late and you really should be in bed. What do you need?”
Amber did not look up or make any response. Dave wondered if she were possibly sleep-walking. He turned to Janet and she nodded, signaling that she would take care of getting Amber back to bed. As Janet reached out for Amber’s shoulder, she stopped abruptly as if she had walked into an invisible wall. Her hand froze inches from Amber’s arm. Janet slowly turned to Dave, who instantly recognized a look of terror in her facial expression. She cautiously backed away from the motionless patient, whispering only two words.
“That smell. ”
Chapter Seven
Dave grabbed Janet and pulled her away from Amber. At the same moment Amber’s head jerked back and she let out a blood-curdling shriek. The whites of her eyes were a milky red like Luther’s, and her skin shared the same sickly gray color. She wore a grimaced expression, as if in pain. She began lurching frantically toward Janet with her arms raised and fingers clawing. Dave called for help and two orderlies came running. One was Eric, a young man of about twenty who had begun working at Eldemere about two weeks prior. The other was Chester. The four of them surrounded Amber in a tactical maneuver they had been taught for subduing violent patients. Despite facing a four-to-one disadvantage, Amber seemed unfazed. She did not speak, but her expression and mannerisms suggested a lack of general awareness. It was as if she were incapable of any thought other than to attack. Her attention switched from one staff member to the next, directing her lunges toward whoever seemed closest. She swiped out with her hands, trying to grab clothing, hair, or vulnerable limbs. As Amber staggered around in her erratic pursuit, the staff members kept their distance. As she moved, they remained in formation around her.
Dave gave the signal, and the staff members swooped in on Amber simultaneously. Everyone grabbed a limb. Eric and Chester each held an arm, while and Dave and Janet took the legs. Amber struggled, tugging her arms, trying to kick, and craning her neck toward her captors in an effort to bite. She snarled like a rabid dog, an analogy made even more appropriate by the pink foam that erupting from her mouth. Once she had been taken to the floor, Dave knelt on both her legs while the two orderlies each pinned an arm down.
Janet realized the restraint room was already occupied, and getting Amber transported to another ward’s restraint room would be too dangerous. She ran to the equipment room and fumbled in the dark for half a minute before finding the article she was searching for: the straitjacket. It was not ideal, but under these circumstances it was the only reasonable option. She grabbed a spit hood for additional measure, since spitting on staff had historically been Amber’s specialty. She hurried back to where Dave and the orderlies were holding Amber flat on the linoleum .
Dave saw the straitjacket and frowned. He realized it was their only choice, but dreaded the ordeal of actually getting the agitated patient into the device. Donning this particular version of straitjacket involved entering the garment through the back, threading the arms into the sleeves and then fastening the back of the jacket closed. Then the extra-long sleeves would be drawn down in a criss-cross at the hips and tied to straps at the back. The jacket would fit snugly in this arrangement, preventing the arms from being pulled out of the sleeves. The arms would be immobilized, but the head and legs would remain free to cause mayhem .
Janet readied the hood first, since Amber was actively trying to bite. Dave remained at the feet while Eric put one hand under Amber’s head to hold it off the floor. He held her arm down with his other hand. Janet slipped the hood over Amber’s head and folded a Velcro visor over Amber’s eyes to prevent her from seeing what was happening.
As Eric withdrew his hand from behind Amber’s head, he
Amber did not look up or make any response. Dave wondered if she were possibly sleep-walking. He turned to Janet and she nodded, signaling that she would take care of getting Amber back to bed. As Janet reached out for Amber’s shoulder, she stopped abruptly as if she had walked into an invisible wall. Her hand froze inches from Amber’s arm. Janet slowly turned to Dave, who instantly recognized a look of terror in her facial expression. She cautiously backed away from the motionless patient, whispering only two words.
“That smell. ”
Chapter Seven
Dave grabbed Janet and pulled her away from Amber. At the same moment Amber’s head jerked back and she let out a blood-curdling shriek. The whites of her eyes were a milky red like Luther’s, and her skin shared the same sickly gray color. She wore a grimaced expression, as if in pain. She began lurching frantically toward Janet with her arms raised and fingers clawing. Dave called for help and two orderlies came running. One was Eric, a young man of about twenty who had begun working at Eldemere about two weeks prior. The other was Chester. The four of them surrounded Amber in a tactical maneuver they had been taught for subduing violent patients. Despite facing a four-to-one disadvantage, Amber seemed unfazed. She did not speak, but her expression and mannerisms suggested a lack of general awareness. It was as if she were incapable of any thought other than to attack. Her attention switched from one staff member to the next, directing her lunges toward whoever seemed closest. She swiped out with her hands, trying to grab clothing, hair, or vulnerable limbs. As Amber staggered around in her erratic pursuit, the staff members kept their distance. As she moved, they remained in formation around her.
Dave gave the signal, and the staff members swooped in on Amber simultaneously. Everyone grabbed a limb. Eric and Chester each held an arm, while and Dave and Janet took the legs. Amber struggled, tugging her arms, trying to kick, and craning her neck toward her captors in an effort to bite. She snarled like a rabid dog, an analogy made even more appropriate by the pink foam that erupting from her mouth. Once she had been taken to the floor, Dave knelt on both her legs while the two orderlies each pinned an arm down.
Janet realized the restraint room was already occupied, and getting Amber transported to another ward’s restraint room would be too dangerous. She ran to the equipment room and fumbled in the dark for half a minute before finding the article she was searching for: the straitjacket. It was not ideal, but under these circumstances it was the only reasonable option. She grabbed a spit hood for additional measure, since spitting on staff had historically been Amber’s specialty. She hurried back to where Dave and the orderlies were holding Amber flat on the linoleum .
Dave saw the straitjacket and frowned. He realized it was their only choice, but dreaded the ordeal of actually getting the agitated patient into the device. Donning this particular version of straitjacket involved entering the garment through the back, threading the arms into the sleeves and then fastening the back of the jacket closed. Then the extra-long sleeves would be drawn down in a criss-cross at the hips and tied to straps at the back. The jacket would fit snugly in this arrangement, preventing the arms from being pulled out of the sleeves. The arms would be immobilized, but the head and legs would remain free to cause mayhem .
Janet readied the hood first, since Amber was actively trying to bite. Dave remained at the feet while Eric put one hand under Amber’s head to hold it off the floor. He held her arm down with his other hand. Janet slipped the hood over Amber’s head and folded a Velcro visor over Amber’s eyes to prevent her from seeing what was happening.
As Eric withdrew his hand from behind Amber’s head, he
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