“Appreciate it, brother,” I reply. “You bring your bike?”
He grins and nods. “Walk this way,” he says.
When I get to the back of the RV, I see a bike trailer attached and within a few minutes, we’ve got his bike unloaded, the RV locked up once again, and I’m on my bike as we head to the hospital.
CHAPTER
SIX
Phoebe
Who knewI could request a nerve block? I sure didn’t but when I was presented with that option, I took it, knowing that the upcoming debridement would suck otherwise. Of course, I’ve got an IV in place that’s pumping me full of a broad-spectrum antibiotic and initial cultures of the wound have been taken so that the doctor can ensure I get the correct one to ward off any infection that may have already set up in my wound. They also drew blood to run a tetanus titer on me. Right now, I feel rather pitiful, but at least I’m clean and my hair looks good.
“It sucks being on this side of the curtain,” I grumble, causing Ella to grin at me.
“I know, Fee, but you don’t want to ignore it and run the risk, do you?” she asks.
“No, not particularly,” I admit. “But this wasn’t on my bingo card for this assignment!”
She giggles then grows serious as she states, “It would’ve been worse if it had been Otis, especially since he’d been stuck for more than twenty-four hours, Fee. He’s older and has other health issues too.”
“I know, I just hate this is all. And how on earth are they going to close this gaping wound?” I query. “The edges are all jagged and it’s a hot mess from what I can tell.”
“We won’t,” the doctor says, coming back into the room. “We’ll get it debrided now that you’re numb and use the covering we use on burn patients because it’ll have to be done several times as it heals. We may even use a wound vac to help close it up.”
“Ugh,” I mutter, making him smile. “It’s definitely going to be one helluva gnarly scar then.”
“Unfortunately, because of how jagged it is, there’s no way to adequately stitch it closed. Not only that, but until we know for sure what kind of bacteria was introduced, I’m not comfortable closing it completely. A wound vac will allow it to be accessible to debride as it heals. But just so you know, most folks in healthcare act the same way whenever they’re told what a treatment plan will be,” he admits, putting fresh gloves on. “Now, can you feel this?” he asks as he probes the wound.
“Nope, not at all,” I reply.
“Then we can get started,” he says, pulling the tray that’s full of surgical style implements toward him.
“Ella, you need to record what he’s doing because youknowThelma’s gonna want to see the video. Is that okay?” I ask the doctor. “She won’t show anything but your hands, I promise. Our boss is a nurse practitioner and owns the agency we work through, so I’m positive she wishes she could’ve come with us.”
“That’s fine. At least with the two of you being nurses, you’re hopefully not squeamish,” he says as he begins carefully cleaning the wound with the curette.
I don’t remember much from my rotation on the burn unit, but if memory serves, his objective is to ensure that there’s nothing underneath the edges. The process is fascinating as he uses sterile saline to keep the area somewhat clean, allowing the fresh blood to flow as he slowly and carefully removes pieces of debris. He’s wearing a headlamp with a bright light, and I notice his glasses are actually magnified so he can clearly see the affected area.
“Those are kind of cool, it’ll make it hard to miss anything,” I say, my gaze focused on what he’s doing. It’s a little bit weird watching him work on my arm since I can’t feel anything at all.
“The last thing we want is to have anything left in here that shouldn’t be there,” he says, not looking up.
I hear a commotion beyond the curtain as a female voice says, “Sir, sir! You can’t just barge in like that!”
“Watch me,” Eli growls, making me smile. How I instinctively knew he’d show up is beyond me, but what I don’t expect is what happens next as he and another man come through.
“Eddie?” Ella asks.
“Ella?” the other man questions.
“What are you doing here?” they ask in unison.
My eyes are round and wide, possibly because of the medications they’ve given me, but I think it’s because of the longing looks my bestie is giving the man who’s standing next to Eli. I’ve got questions, so many questions! Who is he? Howdoes she know him? Why hasn’t she ever mentioned him to me? Hell, she was with me every step of the way after everything went down with my ex, for heaven’s sake!
“You first,” Eddie finally says.
“I’m working a contract up here,” she replies. “Now, what areyoudoing here?”
