“Get me a urinal and a blood gas kit.” Tim remained calm.
“I need vitals every fifteen minutes,” he asked Cara. Tim looked up as the monitors came to life. “Call radiology; I need a portable chest x-ray.”
The nurse handed Tim the ECG. “Doesn’t look like you’re having a heart attack.” A second nurse handed Tim a urinal.
The radiology tech wheeled in the portable x-ray machine. “Everyone, step back. Troy, inhale and hold please. Shooting and exhale.” She backed the machine out of the room.
“Send me the file now.” Tim washed his hands and gloved. “Troy, big poke.” He inserted the needle into Troy’s radial artery. Once it filled with blood, he handed it to one of the nurses. “ABG stat.”
Russ Sommerfeld dashed into the room. “Hey, Troy.”
“Hey, Doc.” Troy closed his glassy eyes.
“I think it’s a kidney infection or UTI.” Tim showed Russ the urinal with cloudy urine inside.
“Troy, I know you’ve had way too much poking and prodding, but I need to get a sterile urine specimen,” Russ asked.
“I couldn’t fight you if I wanted to,” Troy admitted.
“I saw Tim and Jack’s report about the abdominal strain. What did you lift?” Russ asked.
“Gwen.”
“She’s right here,” Russ said.
“No, I slid Gwen from a chair to my lap.” Troy’s face, already red from the fever, flushed brighter.
“Is this pain different?” Russ asked.
Ian stood in the corner watching. “Greece, is it like that day on the mountain?”
“Feel hotter, but yeah,” Troy sighed.
“Doc, he was like this with a kidney infection and stone.”
Russ nodded. “Page Novak. Okay, Troy, let’s get that sample. The catheter is staying put for now. Cara, call radiology; I want a renal ultrasound.
“How long have you been feeling off?” Tim’s eyes narrowed.
“Honest, from this afternoon. I thought it was nerves. I swear.” Troy held a hand up.
“100 micrograms of Fentanyl IV. Okay, inserting a foley catheter is not a team sport. Clear the room,” Russ said.
As Russ was securing the catheter, the door flew open, admitting Mac Novak. “How high is the fever?”
“By mouth, 104.6,” Tim answered then showed Mac the urine sample. “Via foley.”
“400 mg Ciprofloxacin IV Q12. Let’s get that scan,” Mac said. “Looks like you have a kidney infection. We will know after a renal ultrasound if there is some kind of obstruction.”“Did I screw up the surgery?” Troy worried.
“Let’s see what’s going on,” Tim answered.
The ultrasound tech rolled in and set up the machine with Mac watching over his shoulder. He pointed at the screen. “Troy?”
“Hmm.” Troy forced his eyes open.
“I need another test, then I’m going to make you more comfortable. One of your ureters is blocked.”
“Trust you, Doc.” Troy closed his eyes.
