Chapter 4: All Hands On Deck

Derek and Mark pushed open the doors to the ER and took it in and strode up to the chief resident Miranda Bailey.

"What happened?"

Dr. Bailey said, "A driver lost control of his car, plowed through the fish market at the wharf. I need all hands-on deck."

Derek and Mark nodded and went in opposite directions.

Derek said, "All right. Talk to me."

Owen said, "Larry Shane Dickerson. 86. GCS 8. BP of 100 over 88. Pulse in the 120's."

The senior ortho resident said, "Obvious deformation of the tib and the fib. After I get some x-rays, we'll see what we can do for him. He's got a lot worse problems than broken bones."

An elderly lady said, "Honey, let me hear your voice! Oh, that car…that car…just about killed him."

Derek asked, "The car hit him?"

The ortho resident said, "No. He was driving. He hit his head on the windshield. His chest hit the steering column. It was an old car with no airbags."

Derek asked, "So, he was driving the car that crashed into the fish market?"

Mrs. Dickerson said agitated, "He wasn't driving it. That's what I'm telling you! It was driving him. He didn't do all this. It was the car. He couldn't stop it."

Derek said after a quick exam, "Okay. The left pupil is sluggish. Mrs. Dickerson. Dr. Smith is going to take your husband to radiology."

Dr. Bailey said, "I have two police officers waiting to take your statement about the accident."

Mrs. Dickerson replied, "It was the car. He dropped me off, just like he always does. Larry's a good driver. Please. I want to be with my husband."

Dr. Bailey said, "Yes, but you need to just give them a statement."

"Not now! Please."

Bailey looked at the elderly woman in great distress. She said, "Okay. I'll ask them to come back later." She glanced up and saw a woman covered in blood standing in front of the automatic doors. She yelled, "I need a gurney over here!" The blood-stained woman collapsed in her arms. Bailey yelled, "Sloan! Over here!"

Mark said to Bailey, "Damn!"

The patient named Janelle said, "I flew through the window. I flew."

Dr. Bailey asked, "Do you remember what happened?"

Janelle said, "I sell vegetables at the fish market. It happened so quickly."

Mrs. Dickerson wandered over and said, "Larry's a good driver. The car went crazy. If you need anything Janelle, I'm here."

Janelle said, "She's my best customer. He is such a nice man. I hope he didn't kill my baby."

Dr. Bailey yelled, "Montgomery! Over here stat!"

Addison hurried over, and Derek walked by. Derek asked, "You have this under control?"

Dr. Bailey nodded and said, "Montgomery and Sloan have this. The next wave should be here any minute."

Addison asked Janelle, "How far along are you?"

"Ten weeks. My chest really hurts."

Dr. Bailey said, "When you get her settled upstairs, call for a cardio consult."

Janelle asked Addison, "The doctors. Hot men. They're all hot. They are, aren't they? It's not just that I'm wearing a plate glass window?"

Addison watched as she glanced at Mark examining Janelle's face and Derek conferring with Owen. She sighed and said, "Nope. They are man candy. Let's get you upstairs and check on the baby. Your face is going to have to wait."

Dr. Smith hurried back to Derek and he held up the x-rays. Dr. Bailey walked up, and Derek said, "He has a subdural hematoma. Look at his spine."

Dr. Bailey said, "Spinal spinous?"

"Yeah."

Dr. Bailey said, "Narrowing of the spine...most often a result of aging. Causing numbness of the legs and feet."

Derek replied, "Only his case is so far advanced, I doubt he could even feel his feet. Which means…"

Bailey said," He shouldn't have been driving. I'll go tell the wife."

Derek nodded and told Dr. Smith to round up an ortho surgeon for his leg and to prep him for spinal surgery. He glanced around the room and saw that Hunt had it under control and sprinted towards the surgical wing. It was going to be a long day. The new batch of interns didn't start until tomorrow. The residents were having to do all the heavy lifting.

Hunt yelled to Bailey, "Incoming. Unconscious female with head lac and possible internal injuries and lots of others with broken bones!"

Bailey and Mark and some others hurried to the next batch of patients and quickly helped Owen triage. Hunt asked, "Where's Shepherd?"

Bailey said, "He just went upstairs with Mr. Dickerson."

Hunt said, "Shit! I need a neuro guy for this girl. They say she's been unconscious since they found her at the scene."

Dr. Nelson came up. "You need a neuro? I'm here."

Hunt said hesitantly, "Um…okay. Unconscious for about forty-five minutes. Pupils fixed and dilated. No response to the normal stimuli."

Dr. Jim Nelson did a quick exam and told a nurse." Get a portable C/T and page me with the results. Get somebody to fix her lac."

Mark asked, "Who's that again?"

Miranda said, "Shadow Shepherd. He gets Derek's leftovers."

Hunt grumbled, "And there is a reason for it."

Dr. Bailey sighed and said, "Well let's give her our best attention until Shepherd is available. Everyone else here is all ortho now. I've called extra's in to handle it."

They got the patient into a treatment room while the nurse took all her vitals and another resident finished up the CT.

Dr. Bailey told the resident, "We've got it from here. You can help set bones."

The second-year resident whined, "I was hoping to suture the lac."

Mark said nastily, "This girl has enough problems. When you can do a z-plasty and leave no scar, come back."

The resident grumbled on the way out, "Well how am I supposed to do that if I can't practice?"

Mark yelled, "When your sutures don't look like Frankenstein!"

Bailey tried not to laugh, but failed. Dr. Sloan could be a piece of work, but he made her laugh.

Hunt took a pair of scissors and cut off the patient's pants and sweater.

Olivia sighed and asked, "Was that necessary?" She put the ruined luxurious cashmere sweater in a bag with her shoes and the shredded pants. She thought this stuff was super expensive.

Hunt said, "In the ER it is. Work fast and efficiently. You never know what's coming in the door next."

Mark was intently concentrating on laying out his equipment and glanced up as Miranda and Owen carefully palpitated the patient for broken bones and any signs of internal bleeding.

Sweet Jesus thought Mark. This girl had a body. He took in her expensive looking black lace bra and panties. From his angle, sitting down at the top of her head, he had a view of her full breasts spilling out of the top of her bra and looking straight down her deep cleavage.

Dr. Bailey said, "Turn her over gently." They continued their exam and turned her onto her back again.

Dr. Bailey snapped her fingers in front of Mark's face. "Hey! This is a patient! Stop drooling and be a little respectful!"

Mark mumbled, "Sorry." Owen chuckled at Mark being chastised and Olivia said under her breath, "Manwhore!"

Owen said, "Nothing appears to be broken and there is no sign of any internal bleeding. There are some tender spots that I expect to be bruised and sore only. Her hands are scraped badly. It looks like she went hands and headfirst into something hard and rough."

Bailey said, "Probably a brick building. There are lots of them down there. So, no ID in the pockets, no scars, no tattoos or piercing. I'm guessing nineteen?"

Olivia said, "Twenty?"

Hunt said, "Nineteen or Twenty."

Mark said, "Face of an angel under these scratches. Maybe eighteen. Body of a…"

Dr. Bailey glared and said sharply, "Twenty it is for our Jane Doe." She scribbled on the chart.

Olivia put a drape over her, so she was completely covered except for her head and hands.

The second year resident stuck his head in and yelled excitedly, "I got a guy with a severed leg!"

Sloan said, "I got this." Olivia, Hunt and Bailey ran out of the room.

Mark said softy to the slight, unconscious, pale girl, "It's just you and me kid. Don't worry. I'll fix your forehead and your hands, and you'll be as good as new. And we'll get Shepherd to look at your head. He's the best."