Coincidence - Alan May [49]
Dr. Williams gently wiped away the yellow-green pus with an alcohol pad. Stefano’s whole body went rigid and his face contorted with pain. A high-pitched moaning came from between his clenched teeth.
“This man is in serious trouble and needs immediate medical attention. This is an acute missile wound. Was he shot?”
“I told you; we don’t know what hit him. I was not aware of any shooting.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure this is a bullet wound and that the bullet is still in his leg. Obviously it didn’t hit a bone and it didn’t hit the femoral artery. It must have embedded itself in muscle tissue; that’s why it didn’t bleed much. In a way that’s too bad, because the bleeding would have flushed out any debris.
“My guess is that the bullet took some of the cloth from his pants into the wound. Dirt on the pants introduced pathogens, and we now have a pretty bad infection. This man needs attention right now. If he doesn’t get it, gangrene will set in and he will lose his leg.”
“Okay. Do whatever you have to do.”
“There isn’t anything I can do to help him. He needs to be in a hospital. He needs a general anesthetic and a surgeon to get the bullet out. He needs to have a drainage tube inserted to get the pus out of the wound and he needs antibiotics right now. I’ll use the satellite phone and talk to a doctor at the coastal station to see if there is any way this man can be evacuated. It has to happen quickly, otherwise he’ll lose his leg. If he doesn’t die first.”
“But wouldn’t he be better off if you did it yourself right now? I mean, surely you have the equipment and supplies on the Inspiration.”
The doctor shook his head as he gathered up the soaked dressings and tossed them in the trash.
“You don’t understand. Even if we had everything we need onboard, which we do not, I’m not an anesthesiologist and I am not a surgeon.”
He squirted some antiseptic wash on his hands and rubbed them together briskly.
There was no way Phillip was going to let anyone on shore know about the injury. That would jeopardize everything. He thought for a moment, then said, “You must have had some training in medical school for situations like this.”
What was the matter with the man? the doctor wondered. Did he not understand the danger his friend was in? Why was he dragging his feet? He mustered as much patience as he could, but there was still a sharp edge to his voice.
“Certainly, I’ve assisted in this kind of operation, but assisting and doing are not the same thing. I’m going to get hold of the coastal station right now and see what we can do to save this man’s life.”
Phillip saw that he had run out of options. Pulling his gun from the inside pocket of his jacket, he said, “I’m sorry, Doctor. I can’t allow you to do that. You are going to do whatever you have to do to save Stefano’s life. You’re going to do it right now. Your life is in the balance. So what’s your plan?”
Doctors are trained to remain calm in panic situations. His first duty, Williams thought, was to the students on the Inspiration. One wrong move on his part would endanger them all. His second duty was to do the best he could to save this man Stefano, whoever he was. Performing surgery on his own with inadequate training and supplies would have to do.
“I don’t understand what’s happening here and maybe I don’t want to, but I’ve got a ship full of students that I’m responsible for and I can’t do anything to put them at risk. What happens to the Inspiration and the crew when it’s over? You’ve got to guarantee they won’t come to any harm.”
“Doctor, you are in no position to negotiate. I have no idea what will happen to your boat if you pull Stefano through. What I do know is that if you refuse to treat him, you’ll be feeding the fish. So let’s go one step at a time, and let’s start right now.”
“All right. I’ll give Stefano a shot