by Erin Wade
She perused Clarissa Mears’s reports on the computer and then walked to the sterilization room. She scrubbed and stood still while an equally sterile nurse pulled Dawn’s gloves on.
“Showtime!” She smiled at her surgical team, and they followed her into the operating room.
Val watched from the observation deck. The patient was already anesthetized, and sheets had been taped so the only area exposed was around the heart. Lance had placed Clarissa on the heart-lung machine to keep the blood circulating while Dawn performed the surgery.
Dawn bowed her head and said a prayer for her patient, her team, and herself. Then she went to work.
Val watched the operation through the close-up camera that fed information to her monitor as it recorded the operation. She could see every blood vessel, every artery, and two hearts. One heart was pink and obviously quite healthy. The other heart was darker and struggled to pump. There was more blood than Val had expected. The hearts weren’t side by side; instead, the healthy heart lay on top of the weaker heart.
Dawn deftly clamped off the struggling heart, forcing its blood into the healthy heart. She moved methodically, checking her work and traumatizing the good heart as little as possible.
Without warning, Dawn’s hands stopped moving. A nurse wiped the sweat from her brow. “Something isn’t right,” Dawn said. “There’s too much blood. The machine should be handling this. How are her vitals?”
“Vitals are holding,” the anesthesiologist reported.
“Dear God,” Val prayed out loud, “please help her.”
Dawn carefully picked up the pink heart and turned it over. “There’s a hole. It was hidden from the MRI by the other heart.”
Dawn hesitated slightly and then unclamped the weaker heart, letting blood rush into it. It began pumping normally. She picked it up and inspected it. It had no physical flaws, only a lack of arteries feeding it.
Then Dawn made one of those life-changing decisions. She detached the right pulmonary artery from the pink heart and attached it to the dark heart. She did the same with the left pulmonary artery. Then she methodically moved all the arteries and veins from the pink heart to the weaker one. Instead of the simple removal of a bad heart, Dawn knew she was basically performing a heart transplant. The pink heart stopped beating.
“Vitals?” Dawn barked.
“Holding, Doc.”
Dawn closed the old arteries and veins that had fed the dark heart, so all the blood flow from the pink heart was directed into it. The dark heart fluttered.
“Vitals dropping, Doc.”
Dawn didn’t panic. She gently massaged the dark heart and watched as it pulled in the blood from the newly attached arteries. She almost cried when the blood flowed from the veins back to the heart.
Everyone prayed as the heartbeat grew stronger and the heart’s color began to improve. Dawn lifted the extra heart from the body, making room for the single heart to expand and contract. Blood flowed from the arteries and returned through the veins.
“Vitals are stable.”
The dark heart took on a healthy hue as it assumed the entire job of moving blood through Clarissa’s body. “Look at that little sucker go,” the nurse squealed.
Everyone laughed softly as Dawn began to close the patient’s chest. The surgery had taken six hours, and Dawn was exhausted.
Val said one last, “Thank you, God,” and sprinted down the stairs to the hallway outside the operating room. Lance and the surgical team were in the hall, congratulating each other on their success. Dawn wasn’t with them.
Val raised a questioning eyebrow at Lance.
“She went to her room,” he said. “She’s exhausted.”
“I want to congratulate you all on a job well done,” Val said, smiling. “I am so proud of all of you.”
“It was Dr. Fairchild,” a nurse said. “She has nerves of steel.”
The anesthesiologist echoed the nurse’s sentiment. “I’ve never worked with a finer surgeon. When I saw the size of that hole in Clarissa’s heart, I thought she was a goner. But Dr. Fairchild took it all in stride and made the right call. She’s amazing.”
“Yes! Yes, she is.” Val thanked them all again and headed for Dawn’s room.
Chapter 33
Dawn stripped off her scrubs and stepped into the shower. When the hot water hit her back, she breathed deeply for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. She knew how close she had come to losing Clarissa, and the thought still horrified her.
She towel-dried her hair and pulled on the T-shirt Niki always wore. She inhaled the natural scent that was Niki. God, I need her right now. She looked around for her cell phone. She needed to call Niki.
A knock on her door preceded, “Dawn? It’s me, Val.”
She knows I’m in here. I have to let her in, Dawn thought as she reluctantly forced her feet to move toward the door.
Val burst into the room. “I’m so proud of you,” she gushed. “I’ve never observed anything so unnerving and exciting in my life. Clarissa is one lucky patient to have you as her surgeon.”
“I had a lot of help from the man upstairs,” Dawn mumbled as her knees gave out and she plopped down on the bed. “I’m sorry. I am so tired.”
Val looked around the sparse room. “I’ll let you rest. I just wanted to thank you and congratulate you. I’ll lock the door behind me. You get some sleep.”
Dawn nodded and fell backward across the bed.
Val walked closer to look down at the sleeping woman. “Lord, you’re beautiful,” she whispered.
Dawn waited until she heard the lock snap into place then she opened her eyes.
##
Dawn lay still, unable to make her legs move. She dozed and roused several times before mustering the strength to stand and locate her cell phone. She found it in the bathroom. She double-checked the door lock, climbed between the sheets, and called Niki.
“Dawn, is everything okay?” Niki asked.
“The surgery was a success,” Dawn whispered. “It took a lot out of me, Nik. I’m so tired. I wish you were here to hold me.”
“As do I, honey. Go to sleep. I won’t have class until ten in the morning. If you want to call me, I’ll be here. I love you.”
“Love you too,” Dawn mumbled before drifting into a deep sleep.
Niki wondered if Dawn even remembered they’d missed their regular visitation today.
##
Dawn jerked awake before sunup. Clarissa. I must check on Clarissa. She dressed and took the stairs two at a time in her haste to get to ICU.
The hospital lights were still dimmed, and three nurses were at the nurses’ station. They all gave her a hero’s welcome.
“Your patient is doing exceptionally well,” the head night nurse informed Dawn as she handed her a cup of coffee.
Dawn glanced at the coffee. “It’s good,” the nurse said with a chuckle. “It’s not the cafeteria swill. It’s fresh, and I even put cream in it for you.”
Dawn sipped it. “Mmm, it is good. Now I know where to come for a good cup of coffee.” Dawn knew the nurses were thinking of her as a real doctor now, not some hack inmate the warden had drafted to fill the void. “Thank you.”
Dawn walked into Clarissa’s room and was surprised to find her patient awake. “How are you feeling?”
“Honestly, Doc, I never thought I’d see your face again, but you did it. You pulled me through.”
“It was an easy operation,” Dawn reassured her. “And you’re an excellent patient.
“Do you mind if I sit here and drink my coffee with you?” Dawn knew the presence of a physician reassured a patient.
“I’d love it. It’s not every day I get to spend time with the gatekeeper.”
“Gatekeeper?”
“Yeah, you’re the gatekeeper. You decided whether I stayed in this life or passed over.”
“No,” Dawn said, “that’s God. I promise you, Clarissa, I’m no god, but I did call on Him more than once durin
g your surgery.”
“That’s what’s so nice about you,” Clarissa said. “You don’t have the god syndrome.”
“You’re very sweet,” Dawn said, pausing to sip her coffee. “Do you have any questions for me?”
“I’d like to know what to expect. Will I be able to live a full life, or will I always have heart problems?”
“We’ll keep you on a strict drug regimen for thirty days to prevent any infection and give your heart all the help it needs to succeed. I see no reason why you can’t live a good long life without any problems from your heart.
“You’ll be on a soft diet for twenty-four hours. Then you may have whatever you’d like to eat.”
“Steak?” Clarissa’s eyes sparkled at the thought of something she hadn’t had in several years.
Dawn laughed. “Even steak. I’m sure Warden Davis will make that happen.”
“Make what happen?” Val said as she entered the ICU unit and stood at the foot of Clarissa’s bed.
“Steak,” Dawn said, grinning. “Clarissa would like a steak next Friday.”
Val laughed. “How do you want it cooked?”
“Medium rare.”
Val pretended to make a note in the palm of her hand. “Medium rare next Friday.”
Dawn stood. “You need to rest now. I’ll drop in on you throughout the day.”
Val wished the patient well and followed Dawn into the hallway. “Mind if I make your rounds with you?”
“I’d welcome the company,” Dawn admitted. “I need to return this empty cup to the nurses’ station first.”
“I have your favorite brewing in my office.” Val glanced sideways to see if her revelation pleased the doctor.
“Sounds good,” Dawn said.
As they walked, the two discussed the activities going on in the prison. Val had hired an activities director who had set up a softball program, allowing the nonviolent inmates to form teams. Each dorm had selected a team and would compete.
“I have to come up with a trophy or reward for the winning team,” Val said.
“They’re nonviolent,” Dawn thought out loud. “Give the winning team members a weekend pass. It does wonders for the soul.”
“I’ll look into that,” Val promised.
“I think I’ve earned the weekend passes you promised,” Dawn pointed out. “Every weekend until I complete my sentence.”
“Yes. I suppose you want to begin with this weekend?”
“I did give up visitation Wednesday to perform Clarissa’s surgery,” Dawn pointed out. “So . . . yes, I’d love to begin with this weekend.”
“I’ll make the arrangements,” Val said, but her heart wasn’t in it.
Chapter 34
Clarissa continued to improve during the day, and Val called Dawn to her office to give her the standing weekend pass. Dawn was euphoric when she called Niki later than usual.
“Darling,” Niki whispered into the phone. “I was afraid you weren’t going to call tonight.”
Dawn laughed. “Wild horses couldn’t keep me from calling you. This is the highlight of my day. I’m sorry I’m so late. We moved Clarissa out of ICU tonight, and I sat with her until I was positive she was okay.”
“I’m glad she’s still doing well. Anything else happen today?”
“The entire week has been wonderful,” Dawn said. “Spending the weekend with you made the entire week perfect.”
“I know. But we missed visitation this week.”
“Yes, Val said she felt bad about that.” Dawn hesitated, drawing out her announcement. “So, she gave me a weekend pass.”
Niki squealed. “You’re serious? That’s tomorrow. You wouldn’t tease me?”
“Serious and excited,” Dawn said, her voice thick with emotion. “I can’t wait to see you. All I can think about is my weekend with you. I want a lifetime with you, Niki.”
“I’ll be with you as long as you want me,” Niki promised. “Oh, I’m so excited. How soon can you get away Friday?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll call you when I leave the prison. I’ll take a cab like last time.”
##
The weeks passed, with Niki and Dawn living from one weekend to the next. They settled into a routine: classes for Niki, more patients for Dawn, and two days of heaven on the weekend.
The success of Clarissa’s surgery spread throughout the prison system, and more inmates filed requests for treatment by the beautiful blonde doctor. Clarissa’s nickname for Dawn became a synonym for the doctor. Everyone wanted the Gatekeeper.
Gloria and Lynn’s self-defense training had accomplished what Val wanted. As inmates became more capable of defending themselves, prison crime had dropped.
Dawn showed up at six every morning to take advantage of the training offered by the two experts. She was amazed at how empowered she felt, and her fear of the other inmates diminished as she became more proficient in the skill of self-defense.
Val watched from the doorway as Dawn sparred with another inmate. The blonde was trim and toned. She looked incredible in gym shorts and a workout shirt that crisscrossed her back. Val found herself wanting to touch Dawn’s back, to run her hands down the muscular shoulders to encircle her tiny waist.
Dawn’s sparring partner lunged at her, and the blonde deftly sidestepped the charge, catching her opponent’s arm and twisting it behind her back. “Uncle!” cried the subdued woman.
Dawn laughed and released her. Val applauded.
Dawn walked toward Val, wiping the perspiration from her body with a gym towel. “Warden, are you joining us?”
“I’ve been taking the training from the beginning,” Val informed her. “I manage to work it in every day.
“You handled that attack beautifully. Think you could take me?”
Dawn couldn’t stop the smile that covered her face as she flashed back to her first weekend with Niki and making love to the redhead on the kitchen island.
“I . . . um. . . don’t know.”
“Want to spar with me?” Val asked.
“Sure. First takedown wins.”
Val nodded and moved to the closest mat. The other inmates stopped their workouts and gathered to watch the two.
“Don’t go easy on me,” Val warned. “I intend to beat you.”
Dawn nodded and moved so the kickboxing bag was directly behind her. She faked a lunge at Val and then stepped back. She knew patience was the key to sparring with the aggressive warden.
Dawn pretended to look away, giving Val the opportunity she’d waited for. Like a big cat, Val sprang at her prey. Dawn faked a move and sidestepped Val’s lunge. She stepped forward, caught Val’s arm, and slammed the warden face-first into the kickboxing bag.
Val bounced off the bag and landed flat on her back. She lay still, trying to catch the breath that had been knocked from her. Dawn stood over her, offering her hand to pull Val to her feet. Val’s eyes traveled up the long, muscular legs to the flat stomach and the firm breasts straining against the tank top.
“Are you okay?” Dawn asked as she moved her hand closer.
“I’m fine.” Val accepted the extended hand and was surprised at how easily Dawn pulled her to her feet. The woman was strong.
The women watching the two applauded as Val and Dawn gave good-natured bows.
“I’m going to my room to shower,” Dawn said as they walked from the gym. “I don’t suppose you have any of that great coffee brewing in your office, do you?”
“I will by the time you get there.” A pleased smile crossed Val’s face.
##
“You look all fresh and ready to face the day,” Val said as Dawn entered her office.
“Any workout gets the endorphins going.” Dawn poured cream into her coffee. “It’s better than any drug on the market.”
“I agree.” Val settled behind her desk, and Dawn knew they would discuss business. “I have something I want you to watch. Don’t say a word until the end.”
For the next thirty m
inutes, Dawn watched a beautifully produced documentary on Clarissa’s heart surgery. The video began with Dawn and her team praying. As Dawn made the first incision, the narrator quickly explained Clarissa’s medical condition. There was a snippet of the two hearts, followed by the dramatic realization that the good heart had a hole in it.
Dawn’s uneasiness upon discovering the hole and her quick action to change directions were both showcased.
The documentary was sprinkled with shots of Dawn interacting with her patients, laughing, explaining, praying. It was a tremendous promotion piece for the prison. The title of the documentary was “The Gatekeeper.”
The video ended, and Dawn sat in silence.
“Well?” Val held her breath.
“I don’t know what to say.” Dawn took a deep breath and fought back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. “It’s beautiful.”
Val exhaled the breath she was holding. “You’re okay with it? You’ll sign off on it, giving us permission to use it?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“You always have a choice with me, Dawn.”
“How could I refuse? It’s a perfect piece to reflect the changes you’ve made here.”
Val clapped her hands. “Wonderful! It’s set to air in prime time Friday night. The highest-rated cable news station is doing an interview with me and televising the documentary in its entirety.
“I have a three-day training session in Dallas, but I’ll be back Friday in time for the live telecast. This will make us both famous.”
Chapter 35
Val had agonized over making the call to the FBI, but the decision was made easily when she met an undercover agent at the three-day seminar on habitual criminals. Java Jarvis had a firm handshake and deep blue eyes. The tall blonde was easy to talk to and had seen it all. By the end of the seminar, Val trusted Java completely.
“Would you like to go out for drinks after this is over?” Val asked as they walked to the elevator.
“That’s the best suggestion I’ve heard all day.” Java grinned at her. “The only thing better would be drinks with dinner. Are you up for that?”