by Jaden Skye
Cindy couldn’t have agreed more. She was delighted that Mattheus would meet Dr. Padden while she heard what Todd had to say.
Chapter 10
Rat Bat Hole was a well-known tourist spot in Jamaica, located at the opening of an underground cave system that extended for several miles. Unfortunately, as the name suggested, it was filled with bats. Cindy stood at the entrance of Rat Bat Hole listening to the harrowing sound of bats flapping around inside. Unwilling to step in, she decided to convince Todd to walk with her in the opposite direction. Noisy Water Cave, another attraction, was only a mile away.
As Cindy stood there, shaken by the sound of the bats, she heard footsteps come up from behind.
“Hello, hello, you got here early,” a high, nervous voice exclaimed.
Cindy turned around and saw Todd, looking at her expectantly. He wore a plaid shirt with an open collar and khaki slacks.
“Hi, Todd,” Cindy said relieved as she took some steps away from the underground cave.
“Quite a spot, isn’t it?” Todd grinned, exposing small, perfect teeth.
“Not a place I’d choose myself,” Cindy smiled back.
“Of course we don’t have to go into the cave,” Todd chuckled, reassuring her. “I just wanted to meet you here so no one at the hospital would see us talking. It’s the last place they would come to.”
“I understand completely,” said Cindy, wanting to put him at ease.
“If we walk towards Noisy River Cave, there are a few benches we can sit on,” Todd suggested it himself. “We can watch the water trickle down over the limestone rocks. It’s actually beautiful.”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Cindy, as they turned and made their way along thick, lush vegetation and beautiful trees.
“Well, I’m extremely excited to talk to you,” Todd remarked as he and Cindy moved along. “You and Mattheus are famous down here in the Caribbean. I’m impressed that you came down to work with us.”
“Thank you,” said Cindy, waiting to hear more of what he really had on his mind.
“You deserve to get the real scoop,” Todd picked up his pace, half talking to Cindy and half to himself.
“I appreciate that, Todd, I really do,” said Cindy, keeping up. “A man’s life is at stake.”
“Lots of things are at stake, including the hospital itself,” Todd retorted as they approached a bench that waited in the distance under a huge, sheltering tree.
“Let’s sit there,” said Cindy.
“We definitely will,” Todd agreed, pleased at the privacy surrounding them.
“You have a very important job,” Cindy said as they sat down. “Assistant to the hospital administrator is no small matter.”
“It’s not only important, it’s vital,” Todd agreed. “And I do not take it lightly. People come to the hospital sick and suffering and they look to us to get well again.”
“That’s quite a responsibility,” Cindy urged him onward.
“Exactly,” said Todd. “It’s our job to send them home healed.”
Cindy sensed the depth of Todd’s distress. “And I’m sure everyone at the hospital is dedicated to healing their patients,” she remarked.
As Cindy hoped, her comment disturbed Todd. He stopped for a second and began rubbing his face.
“Of course they’re dedicated,” he finally continued walking, “but sometimes dedication is not enough.”
“What do you mean?” asked Cindy, fascinated.”
A muscle in Todd’s jaw clenched. “I’m sure you know there’s lots of drugs in all hospitals,” he started, waiting for Cindy’s response.
“Naturally,” she said, plainly.
“And I’m sure you know that doctors and nurses have easy access to them,” Todd continued, not mincing words.
“Everyone knows that,” Cindy remarked, professionally.
“Yes, they do. It’s a common problem that I’m going to tell you about,” Todd’s voice rose stridently. “Many doctors and nurses happen to be users. They’re drug addicts, to put it plainly. Did you also know that?”
“Not specifically,” Cindy answered quickly. “Which doctors and nurses are you talking about, those at your hospital?”
“It’s easy to understand why they get pulled into using,” Todd bypassed Cindy’s question. “They work long hours, are under terrible stress, the drugs are available, and there’s no one on the lookout, stopping them.”
“Isn’t that the hospital administrator’s job, to be on the watch for something like that?” Cindy was riveted to him.
“Exactly,” Todd grew agitated. “That’s what I’ve told Konrad and what I tell myself, again and again. Do you think Konrad listens to me, though? Do you think he cares a word about what I say? I’ve come to the conclusion that he doesn’t.”
Cindy now understood why Todd was so eager to talk.
“From Konrad’s point of view, I’m laughable,” Todd went on, indignant. “He says to me, give it a break, Todd. Get over it, are you on a mission or something?”
“What kind of mission?” asked Cindy.
“I don’t want doctors and nurses who are using drugs working with patients!” Todd exclaimed, as if it were his single purpose in life to put an end to it.
“That makes sense,” said Cindy, “it’s only right.”
“Of course it’s right, of course it makes sense,” Todd grew more heated. “And it’s only fair to the sick people suffering in our beds.”
“Konrad doesn’t agree?” Cindy was astonished.
Todd practically stood up off the bench. “For all I know he’s using too,” he exclaimed heatedly. “If Konrad’s using his judgment has to be off. And I believe it is. There are all kinds of things he keeps doing that just don’t add up.”
“Like what?” asked Cindy, amazed to be hearing this.
“Well, for starters,” Todd continued, “Konrad was personally responsible for hiring Alana, the nurse in charge of Tara. He did it against my better judgment. I told him not to.”
“Why not?” asked Cindy.
“Have you seen Alana?” Todd shot back.
“Not yet, but soon,” Cindy became alarmed.
“Well, wait until you do,” Todd snapped. “She’s beautiful, charming, sexy as hell and doesn’t think twice about flaunting it. Don’t think Konrad didn’t notice that.”
Cindy’s head started spinning. Alana had a right to be sexy and charming, that wasn’t a reason for denying her a job. Why did that bother Todd so much?
“Did Alana’s charm affect Konrad’s decision to hire her?” Cindy pressed on. Could it be that Todd was jealous of Konrad, or jealous of Alana?
“That’s exactly why Konrad hired her,” Todd’s face became distorted. “He’s a sucker for gorgeous women, I’ve seen it before. But Alana was fired from another hospital for negligent patient care. She should never have been hired as part of our staff.”
Cindy’s heart started pounding. “Negligent patient care, that’s awful.”
“That’s what I told Konrad,” Todd’s head flipped back. “I said it’s a red flag, you can’t take a chance with her. But Konrad couldn’t care less. He told me not to say a word about Alana’s background to anyone, she was a great nurse, he felt it in his bones. And it’s obvious to me now that Konrad and Alana are romantically involved.”
“Makes sense,” said Cindy.
Todd took exception, however. “No, it doesn’t make sense,” he exclaimed. “Not to me. Konrad has no right to be distracted by someone like her. It’s self-indulgent and wrong.
Konrad’s in charge of a lot of sick people and the hospital rules forbid dating co-workers.”
Cindy thought about her and Mattheus dating and working together. It could be a distraction at times, of course, but it could also be a huge support. She wasn’t going to get into it with Todd, however.
“Tell me more about Alana,” Cindy went on, wondering what else Todd was harboring. “Do you have details of the case where she was negl
igent with a patient?”
“No, I don’t, unfortunately,” Todd snapped. “Konrad has made that information unavailable. When I ask him for it, he refuses to say a word. He says to forget it, it amounted to nothing.”
“He’s protecting her,” Cindy mused.
“Protecting her? He’s crazy in love, infatuated, can’t see straight in front of his nose.”
“Are you implying that Alana neglected Tara as well?” Cindy wanted to get specific. “Are you saying that Alana is also on drugs?”
Cindy’s questions seemed to snap Todd out of the mood that had gripped him.
“I’m not implying anything,” he objected. “I never said Alana was on drugs. As far as I know she took good care of Tara.”
His turnaround surprised Cindy, she didn’t know what to make of it.
“Is it just that Alana’s dating Konrad that’s bothering you?” Cindy wanted clarity.
“It’s that Konrad isn’t doing his job properly,” Todd’s voice rose again. “Tara’s case, which was front and center in the news and he assigned Alana to it. Why? If the press decided to investigate further, Alana’s background could have come out. Besides, Konrad should have never put Alana on a case with someone in a coma. Too many things can go wrong.”
Cindy couldn’t help but agree. “Wasn’t there a doctor overseeing the case?” Cindy asked. “What did he think about the care Tara was receiving?”
“Sure, Dr. Padden kept evaluating Tara to see if she was alive or dead,” said Todd. “There was lots of pressure on him from above, too. The case was going on too long and the hospital needed Tara’s bed because there’s not much room for coma patients here. The hospital also didn’t like the publicity the case was getting. Konrad really wanted the reporters off his back.”
“What a mess,” said Cindy.
“Now Owen keeps calling the hospital every day,” Todd went on, “telling them to investigate the nurses. But do you think anyone listens?”
Cindy didn’t know that Owen was doing that. “Is Owen calling about Alana in particular?” Cindy felt concerned. “Owen and Alana had spent a lot of time in Tara’s room together. What is he saying went on?”
“He just says investigate, investigate” Todd replied. “Of course he doesn’t mention Alana’s name directly, but who else could he mean? Will you be talking to Alana soon?”
“Yes, very soon,” said Cindy as the water from Noisy Water Cave suddenly began to flow more intensely, sounding like a roll of thunder warning them of something to come. When the water quieted down, Cindy turned back to Todd. “Are there many unexpected deaths at your hospital?” she asked quietly.
“You mean deaths from euthanasia?” Todd responded frankly.
“You could say that,” answered Cindy.
“Of course if the death is from euthanasia, no one talks about it or has any official idea,” Todd replied professionally. “But in answer to your general question, no, there are no more unexpected deaths at our hospital than anywhere else, I imagine. I’ve never actually taken a poll.”
“I just wondered why this particular case is bothering you so much,” Cindy continued.
“I liked Tara,” Todd said quietly then. “I liked her family.”
Cindy was startled. “Did you know Tara before the accident?”
“No, I didn’t,” Todd said softly, “but I read up about her. She was a good person, she took care of orphans. I respected that. Her accident was strange and gruesome, but we all thought she’d come out of the coma alright. I was rooting for her.”
Cindy felt a wave of warmth towards Todd. She felt she could speak to him frankly.
“Todd,” she asked, “do you blame Konrad or Alana for Tara’s death?”
“I do and I don’t,” he answered. “What I really need to know is who put the substance in Tara’s IV? Were they on drugs when they did it? Did someone bribe them to do it, or did they think they were helping the patient out. Or, on the other hand, was someone getting revenge?”
“Well put,” said Cindy, “we all want to know that.” She put hand on Todd’s gently. “Sounds like you don’t think it was Owen, at least?”
“Of course Owen didn’t do it,” Todd was emphatic. “That’s what upsets me the most. Obviously, there’s a cover up going on when a husband who took such good care of his wife could be going on trial for murder.”
*
Cindy and Todd spent a little while longer on the bench and then got up and walked back in the direction of Rat Bat Hole. Cindy wanted to share a ride with him back to town, but Todd wanted no part of it. He wanted to insure the secrecy of their meeting.
“You must never, ever tell anyone we met like this,” he looked at Cindy beseechingly.
“Of course I won’t, not ever,” Cindy promised.
“I hope our talk was helpful,” was the last thing Todd said, before dashing to the nearby bus stop as the bus came along.
“Very helpful,” Cindy called out to him. “And thank you so much for being here.”
“It’s the least I could do, the very least,” Todd called back before jumping on the bus and disappearing from view.
Chapter 11
Mattheus was delighted when Cindy left to talk with Todd, it was a perfect opportunity to interview Dr. Padden alone. It was different conducting interviews with Cindy around. Cindy was wonderful with innuendo, speculation and hidden motives, but right now Mattheus wanted the plain facts. He needed the medical information that could put Tara’s situation in context for him.
Mattheus had barely taken a seat in his waiting room when Dr. Padden came out to greet him.
“Glad to see you,” said Dr. Padden, walking right over to him. To Mattheus’s surprise Dr. Padden was a good looking, well dressed, American man in his early fifties. His strong, professional manner put Mattheus at ease.
“Thank you so much for meeting me on such short notice,” said Mattheus.
“It’s my pleasure,” said Dr. Padden, “please come in.”
Mattheus followed him into his large, modern, well-appointed office that looked out over a sloping cliff and had beautiful photos of his family prominently displayed on his desk.
“Quite a place you’ve got here,” Mattheus looked around impressed.
“I’m fortunate to be part of a facility like this,” Dr. Padden nodded. “Tell me how I can be of help?”
Mattheus admired the way Dr. Padden cut straight to the chase. “I need to learn about Tara’s condition from a medical point of view,” Mattheus replied. “I’m interested in learning more about comas.”
“Fair enough, that makes sense,” said Dr. Padden, sitting down on a small couch and motioning for Mattheus to take a chair facing him. “There’s so much misinformation floating around. You really need a clear understanding of what we were up against.”
“Great,” said Mattheus excited to get going.
“As you know, Tara was in a coma for about two months,” Dr. Padden started.
“Is that unusual?” Mattheus burst in.
“It’s a relatively long time,” Dr. Padden answered calmly. “But, let me explain. A coma means deep sleep, a state of unconsciousness lasting more than six hours. During this time a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound. They do not initiate voluntary actions. It can last for any length of time, from several days to several weeks. In severe cases a coma may last for over five weeks. Some have lasted as long as several years.”
“For several years?” Mattheus was horrified.
“Unusual, but it does happen,” Dr. Padden replied.
“Are patients able to feel, speak or hear anything at all?” Mattheus asked quickly, needing to corroborate or disprove the rumors Cindy had heard.
“So far as we know, a comatose person is unable to consciously feel, speak, hear, or move,” Dr. Padden replied.
“What was Tara’s prognosis and treatment?” Mattheus was hungry for more. “Did she have a chance? Was her death inevi
table, just a matter of time?”
“That’s hard to answer,” said Dr. Padden. He was oobviously rooted in facts, and Mattheus greatly appreciated that. “There are different kinds of comas,” Dr. Padden went on. “A coma may develop as a response to injury to allow the body to pause and use its energy to heal before the patient wakes up. This kind of coma can be seen as a path to healing. Some comas are even medically induced during neurosurgery or traumatic brain injury to protect other functions of the brain.”
“Did you see Tara’s coma that way?” asked Mattheus, fascinated. “Was she on the road to healing?”
“Tara’s coma was caused by a severe brain injury,” Dr. Padden continued, looking down at the floor. “ The severity and mode of the onset of the coma has something to do with how it goes.”
Mattheus began to feel uneasy. There was so much he didn’t know and hadn’t heard anyone speak of before. Was there any way to actually prove that Tara would have woken up and been well if she was given more time?
“What kind of treatment did Tara have?” Mattheus continued.
“The comatose patient is usually placed in an Intensive Care Unit immediately,” Dr. Padden promptly replied. “We monitor breathing and brain activity through CT scans. We watch the patient's respiration and circulation and if necessary use intubation to help them breathe. We administer intravenous fluids, blood and other supportive care. Once a patient is stable and no longer in immediate danger, the medical staff usually concentrates on maintaining the health of the patient’s body.”
The idea that a patient could be healthy and in a coma was startling to Mattheus.
“Was Tara healthy?” Mattheus asked suddenly.
“Yes, Tara was basically healthy,” said Dr. Padden, “and it was our job to keep her that way. We watched for infections such as pneumonia and bedsores, and made sure she had balanced nutrition daily. The nursing staff moved her every two to three hours from side to side. Some comatose patients are even put in a chair. The goal is to move the patient as much as possible.”
Mattheus was amazed by the intricacy of all that had to be done. He could only imagine how confusing and frustrating the situation could be.