Read Online Yankee Surgeon by Elizabeth Gilzean - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Gilzean
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some expedition where women aren ’ t allowed!”
“George, you were going to tell me about a case,” Sally steered him back to duty gently.
“So I was. It ’ s multiple lacerations ... patient ’ s a young lady. How soon can you put out the welcome mat for us?”
Sally thought quickly. All the fine skin instruments were kept in the sharps tray already sterile and they would only need rinsing.
“If you would call Deputy Night Sister for me, I can be ready in ten minutes. She ’ ll send me a nurse from one of the wards.” Sally was pulling off her cuffs as she spoke.
“Leave it to George. Good girl, and find a comfortable stool for your Uncle ... he ’ s not as young as he was.”
Sally glanced into the surgeons ’ room to check that three neat little piles of surgical clothing were on the table before hurrying along to the staff room to slip out of her uniform and into her short-sleeved frock. It took only a minute to put on her cap and she was tying the strings of her mask as she went into the theater.
Her thoughts directed her movements along well-trained tracks. Then the click of the elevator gates warned her that the patient and or the surgical team were approaching, and the clock said that nine and a half minutes had passed.
The nurse from Mary Ward came through the door as Sally went over to the scrubbing-up sink.
“What would you like me to do, Staff Nurse?” She sounded breathless. “Sorry I couldn ’ t get up to help you sooner but we had an admission just after supper.”
“That ’ s all right. You could prepare another sterile bowl and then tie me in. After that, you had better relieve the nurse from Casualty in the anesthetic room. I don ’ t suppose they ’ ve got a ward nurse with her.”
George came in and joined Sally at the sink. He glanced around approvingly.
“You get faster every time! If I didn ’ t natter to you first there wouldn ’ t even be long enough for the pre-medication to work. How do you manage it?”
Sally ’ s eyebrows lifted in mock surprise. “It ’ s system that does it! If you had a bit more in your department you would be tucked up in your bed this very minute.”
“Those are harsh words, you know. Would you really want me to turn Claris loose on this when we haven ’ t really seen her at work yet?”
Sally shrugged her shoulders. “No, not tonight, but what ’ s happened to the R.S.O.?”
George sighed. “He ’ s just had a baby and isn ’ t quite up to it at the moment.”
“Since when has Midwifery moved over to the surgical block?” Sally demanded.
George sighed even louder. “I meant his wife has had the baby and he ’ s rather the worse for wear ... if you get me.”
Sally snorted. “I do ... and you ’ re standing in for the R.S.O. on the surgical side and you ’ re standing in for Claris in Casualty. I hope you ’ ve reserved yourself a bed in the neuro wing ... your head needs seeing to!”
The theater doors were hooked back at that moment and Sally could see the little group in the anesthetic room making their final moves before coming into theater. The nurse from Mary Ward tied the tapes on her sterile gown and then tied George ’ s as well before hurrying to take one end of the patient ’ s trolley.
Sally busied herself at her ligature tray, breaking the glass ampoules of sutures and putting the gossamer strands each with its tiny needle between the folds of a sterile towel. George came and stood beside her as she rinsed and arranged the delicate instruments.
“Got a second pair of skin hooks? We might need them.”
“Is someone else going to scrub as well? I ’ ve only got two hands,” Sally reminded him softly.
“Never mind, we ’ ll manage ... unless I send for John B.,” George said reluctantly.
Sally glanced down at the girl who had been lifted on to the theater table. She couldn ’ t have been more than seventeen or eighteen and she must have been pretty ... judging by the fair curls that had
“George, you were going to tell me about a case,” Sally steered him back to duty gently.
“So I was. It ’ s multiple lacerations ... patient ’ s a young lady. How soon can you put out the welcome mat for us?”
Sally thought quickly. All the fine skin instruments were kept in the sharps tray already sterile and they would only need rinsing.
“If you would call Deputy Night Sister for me, I can be ready in ten minutes. She ’ ll send me a nurse from one of the wards.” Sally was pulling off her cuffs as she spoke.
“Leave it to George. Good girl, and find a comfortable stool for your Uncle ... he ’ s not as young as he was.”
Sally glanced into the surgeons ’ room to check that three neat little piles of surgical clothing were on the table before hurrying along to the staff room to slip out of her uniform and into her short-sleeved frock. It took only a minute to put on her cap and she was tying the strings of her mask as she went into the theater.
Her thoughts directed her movements along well-trained tracks. Then the click of the elevator gates warned her that the patient and or the surgical team were approaching, and the clock said that nine and a half minutes had passed.
The nurse from Mary Ward came through the door as Sally went over to the scrubbing-up sink.
“What would you like me to do, Staff Nurse?” She sounded breathless. “Sorry I couldn ’ t get up to help you sooner but we had an admission just after supper.”
“That ’ s all right. You could prepare another sterile bowl and then tie me in. After that, you had better relieve the nurse from Casualty in the anesthetic room. I don ’ t suppose they ’ ve got a ward nurse with her.”
George came in and joined Sally at the sink. He glanced around approvingly.
“You get faster every time! If I didn ’ t natter to you first there wouldn ’ t even be long enough for the pre-medication to work. How do you manage it?”
Sally ’ s eyebrows lifted in mock surprise. “It ’ s system that does it! If you had a bit more in your department you would be tucked up in your bed this very minute.”
“Those are harsh words, you know. Would you really want me to turn Claris loose on this when we haven ’ t really seen her at work yet?”
Sally shrugged her shoulders. “No, not tonight, but what ’ s happened to the R.S.O.?”
George sighed. “He ’ s just had a baby and isn ’ t quite up to it at the moment.”
“Since when has Midwifery moved over to the surgical block?” Sally demanded.
George sighed even louder. “I meant his wife has had the baby and he ’ s rather the worse for wear ... if you get me.”
Sally snorted. “I do ... and you ’ re standing in for the R.S.O. on the surgical side and you ’ re standing in for Claris in Casualty. I hope you ’ ve reserved yourself a bed in the neuro wing ... your head needs seeing to!”
The theater doors were hooked back at that moment and Sally could see the little group in the anesthetic room making their final moves before coming into theater. The nurse from Mary Ward tied the tapes on her sterile gown and then tied George ’ s as well before hurrying to take one end of the patient ’ s trolley.
Sally busied herself at her ligature tray, breaking the glass ampoules of sutures and putting the gossamer strands each with its tiny needle between the folds of a sterile towel. George came and stood beside her as she rinsed and arranged the delicate instruments.
“Got a second pair of skin hooks? We might need them.”
“Is someone else going to scrub as well? I ’ ve only got two hands,” Sally reminded him softly.
“Never mind, we ’ ll manage ... unless I send for John B.,” George said reluctantly.
Sally glanced down at the girl who had been lifted on to the theater table. She couldn ’ t have been more than seventeen or eighteen and she must have been pretty ... judging by the fair curls that had
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