Page 49 of Savagely Yours
“Dez, I’m glad you brought her when you did,” he said. “This is scarlet fever. Early on, it’s highly treatable with antibiotics, but at this stage, it’s trickier. Plus, her body’s not in any condition to fight off a cold, never mind an advanced strep infection. The puffiness and swelling? That could mean kidney involvement. The slow heart rate? Could be stress on the heart.”
“I can’t take her downstairs.”
He stood. “I’m not asking you to. I have people on staff I trust. We’ll set up here in this room. The more I talk to people, the more I realize I’m not surrounded by monsters. Everyone’s simply afraid that if they try to do the right thing, no one will back them up. That their efforts will be in vain. But, I promise you, we will help this woman.”
I nearly fell to my knees. “Thank you. And if anybody gives you a hard time or tries to question you, let me know. I’ll deal with them.”
They would provide me with an outlet for my rage.
“Oh, I hope they do.” A spark lit in his dark eyes. “Now, first things first, we have to break this fever and get her hydrated. I’ll need you to make ice packs. We’ll also rub her down with alcohol. What’s her name?”
“Larke.”
He glanced at me. “That’s the name you asked me about at your physical when you first got here. You mean to tell me that not only did you find her, but like this?”
“Yes.”
The word almost didn’t make it out of my mouth. I was holding on as best as I could, but I had nowhere to direct my fear, anger, or raw hatred for all those complicit in Fort Totten’s institutional sadism.
Dr. Lin gently tapped the back of Larke’s hand. “Start the ice packs. Fill reusable bags for now, and we’ll freeze some with salt and alcohol later. I’ll start the IV and get some ibuprofen and an antibiotic into her bloodstream. Do you know if she has any allergies?”
I knew everything about her.
It was once part of my job.
“Not to any medication, no,” I said.
“Okay. Good. Let’s get going.”
I went to the kitchen and filled as many resealable bags as possible, trying not to think about how she probably couldn’t even access sandwich bags and ice in Sanitation. It wasn’t the right time for me to lose control. Larke needed me to focus, to provide care for her until I dropped from exhaustion. So, I pushed my emotions aside, allowing them to simmer and stew. Once she was better, I would let them explode.
I returned to the bedroom.
We wrapped the bags in socks and placed them against her neck and underarms. While we worked, two additional members of Dr. Lin’s staff joined us, and he didn’t have to swear them to secrecy. They simply jumped into action, inadvertently forcing me into a corner, out of the way.
Not once did Larke wake up.
“Dr. Lin?—”
“She’s alive,” he quickly reassured me. “Just very sick. Her body needs the rest so badly that she can’t override it by waking up right now, but she’s alive. Because of the swelling, we’re going to insert a Foley.”
“A catheter?”
“Yes. We have to measure her urine output. We need to keep an eye on that kidney function. But you may have to change the bag?—”
“That’s not a problem.”
I remained out of the way until they were done.
Dr. Lin removed his gloves and stepped back, looking Larke over as if she were a nine-year-old. “There are better ways to do this, you know?” he said. “Why is the solution always tyranny?”
I stared at her until I was satisfied she was breathing.
“I can’t check on her every two to four hours as I normally would, so I’ll need your help,” he went on. “I’m going to leave you with a thermometer. If her fever spikes, you do not hesitate. Bring her to me. If she sounds like she’s having trouble breathing,bring her to me.I don’t care who sees. Just because members of this community have abandoned empathy, it doesn’t mean I will, nor will I abandon my oath. I’d also like for you to monitor her heart rate. I can show you h?—”
“I know how,” I said.
“Good. Stay here with her. In this room. This is the most critical window. She needs watching.”
