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“Mr. Valentine coded two times while we had him on the operating table, so we had to intubate him. He is on a ventilator which is a machine that is helping him breathe. He was shot three times. One bullet went through his side into his stomach and missed all the vital organs and arteries. The second bullet went through his back and rested millimeters from his spine. The third bullet hit his upper thigh area and nicked the femoral artery. We were able to carefully remove all three bullets and repair the artery, but we don’t know what the end results may be. He lost a lot of blood before he got to us and he continued to lose blood in the O.R. Because one of the bullets was so close to his spine, we could be dealing with a whole host of problems that could include paralysis. Furthermore, he sustained a significant gash on his head that caused some swelling in his brain. We are hopeful that he will pull through but the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours are going to be crucial.”
“What do you mean by crucial and what host of problems are you talking about?” I needed him to tell us precisely what we might be dealing with.
“As with any surgical procedure, there is the risk of infection or we could have thought we fixed everything and didn’t, although, I’m certain that is not the case. We could have missed something which can happen with trauma victims. We just don’t know, not yet,” Doctor McIntyre explained.
“I need you to understand that my brother is not some street thug that was shot because he had it coming to him. He is a good man and an upstanding citizen. I just want to make sure he is being treated right,” Torrey interjected.
“I’ve heard of Mr. Valentine and his work in the community. I am also a little familiar with his story. But even if he were a street thug that was shot because that’s the life that he chose to lead would not make me work any differently. All life is precious,” Doctor McIntyre responded.
“Can we see him?” Vivian asked.
“Yes, he is being moved from the surgery step down unit to the intensive care unit. The three of you can go in to see him but, beyond that, he doesn’t need any visitors.”
“Doctor McIntyre, I don’t know how things are run here but, if it’s okay with you Vivian, I would like for Samuel to have a private room with limited access to the staff and public. He is a public figure whose assault is playing on a loop on the news. We don’t want the wrong people having access to him. Also, we will have our own security team set up on the floor of his room. Vivian, is that okay?” I looked at her for confirmation.
“That’s perfect, sweetheart,” Vivian affirmed. “Thank you for thinking of it.”
“It is hospital policy for us to put violent trauma patients on the blackout list meaning that we don’t release any information about them, but I will contact the hospital administration so someone from up there can come down to talk to you,” Doctor McIntyre responded.
“I appreciate that, but I don’t want to speak to anyone that can’t make immediate decisions. If that person is not available, then I will need whoever is in charge of them. As a matter of fact, please make sure that I am in contact with the final decision maker. Thank you, Doctor McIntyre.”
Doctor McIntyre stood. “Not a problem. Please stay here. The hospital chief will be in to speak with you, and the nurse will direct you to the intensive care unit as soon as they have Mr. Valentine settled.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” we all said as he walked out of the room.
“You and my brother are cut from the same aggressive cloth. That poor doctor didn’t know what had hit him,” Torrey said.
“I’m just trying to help them out because if something goes wrong while Samuel is here, I am going to sue them until the name of this hospital is Valentine Hospital. I mean that.”
“Oh, I’m sure you do!” Torrey shook her head.
* * *
“Ms. Valentine?”A tall woman with long curly hair and coffee colored skin asked when she entered the conference room.
“Yes?” Vivian responded.
“Hi, I am Chelsea Nelson. I am the hospital’s Chief Operating Officer. I was told you needed to speak with me?”
She chose the same seat Doctor McIntyre had used.
“Hi, Ms. Nelson. I am Averie Patterson. I am the family’s attorney and Mr. Valentine’s girlfriend. I needed to speak with you about Mr. Valentine’s care. We would like Mr. Valentine to be moved to a private floor or at least a private area on a floor with limited access from the public and staff. He is a prominent figure in the community, and his attack has been playing non-stop on the news. The police don’t have any leads yet, so that means that the person or persons responsible for his condition are still on the loose. We have our own private security team that we will put in place so that we are not taxing or adding any burden to your current security staff.”
“Ms. Patterson, we pride ourselves in providing top-notch care within secure facilities. We are more than capable of taking care of Mr. Valentine and providing security for him on a regular floor.”
“Ms. Nelson, I don’t think that what we are asking is far-fetched or beyond the scope of what you do for people all the time. We are not asking for anything for free. Mr. Valentine’s insurance will pay and what it doesn’t, will be covered by me. I just wouldn’t want anything to happen while he is in the care of your hospital that would cause me to focus the energy of two prominent and powerful law firms directly at you and your hospital. If we work together from the beginning, we can avoid a lot of threats and legal filings that will have you and your lawyers tied up in court for years.”
“Ms. Patterson, I…”
“Cooperation would not be without its benefits for you and this hospital. I was at the fundraiser last year for the pediatric ward. You didn’t reach your donation goal at the time; did you ever reach it?”
“Ummm…no, no we haven’t.”
“Right, I didn’t think so. I know you haven’t been in this position long, having moved into it when Mr. Theland retired. One of the main objectives of your position is to secure funding for your projects, correct?”
“Correct,” she watched me closely waiting on my next words.
“Torrey Valentine is well known in the charitable community,” I nodded towards Torrey.
