Folly Beach - Dorothea Benton Frank [99]
“You’re still here?” I said, following him inside.
“Yes. I never sleep.”
Ella jumped up from her chair at the sight of him.
“How’s our patient?” he asked her.
“Quiet as a mouse.” She smiled at him.
“So, ladies, I wanted to stay until we got the blood work results because I was so curious. And here’s the news. It’s not meningitis, rabies, strychnine poisoning, or any of the other things that have these symptoms.”
“Then what in the world? What does she have?”
“Well, in my thirty years of medicine I’ve only seen one other case of this and that’s really why I stayed. I’m pretty sure it’s tetanus. Do you know when was the last time she had a tetanus shot?”
“No, but we can call her primary-care physician as soon as the office opens,” I said.
“Well, I put her on metronidazole, which is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that will take care of it if it is tetanus. I suspect that when she cut her arm she probably took a spill.”
“She never said she fell down,” Ella said.
“That doesn’t mean she didn’t,” I said and Ella winked at me in agreement.
“So,” Dr. Ragone continued, “I’m thinking she fell in a sandy area, some spores got into her wound and released bacteria into her bloodstream. That bacteria makes a poison called tetanospasmin, not that you’ll ever come across that word again, but anyway it blocks nerve signals, causing spasms. The spasms are what got my attention. And the drooling. You don’t usually get those symptoms with something like pneumonia. It had to be a poison.”
“Gosh,” I said.
“Gotta go to school for a long time to learn all this mess,” Ella said.
“You’re telling me?” the doctor said.
How many times had I watched the television doctors on House call a diagnosis of some obscure disease and they were right? It was all about the diagnosis.
“Who gets tetanus anymore?” I said.
“Not too many people, but what people don’t know could kill them. First of all, tetanus shots are only good for about ten years. And second, tetanus bacteria can lie dormant in your yard for forty years. That’s why I tell all my patients to get a shot on their thirtieth birthday, their fortieth birthday, and so on.”
“That ain’t no way to celebrate a birthday,” Ella said.
“Then get it ten days later,” Dr. Ragone said with a big smile. “I don’t want you ladies to worry about Ms. McInerny. I’m pretty sure she’s going to be fine. She’ll sleep most of the day today. The sedative I gave her really knocks you out. It’s better for her to keep quiet with that tube, you know? If everything goes well, I’ll probably send her home in a few days but remember, she’ll need to be in a quiet room with dim light. I’ll give you a prescription for an ointment that should take care of that arm, too.”
Ella had tears in her eyes. “I’m so glad you were here, Dr. Ragone. So grateful,” she said.
“Well, thanks. And it’s a good thing y’all brought her in because her symptoms could’ve become much worse in a hurry.”
“Good Lord,” I said. “Oh! What about her broken foot?”
“I’ll have the geriatric orthopedic guy come around and pay her a visit,” he said. He gave us a little wave and the door whooshed to a close behind him.
Ella narrowed her eyes and looked at me. “Who’s that fool calling geriatric?”
“Really! He’s got some nerve.” I looked at my watch. It was just after five thirty in the morning. “I wonder if the cafeteria is open.”
John was completely fast asleep in the chair so I left him a note. Gone downstairs for breakfast. If you wake up come join us. xx
We made our way down endless halls and elevators and found the restaurant. They were just opening up. There was a large lady there, an employee whose apparent job it was to load the buffet’s steam table with large stainless-steel containers of scrambled eggs, grits, oatmeal, and so on. She carried out tray after tray from the kitchen and dropped them in their designated positions. She looked up through weary eyes, spotted us, and smiled sympathetically. We weren’t the only ones she’d seen on the first light of morning, people straggling in through the doorways