The Doctor's Devotion

No idea what the last phrase encompassed, but that’s the prayer that pressed out of him so he let it fly.

He maintained eye contact with Lauren as long as possible to keep stride and still send visual cues that she was not only welcome to help, but worthy and needed.

Apparently misinterpreting his directive gaze, she whirled toward the encroaching crowd. “Cameras off!” Lauren yelled above chopper noise to reporters. “They may have real victims here.”

They? By that word, Mitch knew Lauren no longer thought of herself as part of the medical community, which saddened him.

Nevertheless, the authority in her voice impressed him because even the most aggressive reporters complied instantly.

The crowd stopped as one unit and fell back in silence. Concern infiltrated faces. Mass murmurs rose.

Mitch trudged forward. “I hope this is someone’s idea of a very bad joke,” he told Ian. Ian’s jaw clenched as he nodded.

But when a crew medic jumped from the chopper before it fully landed, Mitch knew with sick certainty it wasn’t. The strained look on the man’s ruddy face confirmed it.

“Incomiiiing!” Ian yelled.

Mitch’s team rushed ahead, leaving him to obtain report and issue orders.

As when overseas, they worked like neurons not having to be told their duty.

Ian and Kate met one chopper. Mitch’s circulating and triage nurses approached another.

Gratitude for their professionalism filled him.

His pre-op and scrub nurses weren’t flying in until next week, and his recovery nurse had pulled out to reenlist. Mitch would need to replace her ASAP.

He grabbed a man with a microphone. “Clear paths. This isn’t part of the ceremony. We have injured on the way.”

The microphone man complied. Officials looked as baffled as Mitch felt. “But are you set up for that?” one sputtered.

Mitch’s risen hands both halted and calmed them.

The mayor jogged to keep up. “Sir, you’re not officially open… .”

“We are if those choppers have wounded in them.”

The mayor’s face turned grim. “They radioed they were coming to see the trauma center opening, but not with patients. Dr. Wellington, I fear something terrible has happened.”

Mitch’s sentiments exactly. “We’ll handle it, Mayor. We’ve handled worse situations before.”

Respect gleamed from the mayor’s eyes. “I’m sure you have. What can I do?”

“Send any available Eagle Point EMTs and other first responders. And thank God choppers were right there.”

“Yes, indeed, but are you sure the center is ready to—?”

“Absolutely.” We’ll make it ready. Mitch turned, ending the conversation. The crowd parted as he plowed through. He paused to focus on a third approaching chopper.

What had just happened?

If distant smoke billowing above trees lining the interstate was an indication, something massive.

A horrible thought struck. There was one major road in and out. If this was a northbound motor vehicle accident, the victims had most likely been on their way here to the ceremony.

So in building the trauma center, he’d created catastrophe?

No. He refused to believe that or doubt God’s goodness.

Until another medical chopper ripped through the clouds. Disbelief coursed through him. How many more casualties would come? No matter. They’d handle it.

Mitch peered into the domed windows of medical choppers to get an idea of how many patients occupied each.

Rushing air and the high-pitched whup-whup-whups of whistling rotor blades pushed all other sound away.

Mitch mentally counted his staff. Not nearly enough. More nurses were flying in next week. He needed help now.

Instantly Mitch thought again of Lem’s granddaughter.

He turned, scanned the crowd.

Lem had said her biggest regret was that intense college years had prevented her from visiting Lem. Hadn’t he mentioned something about her working as a surgery tech while in school?

If so, that meant she had the experience he needed. Mitch hoped like crazy she hadn’t let her license or certifications lapse.

He ran toward the throng of people. Found her huddled next to Lem, whose eyes rivaled hers for biggest and roundest of the crowd.

Gauging that his staff was triaging the ground choppers and he still had a minute until the others landed, he sprinted over.

Mitch faced Lauren and placed firm hands on her shoulders. Willed her to look him in the eye. “Lauren, are you current?”

“Wh-what?”

“Your nursing license. Is it current?”

“N-not in this state.” She blinked furiously.

“In Texas?”

She nodded slowly, looking confused as to why he’d ask.

“Are all of your emergency certifications up to date?”

“Y-yes, but—”

“That’s good enough. You’re legal in a mass casualty situation, which is what I fear we have here.”

“What? No, you can’t possibly ask—”