Infection Runs Deep

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: SITREP

A snap near my ear jolted me awake. A blue glove being pulled onto a yellow sleeve. Who was wearing yellow in our group? The figure rolled around the table, her footsteps swift. Elizabeth looked like a real doctor. She had on a yellow surgery gown, her hair twisted high up out of her face.

"How long was I out?" I groaned.

"Not long," she said with her back to me. A big bottle of brownish liquid swished in her hand as she turned. "Less than a minute. The pain was just a lot for your body." She set the bottle on the table, exchanging it for a pair of scissors. "I hope you don't like your outfit too much," she said as she cut my shirt off.

Very gently, she peeled the fabric away from my wound. "You've lost a lot of blood. I need to see if I put in an IV."

She sloshed some of the brown liquid in the corner of my elbow, smearing it with a piece of gauze. "Ian, grab that metal thing that looks like a coat rack." She pointed just behind him. "Warner, check the cabinet behind you and look for clear bags with clear liquid. It looks like bagged water."

Warner rummaged, brandishing two bags. "These?"

Elizabeth looked up from opening packages and prepping what looked to be some sort of needle. "Yes. What does the label say?"

He looked at them like they were on fire, holding them away from his body. "One says 5% dextrose and the other says 0.9% sodium chloride--"

"The second one," EIizabeth commanded. "Hang it on the coat rack, but leave it closed. Then, bring the coat rack over here."

Warner looked confused, but did as she asked. She held up some clear tubing, muttering and cursing as she tried to get it set up. After attaching some tubing to the bag, she picked up a blue rubber band. She tied it tight around my arm before attempting to stick me with a needle.

"Thank God you have good veins." She slid the needle into my arm, satisfied that she got it on the first try. Given that she was a doctor, I would be surprised if she didn't.

"Is it usually harder than that?" Ian asked, standing awkwardly next to Warner as they awaited more commands.

Elizabeth twisted a tube into the needle in my arm, darting over to the coat rack to adjust the settings. "Yes, much more. It's hard to find a vein, let alone get it right away. I don't do it that often since I am not a phlebotomist or a nurse. I'm just glad it's in." She turned her attention to me. "How are you feeling? And don't give me any bullshit right now. I need to know."

I raised my hands in surrender, keeping my shoulder immobilized. "Like hell, honestly."

"Dizziness? Nausea? Blurred vision?"

"Not anymore. It just feels like my shoulder is on fire."

She nodded, taking mental notes. "You probably need a blood transfusion, but I don't know where to get any blood. Hopefully the IV will be enough to stave it off. I'm going to deal with your actual wound now."

She put more of the brown stuff on some gauze. "What is that?" Ian asked, fascinated.

"You are full of questions today." She smeared it on my shoulder around the wound, careful not to get it in the wound. It still made me wince. "It's betadine. An antiseptic." She frowned at the wound. "I'm debating taking out the bullet."

"You'd leave it in there?" Ian said, confused. "Forever?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, it happens all the time. I'm just worried that the bullet might cause more damage if we leave it in, just based off of its location. Ideally, I'd get an x-ray, but there's no power. I can't even get Luke's vitals up on the monitor."