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!"