Page 2 of Savage Peril

“Remove his slacks. I’ll have to inject into his thigh muscle.” Lori started preparing the injection, adjusting the dose to one appropriate for a man of his size.

Then Lori looked at Marco. His eyelids were swollen but not completely closed. “You’re having a severe allergic reaction. I’m going to give you an injection. This is adrenaline, and it will bring you out of shock. Your symptoms should abate.”

Marco looked at her, clearly suffering.

“I won’t kid you; this is going to hurt. In a hospital, there are alternatives. But injecting into your leg muscle is the best option we have here.” Lori didn’t see the need to mention that if the situation deteriorated, there was a risk that she’d have to open his airways with an incision.

The flight attendant held Marco’s leg stable while Lori administered the injection. Then she gave Marco a look of encouragement. As the epinephrine began to work, Marco began to breathe easier. After a few deep breaths, he said through swollen lips, “Shit…I thought I was going to die.”

Lori took his hand. “Fortunately, the emergency kit had what we needed. Sorry, it was a bit rough, but it worked.”

“I owe you my life,” Marco said between deep breaths.

“That’s what doctors do,” Lori said. “When you get to the hospital, you’ll be given more epinephrine intravenously. What I’ve given you will last until you get there, so don’t worry.”

“We’re only thirty minutes from the airport,” the flight attendant said. “An ambulance is waiting and ready.” Then she spoke on the intercom to let the pilot know that the situation was under control.

“I’ll stay with you until you deplane,” Lori said. “I’ll monitor your heart and breathing.”

“My throat is better,” Marco said. “It was so swollen it felt like there was a tight band around my neck.”

“Yes, I can imagine so,” Lori said. “Do you have any idea what the allergen was?”

“I can’t say for sure.” Marco was talking, if in a labored fashion. “I wasn’t aware of anything that I’d react to. I did have food at the snack bar before the flight. I’m allergic to peanuts, but I’m always careful about that.”

“That could have been it,” Lori said. “There might have been undetected peanuts. Or food that was made on equipment that also processes peanuts.”

“I started to feel ill while boarding,” Marco said. “Then it got worse and worse. I realized it was serious and managed to buzz for the flight attendant.”

“It’s good she called for a doctor right away.”

“That really gave me a scare,” Marco said. “Yesterday, I was well when I flew to the Houston Pain Clinic for a meeting.”

“I was there, too,” Lori said. “But I was at the conference giving a speech.”

For the remainder of the flight, Lori talked with her patient. Now that he was out of immediate danger, she distracted him with conversation. His appearance was professional. The polo shirt and nice slacks, plus the good haircut, spoke of respectability.

“I’m an attorney,” Marco said, then he pulled a card from his pocket.

“Always prepared, huh?” Lori said, examining the card. Embossed in gold was Bacci & Associates. The office was in Santa Monica.

“That’s my firm,” Marco said. “If you need legal counsel, give me a call.”

“I don’t plan to,” Lori said. “But thanks. How are you feeling?”

“Like a million bucks.”

“I like a man with a sense of humor,” Lori said. She wrapped a cuff around his bicep and inflated it, then read the gauge. “Your blood pressure has improved. Earlier, it was extremely low, which happens with this type of incident.”

“I heard you say that you run the Waters clinic?”

“My father used to…” Lori’s personal life came crashing back. “He…passed away. So, now I’m in charge.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Marco said. “About your father, I mean.”

“We’re going to land in a few minutes,” the flight attendant said to Lori. “You should sit in the seat next to me and buckle in.”

*****

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