Read Online Nirvana Effect by Craig Gehring - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Craig Gehring
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mother calmed herself , and Callista edged past her to the boy . She pricked his finger and tested the blood. The results were conclusive almost instantly.
He’s in a diabetic coma.
Callista pointed at the child, then made a sleeping motion, then pointed at her wristwatch with an upturned eyebrow and a shrug. The woman didn’t understand. Callista needed to know how long he’d been out. She sighed. It was irrelevant, anyway. The treatment would be the same.
Callista made a “stay here” motion. The mother nodded. Callista sprinted down the hall to the medicine closet. She pulled out the IV equipment and hauled everything back to the room.
The woman was stroking her son’s hair . Her tears splashed his face. She was still trying to choke back her sobs.
Callista hooked up the IV. The woman restrained herself from another reaction to protect her son. She was terrified, though, whimpering and moaning.
Knowles checked the boy’s vitals every half hour.
It was an exhausting night. The three never left the room. Knowles sat in her swivel stool, watching the boy breathe and the mother hover. At any moment, with his blood sugar that low, he could go into cardiac arrest. She had to be ready to resuscitate him the instant she didn’t see those little lungs rise and fall.
The woman caressed his face and brushed his hair. She kept muttering to herself in a foreign dialect.
Callista felt an empty edge as the adrenaline drained from her body. It would be easy to fall asleep now, were there not a little native boy half-dead on her exam table . Tonight would not be a question of what would be nice or comfortable, but rather a question of what is necessary.
The doctor had no one to relieve her. She would stay with the boy until he was no longer critical. Time was not a factor. In the little exam room, with the door closed and the mother pacing , the world seemed timeless.
Callista kept counting breaths. She forced herself to stop looking at her watch.
At six in the morning, the boy’s chest stopped.
Callista was shocked. She launched out of her swivel chair to the boy. His blood sugar had bounced to a livable range. As the night gave way to morning, Callista had been sure of recovery.
The mother panicked at Callista’s sudden motion. She gasped and rushed to her son’s side.
Before Callista could reach him, The boy took a deep, grasping breath. His eyes popped open. He tried to rol l to his side.
The woman grabbed her son and hugged him fiercely. She kept squeezing him, crying and yelling aloud. The boy didn’t say anything, but tried to squeeze her back.
He looked around the room . He saw Callista and pulled back. The woman glanced from her son to see what he was reacting to, then muttered to him soothingly .
He looked at her dazedly, then back up to Callista. He smiled a weak, toothy grin. He hugged his mother again.
Callista couldn’t help but smile. She was so tired her bones ached, but she still felt the rush. That boy is alive. The little family was smiling now. The mother still hadn’t stopped crying . She held her forehead to her son’s forehead. This is why I do medicine.
After a while, the native woman nodded at Callista. They did not share a language, but no words were necessary . Callista got a pillow and propped it under the boy’s head, motioning that he should go back to sleep.
The little boy started snoring quietly. The woman hugged Callista. Callista hugged her back. The woman started crying once more . She cried hysterically. Callista didn’t let her go from their embrace until she had cried it all out.
Though Callista ha d never had a child, she knew exactly how the mother felt.
10
Once Edward finally slept, it was difficult for him to pull out of it. He would return to consciousness for only moments at a time. Tomy putting a cup to his mou th. A
He’s in a diabetic coma.
Callista pointed at the child, then made a sleeping motion, then pointed at her wristwatch with an upturned eyebrow and a shrug. The woman didn’t understand. Callista needed to know how long he’d been out. She sighed. It was irrelevant, anyway. The treatment would be the same.
Callista made a “stay here” motion. The mother nodded. Callista sprinted down the hall to the medicine closet. She pulled out the IV equipment and hauled everything back to the room.
The woman was stroking her son’s hair . Her tears splashed his face. She was still trying to choke back her sobs.
Callista hooked up the IV. The woman restrained herself from another reaction to protect her son. She was terrified, though, whimpering and moaning.
Knowles checked the boy’s vitals every half hour.
It was an exhausting night. The three never left the room. Knowles sat in her swivel stool, watching the boy breathe and the mother hover. At any moment, with his blood sugar that low, he could go into cardiac arrest. She had to be ready to resuscitate him the instant she didn’t see those little lungs rise and fall.
The woman caressed his face and brushed his hair. She kept muttering to herself in a foreign dialect.
Callista felt an empty edge as the adrenaline drained from her body. It would be easy to fall asleep now, were there not a little native boy half-dead on her exam table . Tonight would not be a question of what would be nice or comfortable, but rather a question of what is necessary.
The doctor had no one to relieve her. She would stay with the boy until he was no longer critical. Time was not a factor. In the little exam room, with the door closed and the mother pacing , the world seemed timeless.
Callista kept counting breaths. She forced herself to stop looking at her watch.
At six in the morning, the boy’s chest stopped.
Callista was shocked. She launched out of her swivel chair to the boy. His blood sugar had bounced to a livable range. As the night gave way to morning, Callista had been sure of recovery.
The mother panicked at Callista’s sudden motion. She gasped and rushed to her son’s side.
Before Callista could reach him, The boy took a deep, grasping breath. His eyes popped open. He tried to rol l to his side.
The woman grabbed her son and hugged him fiercely. She kept squeezing him, crying and yelling aloud. The boy didn’t say anything, but tried to squeeze her back.
He looked around the room . He saw Callista and pulled back. The woman glanced from her son to see what he was reacting to, then muttered to him soothingly .
He looked at her dazedly, then back up to Callista. He smiled a weak, toothy grin. He hugged his mother again.
Callista couldn’t help but smile. She was so tired her bones ached, but she still felt the rush. That boy is alive. The little family was smiling now. The mother still hadn’t stopped crying . She held her forehead to her son’s forehead. This is why I do medicine.
After a while, the native woman nodded at Callista. They did not share a language, but no words were necessary . Callista got a pillow and propped it under the boy’s head, motioning that he should go back to sleep.
The little boy started snoring quietly. The woman hugged Callista. Callista hugged her back. The woman started crying once more . She cried hysterically. Callista didn’t let her go from their embrace until she had cried it all out.
Though Callista ha d never had a child, she knew exactly how the mother felt.
10
Once Edward finally slept, it was difficult for him to pull out of it. He would return to consciousness for only moments at a time. Tomy putting a cup to his mou th. A
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