Read Online Becoming Ellen by Shari Shattuck - Free Book Online Page B

Now a little box asked her for a patient name.
    Ellen typed
c-a-r-s-o-n
.
    The machine flitted, and then offered her three choices. Armin A. Carson, Jeffery Clark Carson, and Madeline Carson. Ellen clicked on the last one and a file appeared.
    The first thing on the file was the name and a number. L-346. Ellen began to scan below it. There appeared to be lists of drugs, treatments, times and dates of personnel who had worked on this patient, and then Ellen saw a few sentences that didn’t seem to be in Arabic. It was a report written by a doctor.
    The patient was admitted with extreme spinal trauma with damage to the
(a whole bunch of words that Ellen assumed described parts of Madeline Carson’s body or spine)
she was unresponsive, but her vital signs were strong. She was sent to surgery where Smith and Valripieri performed a
(more technical stuff)
and was sent to the spinal wing to await recovery. As of 1-16 at 9:15 p.m. there has been very little discernable nerve response and the patient has not recovered full consciousness. Prognosis, partial paralysis of the
(mumbo jumbo)
and permanent nerve damage. Patient has no medical coverage. Recommendation, transfer to a state facility.
    Ellen sat back and stared at the evil words.
    Partial paralysis. Nerve damage.
And worst of all,
state facility
.
    She hit the home button and was infinitely relieved to see the screen that Amanda had been looking at when they came in.
    She heard Temerity talking loudly in the hall, more loudly than was necessary. “So, in conclusion,” Temerity said as they came to a stop and she reached out to feel for the doorway, “I’m offering a swift kick in the butt, if you feel you require assistance.”
    Amanda laughed. “He worries about leaving you alone.”
    â€œCrazy, right? Who could be more capable than me? Why, just this morning I made a citizen’s arrest of a carjacker. Though in retrospect, it might have been
her
car, based on the fact that she had the keys and I heard the kid in the back call her Mommy. Let’s go, Ellen.”
    They said good-bye and started for the elevator banks. “Did you find it?” Temerity hissed.
    Ellen wanted to say no, to say that she hadn’t found anything. More than that, she wanted to have
not
found anything, but it was too late for that.
    â€œYes. I found it.”
    â€œShe’s here?”
    Ellen looked at Temerity’s happy face. She hated crushing that hope. But there was only one answer she could give. She exhaled forcibly and said, “Yes, she’s here.”
    â€œGreat!”
    â€œBut not for long.”
    â€œGreat,” Temerity repeated. It sounded like a completely different word.

6
    T he “wing” turned out to be a detached building. Ellen and Temerity went up to the third floor and found a kind of covered walkway that took them right over the busy street below. There was no separate security for the spinal wing from this entry, the logic being, Ellen supposed, that you’d already passed muster if you made it this far.
    L-346 was on the same floor. They found the ward quickly and quietly because the halls were mostly deserted but well marked. There was no door that closed off the large ward from the hallway, only a wide opening. As they came to a stop in it, Ellen could feel her friend’s hand tighten on her shoulder in anticipation. “What do we have here?” Temerity asked in a low voice.
    â€œThere are two rows of beds,” Ellen whispered. “Five on each side, and lots of . . . machinery.”
    Temerity blew air through her pursed lips, in an obvious effort at staying calm. “Life support. Some of them anyway, I’m guessing. Others may just be monitors. Is anyone else here?”
    â€œNo hospital staff, if that’s what you mean.”
    â€œOkay, let’s go, bwana.”
    â€œLet’s go . . . what?” Ellen was confused. Temerity often used words she