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“Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.”
“Got it.”
“Drink lots of water. We want the kidneys working. If you see blood in your urine, you need to come right back here. If the pain gets worse or your stomach grows hard to the touch, I need you to come back immediately. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
“I also want you to contact your primary care doctor for a follow-up in three days.”
“It usually takes six weeks to get an appointment.”
“Tell your doctor that this was an emergency situation. He will understand, I’m sure.”
“It’s a she, actually.”
Bosch preferred female doctors because they had a gentler touch, but he didn’t say so, because he thought it might be taken as sexist.
“I’m sure she will schedule you accordingly,” Dr. Chaudry said. “In the meantime, go home and take it easy, Mr. Bosch. No physical activity for the next week. You do that, and you will heal on your own.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“I’ll start the discharge paperwork, but before you go, you need to speak with our social worker.”
“A social worker? Why?”
“You said this injury was the result of a punch. That raises red flags around here. Elder abuse is not uncommon and — ”
“That’s not what happened. I live alone. There’s no one to abuse me.”
“Then how did you get — ”
The curtain was pulled back again and a woman in street clothes entered. She was in her mid-fifties, had red hair, and was holding a single sheet of paper.
“Oh, here she is already,” Dr. Chaudry said. “This is Andrea Soderberg. She is going to ask you a few questions about your injury.”
“This is really not necessary,” Bosch protested.
“Yes, it is, Mr. Bosch,” Soderberg said. “It’s hospital policy.”
“I’ll leave you two to it,” Dr. Chaudry said. “Take care, Mr. Bosch.”
She disappeared through the curtain, leaving Bosch with Soderberg and not happy about it.
“Dr. Chaudry told me you took a very hard punch,” Soderberg said, referring to the paper in her hand. “Contusion to the kidney, the spleen, and the… splenorenal ligament. Can you tell me who punched you, Mr. Bosch?”
“Look, this is way overblown,” Bosch said. “There is no elder abuse.”
“Your chart says you have a twenty-nine-year-old daughter. Does she live with you?”
“No, I live alone and nobody’s abused me. My daughter lives on the other side of town. I’m an ex-cop and I was practicing self-defense moves with a friend. He was supposed to pull his punch but he didn’t. I got hit hard and that’s all there was to it.”
“Can you tell me his name?”
“No, I’m not going to drag him into this. I’m not going to allow myself to get dragged into it either. I’m checking out.”
Bosch took off the oximeter clipped to his finger and started getting out of bed.
“You need to stay until you’re discharged, Mr. Bosch,” Soderberg said.
