A Shadow in the Desert

Chapter Eleven

Laurel's first day back at work was usually the ER's busiest day of the week. Saturday afternoon and evening caught most of the accidents, keeping the staff moving at a steady if not hectic pace. Living near the mountains in a rural setting, there were injuries from ATV accidents, fishing and hiking episodes as well as the usual household mishaps.

The glare of the overhead lights bouncing off the polished linoleum and tiled walls was giving Laurel a headache. This afternoon was  particularly loud and busy, not allowing her a chance to acclimate before jumping into the fray.

"We have stitches in bed one and a possible fractured ankle in bed four." Dr. Soloff relayed to Laurel as she stood behind the desk scribbling notes in a chart.

She noticed he was looking over at her, waiting for a response. His expression was more of a leer than anything else, and she answered him quickly in hopes of moving past the moment.

"Where do you need me?" 

"Get a CT on the ankle. They're backed up, so just leave him up there and have radiology call when they're done. I don't know why the hell they don't schedule more help on the weekend."

She gave a slight smile, thinking that he had answered his own question. She nodded and moved past him heading towards the exam rooms.

"Oh," he added, reaching out and gasping her by the upper arm. "When you get back you can assist me with the stitches in one."

Laurel looked at him straight on, then moved her eyes to the hand he had wrapped around her slender arm. Dr. Soloff immediately let go, feeling a chill from her icy stare. Laurel slipped past and headed towards the patient she was to transport.

Her anger grew as she thought about some of the doctors, including Soloff, who referred to all patients as 'him' or by their bed number or by their injury. They could spend four hours in and out of the examination room and never use the patients name or even know what it was for that matter.

When she reached the cubical that held bed four, she found a boy about ten years of age thrashing around with a grimace on his face. Standing next to him was a woman looking as if she might start crying at any provocation. Her furrowed brow relayed her anxiety and desperation. Laurel immediately began to try and lift the tension that hung like a heavy fog throughout the room.

"Hi, I'm Laurel and I'm going to take..." She quickly glanced down at the chart. "I'm going to take Jack up to get a picture of his ankle so we can get it set. That will make you feel quite a bit better, Jack. Okay?"

"Oh, thank God!" his mother exclaimed as tears ran down her worried face.

Laurel glanced at the chart again.

"Mrs. Clark, Jack is going to be okay. He'll be in Radiology for about an hour. He's been given some medication for the pain, but I think he's due for more. I'll make sure he's comfortable before I leave him. You should get something to eat while you wait for him to be brought back down."

"Can I go with him?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"I'm sorry but you need to wait here. We will take good care of him, I promise."

Laurel looked over at Jack, giving him a warm smile. "You'll be back with your mom in just a little while. Okay, Jack?"

Laurel refreshed his medication, adding it directly to his IV and took him up to wait for a CT.

She checked him in and waited about ten minutes while the medication did its part and Jack slowly grew calm and his eyes struggled to stay open.

Assured that he'd be taken next, she left him with the technician's assistant and headed back to the ER.

When she entered the cubical for bed one, she found that Dr. Soloff hadn't begun to put in stitches – in fact he wasn't anywhere in sight.

The patient was a woman about Laurel's age. She had a deep cut that ran from the side of her forehead, around her eye and about halfway down her right cheek. She didn't appear to be in pain as much as agitated and worried about a facial scar.

No wonder, Laurel thought.

Reading over the chart, Laurel began to comfort her, attempting to relieve some of her fears.

"Hi, Keri, my name is Laurel. How did this happen?"

Keri relayed how she had tripped while emptying her trash at the dump.

"I put my arms out, but the garbage didn't offer any support and it just surrounded me. When I was able to get my footing, I realized I had blood gushing down my face. There must have been a sharp can or something. I guess it could have been a lot worse. Am I going to have a big scar running down my face?" she asked, beginning to cry.

"Keri, let me find out who's working in plastics right now. A plastic surgeon will be able to close this for you without leaving a bad scar."

"Really? That would be good!"

"You may need some follow up work, but I'm sure the results will be worth it."

"Thank you so much!"

As if on cue, Dr. Soloff walked into the cubical.

"Okay, I'm going to put some stitches in and get you on your way," he said as if his words offered some welcoming news that the woman was waiting to hear.

"Oh, no doctor," Laurel began, "Keri wants a consult with a plastic surgeon. I was about to see who's on."

He seemed caught off guard. As he processed the situation, his expression turned to distain.

"Okay," he shrugged. Looking over at the patient he added, "I hope you have good insurance."

Laurel gave Keri a quick smile and followed Dr. Soloff out to the nurses' station.

"Dr. Soloff, that was uncalled for!" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"I hope getting a consult was the patient's idea, nurse. You are here to assist not advise.

"I addressed her concerns and have no doubt this is what she wants."

"Well..." he began, but she had already moved behind the desk and picked the phone up to call plastics.

*

By the end of her shift, Laurel felt wrung out. She had been kept constantly on edge by Dr. Soloff, and didn't feel she could count on her coworkers to share her outlook. The staff got by without questioning or judging each other. The patients were often caught between the hospital's bureaucracy, the amount of time they were given, and the level of expertise that their particular care giver had to offer.

She rubbed her neck as she walked out to a gray, cold morning being pushed in by a frigid breeze.

"Looks like snow," a young woman who Laurel recognized from the gift shop greeted.

"Really!" Laurel exclaimed with a little too much excitement in her voice.

"Your first winter?" the girl asked.

Laurel nodded.

"Better brace yourself then," she offered cryptically.

Laurel grabbed her jacket and pulled it tighter around her neck to ward off the persistent wind as she made her way to her car. I wonder what else I need to brace myself against.

She pulled out of the driveway and happily headed home to Satdo's welcoming comfort and some much needed sleep.