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“Female RTC, aged twenty-two. Lacerations to the forearm and head. Probable clavicle fracture and her shoulder looks a bit dislocated. Patient remains unresponsive to questions, yet alert.” Xavier Duval gently pushes on the young patient’s abdomen, “Lets get a line in of fluids and I’m going to need some bloods drawn.”
“What do you need?” Donna Jackson assists, applying a blood pressure monitor to her upper arm as well as a pulse oximeter to her finger. “Charlotte, my name is Donna and this is Dr. Duval. You’re in safe hands.” She offers her a reassuring smile.
Xav feels a bit lower, pausing a moment, “CBC, BAC, LFT, hCG, and I’m going to need a scan.” He glances back to the patient, “Is there a chance you’re pregnant?” Of course, the young woman doesn’t respond, “It helps us plan a course of action. I know you’re scared and that’s okay, but this is something we need to know. An x-ray while pregnant can put your child at greater risk for childhood cancers due to the radiation.” He sighs a little, “Put a rush on the bloods, please, Donna.”
“Ric should be out of surgery shortly. Ms. Campbell is due in at any point now.” She nods, inserting the line into the young woman’s bloodied arm. “Your partner, I believe is in the hall. Would you like for me to get him?” Noticing the look change to fear on the young woman’s face, she nods, “Okay. It’s okay. I’ll tell him that he can’t see you now. I can use my nurse-powers that way.”
The doctor smirks a bit, amused by his nurse’s ability to put her patients at ease. “Let’s play this safe. I’ll give her an abdominal ultrasound to rule out any fluid build up, which will also give us the answer to that hCG. I need imaging done on that shoulder though.” He nods, seeing as the patient’s significant other attempts to push his way into the room, “You can’t be in here, mate.”
“I can. I pay taxes just like everyone else. This is my fiance.” A buff, tallish man with a set of light hazel eyes and olive toned skin, calls into the room. He tries to push past the other people trying to keep him out, “Char, you okay? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine, but the doctor said that you need to wait outside and I’m inclined to agree with him.” Donna turns, meeting eyes with the man, “Or I can call security, your choice.”
The man stops struggling, sighing, “I’ll be back later, Char. Everything will be alright.” He leaves in a huff, putting his hands up in resignation to the staffers blocking him from the room.
“Family member?” Serena Campbell just so happens to enter through the double doors at that moment, her black wool jacket wrapped around her and leather satchel in hand. She notices his slight nod before she continues, “I can assure you that our AAU staff members go above and beyond the call of duty every waking hour. You haven’t anything to worry about.”
He nods a little, “Thank you for your kind words.” He outstretches his muscular arm to offer her his hand, “Anders Hero, my fiance is in there.”
She nods a little, taking his handshake, “Serena Campbell. Let me just set these things down and I’ll go check on your partner.” The consultant enters her office, noticing the young man hanging around the doorway.
“We were a car accident. They hit her side.” Anders explains, nodding a little. He’s a bit older, in his forties, but his muscular athletic build making it possible for him to appear younger. “I just...I just want to know if she’s going to be okay. That’s all...and they tossed me out.”
“Well, they would have done so for many reasons, but just know that without you in the room, it means they can give your partner their undivided attention.” Serena sighs a little, wishing for a moment’s peace before jumping feet first into her work day. “You’ll need to stay out here, but I’ll send someone out to you when we’re able.”
“Thanks, Ms. Campbell.”
She gives him a wink before pushing her way into the room, “What do we have here?” She listens to her registrar run through things, watching as Donna leaves, but finds herself staring at the young patient’s familiar face. “What’s her name?”
“This is Charlotte...Charlotte Dunn.” Xav nods, “I’m waiting for them to bring the portable ultrasound in so that we can have a better look at her abdomen...and rule out the need for hCG bloods.” He quickly makes eye contact with his superior, “Ms. Campbell?”
“Okay, that sounds like a plan.” Serena folds her arms, knowing this is her Bernie’s flesh and blood. She begins thinking of all the times Bernie attempted to call her daughter when she was in town and they would go unanswered. She feels her chest for her penlight, but realizes she had forgotten it in her office, “Mr. Duval, your torch, please?” She holds her hand out, moving closer once the registrar moves away and places his device in her hand. “Charlotte, my name is Serena Campbell. I’m the chief consultant on AAU. Have you eaten recently?”
“She hasn’t been answering questions...but her eyes say all that needs to be said.”
“I’d say.” They were Bernie’s eyes. Everything looked like her mother, with exception to the hair, which was just a darker tone of the blond she’s inherited from her mother. She shines the device in the young woman’s eyes, checking for bleeding. Ever since her own daughter’s accident, this is one of the things she checks first with every RTC brought in. Out of habit, really. “No bleeding in the back of the eyes, I’d say the head imaging can be held off.”
Xav pauses, “So her periorbital hematomas are from before the accident.” He says quietly to himself, garnering the consultant’s attention, he shakes his head for her to continue with the patient.
“Let’s get her a sling for the arm and stitch up these other few wounds.” Serena brings her stethoscope from around her neck, placing the ear pieces to her ears, “Are you able to sit up, Charlotte?”
“She has at least two broken ribs. That should be quite-”
“Okay, side roll, then.” She lets one of the other nurses help, “This will only be for a moment.” She places the doppler to the young woman’s back, listening for breath sounds, “Has she been given any pain management?”
“Not yet. I want to do the ultrasound first.” Xav explains, noticing there’s something the consultant is hiding from him. He places a hand on Serena’s arm, pointing to various bruises covering the young woman’s back, some old and some new. “After the ultrasound, I’d really like to discuss treatment options with you, if that’s okay. I could use additional input from my own.”
“Smashing idea, Dr. Duval.” Serena helps the young woman roll back over to her back, just looking at her eyes, “Um...” She swallows, realizing she’s losing herself again as she picks her head up quickly, “Let’s get this neck brace off...I don’t think we have anything-” She pauses, seeing the definite marks around the young woman’s neck of attempted strangulation, “-to worry about.”
“He’s in the hall.” Xav says very quietly near the consultant’s ear, downcast.
“I’m aware.” Serena nods, “I’ll take care of it.”