she saw the formula and bottles. “And the distilled water is…here.” She hefted a jug.
“Easy, fella.” Ansel walked over and patted the shoulder of the man, who was now rolling his head from side to side.
“Hurts. Really hurts.”
“I’m sure it does. Hang on, I’ll get help. Ben?”
“I’ll ask and be right back.” He found Esther stitching up another wound in two and told her the situation.
“Squirt some of that codeine in his IV. The big stuff, the joy juice. Dosage is on the vial. I’ve unlocked the drug cabinet so we can get to things more quickly. That should help within a minute or less.” She returned to her stitching.
Ben did as instructed and sure enough, the man relaxed within seconds. Mighty good stuff. He turned to see Beth hand the baby bottle to Hannah and go into her panting routine again.
“Two minutes apart.” Ansel looked to Ben. “You ever delivered a baby?”
Ben shook his head. He’d done one with the plastic save-a-life dummy but not in real life. But then they were all doing things they’d never done before. Going on one A.M. And they still had no idea how bad the damage was outside.
Chapter Five
W e need a table,” Ben whispered from the door to Esther.
“Be right there.” She nodded to the husband—“Come get me if anything changes”—and stepped into the hall. “Now what?”
“Beth is dilating. Contractions are less than two minutes apart.”
“At least on this one I know what to do. Ben, I can’t find her bleed. I was praying the internal bleeding would stop by itself, but I just hung another saline on her IV. How many more units of saline do we have on hand?”
“Zero. I radioed all our fire apparatus and aid vans from my handheld, asking them for any IV equipment and units they have on board, told them we desperately need the stuff here; no one has anything. We are fresh out.”
She looked grim. No fooling. “Okay, what’s happening in the other rooms? Can we move someone to the hall to make room for our mommy?”
“Next to the break room, nada. The Culpepper kid is cleaning up two, but that’s spoken for; the ambulance called to say they are nearly here with a head injury.”
“Bleeding or fracture?”
He shook his head. “Not sure. The transmissions aren’t clear. I’d planned on putting Beth in there.”
“Room one?”
“Rob is working with someone there. I’ll check; maybe he’s done.”
“And our internal bleed is in three. I’ll go see about Beth. We can deliver a baby on the break room floor if we have to. You ever delivered before?”
“No, only a little practice with a Resusci Baby. We borrowed one of those dummies once that simulates birth. It ain’t the same. Rob has and I think Dennis has. Chief has but he just left again.”
Ben tapped on the door to one and looked inside. Other than a mess, the room was empty. And the Culpepper kid busy down the hall. Guess he’d clean this one up himself. Oops. Not empty. There was the old lady in her underwear, huddled in the corner, sound asleep. What had she done with the jacket she’d been loaned?
Well, at least she didn’t go out on the street again by herself. Ben gently woke the woman. “Come with me, Mrs. Unfeld.” He took her arm and waited when she drew back. “I have a better place for you to sleep.”
“Is Harold here?”
“No, I’m sorry, but he’s not.”
“Then I’ll wait here. He said he’d be right back. I’m cold.” She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.
Ben fought against the desire to just snatch her up and carry her to another room, but where? Who would watch out for her? “Barbara is waiting for you. You know Barbara, she’s one of your neighbors.”
Mrs. Unfeld shook her head. “No, I don’t.” She shrank back into the corner.
Esther appeared in the doorway. “Oh good, it’s available. Leave her there and I’ll get Beth while you clean up what you can.”
Ben did as she instructed, grabbing a garbage bag
“Easy, fella.” Ansel walked over and patted the shoulder of the man, who was now rolling his head from side to side.
“Hurts. Really hurts.”
“I’m sure it does. Hang on, I’ll get help. Ben?”
“I’ll ask and be right back.” He found Esther stitching up another wound in two and told her the situation.
“Squirt some of that codeine in his IV. The big stuff, the joy juice. Dosage is on the vial. I’ve unlocked the drug cabinet so we can get to things more quickly. That should help within a minute or less.” She returned to her stitching.
Ben did as instructed and sure enough, the man relaxed within seconds. Mighty good stuff. He turned to see Beth hand the baby bottle to Hannah and go into her panting routine again.
“Two minutes apart.” Ansel looked to Ben. “You ever delivered a baby?”
Ben shook his head. He’d done one with the plastic save-a-life dummy but not in real life. But then they were all doing things they’d never done before. Going on one A.M. And they still had no idea how bad the damage was outside.
Chapter Five
W e need a table,” Ben whispered from the door to Esther.
“Be right there.” She nodded to the husband—“Come get me if anything changes”—and stepped into the hall. “Now what?”
“Beth is dilating. Contractions are less than two minutes apart.”
“At least on this one I know what to do. Ben, I can’t find her bleed. I was praying the internal bleeding would stop by itself, but I just hung another saline on her IV. How many more units of saline do we have on hand?”
“Zero. I radioed all our fire apparatus and aid vans from my handheld, asking them for any IV equipment and units they have on board, told them we desperately need the stuff here; no one has anything. We are fresh out.”
She looked grim. No fooling. “Okay, what’s happening in the other rooms? Can we move someone to the hall to make room for our mommy?”
“Next to the break room, nada. The Culpepper kid is cleaning up two, but that’s spoken for; the ambulance called to say they are nearly here with a head injury.”
“Bleeding or fracture?”
He shook his head. “Not sure. The transmissions aren’t clear. I’d planned on putting Beth in there.”
“Room one?”
“Rob is working with someone there. I’ll check; maybe he’s done.”
“And our internal bleed is in three. I’ll go see about Beth. We can deliver a baby on the break room floor if we have to. You ever delivered before?”
“No, only a little practice with a Resusci Baby. We borrowed one of those dummies once that simulates birth. It ain’t the same. Rob has and I think Dennis has. Chief has but he just left again.”
Ben tapped on the door to one and looked inside. Other than a mess, the room was empty. And the Culpepper kid busy down the hall. Guess he’d clean this one up himself. Oops. Not empty. There was the old lady in her underwear, huddled in the corner, sound asleep. What had she done with the jacket she’d been loaned?
Well, at least she didn’t go out on the street again by herself. Ben gently woke the woman. “Come with me, Mrs. Unfeld.” He took her arm and waited when she drew back. “I have a better place for you to sleep.”
“Is Harold here?”
“No, I’m sorry, but he’s not.”
“Then I’ll wait here. He said he’d be right back. I’m cold.” She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.
Ben fought against the desire to just snatch her up and carry her to another room, but where? Who would watch out for her? “Barbara is waiting for you. You know Barbara, she’s one of your neighbors.”
Mrs. Unfeld shook her head. “No, I don’t.” She shrank back into the corner.
Esther appeared in the doorway. “Oh good, it’s available. Leave her there and I’ll get Beth while you clean up what you can.”
Ben did as she instructed, grabbing a garbage bag
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