The staff were watching her expectantly, eager to see how she would handle her first operation.
Paige walked up to the operating table. Walter Herzog had had his groin shaved and scrubbed with an antiseptic solution. Sterile drapes had been placed around the operating area.
Herzog looked up at Paige and said drowsily, “You’re not going to let me die, are you?”
Paige smiled. “What? And spoil my perfect record?”
She looked over at the anesthesiologist, who would give the patient an epidural anesthesia, a saddle block. Paige took a deep breath and nodded.
The operation began.
“Scalpel.”
As Paige was about to make the first cut through the skin, the circulating nurse said something.
“What?”
“Would you like some music, doctor?”
It was the first time she had been asked that question. Paige smiled. “Right. Let’s have some Jimmy Buffet.”
The moment Paige made the first incision, her nervousness vanished. It was as though she had done this all her life. Skillfully, she cut through the first layers of fat and muscle, to the site of the hernia. All the while, she was aware of the familiar litany that was echoing through the room.
“Sponge…”
“Give me a bovie…”
“There it is…”
“Looks like we got there just in time…”
“Clamp…”
“Suction, please…”
Paige’s mind was totally focused on what she was doing. Locate the hernial sac…free it…place the contents back into the abdominal cavity…tie off the base of the sac…cut off the remainder…inguinal ring…suture it…
One hour and twenty minutes after the first incision, the operation was finished.
Paige should have felt drained, but instead she felt wildly exhilarated.
When Walter Herzog had been sewn up, the scrub nurse turned to Paige. “Dr. Taylor…”
Paige looked up. “Yes?”
The nurse grinned. “That was beautiful, doctor.”
It was Sunday and the three women had the day off.
“What should we do today?” Kat asked.
Paige had an idea. “It’s such a lovely day, why don’t we drive out to Tree Park? We can pack a picnic lunch and eat outdoors.”
“That sounds lovely,” Honey said.
“Let’s do it!” Kat agreed.
The telephone rang. The three of them stared at it.
“Jesus!” Kat said. “I thought Lincoln freed us. Don’t answer it. It’s our day off.”
“We have no days off,” Paige reminded her.
Kat walked over to the telephone and picked it up. “Dr. Hunter.” She listened for a moment and handed the telephone to Paige. “It’s for you, Dr. Taylor.”
Paige said resignedly, “Right.” She picked up the receiver. “Dr. Taylor…Hello, Tom…What?…No, I was just going out…I see…All right. Ill be there in fifteen minutes.” She replaced the receiver. So much for the picnic, she thought.
“Is it bad?” Honey asked.
“Yes, we’re about to lose a patient. I’ll try to be back for dinner tonight.”
When Paige arrived at the hospital, she drove into the doctors’ parking lot and parked next to the new bright red Ferrari. I wonder how many operations it took to pay for that?
Twenty minutes later, Paige was walking into the visitors’ waiting room. A man in a dark suit was seated in a chair, staring out the window.
“Mr. Newton?”
He rose to his feet. “Yes.”
“I’m Dr. Taylor. I was just in to see your little boy. He was brought in with abdominal pains.”
“Yes. I’m going to take him home.”
“I’m afraid not. Peter has a ruptured spleen. He needs an immediate transfusion and an operation, or he’ll die.”
Mr. Newton shook his head. “We are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Lord will not let him die, and I will not let him be tainted with someone else’s blood. It was my wife who brought him here. She will be punished for that.”
“Mr. Newton, I don’t think you understand how serious the situation is. If we don’t operate right away, your son is going to die.”
The man looked at her and smiled. “You don’t know God’s ways, do you?”
Paige was angry. “I may not know a lot about God’s ways, but I do know a lot about a ruptured spleen.” She took out a piece of paper. “He’s a minor, so you’ll have to sign this consent form for him.” She held it out.