Even though it is Chicago Med, for purpose of this series it takes place in LA, so the hospital has been changed to LA Med.
LA Medical is currently slow, which is unusual but does happen on occasion. Dr. Will Halstead, Dr. Ethan Choi and Dr. Natalie Manning are all standing around talking with April Sexton and Maggie Lockwood.
The three doctors look at Maggie as she hangs up the phone. "We have incoming! Choi your up!"
Ethan goes up to meet the paramedics as they bring in the first patient. The paramedics are being followed by 2 cops. "What do we have?"
"Gordon John Brandel, he is drunk and has a gunshot wound in his side." One paramedic answered.
"And the cops?" Ethan questions.
"He had beaten his wife and son whom is in the next ambulance." The cop answers.
Ethan nods and gets to work.
"Natalie, Will your up."
" I will take this one you get the next." Natalie tells him as she approaches a woman who had been beaten unconscious.
Will walks to the next stretcher coming in the door. It is a child. "April, you are with me."
"What do we have here?" Will asks the paramedics.
"Martin Brandel, age 11. He has been badly beaten and his arm appears to be broken."
Martin turns his head to look at the doctors. One eye is swollen shut and the other has a nice size shiner.
"Maggie, who is the ophthalmologist on duty today?" Will asks.
"Alicia Turner." Maggie immediately answers.
"Call her, get her down her. She needs to check Martin's eyes.
"Marty." Came the voice from the gurney.
"My mistake, Marty's eyes." Will corrects with a smile.
Will and April went to work in getting him stable before transferring him upstairs. There is no doubt that he will be admitted. Marty one eyes watches the doctor and nurse carefully as they work on him. He doesn't say anything to them. The only reason he said his name was because he did not want them calling him Martin or worse Mr. Brandel.
April finally got him sedated so that he won't be in pain as they work on him. They cut open his shirt. Will and April close their eyes as they see his torso is covered in bruises. But under all those bruises are his ribs.
"He is underweight." April observes.
"It is more than that. He is currently suffering from malnutrition and dehydration. Get him set up on an IV." Will orders.
Will goes to check on his young patient. Alicia had checked out his eyes, she currently doesn't know what to think. She believes that they will heal in time, but most likely given his other issues, it will be a slow heal. The only thing they can be grateful for right now is that he didn't lose his eye. His sight will be affected for awhile though.
Will looks at the IV, it is gone. However, it doesn't appear that Marty is showing any improvement. Actually, he looks worse. Will orders another IV. Marty has been hooked to IV after IV, they are not working. His metabolism is eating up all the nutrients from the IV.
Marty is supposed to go to x-ray for his arm and any other injury he might have. The technician wanted to wait until after he was off the IV. Now that may not happen. Will sends him down to x- ray anyway, they can't wait any longer.
Will runs into April and Maggie.
"How is Marty doing?" Maggie asks.
"No improvement." Will states.
"Even with all those IV's." April wonders.
"The IV is feeding his increase in metabolism and we don't know why." Will answers.
"Where is he now?"
"X-ray. Maybe it will give us the answer to why? There is an option, a steroid that will slow down the metabolism and allow the IV to work." Will considers out loud.
"Except you need parental consent to give steroids to a minor." Maggie points out.
"I know asking the boy's father is out of the question. How is his mother doing?"
"She is in a coma, almost brain dead. She can breathe on her own, but that is it."
Will nods his head trying to figure out how to get the steroid to the child. But, he can't. He has to have consent. Eventually, they are going to have to call in a social worker. He just hopes they don't get social witch, Griselda Ramirez. Griselda does not care about the children under her care, especially those in the hospital. Natalie and Connor have had to deal with her. She won't allow the children to be given any pain killers unless she is present. Only problem with that is that she is never present.
Finally Marty's x-rays are in. They are road map to the hell he has been through, but they do explain the issue with his metabolism. He is like the energizer bunny; no matter what, he keeps going. Pushing himself past his limits so that no one would learn the truth. Before today that is.
Will takes Marty's results and his chart to Sharon Goodwin. It is finally time to call in a social worker, with any luck they won't get Griselda.
Will carefully knocks on the door of his boss.
"Mrs. Goodwin, can we talk." Will starts hesitant.
"Is this about the child involved in the beating/shooting incident." She asks.
Will had known that the child and his mother are badly beaten. It is the shooting, he doesn't really know about.
"What shooting?"
"You didn't know. After he beat his wife and child, he went after them with a shotgun. Marty responded by shooting him in the side."
Will is shocked. Oh man that poor child. He didn't know what else to say so he handed Marty's file over to Sharon. He waited a few minutes as she looked over the file, x-rays and test results before speaking.
"I think it is time to call in a Social Worker. Hopefully, they will approve the steroids he so desperately needs."
"I will make the call." Sharon states.
Will nods and heads out before stopping and turning back towards his boss. "Please make sure it is not Griselda Ramirez."
Sharon definitely agrees to that one. Griselda irritate her just as much.
Will continues to monitors his patient. He has been on IV's for hours and not showing improvement.
"Has he been showing any improvement?" Conner asks as he and Natalie approached Will.
"No, hopefully soon though. Goodwin is calling in a Social Worker for him. If she approves the use of the steroid to slow down his metabolism, his health should begin to improve.
"It is so sad what they have been through. His mom is in a coma and chances are she will remain there until she dies. The only part of her brain that is not damaged beyond repair is her ability to breathe. She can breathe on her own and that is it." Natalie informs.
Will's pager goes off calling him to Goodwin's office. He sees April approaching the office as well. Inside the office With Sharon Goodwin is another woman.
"This is Dr. Will Halstead and Nurse April Sexton." Sharon introduced.
"My name is Sheila Wolf, I will be looking after Marty Brandel and his best interest. I do have to find him a foster home, but I am not too concerned about that until he is released. Mrs. Goodwin told me about the steroids. If the 3 of you think that he needs it, I will sign off on it."
"It is necessary to ensure he recovers. He has been on IV's since he was brought in, he is showing no improvement." Will explains
"I will approve the steroids, although I do have a favor to ask. While Marty is in the hospital, I would like to limit the contact he has with the hospital staff. He had been through so much and the constant changing of doctors who tend to him will not help in his ability to trust the doctors here. You two treated him when he was brought in, you should be the ones he has contact with."
Will and April nod and leave the room to get started on administering the steroids to Marty. Marty health begins to improve at a slow rate.
April and Will are at Maggie nurse station, discussing their schedules and rearranging what they have to so that someone is always here to treat Marty until he is released.
Marty is still underweight and his malnutrition is under control. But at least he is no longer dehydrated. He had to testify in court against his father, Dr. Charles, Will and Shiela went with him to court. Sheila was there as his social worker, Will he is there is to keep an eye on Marty's health. Dr. Charles had tried to talk to Marty while he was in the hospital, but it was like talking to a brick wall. So when the opportunity arises to hear him testify, he jumped at it.
Marty is finally better enough to leave the hospital. Sheila is taking him to his foster home and tomorrow he starts school again.