End of Innocence- November 1963

Profiles in Courage

Jackie burst through the door of the of the waiting area that led to the surgical trauma room just as Dr. Burkley and Parkland surgeon Dr. McClelland existed the surgical room that they had spent the last five hours and twenty-three minutes in while trying to save the presidents life. The wanly and pained faced doctors looked as if they had been through a war zone of emergency trauma. Never before had they experienced the likes of what they had just been through.

The President of the United States lay before them, seemingly lifeless with multiple gunshot wounds to the head, neck and back yet somehow, they managed to maintain a heartbeat until they could get him into surgery. From all preliminary visual observations, the president shouldn't have made it into surgery, much less through surgery.

Encountering Mrs. Kennedy in the hallway, an ashen faced Dr. Burkley appeared as if he was in shock. As Dave, Kenny, and Clint Hill gathered around Mrs. Kennedy, Dr. Burkley attempted to compose himself and began to speak, "Mrs. Kennedy, your husband, the president sustained what should have been a fatal wound. Miraculously he is still alive. His condition is still very uncertain but it is a miracle that he made it through surgery. The next 48 hours will be extremely crucial. It is uncertain at this time what the president's condition will be once and if he awakens."

As Dr. Burkley searched for the words to continue to express his shock and disbelief at the president's current condition, Jackie bowed her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. Some hours ago she was certain to be a widow, now Jack's future seemed more uncertain than ever.

Raising her head backup to look at Dr. Burkley as those around her began to celebrate in joy that the president was alive, Jackie wiped the tears from her cheeks with her bloodstained gloves that had now began to harden and mold on her hands with her husband's blood dried upon them. Speaking in a quivering but strong voice Jackie began to address Dr. Burkley, "Doctor Burkley, what exactly is it that you mean by his condition once he wakes up, if he wakes up? Are you trying to tell me that if my husband wakes up he may be incapacitated or crippled?"

"Jackie," Kenny interrupted, "He's alive, what else matters?"

"Being alive but not living matters to Jack, Kenny!" Jackie said sternly.

Dave interjected as Jackie began to turn back to Dr. Burkley in search of answers, "Jackie, of course living matters to Jack and that's what we need to focus on right now, he's alive and that's more than we thought possible 6 hours ago."

Staring blankly at Kenny and Dave, Jackie turned back to Dr. Burkley and reiterated her question in a sterner and more direct tone, "Doctor Burkley, what exactly is it that you mean by "his condition"?"

Quickly searching the room for an answer he didn't want to give, Dr. Burkely looked at Dr. McClelland, his eyes wide in desperation as if begging him to speak the words he couldn't bring himself to utter.

"Mrs. Kennedy, if I may, would you like to have a seat, " Dr. McClelland began as he motioned to Jackie to have a seat on the near by sofa in the waiting room?

"I'll stand thank you!" Jackie spat back in irritation. "I believe I asked Dr. Burkley a question and I would like an answer!" She demanded.

"Mrs. Kennedy, " Dr. McClelland continued , "If I may be permitted to answer in Dr. Burkley's place?"

As Dr Burkley shock his head in acknowledgement and permission, Jackie yelled, " I don't care who the hell answers me, I just want a damn answer as to what my husband's condition is and what the hell you all mean by if and when he wakes up!"

"Mrs. Kennedy," Dr. McClelland began again, "The President has sustained a severe gunshot wound to the head, as you know, and two other wounds to his back and throat. We were able to remove the bullet from his head but we don't know how much damage was done to his brain. He's currently in a coma and on life support. The next 48 to 72 hours will be critical in monitoring his brain function and determining his ability to breathe on his own and if he can regain consciousness."

"And if he wakes up," Jackie spoke in a quivering voice, "what then?"

"We don't know," Dr. McClelland replied solemnly. "There is so much about the brain and brain trauma that we still don't know that I can't give you an answer. We don't know to what extent his brain has been damaged or whether he'll be able to speak again due to the trauma of his vocal box. What I do know Mrs. Kennedy, is that I've never seen someone fight so hard to stay alive. His will to live is unlike any I have ever seen in all my years of practice. We didn't give up because he didn't give up!"

Taking a deep breath as she tried to process the words that had just been spoke to her, Jackie's lips quivered as she turned to Kenny, Dave and Clint whose somberness had returned by Dr. McClelland's words as she whispered, "Gentlemen, make whatever calls are necessary to get the world's best neurosurgeon to Washington immediately and make whatever plans are necessary to take The President back to Washington."

"Dr. Burkley, Dr. McClelland, unless you have anything further to tell me, thank you for all you've done to help my husband but I'm taking him home!"

"Mrs. Kennedy," Dr. Burkley hurriedly began, "The President can't travel in his condition, he's not stable enough to make the trip to Washington right now. We don't know what sort of trauma his brain has suffered and the pressure of the flight could kill him. Please Mrs. Kennedy, I know you're upset and in shock but don't make a rash decision like this."

"What do any of you know, you can't tell me what's going to happen to my husband, you don't know anything," Jackie spat at the doctors in grief and frustration.

"Jackie," Dave began trying to calm Jackie down, "Dr. Burkley is right, we can't move Jack in his condition. I know you want answers, we all do, but we need to think this through and make the best decision for him."

"He's not staying here," Kenny interjected, "This is no place for the President of the United States!" "No disrespect intended Dr. McClelland," Kenny continued, "This isn't some random gunshot patient, this is the President of the United States!"

"I understand Mr. O'Donnell," Dr. McClelland relied somberly, "We've done the best we can, that is all we can do."

As the presidential staff, Secret Service detail and Mrs. Kennedy stood in the hallway processing the news of the last few minutes and discussing options on what to do with the president, Clint Hill spoke up decisively,

"Mrs. Kennedy, it is my recommendation that we transport the President to Fort Hood as soon as possible, not only can we insure his safety on the base given that we still don't know if this assassination attempt was part of a larger conspiracy but the medical staff at Fort Hood has had experience with brain trauma on the battle field."

"Why didn't I think of that?" Dr. Burkley replied with excitement. "We have some of the best medical equipment in the country there, I'll get right to making arrangements!"