Not on my watch.
“There’s an extra heart monitor, oxygen tank and IV bottle in Samuel’s room,” I say. “Let’s hook him up to them. There are also some drugs in Vivian’s stash that should help with the pain.”
They’re not as good as anesthesia, but they will have to do.
Ellis says nothing. I can tell her thoughts are racing as she stares at Norman’s injury.
“Ellis,” I get her attention.
She looks at me.
“You’re a surgeon, aren’t you?”
She nods.
“Say it,” I urge her.
“I’m a surgeon,” she whispers.
“Louder.”
“I’m a surgeon.”
“Good. Now, let’s save this man’s life.”
Ellis nods. “Yes, Doctor.”
That’s better. Everyone around me is already panicking. I need her to stay calm and remember her training so she can help me get Norman through this alive.
I look at Norman’s face. His eyelids close.
No!
Quickly, I put my fingers on his pulse. I let out a breath of relief when I feel it. It seems to be holding steady, too, which means Norman just passed out from the pain. That’s fine, because things are about to worse and he might not be able to handle what’s coming if he’s awake.
I pat his arm. Hang in there, Norman.
I turn to the maids, who are still standing there. “And someone find me a saw!”
~
Two hours later, I stand by Norman’s bed.
The antler in his shoulder is gone. Ellis and I were able to take it out after much sawing and a strong, careful pull. Afterwards, we stitched him up as best as we could and wrapped him in bandages to stop the bleeding. We’ve started him on antibiotics through the intravenous line, too, to fight infection. He’s still unconscious from all the sedatives and pain killers we administered, but his heart rate is holding steady.
Right now, he seems to be out of the woods. I wipe the sweat from my forehead and let out a sigh of relief.
“Is he going to be okay?” Christine asks fearfully.
Ever since we brought Norman to this room, she’s been by his side, refusing to leave it. Right now, she’s holding his hand.
“He’s stable,” I say. “We have to wait and observe to see if he’ll pull through.”
“But there’s a chance he won’t?” Christine asks.
“There’s still a chance of infection, and there may still be other complications we’re not seeing yet,” I tell her truthfully.
Christine gasps.
“But at least we’ve taken out the source of infection and we’ve stopped the bleeding,” Ellis tells her. “We’ve also started him on antibiotics. Those are the most important things.”
Christine nods.
Ellis places a hand on her shoulder. “Rainier and I have done everything we can. The rest is up to Norman, and I’m sure he’ll pull through.”
I let out a breath because it’s exactly the optimism I expected from Ellis. Then again, right now, it might not be too bad.
“You think so?” Christine asks.
I hear the hope in her voice.
Ellis nods and pats her shoulder. “After all, you’re here.”
Christine’s face lights up with a tender smile.
Just as I thought, she cares for Norman. Deeply. I wonder how her mother and the others will react when they find out. I already have a good idea, though.
I clear my throat. “Did you see what happened to him?”
I hate to ruin this fluffy atmosphere and burst the pink bubbles that seem to be floating around Christine right now, but if she knows what happened to Norman, we have to hear it.
Christine shakes her head. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t. I was walking down the hall and then I heard something falling from the stairs. There was a snap, too…”
That must have been the antler.
“Then the next thing I knew, Norman was on the floor.”
“So you don’t know if he fell by accident or if he was pushed?” I ask her.
Christine clasps her hand over her mouth as her eyes grow wide. “You think someone could have pushed Norman down the stairs?”
Ellis throws me a meaningful glance – she seems to be reprimanding me for scaring Christine and warning me not to say more – but I ignore it.
“It’s possible.”
I’m not trying to scare anyone. I’m just saying the truth.
Christine whimpers. Ellis hugs her.
“Shh.” She strokes her cousin’s hair.
Strange. They’re only a few years apart and yet Ellis seems to be much older, probably because Christine seems so frail, even more so than her mother.
“I’m sure no one wanted this to happen,” Ellis whispers.
Christine shakes her head as she pulls away. “You don’t know that, though.”
Thank goodness she seems to have more sense. She took the words right out of my mouth.
“Nobody knew about Norman and me,” Christine says. “At least, we thought no one did. But if someone knew… if my mother knew, she would have tried to kill him.”
Vivian did come from upstairs.
“Nonsense,” Ellis tells her. “I’m sure Norman just lost his footing. Anyway, he’s okay now. He’ll be okay. Everything will be okay.”