Chapter 3
Part 3
Cassie Gardner, a young nurse answered Jack's page. She entered his room and asked, "Yes sir, what is it?'
"I want this out," he said, referring to the IV that was in his arm.
Trying to follow the rules, the young nurse informed him, "I'm sorry sir, but I can't do that without a doctor's order. Your doctor should be here in about an hour or so. He...."
"Fine," Jack said, as he started to remove the apparatus himself.
"You can't do that!" Cassie said, as she rushed towards him.
She froze mid step as Jack ordered her, "Don't...take another step."
"But sir...,"
Cassie was relieved to see Nurse Manser entering the room. "Cassie, you can go. I'll take care of this," Margie told her.
As Cassie left the room Margie placed an envelope on the bedside table. "I'll do that for you, Mr. Bristow. The last thing you need is a complication," she said, as she removed the needle from his arm.
"Where are my clothes?" he asked her, as she was removing the IV.
"They're under the bed. I'll get them for you."
When she was done removing the IV, Margie reached under the bed and pulled out a plastic bag that contained the now dirty clothes he came in with.
"Thank you," he said.
Margie knew he wasn't just thanking her just for taking out the IV, but he was also thanking her for not giving him unwanted advise that he had no intention of heeding.
Jack stood up to remove his hospital gown. If Margie had not been there to catch him, he would have fallen. "Let me help you," she said as she assisted him to a chair.
"Why aren't you trying to stop me?" he asked her.
As she helped him put his shirt on, she told him, "I've been doing this job a long time, Mr. Bristow. I know men like you can't be stopped. I find that it's better to help you do what you need to do, rather than offer you advice on why you shouldn't do it."
After helping him with his shirt, she handed him his pants. While he was buckling them, she asked him, "You don't remember that she was here, do you?"
His look of surprise, confirmed for Margie that Jack had no memory of the last minutes he spent with his daughter.
As she helped him put on his socks, she told him, "You talked to her a bit. You asked her if anyone had been caught. She told that they had gotten away. Then you fell asleep."
While helping him put on his shoes, she told him, "She wanted me to give you a message when you woke up."
Margie had always prided herself on being emotionally detached from her patients, but there was something heartbreaking about this situation. Her voice began to crack as she told him, "She wanted me to tell you that she'd be here first thing in the morning."
Jack closed his eyes and once again tried to rub out the pressure that was building inside his head.
As he was putting on his shoes, she told him, "Mr. Bristow, before she left, she kissed you and said, 'Good-night Dad, I'll see you tomorrow'."
"Call me Jack," he told her.
"Good luck, Jack," she said, as she handed him the envelope that she had placed on the bedside table. Having anticipated that her patient would be leaving, Margie had retrieved his personal effects.
TBC
Part 3
Cassie Gardner, a young nurse answered Jack's page. She entered his room and asked, "Yes sir, what is it?'
"I want this out," he said, referring to the IV that was in his arm.
Trying to follow the rules, the young nurse informed him, "I'm sorry sir, but I can't do that without a doctor's order. Your doctor should be here in about an hour or so. He...."
"Fine," Jack said, as he started to remove the apparatus himself.
"You can't do that!" Cassie said, as she rushed towards him.
She froze mid step as Jack ordered her, "Don't...take another step."
"But sir...,"
Cassie was relieved to see Nurse Manser entering the room. "Cassie, you can go. I'll take care of this," Margie told her.
As Cassie left the room Margie placed an envelope on the bedside table. "I'll do that for you, Mr. Bristow. The last thing you need is a complication," she said, as she removed the needle from his arm.
"Where are my clothes?" he asked her, as she was removing the IV.
"They're under the bed. I'll get them for you."
When she was done removing the IV, Margie reached under the bed and pulled out a plastic bag that contained the now dirty clothes he came in with.
"Thank you," he said.
Margie knew he wasn't just thanking her just for taking out the IV, but he was also thanking her for not giving him unwanted advise that he had no intention of heeding.
Jack stood up to remove his hospital gown. If Margie had not been there to catch him, he would have fallen. "Let me help you," she said as she assisted him to a chair.
"Why aren't you trying to stop me?" he asked her.
As she helped him put his shirt on, she told him, "I've been doing this job a long time, Mr. Bristow. I know men like you can't be stopped. I find that it's better to help you do what you need to do, rather than offer you advice on why you shouldn't do it."
After helping him with his shirt, she handed him his pants. While he was buckling them, she asked him, "You don't remember that she was here, do you?"
His look of surprise, confirmed for Margie that Jack had no memory of the last minutes he spent with his daughter.
As she helped him put on his socks, she told him, "You talked to her a bit. You asked her if anyone had been caught. She told that they had gotten away. Then you fell asleep."
While helping him put on his shoes, she told him, "She wanted me to give you a message when you woke up."
Margie had always prided herself on being emotionally detached from her patients, but there was something heartbreaking about this situation. Her voice began to crack as she told him, "She wanted me to tell you that she'd be here first thing in the morning."
Jack closed his eyes and once again tried to rub out the pressure that was building inside his head.
As he was putting on his shoes, she told him, "Mr. Bristow, before she left, she kissed you and said, 'Good-night Dad, I'll see you tomorrow'."
"Call me Jack," he told her.
"Good luck, Jack," she said, as she handed him the envelope that she had placed on the bedside table. Having anticipated that her patient would be leaving, Margie had retrieved his personal effects.
TBC
