Tim acted as a float nurse. “Alright, time out, Troy Bremen, ostomy reversal. Patient is in modified lithotomy position,” he called.
“We’re going to try the single incision Hartmann procedure,” Jayden said.
Beth exposed and slid the scope through the stoma. “Look at that scar tissue,” Elizabeth’s voice caught. “Jayden?”
“Hang on, love; we will switch to multiport procedure. Going through the belly button. Let’s add CO2. Lads and ladies, have someone notify the crowd we are adding at least two more hours of table time. There’s a lot of scar tissue.” Jayden’s fingers never stopped moving.
“Tim, page Novak and Hedges. There’s more than his prostate and bladder fused.” Ethan Miller stared at the computer monitor.
Hunt moved for a better view. “We’d never see this from any other angle. Beth, we have the walls of the rectal stump, bladder and prostate circling a seminal vesicle, which has something hard inside it, likely a piece of his pelvic bone. And I only see one vesicle on the scope.”
* * *
When Mac Novakand Pat Hedges looked down at their simultaneous pages, the waiting area jumped.
Mac stood. “Hedges, I guess you’re the odd man out. Excuse us, folks. I’ve got an emergency. I need another pair of hands.”
“You got it.” Pat offered his doctor smile.
Hitting the corridor, they hurried toward the OR while Kip and Zach approached. “What’s wrong?” Zach frowned.
“There’s a complication. I don’t want to alarm anyone until I see it myself,” Mac said.
“Go,” Zach answered.
* * *
Gwen was losing her mind.The surgery had hit the seven-hour mark. “Noah, I need to get some fresh air.”
“Okay. Kev and I will go with you,” Noah said.
“Gwen, would you like some company? Brody is talking with Tuck, Seth and Jaime. I’ve been with Brody long enough; they are getting alarmed too,” Kim said.
“Whatever,” Gwen answered. “God, I’m sorry. I…shit…yes, I’d like you to come along. This is Noah Paulsen and Kevin Harper.” Tension ripped across Gwen’s shoulders.
The afternoon sun was bright and warm when the four exited onto the plaza between the towers. Earlier, Martin and Julian escorted Fani and her daughters to one of the executive suites on the nineteenth floor to lie down and rest. Everyone else rotated in shifts, taking time to do some work. After her breath of fresh air, she was going to try to lie down too.
“How’d you meet Troy?” Kim asked.
“We met working. I was on one of the security teams, and when Troy headed the rapid response team, my team assisted his. When he started rehab, my team was assigned as his security team,” Gwen sighed.
“That’s when you fell in love?” Kim asked.
“That obvious?” Gwen didn’t deny it.
“No, but I heard Troy’s mom ranting. Kim rattled off a sentence in Greek. “My mother is Greek. His mom really likes you, but she worries when you get hurt, he will get hurt. Her daughters keep telling her to calm down. That she’ll push Troy away. That Troy telling her he loves you should be enough. You have two more allies.” Kim smiled.
“Thanks.” Gwen chuckled. “Did you know Troy before your assault?”
“In passing and reputation. His sense of timing. He was always on time, but he cut it razor close.”
“Hahaha, he still does.” Gwen realized it was the first time she’d laughed in a while.
Both women soon were talking like they were lifelong friends. “Gwen, I know this may sound weird, but when this is over, would you and Troy like to get together? I really enjoy talking with you, and, being an officer, well…”
“A lot of loneliness,” Gwen shared.
“Yes. Do you always wear a uniform too?” Kim asked.
