Ruth realized her worst fears as she stood at the entrance to the ward. Richard had been settled back in bed; his breathing was different than before. Tt was now wheezy, rale, like soft gurgles and bubbling. As she came closer, she saw Daniel insert a needle into the left side of his chest as Alistair held a suction pump bag. This couldn’t be happening. She watched as they drained fluid from Richard’s lung.
No, it couldn’t be,Ruth thought, and her hand flew to cover her mouth as she fought tears.
One glass bottle had been filled, then a second before Alistair got a new bottle and they repeated the same procedure for the other lung.
Ruth heard Daniel fretting. “I knew it was too early for him to walk; I wish he’d listened.”
“Hmph! Well, if you hadn’t intubated him, he wouldn’t have pneumonia now, would he?” Alistair said, glaring Daniel who clearly noted the accusation in his voice.
“He was choking, Alistair,” Daniel asserted calmly. “He would have died otherwise.”
“It was an infection, and you should have left his body to fight it,” Alistair shot back. “Now he will surely die.”
Ruth saw anger drop over Daniel’s handsome face and gasped. He managed to suppress his feelings and surprised everyone when he replied, “We all have a time to die, Alistair. If it is God’s will, then there is nothing anyone can do. Even if I sent Richard to the hospital in Pennsylvania, if it is God’s will, he will still die. Whether I intubated or refrained, if it is his time to be with our Lord, we cannot prevent him from going to our Lord.”
“What nonsense are you speaking?” Alistair derided. “His body can still overcome the infection.”
“Not for diphtheria, Alistair. You know that as well as I do.” Daniel sat on a chair near the bedside and said sotto voce, “I’m sorry, Richard,” and he sorrowfully buried his face in his hands.
It seemed neither of them had noticed her presence. She thought back to the time when Richard had arrived at the clinic not looking well. Could it be possible that Richard had a common cold or influenza before he contracted diphtheria? In her mind it seemed to make sense why he deteriorated so quickly and then contracted diphtheria. She decided to leave the two men to discuss their plan of action and returned to the waiting room.
“Mary, dear,” Ruth said and sat next to her. Mary looked weary and drained as if all strength was gone. Tom had curled up on one of the couches and had fallen asleep. Ruth made a mental note to bring him a blanket.
“I need to ask you something,” Ruth met Mary’s gaze and saw the sorrow in her eyes. “Did Richard have a common cold or influenza before he got sick with diphtheria?”
Mary thought for a moment and gave a small nod. “He did have a small cold, but it was nothing serious. He had a few sniffles and a minor cough, but insisted he was still as strong as an ox.” Her smile was regretful as the memory flashed through her mind. “Why do you ask?”
“Dr. Grant and Dr. Nagle are discussing the best treatment for him now and I wondered that since he had a cold before, it is possible his body was already weakened. Perhaps that is why he caught diphtheria.”
Mary looked away with a small nod, “I suppose you might be right. He has always been healthy and strong.”
“Thank you, Mary.” Ruth gave her a reassuring hug before she stood. “I can only imagine how you must feel, but trust in the Lord and pray for strength. Pray for Richard. Remember that the Lord is always with us and never abandons us.” Ruth gave her a comforting smile even though her heart was breaking.
“I’ll try, Ruth. Thank you.” With that, some of the color seemed to return to Mary’s pale complexion.
***
Ruth found both doctors still arguing in the ward and couldn’t help but feel irritated. Could neither of them understand that arguing would never solve the problem?
With slight hesitation she interrupted them and both Daniel and Alistair were surprised at her boldness.
“I spoke to Mary,” Ruth began, her voice full of confidence. But she couldn’t help but feel annoyed at both of them. “She confirmed that Richard had a bit of a cold before he got sick with diphtheria. Is it possible that he became weak before he contracted diphtheria and all the while, his cold grew worse?”
“You are not a doctor, Ruth,” Alistair admonished brusquely. “You cannot know these things.”
Daniel looked at Ruth thoughtfully. “Ruth has a point, Alistair. If his body was already weak, Richard would not stand a chance against diphtheria.” Sadness settled over his face as he fully turned his attention to Alistair. “Richard’s chance for survival was already at risk. I fear our efforts have only prolonged the inevitable.”
“Intubation, hah!” Alistair would not budge from his diagnosis, “You should have known better, Daniel.” He gave Ruth a quick glance, “You have proven quite skilled, my dear. However, you are only a nursemaid and cannot possibly understand the knowledge possessed by doctors with years and years of training and experience.”
Ruth hid her hands in the folds of her skirt and clenched them into fists, trying to hold in her anger. “I understand, Dr. Nagle. May I remind you that I worked closely with my father who was a well-respected doctor and taught me many skills. He also taught me to think beyond the moment and to ask questions,” she drew in a deep breath and saw pride on Daniel’s face and the shock on Alistair’s reddened blustery face. “I’ve been wondering if it was a possibility that Richard may have had pneumonia before diphtheria because of an already weakened state.”
“I see,” Alistair intoned in a voice full of sarcasm and condescension, “I suppose there is no need for trained doctors anymore. Now anyone can hypothesize and arrive at a diagnosis of their own whimsy,” he huffed and turned, snatched up his jacket and stormed out of the ward, muttering under his breath.
“Must he always be so pleasant?” Ruth looked at Daniel with a twinkle in her eyes, and they both chuckled wryly.
“You amaze me, Ruth.” Daniel’s eyes caught hers and she felt her stomach thrill. “How do you manage to control yourself amid a storm of his never-ending insults? I admit I struggle sometimes, but there is a line he tends to cross all too often.”
“Daniel,” Ruth ventured, “did you mean what you said to Alistair earlier?”
