Read Online Silent Fear, a Medical Mystery by Barbara Ebel - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Ebel
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with a little human being who couldn’t talk, yet could scream like the backdrop for a horror movie? That’s what he had allowed to happen in his own place. The wailing from his guest bedroom was analogous to screeching from some species living on the forest floor.
“Crap,” he shouted. He stormed across the kitchen, threw the bedroom door further open, smashing it into the wall, and ended beside the crib. Shut up, he silently said as he grabbed Julia’s arm. But she didn’t. His temper swallowed his thoughts as he went for her arm. His hand encircled her soft puffy baby arm and he shook. But that wasn’t enough for him as her eyes registered shock. The veins around Leo’s temples bulged and his biceps stiffened as he jerked again and again on the arm of the baby that had done nothing wrong.
Chapter 6
On Saturday morning Danny arrived at the hospital with plenty of time to spare. Dakota had demanded bedside attention a half hour earlier than normal, making Danny think Dakota needed to go out, so he relented and got up. It wasn’t such a bad day to be on call after all. A late summer rain made for a dreary morning and clouds began stacking up with malicious intent.
To Danny’s pleasant surprise, he still had only two surgeries booked as well as the group’s in-house patients to see. His first case was one of Harold’s back patients who couldn’t wait for Harold’s return to work. Danny did the fewest in his group, but he could put people back on their feet without sciatica as well as his colleagues. He sat in the doctor’s lounge with a bowl of cereal and coffee. As he turned a page in The Tennessean, he heard a familiar voice.
“Danny, can I join you?”
Danny looked up at Bill Patogue’s wide grin and thick glasses. At forty-two and natty in a bow tie, the internist looked a decade younger.
“Sure, Bill,” Danny said. He pointed to the scarlet red tie. “You must be a Louisville Cardinals fan. You’re not wearing Tennessee orange.”
Bill shook his head. “My tie colors don’t make sport’s statements unless we’re in March madness or it’s a holiday.”
Danny laughed. “I could use some color, Bill. What color stands for ‘stay out of trouble’?”
Bill put down a small plate, waved off the comment dismissively, and pulled in his chair. “I’m rounding soon on Harold and my growing list of consults. Did you know that hospital bed admissions are almost full?”
“Really? That means I could have a quiet day on call. If they get full, they’d have to divert emergencies to other hospitals.”
“The growing admissions seem to be medical.” Bill buttered his toast and opened a packet of marmalade. “Anyway, I never got back to you about Harold.” He shook his head and leaned in closer to Danny so he could be heard over the blaring TV. “He’s unconscious. The blood and urine results aren’t conclusive and nothing’s amiss with x-rays of his chest. Blood and sputum cultures are pending. I don’t want to waste any time, so what do you think about getting a brain MRI?”
Danny sighed. In reflective thought, he stayed quiet for a moment and stared at his cereal. This seemed so unreal. Harold had been fine and he had no health issues which would have made him susceptible to a unique malady. Danny snapped out of his pensive look. “Sure. Let’s do it. When it’s done, I’ll take a look with you.”
“All right. Even though it’s a Saturday, I’m going to stick around a bit. I’ll call you when it’s finished, it may be this afternoon.”
Danny fiddled with the spoon in his raisin bran and glanced at his watch. “It’s discomforting that one of our own is sick. As we know, medical people have the worst luck and outcomes.”
“I hear you. My consult to see this morning works here in the OR. She’s apparently confused, with a headache and muscle weakness. It’s not even flu season.”
“What’s her name?”
“Dotty Jackson, do you know her?”
“She’s
“Crap,” he shouted. He stormed across the kitchen, threw the bedroom door further open, smashing it into the wall, and ended beside the crib. Shut up, he silently said as he grabbed Julia’s arm. But she didn’t. His temper swallowed his thoughts as he went for her arm. His hand encircled her soft puffy baby arm and he shook. But that wasn’t enough for him as her eyes registered shock. The veins around Leo’s temples bulged and his biceps stiffened as he jerked again and again on the arm of the baby that had done nothing wrong.
Chapter 6
On Saturday morning Danny arrived at the hospital with plenty of time to spare. Dakota had demanded bedside attention a half hour earlier than normal, making Danny think Dakota needed to go out, so he relented and got up. It wasn’t such a bad day to be on call after all. A late summer rain made for a dreary morning and clouds began stacking up with malicious intent.
To Danny’s pleasant surprise, he still had only two surgeries booked as well as the group’s in-house patients to see. His first case was one of Harold’s back patients who couldn’t wait for Harold’s return to work. Danny did the fewest in his group, but he could put people back on their feet without sciatica as well as his colleagues. He sat in the doctor’s lounge with a bowl of cereal and coffee. As he turned a page in The Tennessean, he heard a familiar voice.
“Danny, can I join you?”
Danny looked up at Bill Patogue’s wide grin and thick glasses. At forty-two and natty in a bow tie, the internist looked a decade younger.
“Sure, Bill,” Danny said. He pointed to the scarlet red tie. “You must be a Louisville Cardinals fan. You’re not wearing Tennessee orange.”
Bill shook his head. “My tie colors don’t make sport’s statements unless we’re in March madness or it’s a holiday.”
Danny laughed. “I could use some color, Bill. What color stands for ‘stay out of trouble’?”
Bill put down a small plate, waved off the comment dismissively, and pulled in his chair. “I’m rounding soon on Harold and my growing list of consults. Did you know that hospital bed admissions are almost full?”
“Really? That means I could have a quiet day on call. If they get full, they’d have to divert emergencies to other hospitals.”
“The growing admissions seem to be medical.” Bill buttered his toast and opened a packet of marmalade. “Anyway, I never got back to you about Harold.” He shook his head and leaned in closer to Danny so he could be heard over the blaring TV. “He’s unconscious. The blood and urine results aren’t conclusive and nothing’s amiss with x-rays of his chest. Blood and sputum cultures are pending. I don’t want to waste any time, so what do you think about getting a brain MRI?”
Danny sighed. In reflective thought, he stayed quiet for a moment and stared at his cereal. This seemed so unreal. Harold had been fine and he had no health issues which would have made him susceptible to a unique malady. Danny snapped out of his pensive look. “Sure. Let’s do it. When it’s done, I’ll take a look with you.”
“All right. Even though it’s a Saturday, I’m going to stick around a bit. I’ll call you when it’s finished, it may be this afternoon.”
Danny fiddled with the spoon in his raisin bran and glanced at his watch. “It’s discomforting that one of our own is sick. As we know, medical people have the worst luck and outcomes.”
“I hear you. My consult to see this morning works here in the OR. She’s apparently confused, with a headache and muscle weakness. It’s not even flu season.”
“What’s her name?”
“Dotty Jackson, do you know her?”
“She’s
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