Page 10 of Caught in Time
“Now,” he added, smiling at Charlotte, “if I haven’t scared you away, may I give you a tour of the hospital?”
“I... Of course, Doctor.” He wondered at the toneless voice—at the way her eyes avoided his direct gaze. She seemed ... different, somehow, today. Was it the thought of working with him as her superior that made her act so strangely?
Suddenly, Anabelle’s cheerful voice shattered Spencer’s reverie.
“Well, I must be getting along to the school now, so I’ll say my farewells. I’m sure that Charlotte will prove herself to be indispensable to you, Doctor Abbott. Have a wonderful time, my dear,” Annabelle interrupted.
“Ah, yes, I suppose your students need you Miss Annabelle,” Spencer replied, cordially.
“Farewell!”
****
Hospital?
The term, in her opinion, scarcely applied. The building consisted of a large over-filled ward on the fourth floor. A room toward the back served as an operating room. There were a few small offices for the physicians and officers, and a couple of even smaller rooms where the doctors on duty could catch a few hours of sleep. With all the windows tightly closed, and filthy, a more desolate place she’d never seen. But it wasn’t just the forlorn misery pervading every corner, but the smell.
Death.
Death had a very distinct odor, one Charlotte could never quite describe but never failed to recognize, and thishospitalreeked of it.
“This place is beyond belief,” she said, sweeping her eyes across the very large ward. “Completely unacceptable.”
“Excuse me?” Spencer sounded more than a little incredulous.
“This,” she gestured broadly to the ward, “is totally unsatisfactory. When is the last time the floor has been so much as swept, let alone washed? Do you know anything about infection? Do you use a butcher’s knife for surgery or even bother cleansing or anesthetizing your patients before operating?”
“Well, forgive me, but we do the best we can with what we have,” he replied.
“The best you can? I doubt that. Has it escaped your attention,Doctor, that this man has a raging infection, and debridement is necessary to treat his wounds?”
She jabbed a finger toward an orderly in the process of changing a dressing, and a thick layer of pus in the dead skin which was easily visible even from her vantage point a few feet away.
“Debridement?” Major Abbott’s tone rose. “Are you mad? The body creates a protective layer over the wound!”
“Protective layer!” she exclaimed, eyes flashing, “That is staph! An infection, Doctor. Surely you must know that debridement isthe process of removing dead skin and foreign material from a wound. It can help to reduce the risk of infection and promote healing. You must remove the dead or infected skin tissue if you ever hope for the wound to heal!”
She turned away in disgust.
Oh, my God, how did I forget that I’m not back in 2024 anymore? I don’t know how I forgot that penicillin won’t be invented for another sixty-four or so more years?
Charlotte sucked in a deep breath.
“Sorry, Dr. Abbott,” she whispered, “I forgot myself.”
Even though she had apologized, it was impossible for her not to continue dispensing advice.
“But would you just look at the filthy state of this ward? Old bandages lying all over the floor, no doubt infested with bacteria to spread infection.”
Charlotte shuddered.
“You callthisa hospital, Dr. Abbott? Why have these orderlies not been instructed to clean this place up? Don’t they—and you—know that cleanliness is key to preventing infection?”
“My orderlies have other duties.” Blue eyes flared with outrage.
“Then I’ll be here first thing in the morning to start.”
“Start?” Spencer spat out angrily. “I don’t think I want you working here.”
