Sunshine Cures All Ills Ch. 03

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The Sunshine comes in.
8.7k words
4.51
38.8k
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Part 3 of the 3 part series

Updated 06/07/2023
Created 08/27/2015
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wieliczka
wieliczka
803 Followers

Emergency Room, Early Thursday evening

The charge nurse looked at me, "Michelle, can you prep the patient in 101. He's under Police guard. Bruises and a cut on his head. Never lost consciousness."

I looked at the name on the chart, Cory Heinz. "Can you assign this one to Marsha? I'll work up the diabetic in 115 if that's OK with you." She nodded yes and was off. I know that Marsha has some real difficulty with this diabetic. Along with his COPD, this man has a couple of months to live. He's gone out of his way to not take care of himself. What a shame, 52, 120 pounds overweight, alcoholic and soon to be terminal. He's lost the feeling in his toes three years ago and was in a permanent wheelchair because of falling last year. I get the OK and move toward 115 when I hear my name called.

"Michelle?" I looked around and saw Paul Murphy was smiling at me. "Can you break away sometime this evening? I'd love to give you an update," he paused, "about my roses. I'm here for Heinz in 101, when he's cleared, he goes directly to the station." We both smiled.

"I've got a work up to do in 115, so in about 20 minutes?" He nodded yes and I went into 115 and started. After I was finished, it was time for my break. Marsha told me that 101 had to go for head x-rays and would be back in 30 minutes. His partner Jeannie was with that patient. I flagged Paul over and we hit the cafeteria again. He had the biggest grin on his face.

When we finally sat down, he started talking. "Thank you so much for your gardening tip. My roses look so much better. It was great. I can't thank you enough." He looked around and spoke in a softer voice, shielding what he was saying. "Did you know that Alicia P was the daughter of my boss Lt. Parker? We pulled the car over by the forest preserves for a broken tail light.

"He pulled over and his passenger made a break for it. My partner Jeannie nailed her about 1,000 yards away. She handcuffed her and came back telling the squad cam that whoever it was got away to the north. I had Heinz handcuffed and in the back of the squad by then. He took a swing at me and I nailed him. All on the cam.

"After inspecting the trunk, I had called in for backup and made sure that Parker was going to come, saying that it was a drug bust. When he showed, I gave him a hand written report to read. It started off stating that the squad cam was voice recording, so don't say anything. I wrote that his daughter had been in that car and was handcuffed down the path to the south with my partner Reynolds. She never clearly got on film because of the way I pulled up behind him. Both my partner and I would do whatever he thought was best. It was his family and he should choose. I found a couple of bags of white powder in his trunk and had seen him come out of the storage place. Enough to quiz the attendant and now get a warrant.

"Parker was shocked, but thankful. A couple of phone calls and her mother and an uncle showed up. While the rest of the team was looking north for the passenger, Parker and his family slipped away to the south. They picked up Alicia and disappeared. Parker returned to oversee the search to the north.

"The daughter was officially at home and is now on her way to a drug treatment facility out of state. Heinz will be charged with a couple of drug felonies, assaulting a police officer and as a flight risk, will probably have bail denied. Jeannie and I are being fast tracked to the open detective positions we've been working toward for the past several years. We've got a great friend in Lt. Parker."

I was elated. This turned out much better than I ever expected. Coke and ecstasy was never going to get into the house again. One asshole down for real and for a long time.

Sunshine cures all ills. One down.

It was over an hour later when an ambulance brought in Kevin. His face was bruised, a tooth was missing and he had welts on his back and arms. He was holding his side. I'd make an educated guess of a bruised or broken rib. It was painful for him to breath.

I took the history this time. He stated that he fell down a flight of stairs. These were not injuries from falling down stairs. His wife Carmen showed up an hour later. He was fearful and she was angry. I don't know much Spanish, but being in the ER long enough I learned the Spanish words for asshole, jerk, cheater, dead to me, my brothers and whore. He was hearing a whole lot more that I couldn't understand. I made it a point of leaving the room at the time it looked like she was going to slap him. She didn't, but he started talking to her.

From the nursing station right outside of his examination room, I heard him tell his wife some of the same stories I heard from their poker night last week. He wasn't pulling any punches on what he did. Bodily harm did it? It sounds like her brothers gave him another chance, another chance for life. A life without being permanently maimed or worse. Talk about getting religion, from a baseball bat and a pistol butt.

Sunshine cures all ills. Two down.

After 9 PM the third of the fab four arrived by car. It was Horacio with his wife Shannell and their sister-in-law Dawnelle. Both Horacio and Dawnelle were pretty bruised and there were several gashes in both of their heads. Medically, it didn't look very serious, but dried blood had dripped over their faces make it look bad to someone without ER experience. Creative shaving and stiches were the norm in cases like this. They both were going to end up with some unique hair cuts. Marsha was assigned to Horacio and I got Dawnelle.

I immediately swabbed the wound to get an initial evaluation. When the wound did not appear to be overly serious, I started to chart the cause of the accident. Dawnelle reported that she tripped and fell through a plate glass window at their apartment building's foyer. It was an accident and she wanted to leave the hospital as quick as possible. We were swamped again this evening. It was a warm humid summer night with a full moon. Leaving early wasn't going to be the case. She was going to have to wait at least several hours, the critical cases always come first.

I was passing by Marsha's room. Horacio and Shannell were quietly talking. His eyes were looking down at the floor, words were leaking out of her clenched jaws. She had some small fresh scars on her hands. I wonder what she hit them with?

Sunshine cures all ills. Three down.

==============================================================

At 10:40 two ambulances arrived. The first one was a code blue that they called in. It was a cardiac case and we were prepared for it. Rooms were cleared and machines were readied. People milling in the hallways were ushered to the waiting or patient rooms. The guard was able to get the wife to Marcy, the lead nurse for this patient to answer the immediate medical questions. I listened to the paramedics' reporting while we prepped him.

There are a half dozen standard orders and we automatically worked them like clockwork. It's not a game, it's real life and death. There is no time for anything but this patient right now. We're in 117 and I've slapped the electrical blood pressure cuff and O2 sensor on him. Oxygen was transferred from the paramedic equipment to the hospital system immediately. These numbers, his color and his responses were not good and the team automatically started to do what was next. That was when I glanced out into the hallway. Mark was being wheeled into 118. Our eyes meet for a millisecond, and then I was back to saving a life.

It was touch and go with the patient for the next 45 minutes. Twice they had to shock his heart back to life. Clear means clear, only the Doctor with the electrical paddles could touch the patient or even the bed. Everybody else jumps back. Finally his heart was working on its own. His breathing, although not great, was adequate. We've gotten him stabilized enough for him to be rushed to Cardiac ICU.

That rush was over and I collapsed against the wall. I needed to catch my breath, and then deal with Mark in the next room. My shift was over 30 minutes ago.

It's been a week of planning, a week of pain, and rage and anger. It's been a week of preparing for the showdown. I'm not a mouse anymore, I won't let him lie to me and sweet talk me into giving him a break.

But there was something I learned from my lunches with Helena, I have to be who I am. I have to do this all with my head held high. I didn't do this to him. I only allowed his actions to catch up with him.

Last night I realized that I needed to give him a chance to come clean to me. I don't think that it would change my decision, but it might be enough to start counseling, or not. I don't know yet. It will have to depend upon what he does.

Starting at the nursing station, I reviewed his chart. Knee was x-rayed and the results weren't back yet, but from the movement tests, it didn't appear to be broken. Multiple bruises, a couple of cuts and it looks like there were probably bruised ribs. All painful. Painful to breath now. Nothing life threatening. Some pain meds were ordered, but the cardiac case took all the nursing personnel. His assigned nurse will get to him when she gets to him. She didn't question my asking her to take her time.

I looked and found the paramedic team that brought him in. This was a new team that didn't know me. "What can you tell me about 118?" It must have been a long day and I know they are on duty for another 24. "Picked him up on the street. Conscious, unable to put pressure on his right knee." That's when he looked at my name tag. "Do you know?" and he glanced back at his report, "Mr. Mark Baumgart?"

It's late on a humid summer night with a full moon, this guy is sharp. "Yes, I do. Please continue." This was a very sharp team.

"Are you related?"

"Yes, I am. I am also working in the ER. Please continue." Why in the world is this guy giving me grief? He looked at his partner and the two of them spoke quietly to each other. I'm damn impatient for them to get their act together. What's the state secret? I know that my impatience is starting to show on my face when the squad that brought him in joined us. Len and Alisha were some of my regulars. Len looked at me then at the paramedics.

I looked at the four of them and commanded their attention. "I need to know what happened. All of it. And don't hold back. Don't try to spare me or him. I know that he's been sleeping around." The four of them exhaled. The cops nodded ok to the paramedics, then Alisha started first.

"Your fool of a husband was fucking the wrong girlfriend. The boyfriend's out of town but he's got friends. Wearing ski masks, they walked into her apartment. No break in, they walked in and started to talk to him. Talk to him with their hands that is. Looks like one of 'em did a side kick his knee. They didn't want to kill, but he won't walk without pain for quite a while."

I knew that it was a possibility that they could have killed him. But the past week, I've spoken to Tom a couple of times. That wasn't the plan. I didn't know exactly what the plan was, but death wasn't in the plan for anybody.

Then the lead paramedic started, "They gave'm a good thrashing. Believe me, I've seen much worse. The girlfriend only has a couple of cuts and a bruise where she tripped over the curb. Nobody touched her." That's when he paused and looked directly at me, "She's pregnant."

That was a bomb shell, and he continued with another. "and she doesn't know which of the two is the baby's father. She's talking on the phone with her live-in boyfriend now."

I wasn't devastated, I wasn't shocked, that happened last week. Now there's another life in the mixture. An innocent life with a not-so-innocent mother. I'm done with my asshole husband, and it's time to clean up. I didn't plan on a new life, an innocent new life. It just became more complicated.

I turned to the paramedics and asked for a favor. I explained what I wanted and they agreed. I collected my thoughts, counted to 10 to calm myself down. Then I counted to 25 to see if that was going to help. It still didn't. I put on a concerned look and walked into 118, Mark's room.

Mark was in bed wearing a hospital gown. From the look of his face, he was in pain. His knee was elevated, there were some minor cuts but many more bruises on him. His eye was puffy and I could see it already began to turn dark. He winced whenever he took a deep breath.

Our eyes meet and his faced changed to a look of relief. "Oh Michelle, I'm so glad to see you now. Do you think you could get me something for the pain? I really need something for the pain."

In my most concerned voice I could pull off I asked "Honey, what happened? I thought that you guys were playing poker. What happened honey?" I was going to give him a chance. He was going to get this final chance, a last chance to come clean. I wouldn't help to get him any pain meds until I heard the truth or the nurse came in, and I knew she was going to be busy. I made sure of that.

"Please honey, get some pain meds for me."

"Sorry Honey, you will have to wait your turn. Your nurse will be in after she finishes with the critical patients first." I paused, "What happened honey?"

The look of pain on his face just increased. Fucking whoever you wanted to has now cost you. I knew that he was not in mortal danger, I'd checked his chart, his nurse and the paramedics. He was looking trapped, it was more fear than pain.

"Honey, will you tell me what happened? Will you tell me all I need to know?"

His face was now twisted in fear. I didn't fill any of the silences, and this unnerved him. His eyes darted back and forth. I watched him struggle, then it looked like he made a decision.

"Sweetie pie, we were playing poker and decided to break early."

The bastard was now dead meat. Earlier this shift, I had created a text and addressed it to several people that were going to be helping me after work and early the next morning. People that were going to help me move. It was waiting to be sent, and I knew it would be going out as soon as I left this room.

"Honey, I had a couple of hours to kill so I took a ride into the city to see if my buddy Jim from high school was free for some hoops. He's in Forest Glen and he's got a park near by. I got there and we were shooting hoops for about 10 minutes and we got jumped by some kids. Jim got away, but I got the hell knocked out of me. There were a couple of them. They took my keys, wallet and phone. Can you see if you can get me some pain meds? Please honey, I'm really hurting."

"Honey, is there anything more you need to tell me? Anything at all?"

"Sweetie pie, my car is still down there, we're going to have to get it tomorrow. I don't think that I'll be able to drive. My right knee is busted up pretty badly."

He was right on that one, he probably wouldn't be able to drive for at least a couple of days to weeks. Once again I looked closely at him, and he cringed. "Honey, is there anything more?"

Once again, I could see the wheels turning. I had made sure that we were going to be alone until I opened up the curtain. That's when we'd get our first visitor.

"No honey, there's nothing more. Could you see about those pain meds? Please honey."

He crossed my line in the sand. It was all over except for the yelling. Now it was going to my turn to play with him. "Honey, I'm a little bit confused. You said that you were playing basketball. But the clothing the paramedics brought in with you with were your dress pants. Who plays basketball in their dress pants? Where did your shirt and dress shoes go? I don't see any underwear? Where are your socks? I do know that you wear underwear, socks and shoes. Where are those things?"

He was looking very trapped now. He needed to come up with a plausible excuse as to why he lost his clothing.

"Oh, the paramedics must have taken them off of me when they picked me up off the street. Hon, could you see about those pain meds now?"

"Let me see if I can find your nurse now." He was looking relieved. I stood up and opened the curtain. I nodded to the Chicago paramedics that brought him in, and then I turned back to my dupek of a husband while they walked past me.

"Thank you nurse, we just have to get a little bit more information for our records. But the first thing I'd like to tell you is that your girlfriend only fell on the curb and cut her knee. She'll be fine. Now about the ..."

That's when I looked at him and he froze. His face turned white. I enjoyed it. Payback is a bitch. "I will pick you up sometime tomorrow morning. They may need to call in a specialist this evening, or not, for your knee. Either way, you will be here at least until 5 AM. No keys, no wallet, no phone and no walking. You will be ready before I arrive, Honey." He never heard the word honey from me said with such disgust. He winced when I said it.

The look on his face said it all. He was on the Titanic and I was in the last lifeboat, waving goodbye, almost spitting at him. I slowly turned and walked away from the dupek. His nightmare was going to continue. He abused our marriage the last time. He bedded the girlfriend of a very jealous man. What do you think would happen when he found out? Tommy got his revenge, he did my heavy lifting.

I started leaving the ER when I passed by 104. That was where they took Wendy. I heard her crying on the phone. "I'm so sorry Tom. We've been having problems for some time." She was silent, I could see she was listening. "I know we should have worked it out. You've been on the road so often... I'm sorry that I hurt you. You didn't deserve this." She was silent again, but I could see real sorrow and caring in her. So unlike my shit of a husband.

Suddenly she started speaking again, breaking me out of my thoughts. "I'm pregnant and I don't know who the father is. I think that it should be you, but we went out with a group after work and I got drunk a couple of times." She paused, started stammering, and then began again. "The minute I started feeling differently, I've been off of everything, no booze, weed, and even coffee. I've been clean."

She went quiet again. "I've been stupid and hurt you so. I am so sorry for betraying your trust. I've done you wrong, I'm wrong and I've done my child wrong. I am so ashamed at what I've done." I was shocked at this, and then she blew my mind once again, "I can't stay with you until I know who the father is. I need to move out of the apartment until my baby is born and we can do a DNA test. As soon as I find a place to stay, I'll move. I can't move back home, I may be able to move in with my sister in Seattle. I don't know yet. I am so sorry for what I did to you. I can't ask for your forgiveness. What I've done can't be forgiven." She cried for a few more minutes until she said good bye.

I needed to be who I am. I could almost hear Helena's broken English telling that to me. I needed to hold my head up high. I walked into her room. "Hello Wendy, I'm Michelle, Mark's wife." She was terrified. She sat there with her mouth open, tensed, eyes darting about in fear.

In a soft voice, a non-threatening voice, a voice that was busting out in sorrow I continued, "I think that we need to talk about you and you baby. May I please speak with you?" She nodded yes in fear, and patted the bed for me to sit down on. I placed my hand gently on hers and we began to talk quietly, honestly and with compassion for each other.

It was 3 PM by the time they released him. I called in a couple of favors and the delays kept him there longer. Swollen knee, a small amount of torn cartledge, but no broken bones. Bruised ribs and a couple more minor physical things that would heal. Mr. Jock was no longer going to be Mr. Jock. He might have problem with that knee for the rest of his life.

wieliczka
wieliczka
803 Followers