legs at all times, or I
would've."
"You
redheads and your tempers...." AJ whistled.
"I
do not have a temper!"
"Yeah,
and pigs can fly," Dr.Richardson whispered as he turned in his paperwork
at the front desk.
Annie's
brown eyes narrowed as she faced the doctor. "You can fly,
Dr.Richardson?"
The
surgeon shook his head. "I fix your ribs and this is the thanks I
get?"
Dr.Turtle
shrugged. "I don't see why not, it's not like you ever bothered to say
'you're welcome'."
Nick
Carter joined them smiling broadly Dr.Littrell at his side.
"What's
the smile for, Carter?" AJ asked curiously.
"I
managed to diagnose an illness without a kid vomiting on me!" the blonde
cheered.
"Congratulations,"
Dr.Richardson said his voice monotone. "If you'll excuse me I have a
broken leg to mend ."
"Well,
I think it's great news," Annie told Nick finishing her notes. "I've
got a case in exam three, you want to join me? You won't be vomited on, I
promise."
"Sure,"
Nick replied following her lead.
"What
can I do?" AJ called after them.
"Well,
the patient we attended to in exam two has the results back. You want to go
give them?"
"I
can do that?" AJ asked a huge grin forming on his face.
The
doctor nodded handing him the notes. "Sure, I'll already signed it off.
You just go tell them what it says, the case isn't exactly rocket
science."
"I'm
one step closer to being more than a picked on med. student!" AJ beamed as
he walked toward the door. He took a serious approach as he entered. "All
right, the results are in," he told the young teen couple taking a seat
infront of them.
"Please
tell me the results are negative?" the angry male spat his hands becoming
tight fists.
McLean
lifted an eyebrow. "Well, Mr.Jones, if you're refering to the testing for
STD's; you're both very forunate to have them all come back negative."
"I
wasn't referin' to no damn STD, I don't give a shit about that! Is my bitch
pregnant your not?"
"Joe..."
his girlfriend whispered tears forming in her gray eyes.
AJ's
jaw tightened. "Your girlfriend, Hazel, is pregnant."
"WHAT?"
Hazel
smiled. "I'm gonna' have a baby?"
"Yes,
indeed."
"That's
bullshit!" Joe ranted becoming hysterical. "She cannot be
pregnant!" He stood causing his chair to fall against the floor the noise
echoing through the room. "I don't want no damn kid!"
"But
it's your baby, too!" the mother-to-be cried.
"The
hell it is!" he shouted walking to the door. "You're on your
own!" Joe hollered storming out.
"WAIT!"
AJ begged rushing down the hall after him, cornering him outside the lobby.
"Get
the hell away from me!"
"I
don't think so," AJ hissed glaring into the teen's evil eyes his flesh
only inches away from the deadbeat. "So, you think you're so cool,
huh?"
"What?"
"It's
cool to fuck a girl, then drop her, huh?"
"You
can't talk me that way!"
"The
hell I can't!" McLean growled. "I could have a social worker assigned
to this case, and after seeing your behavior you might land in jail."
"I
ain't goin' to prison!" Joe grunted trying to get away.
"Not
so fast!" the student demanded not moving. "You do the crime, you pay
the time. Only this isn't a crime, this is a human life, and I can only hope it
won't be anything like you!"
"You
can't talk me like that!"
"And
you can't treat your girl like that! It's not like she did it alone! You're the
one that decided to plug yourself into her and let it rip, now it's time to pay
the electric bill. Or I can setup the payment plan for you? Which is gonna' be?
Get your head outta' your ass or do I need to surgically remove it?"
The
young man paled. "I'll straighten up, I swear."
AJ
pulled away. "Good, because if you don't I'll make your life a living
hell." He smiled sweetly. "Now, would you like to go apologize to
your girlfriend?"
Joe
nodded repeatively. "Y-yeah, that sounds good."
"All
right, let's head back."
The
student groaned as he saw Dr.Littrell staring at him, who had witnessed the
entire encounter. He took a deep breath. "You're going to tell
Dr.Richardson, aren't you?"
The
doctor raised his hands in the air. "Hey, see no evil, hear no evil, speak
no evil. Deal?"
AJ
nodded, finally feeling he had done something worthy during his stay in the
tiny hospital . "Deal," he agreed returning to his patient.
Dr.Littrell
glanced up from his notes as he heard Katie leaving the women's restroom. He
frowned judging her pale appearance. "You okay?"
"I..um...just
got a little sick," she muttered wiping the sweat from her brow.
"You
been feelin' sick awhile?" he asked immediately entering his professional
training technique.
The
nurse shook her head. "No, it just started this morning. I doubt it's
anything major, probably just something I ate."
"Still,
I'm concerned."
Katie
laughed. "It's okay, you don't have to always be coming to my aide all the
time. I feel I'm more of a burden than help around here."
"That's
not true, nor did I mean for it to sound that way," the doctor quickly
replied. "I'm just worried that you might have picked up an infection when
your stitches were removed a few days ago, and since I was the one to help you
through this far I might as well now."
"An
infection?" the young nurse repeated.
"Just
let me look," Brian said peeling back her sleeve. He squinted. "Well,
it does look a bit red, but not terribly infected." He felt her forehead.
"You may have a mild fever, but nothing too major."
Katie
shook her head. "Will my luck ever get better ? This is ricidulous!"
The
doctor offered her a sympathetic grin. "Things will get better, you'll
see. I'll give you an antibotic and everything will be better in a few days.
Until then, you can just handle less graphic cases."
"Everything
in here is graphic," Katie sighed sitting down massaging her stomach.
"Hey,
Brian!" Howie hollered walking up to them. "Some lady just brought
her five barfing kids in, they're in exam one and I've got a fifteen-year-old
with a terrible sore throat in exam four." The staff member rushed away.
"I've got more people to get organized in the waiting room, it's crowded
as can be."
"Crowded?
This place?" Brian repeated in shock.
Howie
sighed in exhuastion. "The waiting room is a frickin' zoo."
Katie
bit her lip. "Five vomiting children? Suddenly, I don't feel so
good...."
"Um,
why don't you go get the vitals on the fifteen-year-old?" Brian offered
hoping to aviod a sixth vomiting individual in his presence.
"Thank
you," she breathed walking away.
"Pnemonia!"
Nick grinned as he exited with Dr.Turtle from exam three. "I got it right,
and the patient even liked me!"
Dr.Turtle
patted his back. "A young woman sees a cute boy, it doesn't matter how
high the fever is the hormones go into full force."
"Aw,
you think I'm cute?" Nick pressed.
She
rolled her eyes. "Sure, Nick, you're cute." Annie was distracted as
her beeper sounded. "They need me upstairs! Emergency!" she exclaimed
heading to the elevator.
Brian
looked at his charts standing outside exam one. "I could really use your
help, Carter."
"Glad
to help!" Nick volunteered joining him. "What we got?"
"Five
vomiting children."
"Aw,
man!" Nick complained as they entered the loud room.
"Mommy,
I wanna' go home!"
"This
place smells funny!"
"I
think I'm gonna' puke!"
Nick
paled looking at the children. "I think I want to run far away...."
Brian
extended his hand to the mother of the clan. "Hello, Mrs.Murphy, I'm
Dr.Littrell, this is Nick Carter. What seems to be the trouble?"
The
woman pushed her messy brown hair away from her tired eyes. "Ya' see I
came home from work and the babysitter tells me they've all been gettin' sick
all day. I'm so sorry to bring them here, I know it's a hospital. But I've
heard this place is also like a clinic?"
Brian
waved his hand. "Don't worry, you did the right thing bringing them in.
So, let's take a look shall we?" He knelt down to the small blonde-headed
child before him. "Hi, sweetie, what's your name?"
"Debbie..."
she sniffled.
"Hi,
Debbie, can you tell me where you hurt?"
"My
tummy."
"Aw,
I'm sorry. Is it okay if I look at your tummy?"
"Yeah.."
she granted lifting up her shirt.
"Thank
you," he replied gently pressing against her skin. "Does it hurt when
I press down?"
"No,
same."
"Okay."
He looked over his shoulder. "Nick, please start looking at the others.
Check the adomen from all angles and near the intestines."
Nick
nodded beginning to examine the redheaded boy before him.
"Certainly."
Brian
moved on to another child. "Have any of them taken anything for the
pain?" he asked the Mrs.Murphy
"Yes,
children's pepto bismol, but it's only worked a little. Helped lower the fever
and ease the pain a little."
"Uh
huh..Have any of them been ill previously?"
"Well,
Shane, my redheaded boy," she said pointing to the young man. "Was
sick a few nights ago, no matter what I gave him or did he didn't feel better.
Just sick and weak."
"Have
they had any new foods or rare dishes?" Nick asked bringing up the
possibility of food posioning.
"No,
they haven't. Is it serious?" the mother worried.
Dr.Littrell
shook his head. "No, it's nothing of a serious nature."
"Then,
what is it?"
He
sighed. "A stomach virus. A highly contagious stomach virus. It could last
anywhere from forty-eight to seven-two hours to clear up."
The
woman lifted her youngest child into her lap. "What do I do to make them
feel better?"
"Keep
them well hydrated, try crackers and chicken broth once their stomaches are a
little stronger and just let them know you're there for them. Unforunately, as
a virus it has to run it's course, I can't prescribe anything to hurry that
along."
Mrs.Murphy
gave way to a sigh of relief. "Thank you, doctor."
"My
pleasure. You kids you feel better," he said standing.
Nick
lifted his brow watching the doctor. "Where are you going?"
Brian
sighed opening the door. "To tell Katie not to bother taking the
antibotics, they won't help her get over her ailment."
***********************************
"I
need more suction," Richardson directed as he stood over his patient
steadily performing his surgical tasks.
Dr.Turtle
grimaced. "Poor man, he must have been in so much pain up this point.
Hopefully, his knee will heal quickly, allowing him to move on with his
wife."
"Miss
Turtle, it's our job to treat the patient physically while we're near them, not
make judgements about their lives previously to this day."
The
surgeon snarled as she assisted him. "Some of us prefer to always refer to
our patients as human beings and not just bodies we open up."
"You're
young, you'll grow out of it," Kevin replied. "Prepare to
close," he ordered. "Nurse wipe my forehead, please!" he sighed
as the sweat trickled down his brow.
The
female doctor raised an eyebrow. "You've been sweating a lot during this
surgery. Are you feeling well?"
"I'm
fine!" he snapped.
"I
was just asking," she whispered as she continued sewing up the incision.
He
took a deep breath. "Besides, it's hot as hell in here."
"Actually,
I'm rather cold," the other stated matter-of-factly.
Richardson
stepped away from the operating table, shutting his eyes slowly as his skin
tone became a ghastly shade.
"Doctor?"
the nurse called softly in worry.
"Kevin?"
Annie stated loudly with a clear tone. "Kevin, are you okay?"
He
slowly opened his green eyes. "Just got a little dizzy...."
The
doctor proceeded her duties. "Any nausea?"
Dr.Richardson
brought his hand to his stomach as he looked at the patient's bloody knee.
"Now there is!" he groaned rushing into the open hall heaving over an
open trash can.
Dr.Turtle's
beaming grin was hidden beneath her surgrical mask. "Revenge is so
sweet....."
***************************
"Dr.Littrell!"
Dr.Turtle called as she entered the busy open area of the hospital.
"Yes?"
he answered in obvious fatigue.
"Is
there a stomach bug or flu going around?"
"Yes!"
Katie groaned lifting her head up from behind a huge stack of paper work.
"And it's hell!" she whimpered hiding behind the papers once more.
Littrell
turned back to the doctor. "Yes, why do you ask? Are you feeling
ill?"
"Oh,
no, I'm fine," she assured him. "But it appears your cousin has
picked up this bug or whatever."
"Kevin?"
Brian repeated a chuckle escaping his lips. "Even the mighty fall."
"He
had to rush out of surgery to throw up," the redhead informed him.
"Don't
mention throwing up!" Katie moaned.
Brian
nodded reaching behind the high stack of papers rubbing the nurse's shoulder.
"Yeah, don't give Katie any ideas," he sighed. "She's been
bowing to throne a lot, therefore, explaining the paper work. Do you want me to
go talk Kevin?"
"Oh,
no," Dr.Turtle replied. "Allow me." With a smile the resident
entered the elevator preparing to deal with Richardson.
Nick
rushed into the small quarter standing at her side. "Hi!" he breathed
leaning against the wall heavily.
"Hard
day?" she wondered glancing at him.
"Very!"
he gasped. "I've been puked on so many times. Am I a magnet or something?
I'm really beginning to think I picked the wrong career."
"Don't
think like that, Nick, some days are just harder than others. At some time or
another every doctor will be puked on."
"That's
reassuring," he grumbled. "So, how was your day, Dr.Turtle?"
She
smirked as the elevator doors opened. "I'd say things are looking
up." The doctor
made
her hallway glancing in each of the small windows on the thick doors. She
paused squinting. "Jackpot!"
The
doctor opened the door stepping inside quietly. "Dr.Richardson?" she
whispered to the man, who had laid down in an empty room drowning in his own
misery.
"What?"
he moaned.
"I'm
here to make sure you're okay?"
He
pouted. "Why?"
She
shrugged. "Return the favor? You took care of me, only I'm afraid I'm not
strong enough to carry you through the halls."
"Ha,
ha," he said sarcastically.
She
walked over to him. "Come on, let me take a look."
"I'm
afraid it's something bad," Richardson worried holding his stomach.
"Why
would you say that?" she asked sticking the thermometer into his ear.
"I'm
hot then I'm cold, my stomach is doing flip-flops, my head is pounding..."
"100.3,"
Dr.Turtle read retrieving the object from his ear. "Why don't you just
relax and let me take a look?"
"Could
it be my appendix?" Kevin panicked.
"Maybe..."
the female hummed gently lifting up his shirt. "Um, Dr.Richardson?"
"What?"
"It
couldn't be your appendix...You um...have a scar from an appendectomy,"
she stated gently placing her hand on the scar.
He
jumped. "God, your hands are like ice!"
"Well,
excuse me," she responsed rolling her eyes.
Dr.Richardson
took a deep breath. "Maybe I need a scope? Or could it be food poisoning?
Oh, God the thought of being poisoned...."
Dr.Turtle
looked at him sadly. "I don't believe that will be necessary. Now, listen
to me."
He
sat up slowly locking eyes with her. "What is it?"
"Now,
for the next two or three days. You are going to be very sick. Fevers might
come and go, your stomach will be in a great deal of pain in association with
vomiting and diarrhea. You might suffer some dehydration," she told him
softly as she stood walking to the door.
"Isn't
there anything you can do?" Kevin coughed.
She
took a deep breath hanging her head, to hide her smile. "I'm afraid not,
you have a stomach virus, Mr.Richardson."
***