Sarah's Story

Vigil

He runs into the hospital and up the stairs to the second floor, to impatient to wait on the elevator. When he reaches the second floor hall, he finds Josiah in the hall.

"Josiah, what is going on?"

"Sir, I don't know. I haven't been back in since I called you." He stands still waiting for his heart to slow down.

"Okay let's go see." We walk and see two nurses working over Sarah, one positioning cold compresses on her. The other re-taking her temperature. "Hello, I am James Rose, her dad. Can someone please tell me what is going on."

"Hello. I am Sammi, Sarah's nurse. We have her temperature stabilized at 101.5. It was as high as 103.5. We know there is an infection at her surgical site. We have started a broad spectrum antibiotic and are waiting on a blood test to narrow down exactly what we are dealing with. We have both her doctors on the way in."

Okay. Okay do we know what caused the infection to come on so suddenly? She was fine when Josiah called me at 7:30."

"Yes sir she was. We fear it is staph. Will know more when we get her blood test back."

"What can I do now?" She hands him one of the wet clothes.

"Rub it over her arm. Josiah take this one and do the other arm. I am going to call down and put a rudh on the blood tests. Tammy," she addresses the other nurse. "Grab a full set of vitals. I will be right back."

We do our jobs in silence until the door opens and Eric walks through. He nods at us but is all business.

"Tammy, what do we have?" She starts to review but before she is half way through, Sammi walks in.

"Dr. Ables, confirmed staph."

"Okay Tammy get us another temperature." He instructs as he picks up her chart. "Sammie push two more boluses of Amoxicillin. James, Josiah, you can stop thanks. A bit of fever helps at this point. Let's re-exam her surgical site."

It isn't rebandged so all he has to do is gently move her pajama top to expose it. James is shocked at the red streaks moving away from his daughter's stitches. Josiah behind him gasps. Tammy hands Eric a marker.

"Thanks. Re-take her temperature for me."

"Yes sir."

He presses the marker as carefully as he can at the end of the streaks. She moans at the light contact.

"Sammi, a bolus of morphine please." He then leads her men into the hall. "Sarah has a staph infection. We have her fever under control and are doing what we can for the infection. We want to keep some of the fever as it boast her immune system against the invaders. We are going to keep a close eye on the infection. If it goes beyond the marked areas, we will have to lanse it. She will stay on the surgical floor until it is under control for her protection as well as those on the cancer floor. Any questions?"

"Why did you give her morphin." Josiah asks.

"Staph is extraordinarily painful."

"Oh." He responds in a small voice.

"What is the next step?"

"We monitor her, temperature, vitals, and infection. We keep up the antibiotics."

"Doctor Ables, temp is back up." He rushes back in and they follow him.

"What is it?"

"102.3°."

"Okay, Sammie, Tylenol° suppository. I need to re-check the site." He looks and shakes his head. "This is fast moving. Tammy, I need the lancing tray and push another amp of morphine."

"Yes doctor."

He turns to a stunned James and Josiah. "Okay this is a fast moving staph infection. Aggressive. It is already past the mark I drew. We have to lanse it to get as much out as possible. It is going to be very painful." Sammie comes in, and without ceremony, inserts the suppository.

"Need a set of vitals please."

"BP 100/40 HR 100 Pulse Oxygen 95 Temp 103." Sammie announces a moment later.

"Okay. Put her own oxygen. We have no time to waste. James, Josiah, if you are staying, please stay back." In a state of shock, they back against the wall. Eric prepares a needle and starts numbing Sarah's chest. She moans at his touch and James sees him wince. "Sorry Sarah sweetie. We have to numb it. Temb check?"

"102° doctor."

"Good. Right direction. Okay. Sterile gowns everybody." The men watch them walk out and quickly return with blue PPE gowns covering them, their hair and faces. "We are going to lance her infection now," he explains to James and Josiah. "You need to step outside until we are done."

They walk into the hall and sink to floor beside her door. "Will they get it out? What happens if they can't?" Josiah asks James.

"They will take out, what they can Josiah. They will then keep her on powerful antibodics. If it doesn't heal or starts getting worse, they may have to take into surgery to remove it."

"Oh."

"I want to thank you for calling me right away Josiah."

"It is no problem. You are welcome sir. I didn't know what to do."

"Can you tell me what happened?" He does. "Thank God you were here with her and you got them back right away."

"Yes sir. I have never seen an infection move that fast."

"Me either son." They lapse into silence. Josiah sits rocking back and forth, his lips silently moving, praying. James can only whisper," Please God."  over and over.