My eyes burned into hers, silently warning her not to overstep the line with me. I watched as she swallows hard and her cheeks flushed a bright red.
“Despite his behaviour, Mr. Davies is a confused human being. The devastating effects of war have a crippling effect on the men and women who fight for our country.”
Kerry shrugged at my words and I found myself annoyed at her outward display and lack of compassion. She wouldn’t last five minutes on the frontline and I would strongly recommend she wasn’t transferred any time soon.
When I assigned her and two senior nurses to Mr. Davies, she paled. For all her bravado and defiance, I thought she was genuinely scared by her inadequacy to cope.
“Room 13 has a soldier with a gunshot wound to the knee. It lodged in the patella, effectively shattering it. He has had extensive surgery and should be transferred to a ward in the next twenty-four hours. Until then, watch for the normal warning signs – swelling around the joint, clamminess, fever. You know what to look for. Obs are every thirty minutes at this stage as he hasn’t recovered from the anesthetic satisfactorily.”
I opened the following file.
“Lisa and Carol, you will assist me with the motorcycle crash victim who came in about an hour ago from base. He sustained bilateral rib fractures, a hemothorax - Chest tube was placed by paramedics attending the scene. He has a suspected laceration to the spleen, pelvic and left femur fractures. He was placed on life support and transferred here from emergency while the doctors were contacted and theater is prepared. His vital signs are unstable so we need to monitor him closely.”
The nurses nodded, stood, pushed their notebooks and pens into a pocket of their uniforms and headed off to commence their shift.
***
Throughout the day, we worked hard to keep the motorbike accident patient in a stable condition. The surgical team, mainly the anesthetist, had made the decision not to risk surgery until he was further stabilised. Blood transfusions were ongoing to replace the blood he appeared to be losing and I worked with the surgical team to set venous and arterial lines for access.
A team from orthopedics stabilized his broken leg in the hopes it would help prevent further injury until the anesthetist gave the go ahead.
I stood observing the soldier before me, he was pale, extremely broken and in a fragile state. He was off life support now and slowly being brought around.
“You have one hell of a journey ahead of you.” I whispered over him.
My heart ached for him and his family. I knew the next 24-48 hours, at the very least, were going to be long, full of fight and struggle for both him and those who loved him.
I made a mental note to call his next of kin again. Della had been unable to reach them earlier.
I placed a gloved hand over his, bandaged after being torn apart by gravel from the road.
“You fell into the right hospital soldier, my team have you now.” As I peered out the window, my memory floated back to Kaden's first night here…..
“Your family will be here soon; you keep fighting, you hear me?” My voice was gentle but carried the warning – he needed to fight to stay alive. I knew this young man would probably have a family who loved him and needed him. A mother who needed her son on this side of the heavens.
Stepping from the bedside, I removed the latex gloves and placed them into the bin as I walked from the room. I wiped sweat from my brow with the back of my hand as I headed to the staff room where I stripped out of the bloodied scrubs, showered and dressed back into my uniform. I hadn't had a chance to see Kaden all day. My body yearned to see him, was burning for his touch.
I poured myself a mug of coffee - it's my addiction. My soul required it to stay alive, my brain needed it to function and my heart…..well my heart loved the liquid gold. The bitter smell and bite tickled my taste buds and danced over my senses.
I sipped from the mug as I headed towards Kaden's room at the far end of the corridor, where he was spending his time while awaiting transfer to the rehabilitation wing. I smiled over the rim at one of my nurses as I passed and took a second sip from the mug. Before I could go any further, all hell broke loose. My attention was immediately caught by the approaching crazed soldier, a petrified Kerry in his grip. The tube lighting above glinted off the blade of a scalpel which he held against her neck. The vein thick, purple and enlarged, fear was clear in her eyes as tears streamed over her cheeks. My eyes locked onto hers and I sent her silent reassurance, mouthing the words to keep calm and breathe. She gave me a frightened smile.
My own breathing accelerated, fast and thick, in time with the heartbeat in my ears. I struggled to think of what the hell I was supposed to do and how this has happened.
Defusing this situation fast was what I needed to do but moving wasn't happening. I was frozen in place, fear gripped me.
“Soldier, take a deep breath and look at me.”
Anger and fear radiated from his eyes and his body.
“Can you let go of my nurse for me, you’re frightening her?” I kept my voice steady, tone neutral.
Nurses milled around, making me nervous and sending Davies into a panic. He drew back, pressing the scalpel into Kerry’s neck. The pressure caused the skin to tear and a thin line of crimson red blood trickled down the side of her neck.
I stepped forward, towards them, my hands palms out in front of me as I attempted to calm him.
“It's okay, everything will be okay.” I attempted to steady my erratic breathing.
He stepped back with each step I took towards him. Kerry stumbled, unable to keep her balance with him keeping her back arched into his chest.
