Chapter 11

"Mr.Olsen, you cannot leave now!" Kevin Richardson yelled at the big man attempting to get out of his hospital bed.

"I ain't stayin' here with you!" the middle-aged patient grumbled.

"Mr.Olsen, you have to have surgery, you know that!" Kevin breathed out as he fought to keep the bigger man down.

"Yes, I know, I need surgery, but dying might be a bit better than being poked, probed and most of all bein' around your sorry ass."

"Excuse me?" Kevin snapped standing up.

The patient crossed his huge arms. "You don't give a damn about me! You just want your lowsy overpaid check!"

Richardson bit his lip. "So, it's just me that you can't stand?"

"Yep!" the man called back without a second-thought. "And I'm not the only one!"

"What if you had another doctor? Then, would you stay?"

"I'd consider it," Olsen sighed.

"Fine!" the surgeon yelled hurrying out the door.

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"Well, if it's not Super Man himself," Katie smiled as Nick entered.

The blonde blushed. "Nah, it was nothin'."

"I beg to differ," Dr.Littrell yawned grabbing his charts. "Very impressive yesterday, Carter."

"Thanks," Nick beamed. "How are you feeling, Dr.Littrell?"

"Tired and feverish," the doctor sighed.

"You wanna' rest for a few more minutes? And I'll start looking at cases?" Nick offered anxious to begin another day.

"Sounds good to me," Brian agreed handing off his charts. "I'll be in the lounge."

"If I have to work with Dr.Richardson today I'll spit!" AJ growled stomping toward the front desk.

Katie offered a sympathetic smile. "You're not working with Dr.Richardson today."

"Thank you, Lord," AJ whispered. "That makes me feel better. So, what will I be doing?"

"You and Nick will be seeing patients on your own, with everyone who's on today will be here as back up. Just in case."

"This day is getting better and better," AJ stated grabbing a stack of charts. "Anything special I need to know?" he asked.

"Yeah," Nick answered. "Don't let Katie near bugs."

AJ fought off a smile. "You're afraid of bugs?"

Katie crossed her arms stammering. "Not really, bugs, exactly....But many people have a fear of spiders, thank you!"

AJ and Nick continued laughing at her expense.

The nurse lifted her head to see a half-asleep Dr.Turtle walking toward them. "You think that's funny. Watch this."  She cleared her throat. "Oh, Annie!" Katie sang.

The redhead rubbed her tired eyes. "What?"

"The hospital is putting an aquarium beside your office. Filled with all kinds of fish!"

"Fish!" Annie practically screamed in a panic hugging the closest person she could.

"Whoa," AJ whistled hugging the redhead tightly. "If this is the reaction I get, I'm gonna' mention fish a lot!"

"Don't say that word!" Annie hissed slapping his shoulder lightly. "I don't want to hear about them, or even the water they swim in! I don't want to hear the word! Do you understand me?!" She glared at all of them. "But if you must have your damn aquarium fill it with mean, nasty crabs so I can shove Dr.Richardson's face in it and watch the little buggers snap at him!"

"Then, we could around saying Kevin had crabs!" AJ whooped. "I like that idea more than the fishies!"

"Don't say that word again, or I'll make you do suction all day while I'm in surgery!" Dr.Turtle growled facing the rebel.

AJ smirked patting her shoulder. "Sorry, Annie."

"Annie! I need you!" Dr.Richardson hollered grabbing her by arm dragging her away.

Katie rolled her eyes. "The prick just comes up and grabs her now?"

AJ groaned. "Yeah, at least last week he was still bitching at her, but now he decides to pull her where he likes?"

Nick lifted an eyebrow. "And is it just me or is it even weirder than she didn't slap him, kick him or tell him to go hell?"

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"Okay, it's fine if you need me," Dr.Turtle sighed pulling her arm away. "But is it really necessary to try to dislocate my arm?"

"Look, I'm sorry," he said quickly emotion lacking in his voice. "But Mr.Olsen is trying to leave and I need someone to help me."

"Why is he threatening to leave? He knows his surgery is imperative to his health."

"Well, apparently he doesn't like me," Dr.Richardson mumbled.

"Oh, imagine that," Annie mocked.

"I don't know why," Kevin sighed.

"I could give a reason. Actually, I could give you a lot."

The doctor crossed his arms. "I didn't ask for your opinion!"

"Oh, that's really a good way to get someone to help you, Dr. Richardson," she fumed.

"I don't know what to do," Kevin said in exasperation. "Can you take him?"

"I have an idea," Dr. Turtle replied. "Just give me a few minutes. I have to run down to children's day care center downstairs."

"You have a kid?" Richardson asked in shock.

"No!" she cried. "Just go to his room and keep him there until I show up!"

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"I don't know what to do," Dr. Littrell sighed standing over his patient's bedside. "She's starving herself to death and I can't stop it."

"What has Dr. Richardson suggested doing?" Katie asked as she changed the IV.

"He'll say the same thing he always does," Brian sighed. "Anytime I have an anorexic patient he suggests sending her off to a treatment facility twenty miles away, instead of letting them stay here."

"That is a wonderful treatment center though," the nurse added.

"I know, but she's only sixteen-years-old. I don't think she could handle living at that place for a few months, her parents only being allowed to see her on weekends. I don't think her parents could handle the situation if I did that either."

Katie pulled back her hair. "Have you tried talking to Dr. Richardson? Maybe he'd consider another option?"

"We're not exactly on good terms."

"That's my fault," the nurse whispered. "You shouldn't have tried to save my ass like that the other day."

Brian shook his head. "Don't blame yourself for that, Katie. Kevin shouldn't have been yelling at you like that. We come to blows every now and then, because of our different personalities."

Katie's eyes widened as she smiled. "Well, you haven't talked to him, but maybe you could talk to Dr.Turtle?"

"You think she'd have a different idea?"

She shrugged. "I dunno, but I do know I'd rather see her about it than Richardson."

"Good point," Brian agreed. "Do you know where she is?"

"I'm pretty sure she was going to see Mr.Olsen with Kevin."

"I'll go find her and hope for the best," Brian said walking toward the elevator.

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"Mr.Olsen, this is Dr.Turtle," Richardson said stepping aside to let the redhead shake hands with the patient.

"Hello, Mr.Olsen," she greeted politely.

"Call me Buck," he told her.

"Okay, Buck," she repeated.

The patient smiled turning to Richardson. "I like her more than you already! I'm not afraid of her eyebrows collapsing into my guts during the operation."

Kevin's eyes narrowed as he walked to the door. "I'll leave you two alone to let Dr.Turtle discuss the operation with you!"

The redheaded woman set across from the burly gentleman. "Look, I know you don't want this surgery, or even want to be here for that matter. But I promise to try to make it as painless as possible for you. I even brought you a present."

"Present!" The man's face lit up. "Cake? Ice cream? Cookies?"

The woman crossed her arms. "Buck, it's because of foods like that, that you are needing this gastric surgery anyway."

He pouted. "Okay, what is it?"

"Here ya' go," she said placing the gift on his bed.

"A toy car?"

"A remote control toy car," she corrected.

"What good will this do me?"

"Well, you chase out doctors and nurses you don't wanna' see with it."

The man grabbed the control. "Doc, you and I will get along just fine!"

"I'm glad to hear it, Buck," she replied patting his arm. The doctor turned her head as she heard a soft knock at the door.

"Annie? Could I see you for a minute?" Brian asked quietly.

She nodded. "Certainly." She faced her patient. "Don't cause too much damage with that toy."

"I'm having problems with a patient," Brian sighed as she joined him in the hallway.

"What seems to be the problem?" she asked taking a seat at his side.

"Anorexic 16-year-old," he explained handing her the chart. "I know if I go to Kevin he'll only send her away to a treatment program."

The doctor frowned glancing over the file. "She is in serious condition.....I can only think of one way to avoid sending her there, at this current time anyway."

"What?"

"She is deathly thin right now, so, I'd request putting in a feeding tube. During her admission here, she could receive individual counseling, then once she was strong enough to go home continue that treatment; as well attending group therapy sessions here at the hospital."

"I'd be willing to give that a try," Brian assured her.

"Okay," Annie agreed signing off the chart. "If you get her parents to give me consent, I'll put in the tube tomorrow after Dr.Richardson and I finish with Mr.Olsen in the morning."

Brian squeezed her hand tightly. "Thank you, you have no idea how much you've helped me."

"No problem." She observed him carefully. "Brian, are you okay?"

He sighed. "I haven't been feeling too well. I picked up a bit of that virus."

She felt his forehead. "You have a mild fever. Any vomiting or diarrhea?"

He shook his head. "No, just the weakness and dizziness mainly."

"How are Katie and AJ doing?"

"They're both terribly tired, but manage to keep down liquids now."

"That's quite an improvement. Are you sure you're all right, though?"

"I will be," he assured her making his way toward the elevator. "I don't know how you managed not to get it being near Kevin."

"Just lucky, I guess."

"How do you manage to put up with Kevin, anyway? I haven't heard you snapping at him lately."

She shrugged. "I can't afford to be on terrible terms with someone I see repeatively during surgery, but don't worry I still tell him off every chance I get."

"Well, Annie, you tell him off better than any other I've seen. See you later," he called as the elevator doors shut behind him.

"OW! OW! DAMNIT!" Annie heard Kevin shouting as he ran up the hall a small car following him behind banging against his ankles. "WHO THE HELL GAVE HIM THAT?!"

Annie smiled sweetly. "Torturing that man never grows tiring."