Chapter 48
Nurse reported hazmat situation near room 2432. Team found source of foul smell and asked Mr.Flint Mendotato take a shower.
- From the University of Mississippi Medical Center Security Logs
Three days.
Doctors at Jackson’s University of Mississippi Medical Center put Celia into a medically-induced coma for three days to flush the selenium out of her system. Or, at least give it a good head start. It would be months before she completely recovered from the poisoning.
Earlier this morning, the trauma team eased up on the drugs, but Celia was still unconscious. The doc said her body needed time to heal and would wake up when she was ready.
The steadybeep-beep-beepof the heart monitor showed how slow Celia’s heartbeat was. Every minute or so, the blood pressure cuff on her arm inflated with abuzz, took her pressure, then let out the air with awhoosh.
The nurse moved around the bedside, changing IV bags of fluid and antibiotics. “Would you like me to bring you some soap and towels so you can shower?”
My head snapped up at her question. Then, I glanced at my clothing. The last clean shirt I put on was Monday.
Three days ago.
I shook my head. There was no way I was leaving Celia’s side.
Beep-beep-beep. Buzz. Whoosh.
“There’s a bathroom and shower, right through that door,” the nurse pointed to the bathroom next to me. “I’ll stay with her while you clean up.”
I scrutinized the soft breathing of Celia in the hospital bed that dwarfed her petite frame. The poison drained the color from her skin. She was deathly pale. I turned to stare into the mirror over the sink in the room. I didn’t look much better myself. I’d probably scare the fuck out of her when she woke up.
Beep-beep-beep. Buzz. Whoosh.
I nodded toward the nurse, and she left to get towels and soap.
Ten minutes later, showered and in a fresh pair of almost-fitting scrubs, I sat back down at Celia’s bedside.
Her family took turns in the waiting room, cycling in once an hour to check on Celia and me. We were in between the Saber shifts at the moment.
Beep-beep-beep. Buzz. Whoosh.
“Celia,Lalelei,” I took her small hand in my big mitt. “If you can hear me, you just take your time waking up. There are no messes for you to clean up. Nothing to fix. Just get better.”
I paused to watch her breathing.
Beep-beep-beep. Buzz. Whoosh.
I leaned toward her ear. “I love you too, by the way.”
“That is fucking beautiful!” Wysdom Ward clapped her hand on my shoulder, then leaned in to hug me. “Andthank OPRAH! He finally showered. Now, you don’t smell like the ass-end of a dumpster, something I know all-too-much about!”
A small laugh escaped me as I leaned back in my chair and looked at Wysdom. She wasn’t alone. Her husband, Celia’s brother, a.k.a. my boss, glared from the doorway.
“Hey, man,” I waved.
He rolled his eyes. Wysdom slapped him in the stomach. He tried to remain stern-looking, but he couldn’t pull it off with the love of his life. He grinned like an idiot at her.
That caused those pains in my chest to flare up.
“I told you, scrubbing that area won’t make the pain go away!” Fitch shout-whispered from the doorway.
“Pain?” Wysdom grabbed my arm. “What are you talking about?”
