{both questions are answered with this story}
[THE STORY FOLLOWS AFTER THESE NOTES]
*actually, I must say…the character of Kel got the virus…
REALLY BECAUSE: it gave us an opportunity to see some MARVELOUS acting of Robert Fuller in a more in depth situation than he usually got a chance to display in this show, and he did it in his MOST UNIQUE EXCEPTIONAL way…as his character faced his own adversity with a kind and sincere heart, still struggling to be the doctor he wanted to be even though he was helpless to finish the task himself…he sure kept trying…*
*HIGHLIGHT: note…a GREAT LINE too, and delivery in GREAT style, as his character Kel looks up and relates his unexpected circumstances to Dixie…we catch an inside glimpse of Kelly Brackett, the man…AND a full in depth look at an actor that NO-ONE will ever compare too in anyway… displaying his unique gift…job well done *
---HERE IS THE STORY:
---
---CHAPTER ONE---
---THE CHESS BOARD ---
Kel had been working extra hard and he knew it…but why not take a few extra shifts. Dr. Early had some personal things to take care of and a small trip to go on. It would take him out of town, but just for a bit. Kel knew he could tow the mark, if he made sure to sack out at the office. He knew there would be no sense in trying to drive home under such conditions, and he would feel more refreshed for his patients, after all they were HIS MAIN concern.
Dr. Brackett had been there at Rampart for nearly a full day, missed his lunch, and knew he was on thin-ice as far as office time was concerned. An emergency call could come at any given moment. With this thought in mind, he slumped down a bit in his chair and leaned back with closed eyes, and thought of how he wished he could just be left alone for at least one hour. It seemed he had waited so long already to enjoy the success of finally being finished with the work at hand. Sleep will be nice, this evening… I can almost feel it already, as if it is a calm meadow, just up the road, calling me.
He had been just a little on the worn out side, the tell-tale signs were beginning to cause him enough discomfort for his attention to shift gears from patients, to himself. He wasn’t exactly sure when he first noticed it taking a small toll on his body. He tried to take refuge a bit more in his office than in the lounge. Sure there was work here too that needed his attention, but he new he could hide out while accomplishing it. Time to be alone and think, actually, just time to be alone. Yeah, it seemed he was being a bit anti-social. But hey, Kel began to reason with himself, they’ll get over it…they always do. Imagine…me, anti-social. Well, maybe a bit if I have a headache. Otherwise, I am my cheerful, self…well, maybe after office hours. Hey now…I do believe I’m getting a bit introspective here now, aren’t I. I think I need to get out of my office for awhile and be charming and gallant to SOMEONE…here goes. Kel stretched and got up, just as Dixie came in.
“Hey…I’ve been looking for you. Is the workload getting a bit much for you, Kel? No headaches?” Dix prodded him with her questions, and looked for signs that these questions may have hit a bulls-eye on her vulnerable target.
“Nope, I’m just my ol’ cheerful self, see…look…” Kel took a quick spin, and bowed politely as he faced her again. “Seriously Dix, I’m okay, I just had a lot of catching up to do here in the office, with the extra load this week.”
“Well, good. I have something I need you to do, and someone I want you to talk to,” she said, as she saw his face tense up a bit. “Well what do you know, a direct hit,” she eyed him, as she recognized a bulls-eye when she saw one.
“Now what’s that supposed to mean” Kel answered back, as he rubbed the back of his neck a bit, and stretched his head back a bit, to match. He began to wonder just how charming and gallant he felt, with his new ‘orders of the day’.
“Come on, Kel, you know me enough by now, and I know you, lets admit it, and this will be a lot easier on both of us…what’s wrong?” Her voice was deep and soothing, and she could tell she just might be on the verge of getting a solid response.
Dixie McCall, may have recognized her bulls-eye, but she wasn’t one to gloat long, as she always targeted these questions with Kel’s best interest in mind. Her thought was, you can’t CARE for the man, if you don’t know what he’s thinking, AND the best way to find out, is to ZERO in one him. NOW, as to how to care for him, this was her next challenge, and it was always just a bit harder, as sometimes he just didn’t want it. It was his responsibility to care for himself, and tow the mark.
“Dix, do you recall, that on occasion…well…I might as well just get to the point. You know as well as I do, that I am not always the right man for your talks, now as for what ever it is that you want me to do …well, I’m open. Let’s have at it.” Kel made a gesture with his hand toward the door, which was still opened and smiled a bit as she moved through it first. As he shut the door behind them, he stopped her with a slight tap on the shoulder, and said “now, as to this ‘someone you want me to talk to business’. I think you and I better have a quick discussion on route, before one, or all of us end up regretting it. Depending on who and what it is all about, I just COULD end up with a headache, so could you AND worse YET, the third party.”
Memories of one of his more
recent third party encounters
came to mind as he saw student nurse Sharon Walters walking down the hall
toward them. He gave her a warm smile
and nod, as she passed by, giving him a smile in return. Kel’s thoughts started up, That student nurse there, she sure turned
into a success story…Dix saw to that…ALSO, seems to me…Joe bailed me from a
third party experience, just BEFORE that, with a boy’s influential father. Yeah, I HAVE been working too hard, and I
would say a headache is due to PAY ME A VISIT some time today AFTER all.
---CHAPTER TWO---
---A NEW GAME…THE PIECES…THE MOVES---
The long week had finally ended, and Dr. Early’s face was a welcomed return to the familiarity of Ramparts Emergency Room, as far as Kel was concerned. Actually, as far as everyone was concerned, and Dr. Early knew it. He just loved it here. There was an unspoken bond here, shown by actions. These actions had a deep underlying current between the emergency room staff members, keeping them in motion with the same knowledgeable flow. It could always be felt, though not seen with the human eye, and sometimes not heard, as there may be seemingly harsh overtones in the voices of all concerned, as directions needed to be called out, and obeyed. But in spite of that, its current was so strong that it could even be felt by others, day in and day out.
With this bond, there would never be any obstacle that they could not overcome together, concerning themselves. All of them knew completely that there was that SAME hidden wish and hope within them, desiring that there wouldn’t be any obstacles EITHER that they couldn’t over come for the hurts and wounds or sicknesses of the patients that would be entering the doors of Ramparts emergency room. But they all knew it wasn’t to be…but the knowing…the deep inner knowing, that this special team they were part of were feeling the same way, was the best bond of all.
As Kel fell back into sync with his regular schedule, Dr. Early gleaned in and what he had missed during his trip, and things fell back into a normal routine. At least schedule-wise it was, as normal wasn’t and wouldn’t ever be an expected ‘normal’ normal, there was just too many situations that could crop up at any given time. Rampart’s emergency team knew what was normal for them and what wasn’t and THAT was all that mattered. During Dr. Early’s gleaning, he also gleaned the fact that Kel didn’t appear to be his normal self.
“You look like you won’t be slugging in any homeruns, today, Kel” Dr. Early said as he continued watching Dr. Brackett talking to Dixie at the nurses station.
“Well, the bases were loaded all week, Joe…and if they’re this loaded again THIS week, well…at least you’re here to hit them all in for me.” Kel replied with a smile for his friend. “It’s your turn now, I’m passing the ‘slugger hat’ your way, Joe.” As Kel noticed Dixie had a phone call to answer, he turned full face to Joe, and spoke again, “you, know Joe, a few headaches stole home, too…you’re welcome to some of those, now how about it?”
“Hey, I warned you I had a heavy work load to leave you with, at least you had the other stand by surgeon for emergencies more in my line of work available too.” Joe, peered at Kel, “hey, did anyone tell you… you did EXCELLENT. If I hadn’t gotten away when I did, I would be in worse shape than you are now. At my age, I can’t afford my resistance to go down you know. It all turned out to be the right time and right place for the things I needed to get accomplished too. I am greatly in your debt, Kel, and very grateful.”
Feeling a bit caught and on the spot, Kel reached out and took light hold of his friends arm and gave the other shoulder a reassuring pat, “For you, Joe, anytime,” and then followed with a “Hey, where did Dix disappear to, Joe?”
“She took off down the hall, well, you want some coffee real
quick, before we know it we may not have the chance.” Besides, thought Joe, I think it’d do you good to get off your feet
for a bit, I sure remember my nights and days of working overtime, and I know
just how you feel right about now.
True to Dr. Early’s predictions, they were continuing on with a busy day, as usual. Trouble of a different kind had been brewing, though, something NONE of them had expected, and NONE of them were ready for, including Rescue Squad 51.
As Dr. Brackett was making his way down the hall, when he heard the emergency call. He had been heading towards a mission of his own, as he rubbed his hand. He took a quick look at it, and it seemed fine. But he knew other wise, and it bothered him. He was off to rinse it, and wave a memo in someone’s face, anyone’s face, well…hopefully, the RIGHT PERSON’S face. With an about-face, his mission was now on hold, as he headed towards his new destination.
His thoughts may have been momentarily elsewhere, but he knew exactly where he was going, and his thoughts would be in complete order once he got there. Kel Brackett would hit that emergency room, in true form, patient’s welfare: TOP PRIORITY.
Still checking the edge
of the left finger of his hand, he kept up his pace. He didn’t see the usual scratch, but it seemed to sting a bit, as
a nagging reminder. That’s odd, Kel thought, usually when I bump the edge of my hand up
against that inside of my desk drawer I get a small scratch, seems like it
never fails.
Well, for sure it will
show tomorrow… and someone’s SURE to mention that familiar phrase, ‘hey, what’s
that from Kel, did you get a cat or something?’ I sure am getting tired of telling people ‘NO, I DON’T HAVE A
CAT’. THEN, BEFORE I KNOW IT, the
rumors are flying… ‘DID YOU HEAR…Dr. Brackett has a cat…why I didn’t know he
was an animal lover, didn’t you hear him grumble about that little goat a ways
back?’ I ALWAYS WONDERED how these wild
rumors get started, well, NOW I know…situations JUST like this, all it takes a
desk, AND a tiny scratch…well, in this case, anyway.
I just DON’T understand it, all it needs a slight filing-down on the inside, and no one seems to get the memo’s I send off about it, done. I’ll just have to do it myself, one of these days. Ever since they fixed the metal rollers on the inside drawer, it seems I keep getting an unpleasant reminder…they sure did a LOUSY unprofessional job.
I wonder who hired them anyway, sure hope they don’t plan on hiring any of our nurses, he continued, or any of our SURGEONS for THAT matter, as he pushed the door of the emergency treatment room open…thus closing the door on his own minor thoughts.
He entered the emergency room and joined Dixie, little knowing that his life was about to take a dramatic turn for the worse very soon. HIS, along with a young fireman, plus another… one that he knew and counted as a friend. His tenacity for not wanting to give up and his desire to succeed and win a victory from a very serious challenge wouldn’t be in his hands today, not in the sense of helping to fight the now present unseen foe. It would be Dr. Early’s job to finish what Kel would soon begin to try to do. But it would be a win for Kel, in another way, a way he was yet to see. Sadly, the one fireman would die, leaving his friends behind…and…a young widow…to remember how she missed his love…and they… his friendship.
As Kel approached the patient, Jenny Hollister, and took a look at her himself, checking her pupils, he began his work full swing. After Dixie filled him in on the details of Jenny’s condition, and background he and Dr. Early began their discussion. Kel rubbed his hand as he ran through all the information, in heavy thought. Joe suggested if it was meningitis, they could start treatment immediately. And, “But, if it isn’t?” was the answer Kel had reasoned back at him. They finally limited the possibilities, but this still didn’t give the answer and they were far from a solution.
Much more work was still to be done, it involved getting all the facts sorted and more study of the situation at hand. Maybe more background from Jenny, and then ongoing discussions with Joe as to which of the possibilities it could be and what their next move should be. Lab work, phone calls, sending off samples…all these things they were familiar with doing. Yet, there was nothing familiar about this situation of Jenny’s. The fever happened to quickly and had raced too high and too fast for any known virus, to their knowledge. A type of Asian flu…RMSF, or a tropical virus? All they could do was take a few guesses to get started on as a springboard, and send off the lab work, phone calls to Atlanta, also Yale, and wait. The atmosphere was heavy and serious, Jenny was the center of their attention, but there was nothing else they could do for her. Kel took another look at her pupils again, Dix and Kel headed out the door, Kel rubbed his hand and let them fall into the familiar comfort of his lab coat pockets.
Sooner than he expected, Kel felt the trouble waters rise a bit deeper, as he faced the arrival of fireman Tim Duntley in the hall being wheeled in, his wife by his side. He was coming into emergency, with a fever of 104 and very delirious. Kel now heard the silent alarm that the danger of the situation was now fully manifest. If this man was with John Gage and Roy DeSoto, when they responded to the call at Jenny’s house {Kel had stated to Joe} they were now dealing with something contagious…but how and in what way? Within the next few minutes, Kel and Dixie were there in the emergency room ready to do what ever they could for this very sick fireman. Kel had checked Tim’s pupils, and temperature reading…it was climbing still, Kel rubbed the side of his finger, without thinking, as he talked with Dixie.
Dr. Kel Brackett, Dr. Joe Early, and Intern Mike Morton were now in the process of fighting to save the fireman’s life. Jenny had somehow managed to continue her fight, and still remain on the winning side of the line in this tug a war, between life and death. Tim Duntley would soon slip over that line, and another’s hand would be on the rope, the hands of a Doctor. A Doctor that was desperately wanting to save this man. A Doctor that wanted to try a new medicine, a Doctor that knew that his patient couldn’t wait, a Dr. that knew he had to follow the rules, instructions from Atlanta first…a Doctor named Kelly Brackett. He would soon have his own turn…an unwanted turn and NOT expected. His own body would soon be at war with the virus, not knowing if he too would be pulled across that line, in his OWN feverish battle for life.
Knowing there was nothing more he could do, and if he was needed he was easily found, Kel headed outside with what he hoped was some welcomed strength for his very tired body…a sandwich, and coffee.
Kel stepped out into the sunlight, it seemed unusually
bright, and oddly hurt his eyes a bit…seemed like a headache was looming just
near by ready to engulf him, like fog moving in. Once he adjusted, his thoughts freely spread through his mind in
the outdoors, I’ve called for a code 2
quarantine, isolation procedures, received permission from Jenny to ‘put the
monkey away’ to do an autopsy. Joe suspects it spread by saliva…and NOW we know
it’s a kin to an Asian A3 virus…but totally NEW and never seen before.
Tim was still in Kel’s
mind as well, he knew the fireman was fading fast. It sure hurt so bad
inside, looking at Tim’s wife, and not being able to help her…and WORSE YET…to
see I am loosing him, and can’t do a thing for him. Kel was beginning to feel very
tired, spotting a table, he headed slowly towards it. He tried to
think of the first welcome desired bite of that sandwich but just couldn’t set
his mind to it.
Here I am…out here…ready to eat, and my patient is ready for help, MAYBE even PAST help and he has to wait. Wait…when this new medicine could possibly save his life. It’s like a game of chess. My life last week set me up to be overworked. Now I need my strength and don’t have it…Jenny’s set her up with that monkey…along with the rescue workers, and fireman…and here we all are. Chess, some moves too fast and sudden, other’s slowly, seemingly without reason…my side not fully knowing the strategy of the other side…but the pieces ARE being moved in this deadly game, and so far I don’t like the way the pieces are set up.
…Yes, make a move, but you have three options as to which
way to go. Here, make THIS move, it has
TWO options. No, you CAN’T make this
move, or we’ll lose a man. Well, this
man will be lost anyway. Yes, this…no,
that…think, wait. The other side is
winning, MY STRATEGY is at a standstill.
If the other side lets up, my side can ‘check’, and ‘check mate’. If we just get a chance to move the pieces
just right, and at the right time. God
I sure hope you can finish this game because we sure CAN’T do it alone. I just ask You, PLEASE STEP IN SOON. I wish I could clear the board and start
over, maybe the outcome would be better, and I would learn something from it all. With that
final thought, Kel sat down to eat.
---CHAPTER THREE---
---IN ‘CHECK’---
Kel sat there at the table
a bit and starred across the courtyard before he got up to leave…he had just
finished talking with Jenny’s father.
Kel noticed him leave quietly, after his remark, a remark that left him in
deep thought, ‘I deserve a night off ’ her
father said. Kel kept staring and started to
wonder about a few things. He was
really disgusted about Tim’s situation.
He also was wondering about the dizziness that had just shook his mind
up a few moments ago, and the headache. It had
startled both him, and Jenny’s father as
Kel went to grab an item from another table. From overwork, he wondered,
do I really need a night off…I really pushed it last week.
Then he wondered about his
finger, the sting from the nearly invisible scratch had manifested itself
during the eating of his sandwich, and had made itself known in a stronger way
just now. He rubbed it this time, and
began to wonder just how many times he
had rubbed it before…not thinking and NOT WASHING immediately after touching
Jenny’s eye, and Tim’s eyes. Kel began
to fully acknowledge this to himself now, as he thought more of the risk: and
this was all before we realized the extent of what we were dealing with, before
I suggested we all take our own advice, and not spread this through
Rampart. Meaning it was time for gloves
and masks. Joe mentioned saliva, sure
makes sense to me…even body fluids from the eyes…
Kel looked down at the
uneaten sandwich, he just couldn’t seem to make himself eat it, the desire had
left. I’ll just get more coffee
in the lounge, he thought. He started to gather up the remains of his
sandwich and clear the table, as he did so, he looked at the side of his left
finger. There was the scratch that he
knew sooner or later was bound to show
up. True to form, very slight, almost
like a thin cat scratch, though a bit longer, but it was definitely there.
He didn’t have time to
worry about it now, and he knew it wouldn’t help anyway, plus he had work to
do. He felt like even this much-needed
time to himself should have been BETTER SPENT
elsewhere, but RULES had kept Tim’s life in the dangerous position of ‘check’,
And Kel knew his hands were ‘tied’ from doing anything more. AND…
if he himself was now ‘in check’ he
would probably be the first to know
it.
He now began to shift his wondering towards the outdoors,
as to just why there seemed to be a bit
of a slight chill, on such a nice sunny
day, as he headed in towards the lounge…with a nice warm cup of coffee in mind…
hopefully with Dixie. He needed an anchor to settle his mind with,
and he knew she would be it.
---CHAPTER FOUR---
---A WIN SURE FEELS
GOOD---
Kel’s place of refuge, his
place to weigh anchor, and bare his soul to Dixie McCall had now become a
dramatic turning point in his life. The
news he had been earnestly desiring and so
very desperate to hear, had come by way of
phone, into the lounge…Dixie had answered and related it to him. They were now allowed to use the new drug, and stop the other, just as Kel had strongly felt they should
have done so much sooner.
The heavy serious
undertones, of the communication of his feelings, and her reminders, were interrupted
by that call, changing the atmosphere of the
whole room. For a brief moment Kel, the man, and Kelly Brackett the Doctor,
was overjoyed and stirred into action, like a horse free to let loose on the
starting line…but it wasn’t for him to continue on, as the hidden attack on his
body finally manifested itself and had hit
hard.
He felt it the instant it hit, he
was falling into blackness and tried to hold on to the table to stop his fall,
but it was useless. He now lay on the
floor, with Dixie by his side. Now the virus had claimed Kel, just when he was
finally free to help fight for his patients.
From now on, any more
information to come Kel’s way, would be in bits
and pieces…in between the rapid rising of his fever, as he lay in a quarantined
emergency room. Bits and pieces of
information he would press himself to
ask for from those tending him, as he tried to still function and use his mind in any way, to still be part of the
solution to this emergency. In his
mind, Kelly Brackett strove to continue thinking as the Doctor that he
knew he was, all the while knowing that his body was
desperately fighting for its life, as a patient,
as he feverishly caught glimpses of them as
they tried to save him.
Joe and Mike had left the
room now, student nurse Sharon was tending to Kel, and stayed by his side. She could still remember her many awkward
episodes with him, and there he lay, as her patient in desperate need of help,
which she could now be trusted to give.
As Kel tried to fight for his thoughts, he remembered Jenny’s fever had
been lowering, her fight was successful so far, but not Tim’s. Why? He tried using his thoughts as to Jenny’s
blood being the answer now, and called
for Joe, the last thoughts he remembered were of Jenny’s blood possibly being
the answer, and hearing Joe’s reply: it was not to be. As she still had a fever of 101 and any
immunity was no use until she was completely well. He seemed lost now in some kind of a thick darkness that was fast
overpowering him. He wouldn’t have
anymore thoughts now, as Doctor, or
patient, until his turn at this tug of war of death was over. He would then awake to find that he was on
the winning side of the line.
Kel didn’t know what time
it was now, or how long it took him to
be fully conscious but he did know a
victory had been won. Thinking back, he
was sure he had heard Joe’s voice and talk going on about his being in a coma,
and waking up…fever down, successful treatment and such. He knew he had heard Dixie coming and going
as well, remembered seeing her a few times, and focusing on her smiles too. He was just too tired and worn out then and didn’t much seem to really care what was going on. He just wanted to sleep. But NOW
he was more interested in what was going on and where he was… As he looked off to the side, he saw John
Gage, he was still out. As he looked
upwards he saw the IV…a little off the other side of the bed, he saw Dr. Joe
Early by his side.
“He’s all right Kel, he’s
showing signs that he’ll be coming out of it very soon, just like you did.
Jenny made it too, but not in time for her blood to help us. She never
progressed as seriously as you two did
though, and Tim Duntley …possibly because she did have some immunity build-up before she actually got sick from
the virus. It was the choreographer,
Roger. He was the answer. We found him, he was
able to help us as he had immunity.” Joe
looked down at his friend. He knew he
could hear him, but strength wise it wasn’t time for him to expect Kel to
respond too much yet.
“You just had to keep playing
doctor, didn’t you Kel. You got
us to start thinking immunity, and that led
us on to find Roger.” Joe said with a smile.
“Well, you were on the right track, with both ideas, the new drug, and the immunity. Unfortunately, it was like a very slow game
of chess, and we didn’t have time as an option. We can thank God we found Roger in time.”
Joe watched Kel beginning
to struggle, his face was changing from studying his surroundings to becoming a
bit desperate as he began to speak in mumbles to Joe. Joe knew by watching his face exactly what was wrong. It was his
patients that Dr. Brackett was struggling to
ask about. He knew Dr. Kelly Brackett
needed to know about his patients, even more so than to know about himself, his condition, or how he got the virus. It
just wasn’t even in his thought process at that moment.
He needed to know the outcome
of the work he hadn’t been able to finish. He needed to know if they had been
successful in saving his critical patient, the young fireman, Tim. Joe fought a
bit with his feelings, he hated to tell him now, but he knew Kel would know by
looking back into his face that there had been a loss, honesty…from an honest
heart was expected.
“Kel, you get to be
doctor here for about a minute and a half, as I
fill you in. Jenny is fine, you just
pulled through now, yourself, and John did also. As you know, Tim was critical, and as you know, we were in a race
for time…what you didn’t get to know, and now know…is that Tim ran out of time, Kel. I’m really sorry.” Joe
looked down at Kel, “time’s up…you’re the patient now, whether you like it or not, Kel.” From the look of tension moving
over Kel’s face and the sorrow in his eyes, he knew now to let Kel deal with
his thoughts of his lost patient, alone.
It was time to leave.
Joe stretched his arm out
and looked at his watch, and got up to leave, “it’s a little after noon now
Kel, and I have some rounds to make…after all you’ve been through yesterday, you need to rest now.” Joe added with a grin “I don’t expect John will
be giving you any trouble yet … I’ll look in on
you if your awake later, otherwise I’ll be back tomorrow about this time.”
The next day just a few
hours after noon Joe was back with Mike and Dixie. John had pulled out of the coma during the night, and was awake
earlier that morning, but had since fallen back asleep. Some young nurses had
been hanging around the door, taking turns trying to see him and were thus now
disappointed.
They would soon get their chance to hover around John, but not with Dixie there.
Dixie took care of chasing them off, as it was too soon for visitors.
Joe and Mike brought in coffee as they settled themselves around Kel.
“Hey, no fair teasing
us…letting us smell what we can’t drink yet. Joe, are you going to let Mike get
away with that, why we’re your patients and your supposed to take good care of
us, aren’t you? Dix? Aren’t you going
to help?” Kel said a bit weakly, waiting for a reply. The reply he got was a bit different than he expected.
“Kel, here likes to play
doctor, Mike.” Joe said with his arms folded, and a stoic face. “Think he’s up to it today?”
“Well, I don’t know, how
are his vital signs today, Joe” Mike took a drink of coffee, and leaned over
Kel a bit, “He looks like he may be able to handle some coffee soon.”
“Very funny… now you can
just STOP having fun at my expense, BOTH
of you, and YOU…Dixie. I thought you liked rescuing me.” Kel said a bit helplessly, looking at
her with bewildered eyes, which he soon shut with a sigh. He gave up, too weary to battle.
“That’s only from third party situations, Kel, and you know that” Dix said coolly, as she lifted his hand to
take his pulse, in jest. “I guess we
can let him play doctor, Joe, but just for a bit.”
“Well, how about it,
Kel.” Joe spoke up again, “We’ve learned this virus was passed on by
saliva. John came in contact with some
from Jenny and the monkey. Tim was with
the monkey also. So now Dr. Brackett,
we do know a bit as to your procedures in the emergency. But some more precise
facts may help also.” Joe peered down at his patient and gave him time to
collect his thoughts. Knowing Kel loved
a challenge, Joe thought it would be good therapy for his mind, and was curious
how much Kel remembered this soon.
Kel had been thinking many
things over through the night, as he would awake off and on, hearing different
nurses as they came to check on him and John’s awakening condition. His mind
had been trying to piece together what had happened to him. He felt like he was missing so much. He remembered the talk at the table with
Dixie and the phone call, and just afterwards and his excitement to get to his
patients. So much else seemed lost in
the wake of the fever, he wasn’t sure exactly what he had said or done during it, but he WAS SURE about his contact
with the virus and the ‘open door’ he unknowingly opened at that time. He also knew his resistance was way
down from being so worn out the week Joe was
away, and it sure didn’t help.
“Well,” Kel began to
relate, “Before we realized what was
causing Jenny’s condition, I had touched her eyes, and Tim’s quite often as I
checked the condition of their pupils” Kel related slowly “I also had a very
minor scratch here on my hand, Joe.
Right here on the side of my finger, nearly invisible, but it was really
feeling sore off and on. I wasn’t even
aware of the fact that I had rubbed it afterwards probably quite a few times…until
the break I took to get some food, the juices from the sandwich irritated it a lot more
then. I realized a little too late that
I MAY have opened my self up for contamination, well…OBVIOUSLY, now I KNOW so,”
he said, marveling to himself that he was very lucky to still be alive. “Then
TOP IT ALL OFF with me over working myself
while you were gone all week.” He smiled a bit boyishly, and looked at the ‘I KNEW it’ written all over Dixie’s face.
Thinking back, He
was right, he HAD been in ‘check’ that day at the table outside as he had
visited with Jenny’s father, it slowly passed
through his mind, but there was no ‘check-mate’…I am still here, I lived
through it.
The WINNING OF THE
GAME sure felt good just now. Yeah,
Kel thought, it sure feels good, really
good to be here right now. This ‘game’
is over, God let it play out as it should, the business of Tim is God’s
business, not mine, now…and I don’t presume to know His business. I have to let it go, but I won’t forget it.
Kel tried to get a look at
his finger, and the scratch…he remembered the earnest mission he had been on when he first heard the
emergency call that led him to Jenny Hollister.
Joe noticed, and lifted it
up higher for Kel to get a good look at it.
It hadn’t dried up to a thin dry scab as the usual scrapes in the past.
The virus entering from that area, had turned it a bit angrier looking and the
side of his hand along the finger was a bit swollen.
“It got infected pretty
bad, Kel…it looks a bit raw and swollen right now, but it’s showing good signs
of healing. It may have started out
nearly invisible…most cat scratches do, but they get red fairly quick…I can’t
see how you could have not paid attention to an animal wound.”
“Huh… what did you say,
Joe?” Kel was a bit bewildered for a second or two, as he had been thinking of
the damn drawer and his annoyance of the whole episode that day. Just as he began to soak in all of what he just heard, Joe continued on…
“You shouldn’t have played
with it so rough Kel…just when did
you get the CAT anyway? I thought you kept protesting to everyone
that you didn’t have a cat, or even WANT one. That
student nurse, Sharon, she thought it was just because you were too busy, and I
think Nurse Carol thought you were touchy about animals, and that was why you didn’t want a cat. She mentioned the goat incident, and how you felt about it at
first too, didn’t she Mike?” Mike nodded
in agreement, trying to present himself as
serious as he could, as he swallowed his
coffee.
By now Dixie was
snickering and had to leave the room.
She KNEW what was coming next, but she didn’t know who would ‘deliver it’. As she waited just outside along
the edge of the hall, she leaned against the
door with her hand pressed near her lips and heard the newly delivered line of conversation delivered by a new voice.
“Did you get ANOTHER cat, Doc? I thought I heard you got one about two
weeks ago, and now another one? Say…could
we BORROW one of those cats at the station.
We do get mice off and on, you know.
Now, we only need one, mind
you, as two would be ONE too many. ”
It was John, weakly joining in.
He wanted to take a stab at Kel himself. All eyes were now on him, as he had finally perked up a bit, and
was actually smiling.
“Its all a rumor, just a WILD rumor…” Kel protested as strongly as he could, “I KNOW IT and YOU KNOW IT.” He took a deep breath as he soon realized
he had used up all his new found strength. He tilted his head back into the
pillows a bit, “I give up…I give up” he sighed shaking his head just a bit and
smiling along with their jokes.
He laid back in the bed…
closed his eyes, and listened as they talked about his ‘cat’. He could
still hear it continuing on also as they left the room… then it was quiet. John
was now also quiet. Kel sifted through
his thoughts: the desk drawer incident, the deadly ‘chess game’ he had just
lived through, the lives he had been entrusted to save, the diligence of the
doctors and nurses that took over for him, and the winners, himself included.
“Yeah” he thought to
himself, as he fell asleep, a win sure feels good…I got a WIN from this deadly ‘chess game’…and…he smiled… another ‘cat’! This time,
though, the ‘cat’ was from his closest
friends..