Prisoner in Time (Time travel)

by Petersen, Christopher David

  EMT Dan Glass carefully pulled back the collar of Bobby’s jacket. With his neck exposed, he held his fingers to his neck. Moment’s later, he exited the window. The five teens stood anxiously and waited for a sign.

  “This one’s still alive. We need the Jaws-of-life, STAT!” EMT Glass shouted.

  Geoff replayed the words in his mind and for a moment, he found a measure of relief.

  “He’s alive… he’s alive,” he mumbled to himself.

  Minutes later, loud mechanized machinery moaned and creaked as the Jaws-of-life strained to tear metal from its fittings. As the emergency crews worked frantically to extricate its victim, time began to work against them. Bobby’s injuries were extensive. Bones, muscle and organs were damaged and now he began to show signs of internal bleeding.

  “Better hurry. His pulse is growing weaker by the minute,” EMT Glass shouted over the deafening roar of the Jaws-of-life.

  Seconds later, all machinery went silent and the emergency team moved to action. With a plastic sheet protecting them from the rain, they stabilized Bobby’s neck and back, then slid him out of his seat and onto a waiting gurney. Geoff rushed in to see his brother.

  “Is he ok? Will his make it?” he shouted to the team, as they moved him to the waiting ambulance.

  “Who are you?” EMT Franklin asked, abruptly.

  “I’m his brother. Will he be Ok? Can I ride with you?” he said, in quick succession.

  “Absolutely. We’re taking him to Erlanger. You can ride in the back,” EMT Franklin shot back quickly.

  As the two EMT’s loaded Bobby into the ambulance, Geoff glanced back at his friends.

  “We’ll be right behind you,” Ted shouted, in an assuring tone.

  Geoff forced a smile, turned and hopped up into the back.

  -----*-----*-----*-----

  “Erlanger, we’re currently en route to your location. We have a code one, level orange: auto accident, young man in his late teens. His vitals are BP eighty-seven over forty-nine, pulse forty-five, pulse ox is eighty. Head injury: pupils unresponsive. Fractures to his femur and radius: obvious. Probable internal hemorrhaging. We’ll be there in five minutes.”

  EMT Franklin clicked off his mic and waited for a response.

  “That sounds really bad. Is he going to make it?” Geoff asked, nervously.

  “I wish I could give you a good answer, but honestly, I don’t know. We’ll be in the ER in a few minutes. At least we’re close,” EMT Franklin replied, trying to answer him delicately.

  Geoff nodded simply, understanding the cryptic response.

  Suddenly, the overhead speaker came to life: “Rescue five, this is Erlanger. Start oxygen and an I.V. drip. Dr. Warner is standing by in trauma unit two. See you in five.”

  Instantly, EMT Glass reached for the I.V. kit and began to set up the line.

  “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to do for him?” Geoff asked incredulously.

  “We’re about two minutes from Erlanger. Being this close, there’s not much we can do for him except start an I.V. and try to pump some oxygen into him. Trust me… once he gets there, he’ll be in good hands. Dr. Warner is the best I’ve seen,” EMT Franklin responded.

  “I hope so,” Geoff replied, his tone filled with worry.

  He reached down and rubbed his brother’s leg.

  “It’ll be ok, Bobby. We’re almost there. Just hang in there. The doctor’s will have you patched up in no time,” he said, hoping his brother somehow heard his words of encouragement.

  A minute later, the ambulance rolled to a stop. Instantly the rear doors popped open and Geoff jumped out. In seconds, Bobby was rushed inside to the waiting team of doctors and nurses.

  Moments Before:

  Dr. David Warner waited impatiently by the double doors at the outside entrance to the ER. As he watched through windows, he saw his reflection staring back at him. His face appeared drawn and tired, and his eyes were blood-shot and distant. Seeing his own exhaustion, his mouth opened wide in a great yawn. He reached up and rubbed his itchy irritated eyes, then dragged his hands down his face, causing it to redden slightly.

  “Doctor, you look exhausted. When’s the last time you took a day off?”

  David’s mind processed the question, but his mouth refused to speak. Forcing his way through his lethargy, he forced a simple reply.

  “Don’t know.”

  “You’re not even supposed to be here,” Nurse Carrie Strugg said, her voice sounding puzzled.

  “I know… things happen,” Dr. Warner responded feebly.

  “Maybe you should call it a night. They can always find someone to replace you,” Nurse Strugg said.

  Dr. Warner felt agitated by the comment. He looked momentarily at Nurse Strugg. With her soft blue eyes, round face and short blond hair, she appeared angel-like in the shadows. He could see kindness on her face and knew she meant well.

  Seeing the doctor’s reaction, Nurse Strugg added, “I’m sorry… that sounded funny. I meant they could find someone to fill in for you this evening.”

  Dr. Warner smiled slightly, then nodded. “It’s ok, I knew what you meant.”

  Switching his thoughts back to the original question, he formulated an answer:

  “I haven’t had a day off in a long while… probably a month I’m guessing. Every day I was scheduled off, they called me in for some kind of crisis.”

  “Why don’t you just tell them ‘No, you’re not coming in’,” Nurse Strugg suggested, then added, “That’s what I’d do.”

  “It’s not that easy. It usually starts with a phone call. They’ll ask me for advice on some kind of procedure and by the time I’m done answering, I’m usually on my way to help assist. Once I get to there, the procedure turns into a full blown crisis where I’m here for the rest of the day.”

  “Doctor, you can’t save the world, you know. Sometimes you have to let others do the saving too. If you don’t, you’ll end up overworked and overstressed, and probably make mistakes. Making mistakes might be ok when you’re flipping burgers, but not when you’re working on hearts and brains.”

  Dr. Warner thought about her logic. He knew she was right, but couldn’t bring himself to admit it.

  “I’m not at that point where I’m in jeopardy of making mistakes,” he rationalized.

  “Hmm, well, just food for thought,” she added.

  He acknowledged her comment with a nod, then returned his gaze to the activity outside.

  Staring through the rain-streaked windows, he spotted flashing lights growing in intensity as the ambulance roared up the main entrance to Erlanger hospital. Checking his watch, he noted the time: 7:23pm.

  “They made good time,” Dr. Warner said.

  “I hope he’s not as bad as they say he is,” Nurse Strugg responded, standing to his side.

  “Pupils unresponsive… I’m not optimistic,” Dr. Warner replied grimly.

  “I overheard an EMS team say the other victim died at the scene.”

  Dr. Warner didn’t answer. As the ambulance pulled up to the entrance, he shoved through the doors of the ER and raced to the rear of the truck. Even before it rolled to a stop, he reached for the handle and pulled open the doors. Instantly, a teenaged boy of seventeen leaped out and stood off to one side.

  “Dr. Warner… glad you’re on tonight. This one’s going to get rough,” EMT Franklin said.

  As the two EMT’s lowered their patient to the ground, Dr. Warner pulled his penlight from his pocket and immediately shined the light in each eye.

  “As I reported, unresponsive,” EMT Franklin said.

  As the two EMT’s began to rush the patient toward the double doors, EMT Glass reiterated the vitals.

  “His BP is eighty-five over forty-seven, pulse forty-three and pulse ox is seventy-eight and dropping. Looks like the left side took all the force from the impact. Head trauma and left side obvious fractures.”

  Dr. Warner nodded in understanding and continued his visual exam as the
hurried through the corridor. Turning to Nurse Strugg, he said, “Call CT. We’ll need a head and chest scan stat.”

  “Yes doctor,” she replied.

  Instantly, she darted off to a nearby phone and placed the call.

  As the corridor opened up into the bustling ER, Dr. Warner pointed to a room label Trauma Unit 2. The three men and their patient rushed by other waiting patients and hospital staff, and wheeled the crash victim into the room. In seconds, they lifted the young man from the gurney to an ER bed.

  With their work done, the EMTs Franklin and Glass turned to leave. Seeing Geoff standing in the doorway, EMT Franklin placed his hand sympathetically on his shoulder. Looking back to Dr. Warner, he said simply, “He’s the best. Have faith.”

  Geoff nodded in thanks and continued to focus on his brother.

  Instantly, trained personnel sprang into action. Nurses Beth Holder and John Booker instantly began cutting away Bobby’s clothes. Intern Dr. Will Fullerton hooked him up to the monitors. In seconds, the monitors began to sound loud distress signals that reported dangerously low readings. Dr. Warner watched the readouts and quickly assessed his patient.

  “His oxygen and pressure are dropping. We’re losing him. We need to intubate, NOW!” he announced, his tone near frantic.

  Dr. Fullerton quickly administered the required drugs through the patients I.V. Nurse Holder removed the existing oxygen mask and placed a bagged oxygen unit in its place. Quickly, she began to squeeze oxygen manually into the patient’s lungs. As she worked the bag, Dr. Fullerton positioned the laryngoscope over the patient’s mouth. With an anesthetic and a muscle relaxant administered, he inserted the laryngoscope into the patient’s airway. Moments later, he extracted the device, leaving a plastic breathing tube in Bobby’s esophagus.

  “Ok, I’m in,” Dr. Fullerton announced

  Nurse Booker switched on a nearby machine, automatically pumping air into the patient.

  “His pressures are still dropping. I’m sure he’s bleeding internally,” Dr. Warner said. “Start a Foley, hand me the ultrasound and prep for a chest tube.”

  “Yes doctor,” Nurse Booker responded.

  Immediately, she reached for the Foley kit. Tearing open the plastic container, she pulled out the bag and tube and began to insert the catheter for bladder fluid monitoring.

  Nurse Holder handed the transducer to Dr. Warner. As she switched on the control panel, he squirted clear gel onto the patient’s left side and began to position the wand. Instantly, images began to register on the computer screen.

  “We’ve got internal bleeding,” he said aloud. “Major hemorrhaging.”

  As he moved the probe from one location to the next, his facial expressions became more grave.

  “Three fractured ribs, seventh, eighth and ninth,” he said, his tone loud and intense.

  Suddenly, he stopped the probe and focused on an area of concern.

  “Oh Shit! Looks like a rib might have punctured his spleen.”

  “I’ve got the chest tube ready,” Dr. Fullerton responded urgently.

  With a quick nod, Dr. Warner moved back and allowed him to work.

  “Eight blade,” Dr. Fullerton shouted.

  Quickly, Nurse Holder handed the scalpel to the doctor. He made a small incision on the patient’s side. Grabbing the plastic tubing, he shoved it into the incision and through to the abdominal cavity. Dr. Warner held the ultrasound over the region, as both doctor’s watched the path of the tube penetrate deeper on the computer screen.

  “That’s it… right there,” Dr. Warner shouted.

  As blood began to flow out of the tube, Dr. Fullerton secured the tube in place with surgical tape.

  “Doctor, we have blood in the Foley bag too,” Nurse Booker shouted.

  “Damn, he’s bleeding everywhere,” Dr. Warner responded in exasperated tone. “Ok, give me 4 units of O-negative, hang two on the rapid infuser.”

  Suddenly, loud beacons began to sound. Shock and horror registered on the faces of all as they watched the “flat-line” read across the EKG monitor.

  “Paddles!” Dr. Warner shouted.

  Nurse Holder pulled the defibrillator over to the edge of the bed and switched it on. Handing the paddles to the doctor, he quickly positioned them and ordered the charge.

  “Push an amp of atropine and charge to forty,” Dr. Warner ordered.

  As she injected the medication into the patients I.V., Dr. Warner pressed the paddles against the patient’s skin.

  “Clear,” he shouted.

  He depressed the buttons, sending the charge to Bobby’s heart. Instantly, he convulsed, his chest heaving and contracting. The medical team waited momentarily for a responded.

  The cardiac monitor continued to sound out ‘flat-line’.

  “Still in V-fib,” Dr. Fullerton called out.

  “Charge to fifty,” Dr. Warner shouted to Nurse Holder.

  She quickly dialed in the new setting as Dr. Warner repositioned the paddles.

  “Clear!” he shouted once more.

  Again, the patient’s body convulsed. Seconds later, the sound of ‘flat-line’ was replaced by the welcome sound of ‘beeps’ signaling the beating heart.

  “Ok, sinus tach,” Dr. Warner called out, now feeling a small sense of relief.

  “BP’s eighty over forty-one, pulse holding steady at forty-three,” Dr. Fullerton announced.

  “We’ve got to stop the bleeding.” Turning to Nurse Booker, he continued, “Prepare for a laparotomy.”

  “Yes doctor,” Nurse Booker responded.

  Immediately, she brought over a small cart of surgical instruments. As she set up the tray, Nurse Holder scrubbed the left side abdomen with a Betadine wash. While Dr. Fullerton administered anesthetics, Dr. Warner reached for a scalpel. He waited momentarily, then began his incision along Bobby’s stomach.

  “Suction,” Dr. Warner called as blood began to ooze from the wound.

  Nurse Booker quickly pointed the suctioning wand to the open incision and began to draw up the blood.

  “Retractor,” Dr. Warner called out.

  Instantly, Dr. Fullerton held out the instrument, anticipating his request. Dr. Warner clipped the device onto the edge of the incision and secured back the skin. Dr. Fullerton held out a second retractor and it was placed on the opposite side of the first, now holding open a large hole on Bobby’s side.

  Although the chest tube had drained a good deal of blood from Bobby’s abdomen, Dr. Warner could still see a significant amount collecting in the region under the incision.

  “Suction,” he called out once more. “I’ll take it,” he said, now accepting the wand from Nurse Booker.

  Working quickly, he began to draw up large clots of blood that had settled in cavities surrounding the internal organs. No sooner than he had removed the clots of blood, more filled the cavities.

  “Forceps,” Dr. Warner called. “Will, take the suction.”

  Handing the suction wand to Dr. Fullerton, he accepted the forceps from Nurse Booker and entered the wound.

  “There’s the fractured seventh and eighth,” he said aloud as he carefully moved the broken ribs to one side.

  “Spreader,” he called.

  Already in hand, Dr. Fullerton placed the surgical instrument between the broken ribs, creating an opening for Dr. Warner to work in. Using forceps and a dissector, he worked his way into the chest cavity toward the damaged spleen.

  “I’ve got the spleen. More suction,” he called out again, as he battled the never ending flow.

  Dr. Fullerton pushed the wand deeper into the wound, now suctioning around the spleen. Barely able to keep up with the flow, he worked frantically to find the source of the bleed.

  Dr. Warner now used his dissector to delicately examine the spleen. As an area of blood was suctioned away, he quickly inspected its fibrous surface, searching for tears or punctures in the outer tissue. With blood rushing in to fill the void, he had only a moment to determine his finding before more
blood covered the exposed surface.

  Suddenly, he saw a heavy line of blood that seemed to pulsate. Directing the suctioning wand over the region, it picked up the flow and evacuated the area. In seconds, the flow into the cavity ceased and was now being drawn directly into the suctioning wand.

  “Got it. Right there. There’s the bleed,” Dr. Warner said with minor relief.

  “Looks like the broken ribs nicked the spleen,” Dr. Fullerton concurred.