“Jeez Doc, it takes me like ten times longer to tie those square knots. For a geezer, you’re really amazing,” he said with a sarcastic laugh.
“He’s amazing for just about anyone I’ve seen Geoff. You’re very fortunate to be learning from a guy like Doc. You’re watching a truly gifted surgeon,” David said, cutting in before Doc could respond.
“Why thank you David. That’s probably the greatest compliment I’ve ever received… and it means so much more coming from a man like you,” Doc replied graciously. Turning to Geoff, he continued, “As for you, young Geoffrey, I just happened to have passed the woodshed on my way in and noticed it was unoccupied. Another word of disrespect out of you and we could ensure its occupancy.”
Geoff looked over to David in a puzzled stare, uncertain of Doc’s message.
“What the heck did he just say?”
“He said if you ‘dis’ him one more time, he’s going to kick your butt,” David said in typical modern jargon.
Geoff laughed aloud as Doc pretended to eye him with contempt. Still concentrating on his work, Doc asked, “What is this ‘dis’ term you use David?”
“It’s short for disrespect. People seem to use it a lot in our time period… kids mostly,” David responded.
“Then there’s the term Geoffrey used before… ‘smack-down’. Is that the same as ‘kicking one’s butt’?” Doc asked.
“Absolutely,” David responded again, grinning at Doc’s inquisitive nature.
“Ah ha, I inferred its meaning from its context but wasn’t quite sure,” Doc explained. He thought a moment, then said, “So is it safe for me to assume I put the smack-down on young Geoffrey’s buttocks for dissing me at the campfire?”
David burst out laughing. “Yup, that’s pretty much what you did.”
Geoff grinned quietly.
Suddenly, two more wagons of wounded men were hauled in. David looked up with dread. Doc looked to Geoff and nodded knowingly. Even before the horses stopped, two privates rushed to the ambulance and loaded a man onto a stretcher. As they hurried him to the waiting doctors, the lead private shouted, “This one’s got a leg injury Sirs.”
Geoff looked to David for instruction.
“I’m up to my elbows in this man’s stomach, and Doc’s still working that complicated close. If you think you can handle it, you can take him, ok?” David said, barely looking up.
Geoff raised his hand and signaled the privates to bring him the injured man. Quickly, he moved to an open wagon and arranged his tools in preparation to operate. As the two privates came around to the back, they carefully transferred the patient from stretcher to wagon.
Geoff stared at his patient and for a moment, his mind refused to accept the reality. He looked down toward the wound. He saw his patient’s right pant leg saturated with blood and a large hole was torn at the sight of the injury. He noticed his patient’s right hand coated in thick dried blood from where he tried to soothe his pain with pressure. Staring into his patient’s eyes, Geoff could barely restrain his emotions.
“Doc, is it bad?” his patient called out in a low weak voice. “Can you save my leg?”
Geoff tried to respond, but his words had no sound.
“Doc, please don’t take my leg. I want to walk again,” his patient pleaded.
Geoff rested his hand on his patient’s shoulder and rubbed it tenderly. The wounded teen gazed back and smiled.
“Geoff?”
“Oh Dell, I’m so sorry,” Geoff replied, tears now streaming down his cheeks.
He stared down at his friend and felt the pain of a torn heart, the same pain he felt at the sight of his injured brother just before his death.
“Geoff, they shot me. The Rebs shot me,” Dell said, straining to speak.
“I know,” Geoff replied, struggling for words.
“Is it bad?”
“I don’t know. I won’t know until I get in there and have a look around,” he replied in deep sympathy.
“You? You’re going fix my leg, are you?” Dell asked, incredulously.
Geoff thought about his words and for a moment questioned his own abilities. As Dell stared into his eyes and waited for truth, he stiffened his resolve and answered.
“Don’t worry Dell. I can do this,” he said, rubbing his shoulder once more.
“You ain’t gonna take my leg?” he asked once more, panic and fear cracking his weakened voice.
“I won’t let that happen. I’ll find a way to save it… I promise,” Geoff said confidently.
Dell smiled slightly, then closed his eyes.
“I’m ready,” he said softly, his voice barely audible.
Geoff instantly sprang into action. In less than a minute, he administered the chloroform, putting Dell to sleep. Stripping off his pant leg, he flushed out the wound with sterile water and quickly probed it, examining the extent of the damage.
“Geoff what’s happening over there?” David shouted.
“It’s Dell. He’s been wounded,” Geoff shouted back, never taking his eyes off his work.
David and Doc stared at each other in disbelief.
“Oh no. I’m sorry Geoff,” David responded.
“Lad, do you need our help?” Doc shouted sympathetically.
“I can do this,” Geoff shot back.
“Geoff, if it’s too complex, let me know and I’ll be right there to help,” David said, reassuringly.
“I can do this I said,” he snapped in frustration, still examining his friends wound.
David raised his brow in surprise. Doc shrugged in acquiescence.
Quietly, Doc whispered over to David, “Might be a good idea to wander on by the lad when we’re done.”
David nodded simply, his own eyes registering Doc’s intention.
With the wound cleaned and a tourniquet applied, Geoff quickly realized the bullet had passed through without injuring the bone. Only muscle, veins, arteries and nerves were affected. In his mind, he recalled similar surgeries both David and Doc had performed, most in which he assisted.
“I can do this,” he said to himself. “I know I can.”
Picking up forceps and surgical scissors, he began to cut away the damaged tissue inside the wound. Working meticulously, he reshaped the remaining muscle on one side, then began work on the other. His heart pounded as he worked frantically to save his friend’s leg. Within a half hour, he had finished preparing the wound and now flushed the exposed area with sterile water.
Next, he moved onto the most difficult part of the procedure: reconnecting tissue and restoring blood flow. Working with the finest thread, needle and forceps, he now began to reconnect the major arteries and veins. Searching within the muscle tissue, he located the first of many arteries. Clamping a set of forceps to the end, he then moved to the opposite side of the wound and searched the connecting muscle for the matching artery. Once located, he placed a set of forceps on its end to mark it as he did the first. Using the point of the needle, he pierced a tiny hole in the artery wall. Using another pair of forceps, he forced the end of a piece of thread through the hole, pulling it out of the artery opening. Moving to the other clamped artery, he made the same hole in its end and forced the other end of the thread through it as he had done with the first. With both ends of the arteries sharing the same thread, he gently pulled the two ends together and tied them off. With one side of the artery stitched, he replicated the procedure on the other side, now sealing the artery and restoring blood flow through it.
David watched quietly from behind. With each step of the delicate procedure, he nodded approvingly.
“Like a chip off the ole block,” he said, startling Geoff, causing him to flinch.
“What the heck man. Burp or fart or something… let me know you’re there. You scared the crap out of me,” he responded in a startled tone. Looking back to his work, he said, “What do you think?”
“You’re doing fine work, Geoff. I really don’t think I could do a better job,” he responded
purposely encouraging him.
Geoff smile broadly.
“If there’s one thing I would do more, it would be to flush the area a bit more often. Keep the tissues clean and fresh,” David added.
Geoff nodded in agreement, then immediately took David’s advice. Scooping out a cup of sterilized water, he poured it through the open wound, flushing out the dried blood.
“Excellent work. Give me a shout if you need anything, ok?” David said.
“Will do,” Geoff replied simply, turning back to his work.
As David headed back to his station, he smiled to Doc and nodded approvingly.
“How’s the lad doing?” Doc asked, already knowing the answer.
“He’s taking his time… doing a great job. He’s very meticulous,” he responded with a pleased expression.
“Excellent. I suspect he had a great teacher,” Doc complimented.
“Yeah… and I helped a little too,” David joked.
Doc stared back blankly as his mind tried to register the humor. Suddenly, he smiled.
“Thank you, David,” he responded graciously.
David turned serious and replied, “I mean that. You’ve really been a great influence on Geoff, with general character guidance as well as medicine.”
“You better stop there, David. Someone might hear you and try to promote this ole coot again,” he replied, his tone now embarrassed.
“Ah, I’m sure you won’t let that happen,” David joked sarcastically.
“Darned right! Last time they did that to me, the danged fools stuck me in one of those fancy hospitals… mired by rigid procedure and organization. No Sir, I’ll eschew the promotion if you please,” he responded adamantly.
David smiled at Doc’s simple nature. He looked back and checked on Geoff, then got back to work.
Continuing on, Geoff reconnected the remaining arteries and veins as best he could, recalling the steps that David had taught him many times before. After an hour of intense focus, he began work on the final artery. Several minutes later, he finished and flushed the wound once again. With blood flow restored, he breathed a sigh of relief and began to close the gaping wound. Having reshaped the muscle, he now pushed both sides together and placed clamps to hold them temporarily. Using needle and thread, he stitched the wound permanently closed. Shortly thereafter, he bandaged the wound to complete the lengthy procedure.
Standing back from his work, he nodded in satisfaction. He placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder and patted it gently.
“You’ll be all right,” he said simply.
As the two privates carried off his friend, he heard a shout from behind.
“Here’s another for you Doc.”
Two more privates rushed in another patient.
-----*-----*-----*-----
Geoff lay on the ground and shivered. The cool of the evening air brushed past him and perpetually wrestled him from his sleep. Nodding off once more, he felt a gentle nudge on his shoulder. His eyes opened, but were instantly blurred. He rubbed the sleep and water from them and refocused. Turning his head, he saw a hand and smiled.
“Dell, you’re up. How’re feeling? I was able to save your leg,” he shot off in quick succession.
Dell smiled at the sound of the news, but felt almost too weak to speak.
“You saved it?” he asked, his voice barely audible.
Sitting up, Geoff rubbed his friends shoulder once more and joked, “You’ll be running in no time.” Now turning more serious, he continued, “The surgery went really well. I was able to reconnect the muscles and veins. You’ll have a pretty ugly scar and probably a limp, but at least you’ll be able to walk. I’m afraid your fighting days are over though,” he finished with mild humor.
Dell reached up and touched Geoff’s shoulder. In his weakened state, his hand fell to the side. With his eyes closed, he said in a tender voice, “You’re my greatest friend.”
One Month Later…
As the three sat around the fire, Geoff stared sorrowfully into the flames.
David noticed his mood and asked, “Miss him, huh?”
“Who?” he asked, suspiciously.
“Dell,” David said simply.
Geoff stiffened and only nodded in silence.
Doc smiled across the fire and said, “I’m sure he won’t soon forget you either, Geoffrey.”
-----*-----*-----*-----
Chapter 15
September 28, 1864
For the next three months, battles raged while Gen. Hood’s Confederate forces defended Atlanta. At its conclusion on September 2, 1864, Gen. Sherman occupied the war torn city. While Hood moved his forces north to Palmetto, GA, Sherman rested his men for the next month in preparation for his siege on Savannah. As the infantry sat and waited on their orders, medical corps continued to operate on the wounded. By September’s end, the last of the injuries were treated, allowing a much needed respite for the overworked surgeons.
Geoff stumbled into camp, exhausted from the last of the surgeries. Seated around the fire, David and Doc sipped their coffee and rested. Seeing the teen approach, the two smiled proudly.
“Well Lad, I calculate the amputation went well?” Doc asked.
“Piece of cake,” he responded casually. “I think that was the last one, at least that’s what the private said.”
“Yeah, he was right. I had a meeting with Gen. Thomas earlier. He said there was only a handful of wounded left,” David added.
“That’s a relief. I think I’ve done over a hundred leg amputations in the last month alone. I’m like the amputation king,” Geoff joked.
“I must say Lad, you do great work. Hard to believe you’ve only been at this for four months.”
“Thanks Doc, you’re not so bad yourself,” Geoff replied, returning the compliment.
“You make an interesting point, Geoff. You’ve done more surgeries in the past month than I did in the whole of my three-year residency after college. It’s amazing the practice and experience one gets during times of war.”
“Agreed David. I first sharpened my skills as a surgeon while fighting in the Creek and Seminole wars back in the thirties… eighteen thirties, that is.” He shook his head and added. “Terrible wars they were.”
“Worse than this one?” Geoff asked.
“Far more barbaric and savage, lad,” Doc responded, shaking his head in disgust.
“You know Geoff, when this is all over, you should really think about a career in the medical field. I really think you’re gifted,” David said.
Suddenly, David’s attention turned to the distant sound of a rider on horseback. As the rider approached in the darkness, the light from the nearby campfires gave momentary glimpses into his identity.
He squinted his eyes, then stiffened his posture as he recognized the approaching officer.
“Don’t look now guys, but I think we’re about to be paid a visit from Gen. Thomas,” David said.
Doc looked over his shoulder quickly and stared. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he too judged the man to be the general. Quickly standing, he waited for the rider to arrive.
“Hmm, this should prove interesting,” he said aloud.
Following Doc’s lead, David and Geoff came to their feet.
“Didn’t you just talk to the dude,” Geoff asked.
“Yeah. Strange he’s riding in here at night,” David wondered aloud.
“Maybe he’s here to give us all medals for all the people we saved,” Geoff joked.
David and Doc didn’t respond.
As Gen. Thomas neared, he shouted, “Evening men. How’s the coffee?”
“Same as always… tastes like acorns,” Doc shouted back.
The general pulled back on his reins as he stopped in front of them. Dismounting his horse, he flashed a regulation salute and a smile.
“Well, if you don’t mind, I could surely use a cup of that right now.”
“Grab your tin… I’ll pour,” Doc said with a retu
rn smile.
Gen. Thomas fumbled in his saddle bag. As he turned around, he carried his tin cup in one hand and a small cloth pouch in the other. Holding out his tin, Doc filled his cup. He took a small sip and grimaced.
“Yup, you’re right Jeb… acorns,” he responded.
“What brings you out here so late at night Sir,” David asked.
“Right to the point eh David?” Gen. Thomas asked.
Prisoner in Time (Time travel) Page 38