to Caddie for operating room prep?” Theresa spoke into her mike. “Tell them we have an emergency C-section with possible eclampsia complications and potential multiple births en route. We need a full receiving team at the landing zone.”
After Theresa’s request went out over the air, Kahananui elbowed Wulf’s right side and slipped a clean degreasing rag under the edge of the stretcher. Now Wulf had to figure out how to retrieve his finger.
“What miracle drug was that?” The Hawaiian leaned toward Theresa, plopping his massive shoulder in front of Wulf and jostling him closer to Nazdana’s head. “I like to know about the good stuff in case we have to treat Afghans in the field.”
“Magnesium sulfate and hydralazine.” Voice strong and calm over the headset, Theresa sounded like she did this every day, not like delivering babies midflight was the scariest shit in the world. “The combo is a safe anticonvulsant and muscle relaxant for pregnant women. I found them in supply because they’re also hypertension drugs.”
They discussed side effects and dosages as if Kahananui played a television doctor, which allowed Wulf to slip his finger out of Nazdana’s mouth and wipe the pink froth off her chin. A flap of skin hung from his finger like a bloody lip, exposing nubs of bone where the girl’s teeth had dug the deepest. Blood dripped into his palm and between his fingers. It looked worse than it felt. Barely. He stuck his rag-wrapped hand into his pocket and prayed Theresa wouldn’t notice.
“She’s breathing on her own, good sign, but we need a CT scan to figure out if she’s in a coma or just knocked out by the drugs.”
Coma . Zenobia had slipped into that dark world after three days of bleeding and never emerged. Never opened her eyes or spoke to him or held the tiny boys during their brief hours. Theresa wouldn’t let that happen to Nazdana. She wouldn’t.
Theresa adjusted her patient’s oxygen mask and then carefully opened the girl’s mouth.
Wulf stiffened at the sight of Nazdana’s bloody teeth.
She used a tongue depressor to separate Nazdana’s jaws and examine her tongue. “She didn’t bite herself, so...” She pointed the red-stained stick at him. “Show me your finger.”
He shook his head. “She didn’t bite through.” Despite his finger itching like a dozen hairy caterpillars all circled the same spot, he couldn’t be sure the healing had finished.
The helicopter’s forward motion stopped. Over his headphones, the pilot and air traffic control rushed through landing protocols. A minute or two of obfuscation and he’d be clear.
“If she broke the skin, you could get an infection. You might need stitches.”
“She didn’t break the skin.” Please let that be the truth by now.
“Let me be the judge.” Theresa dropped the stick and reached for him. “Your left hand.”
If he satisfied her that nothing was the matter, this could end and she wouldn’t chase him down or demand follow-up. He had to show her, had to hope he’d given himself enough time.
With the bloody rag abandoned in his pocket, two red half-moons, one on top of his finger, one underneath, were the only signs of Nazdana’s bite. As he watched, the marks faded to pink and then disappeared.
Theresa raised her hand to grab his, but left the connection incomplete. She stared between his fingers and the blood-speckled tongue depressor lying on Nazdana. Her expression revealed confusion, but their wheels touched ground before she could shape a question.
Thank Thor, her patient came first.
* * *
In the week since the hospital interpreter had rushed between him and Theresa at the flight line, Wulf had deliberately avoided the doctor. Kahananui had waited outside the operating room to report to the team about Nazdana’s successful delivery. Other team members popped in to visit the patients during the day, but Wulf timed his visits for after Theresa left. At nearly six pounds each, the twin boys
After Theresa’s request went out over the air, Kahananui elbowed Wulf’s right side and slipped a clean degreasing rag under the edge of the stretcher. Now Wulf had to figure out how to retrieve his finger.
“What miracle drug was that?” The Hawaiian leaned toward Theresa, plopping his massive shoulder in front of Wulf and jostling him closer to Nazdana’s head. “I like to know about the good stuff in case we have to treat Afghans in the field.”
“Magnesium sulfate and hydralazine.” Voice strong and calm over the headset, Theresa sounded like she did this every day, not like delivering babies midflight was the scariest shit in the world. “The combo is a safe anticonvulsant and muscle relaxant for pregnant women. I found them in supply because they’re also hypertension drugs.”
They discussed side effects and dosages as if Kahananui played a television doctor, which allowed Wulf to slip his finger out of Nazdana’s mouth and wipe the pink froth off her chin. A flap of skin hung from his finger like a bloody lip, exposing nubs of bone where the girl’s teeth had dug the deepest. Blood dripped into his palm and between his fingers. It looked worse than it felt. Barely. He stuck his rag-wrapped hand into his pocket and prayed Theresa wouldn’t notice.
“She’s breathing on her own, good sign, but we need a CT scan to figure out if she’s in a coma or just knocked out by the drugs.”
Coma . Zenobia had slipped into that dark world after three days of bleeding and never emerged. Never opened her eyes or spoke to him or held the tiny boys during their brief hours. Theresa wouldn’t let that happen to Nazdana. She wouldn’t.
Theresa adjusted her patient’s oxygen mask and then carefully opened the girl’s mouth.
Wulf stiffened at the sight of Nazdana’s bloody teeth.
She used a tongue depressor to separate Nazdana’s jaws and examine her tongue. “She didn’t bite herself, so...” She pointed the red-stained stick at him. “Show me your finger.”
He shook his head. “She didn’t bite through.” Despite his finger itching like a dozen hairy caterpillars all circled the same spot, he couldn’t be sure the healing had finished.
The helicopter’s forward motion stopped. Over his headphones, the pilot and air traffic control rushed through landing protocols. A minute or two of obfuscation and he’d be clear.
“If she broke the skin, you could get an infection. You might need stitches.”
“She didn’t break the skin.” Please let that be the truth by now.
“Let me be the judge.” Theresa dropped the stick and reached for him. “Your left hand.”
If he satisfied her that nothing was the matter, this could end and she wouldn’t chase him down or demand follow-up. He had to show her, had to hope he’d given himself enough time.
With the bloody rag abandoned in his pocket, two red half-moons, one on top of his finger, one underneath, were the only signs of Nazdana’s bite. As he watched, the marks faded to pink and then disappeared.
Theresa raised her hand to grab his, but left the connection incomplete. She stared between his fingers and the blood-speckled tongue depressor lying on Nazdana. Her expression revealed confusion, but their wheels touched ground before she could shape a question.
Thank Thor, her patient came first.
* * *
In the week since the hospital interpreter had rushed between him and Theresa at the flight line, Wulf had deliberately avoided the doctor. Kahananui had waited outside the operating room to report to the team about Nazdana’s successful delivery. Other team members popped in to visit the patients during the day, but Wulf timed his visits for after Theresa left. At nearly six pounds each, the twin boys
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