Dead Still

by Barbara Ebel

  As if a breeze of bad air had entered the office, Marlin rushed in and grabbed his white coat off the hook.

  “Robby, I really need to talk to you,” he said putting on his jacket.

  “I’m listening,” Robby replied, not sure if Marlin looked more unkempt with or without the white lab coat; all his clothes needed a damp, warm iron and his kinky mustache had hairs going every which-way.

  “As a resident with junior staff below me, medical students that is, it’s my responsibility to steer them into profound teaching experiences that warrant their time and …”

  “Marlin,” Robby cut in, “save me the drama and get to the point.”

  “Near the end of yesterday’s clinical duties, I told Dr. Tilson to attend Ms. Waters’ patient education and training by the stoma care nurses. That was a unique opportunity to see firsthand how patients must deal with their stoma and colostomy bag … one that may never present itself again during medical school rotations or, for that matter, even in residency.”

  As he leaned on the desk and crossed his legs, Robby suspected he knew where Marlin was going with this.

  “She deliberately skipped out and never went back in with her patient. Her missing a clinical teaching experience is inexcusable.”

  “The students were post-call and technically off after their long hours. However, were the stoma care nurses already there or did you put the order in and they were going to arrive in an hour or two or three? You know, how things usually work around here.”

  “Oh, I’m sure it was going to happen quickly. Come to think about it, I saw the nurse getting off the elevator when I got on.”

  “Hmm. I see,” Robby said.

  “I think I even know the excuse she’s going to give me for not going.”

  “Pray tell,” Robby said.

  “She was on her cell; going to meet someone. Probably a boyfriend for lunch. That’s what’s more important. They don’t make medical students anymore like they used to.”

  “She had a lunch date? Maybe a boyfriend?”

  Marlin nodded, a smile creeping across his face.

  More than ever, Robby felt disgust that someone like Marlin Mack represented anything to do with medicine. It didn’t matter how well a resident like him had flown through his exams or gotten by clinically, Robby thought. His behavior was deplorable. His condemnable lies would be bad enough in any profession but were doubly abhorrent when taking care of other human beings: their preventative medicine, their illnesses and diseases, their mental health, and securing patients’ trust that they were in good hands.

  “So she didn’t have a doctor’s appointment?”

  “If she told you that, what a fat lie!”

  “Okay,” Robby said, folding Annabel’s doctor’s report and putting it in his pocket. “The team is waiting outside to start rounds. I need to make a stop first.”

  Robby followed Marlin out.

  “Good morning everyone,” he said to Dr. Pittman and the rest of the group. “I’ll be right back. You all can start without me.”

  Pittman took his cue and began talking about bowel resections as Robby went downstairs to the front desk of the OR.

  “I want to personally add a case for first thing Monday morning,” he said. “Patient’s name is Annabel Tilson.”

  “The medical student?” the scheduler asked.

  “Unfortunately, yes. The procedure is ‘Posterior right upper arm, wide excisional biopsy; removal of lesion; and lymph node evaluation.’”

  Robby waited until she documented it into the computer. “Put her down for a general anesthetic and she needs to go prone.”

  “Yes, Dr. Burk.”

  He stepped across to the anesthesia office and stood next to their schedule coordinator. “I just added a case for Monday morning. Dr. Annabel Tilson is the patient. I have a request for her anesthesia.”

  The woman grabbed a pencil and wrote down the information.

  “Can you put Wilbur Gill on her case?” Robby asked.

  “Be happy to,” she replied.

  Robby left and joined his group huddled with Dr. Pittman. When Pittman stopped talking and they walked away, Robby told him about Annabel’s surgery on Monday.

  “Besides taking care of her surgery,” he said, “we’ll make sure we do what we can for her.”

  “I’ll see to it,” Robby said.

  Behind them, Annabel and Bob chatted as she fumbled in her pocket to find her bag of beans from the other day.

  “I inadvertently found out another famous OR saying this morning,” Bob said softly while holding the espresso bean she handed him. “There’s an OR nurse who’s been flirting with me. When she saw me outside of the OR without scrubs, she said, ‘You look different with your clothes on!’ Anyway, I realized that’s number nine.”

  “Wow. So we only have one more to figure out?”

  “I think so.”

  “This rotation is going by really fast,” she said. “I hope we have all ten by the time we finish. Let’s just hope Robby still plays the extra credit game.”

  “Even if he doesn’t, it’s been fun.”

  “It’s been a nice diversion.” Annabel wanted to add that he’d been a good diversion, too, in the sense of being a good friend. She smiled at him. “Now the race is on for us to figure out number ten.”

  “If I don’t get to mention it to Da’wan and Ginny after rounds,” Bob said, “I’ll tell them during clinic this afternoon.”

  -----

  Annabel gave Joe a heartfelt good-bye when she was discharged a few days later and promised to see her during follow-up in the clinic. And because she focused on her main priority of studying, the rest of the week seemed to fly by faster. It also kept her mind off of her malignant melanoma and upcoming surgery.

  On Saturday, the team’s on-call duty proved to be a manageable stream of admissions with both surgical and non-surgical cases but none of the students heard anything that could count as a tried and true operating room quip.

  Robby called Annabel into his office and, when she arrived, his jacket was off and he was halfway through eating a sandwich.

  “I’m heading back to the ER once I finish this,” he said, “but I need for you to tell the others we’ll have short, late-day rounds in an hour. I will have to announce to the team that you will be absent from clinical duties on Monday.”

  “Okay,” Annabel said. “I’m sorry it’s going to cause a problem.”

  Robby held her glance. “It’s no problem at all. If there’s anyone around here that is deserving of our help, it’s you.” The lines around his eyes twinkled and he smiled. “Now, we need to put together a plan for your postop care. Even though we’re doing this in the hospital, you’re not an overnight admission. Who is taking you home?”

  “I talked to my family and, for any of them to come all the way up here, they would have to take time off from work. I won’t let them do that and told them not to come. So I was going to take a taxi home.”

  “You can’t be discharged without someone to look after you initially. I’ll ask Bob to bring you home and stay for a short period. You and he seem to be student buddies.”

  “That’s too much trouble for everyone,” Annabel said, looking down.

  “I won’t hear another word about it,” Robby said. “We take care of strangers, right? If we also can’t take care of our own, then what good are we?”

  She looked into his eyes and practically melted, nodding her understanding. Annabel wanted to remember Robby forever because chances were she’d never have a chief resident or colleague like him again. She absent-mindedly sighed and thought again about his wonderful words as she left the room.

  -----

  Annabel took another swig of water as Robby rushed into the office and pointed at Brandy’s and Ginny’s names on the blackboard.

  “You two are up next. I just booked a young man for an appendectomy; he’s in the ER now. We’ll go do quick rounds and then work him up down there or in the pr
eop holding area after they transport him up here.” He put the marker down and rubbed his hand through his hair.

  “On Monday, we will make some alterations in our schedule. Dr. Tilson is having surgery here. She will be my patient and, Dr. Wallace, you will assist me but there will be no students in the OR. Dr. Palmer, do you think you could bring Dr. Tilson home to her apartment after her discharge from recovery and stay with her for a few hours?”

  Bob stood with disbelief at the surprising news. “Yes, of course you can count on me.” He glanced at Annabel and could only wonder as she had not said a word to him about anything being wrong.

  Marlin secretly gloated. She may have had an upper hand getting into medicine but maybe she now had a medical problem that was going to throw a monkey wrench into her training. He could only hope, but he figured details would be forthcoming.

  “So,” Robby continued, “on Monday, Ginny and Da’wan are not to round on Annabel’s patients. That will be up to Dr. Mack to take up the slack for all care and hunting up any pending lab work and Dr. Wallace when she’s not in the OR. And Bob, help take care of your patients until Annabel goes to the PACU. At that time, break away and be with her until you leave her place late in the day.” He scanned their faces again. “Is this acceptable to all of you?”

  Robby heard several “yeses” while Marlin barely uttered a sound.

  Annabel felt her cheeks blush. She hated to be the center of attention, especially when her team had to make allowances for her and work extra on her behalf. She knew, however, she would do the same thing if one of them were in her shoes.

  “Let’s pop in on all our patients now,” Robby said. “I’ll meet you all at the desk in a few minutes. Marlin, you stay here a minute.”

  As he was leaving, Bob looked back and - seeing a stern look on Robby’s face - closed the door behind him.

  “Sit down, Marlin,” Robby said.

  Hesitantly, Marlin lowered himself onto the couch. “I’m sure I can take more of Monday’s burden off your shoulders,” he said. “Just consider me your right hand.”

  “That’s big of you. But a few days ago, you made serious accusations against Dr. Tilson. In essence, her failure to succumb to your bullying of staying over after call was indeed due to the fact that she had a doctor’s appointment.” Robby’s voice got louder and his neck veins bulged. “And the outcome of that actual appointment is why she is on Monday’s schedule.”

  “It’s possible she had two appointments as I know she did have to run to meet a guy for lunch.”

  “Clam it up!” Robby replied as he stood up and looked down at Marlin. “You agitate me any more about Dr. Tilson and I’ll do everything I can to have the title ‘M.D.’ stripped from your sorry ass.”

  Chapter 25

  Annabel had survived another night on call and even managed a few hours of sleep. She threw dirty laundry into the washing machine, loaded stray dishes into the dishwasher, and took a shower when she got home on Sunday. Opening up her social app, she peered again at the dialogue she’d had with Tony that morning ... a confirmation of their evening appointment to meet at Eden Park at 6 p.m. It would be the perfect day before having to go into the OR tomorrow; some chores, some studying, and then meet a guy she’d already ‘talked’ to several times.

  She looked forward to going to the park, both to see this new fellow face-to-face and to soak up the abundant sunshine and fresh air which was pitifully absent during her days in the hospital. And on top of that, her desire for sex had heated up again. How many weeks had it been since she had bunked down with the last guy … what was his name? Mark, she remembered, because he had pestered her later. Tonight, hopefully, she’d have some sizzling sex with this Tony and then their encounter would be over.

  At 4:40, Annabel changed into a stylish pair of shorts and a cool, lacy blouse with cloth ties instead of buttons. She slipped on good sandals for walking and put some things into a compact shoulder purse. In the mirror, she glossed on lip moisturizer and added a little shine to her hair.

  Not a Cincinnati native, Annabel had only been to popular Eden Park a few times since moving there for med school. It featured more than walking paths and green landscape to visit and enjoy; it housed some of the city’s most prestigious attractions like the Art Museum, Playhouse, and Krohn Conservatory.

  Annabel drove over in light traffic and parked in a spacious lot. She began a slow walk towards the gazebo, impressed by the view of the Ohio River and Kentucky across the way. The path sloped up onto a footbridge and, when she descended, she passed a playground packed with families. Further along, people walked dogs as the male canines used the sculptures lining the walkway as fire hydrants.

  When she arrived, there were several people spanning a wide age range in and around the picturesque gazebo. She didn’t see a young man anywhere by himself, but a man stood up from a bench who looked like Tony from the picture he’d posted. Another man approximately his age was next to him.

  “I can tell … you’re Annabel,” Tony said as he put his hand out.

  “Yes, nice to meet you,” she said with a light handshake.

  “Likewise. And this is my buddy, Trevor.”

  “Hi,” she said. A bundle of thoughts went through her head. Tony was an average-looking guy but his friend was definitely higher up on a woman’s swagger scale. Yet why was he here? Maybe they had bumped into each other in the park and Trevor would be leaving.

  “Perfect evening,” Tony said. “How about we walk?”

  “That’s fine,” Annabel said. “How do you two know each other?”

  “We’re friends since college,” Tony said. “Still play soccer and go to bars together.”

  “He’s a lousy athlete, though,” Trevor said, jumping up and flexing his arm muscles.

  “You play any particular sports?” Tony asked Annabel.

  “Don’t have time,” she said. “I run or go to the gym once in a while though.”

  As Annabel found herself between both of them, they passed a couple with a twin stroller and took a path along a memorial tree grove.

  “Trevor,” Annabel said, “do you go on the same social app as Tony?”

  “Sure do, but sometimes he beats me to a girl I may be interested in.”

  “I keep telling you.” Tony said. “You have to be quick. It’s like Craigslist. You have to be monitoring it all the time for the new posts and the pick of the litter.”

  “What?” Annabel asked. “You look at it like sorting through puppies?”

  “Hey, don’t make it sound so shocking,” Tony said. “Isn’t that what all of us do when we’re drinking with friends at a bar? Looking over the merchandise of the other sex?”

  Annabel frowned. He had a point. “I suppose there’s some truth to that. You’re pretty direct, aren’t you?”

  Tony paused and looked directly at her. His eyes were a pale blue and they had mischief in them. He took her hand, guiding her at the fork in the path to the Bettman Fountain. The spray of the water carried by a light breeze misted their arms. His hand went to the top of her neck and pulled her in slightly. After almost touching his forehead to hers, he leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the side of her mouth.

  When Tony stopped and resumed holding her left hand, Trevor slipped his hand into her right one.

  “My friend here found you first,” Trevor said, leaning close, “but I’m interested, too.”

  “How about the three of us go to my place?” Tony said. “I have some great beer and wine ready.”

  Annabel scrunched up her forehead. “Hey, what is this?” she said while looking at Tony. “The arrangement was for the two of us to meet and then, well, maybe… Who said anything about a threesome?”

  Instead of backing away, Tony inched closer with a warm smile. “It will be fun, especially for you.”

  She unclasped their hands and took a big step backwards. “How dare you think I would agree to that!” she said, her heart ticking faster, her anger growing.


  As she turned, she said “It was nice meeting the both of you. I’m leaving.” She walked briskly and headed straight for the playground and then her car, making sure they weren’t following her. How dare them, she thought. What did they think she was … some kind of slut or something?

  -----

  Monday morning. The day she’d been waiting for. To get over with, that is. Annabel peered out her window to see Bob double-park so she immediately left and locked her apartment carrying only a satchel with an I.D., insurance card, and her cell phone. She opened his passenger door with a smile.

  “Good morning,” he said.

  “You too. I sure appreciate you doing this. I hope Dr. Burk didn’t twist your arm to help out today.”

  “No way. I’m glad to do it. And since you’re the first case and need to be there early, it’s the same time we’d be leaving anyway.”

  “I suppose we won’t be sharing any espresso beans this morning because I’m NPO. I think that’s the worst thing before surgery is being starved to death.”

  “It’s not that bad but I do believe you’ve become a bigger addict than I am.”

  Annabel smiled as they joined the smooth-flowing freeway traffic. “That may be so but, by the end of the rotation, I will buy you a gift supply.”

  Inside the hospital, Bob said, “I’ll check on you in the surgery preop area and Robby or I will take your bag for safekeeping during your surgery,” Bob said.

  Annabel checked in and before she knew it she was whisked away to the holding area where her next outfit encompassed a tie-in-the back surgical gown and short blue socks. Already cold, she situated herself on the hard stretcher and pulled up the thin white sheet.

  “Are you decent?” a female nurse asked from the other side of the curtain.

  “As ready as ever,” she answered.

  The nurse came in and Wilbur followed. “There you are. Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Yes. Let’s get this over with. And thanks for doing my anesthesia.”

  “You’re welcome. And when did you last eat or drink?” he asked.