CHAPTER THREE
Carter arrived sometime a little after eleven o'clock. He wasn't feeling well at all. The waiting room for the ER was packed.
'I'm going to be here forever' he thought.
He walked to the desk, was asked his problem and told to fill out a form. Carter took it and sat down in a chair next to a man who sounded like he was hacking up his entire bodies organs. Filling it out he brought it back to the desk and the lady took it, then handed it to a male nurse. He then led Carter to a small room. Carter sat down in a chair next to a table and the nurse sat in a chair in front of the table and set Carter's form and a blank piece of paper on top of the desk.
"John. Are you allergic to any medication?" The male nurse asked.
"Just compazine."
The nurse wrote it down. Then opened the desk drawer and pulled out a bracelet where he wrote compazine on it and put it around John's wrist.
"I know you wrote it down but tell me why you're here today."
Carter cleared his throat. God he was nervous.
"The past week I haven't been sleeping well. I'm sick a lot."
"Sick? Throwing up?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Go ahead."
"I'm tired. My muscles ache and I haven't been eating very much. I've also been having trouble with my left leg."
"Trouble? How?"
"Sometimes it won't move when I want it to. Then if I do move it causes pain throughout my lower back."
"Okay. Well, I'm going to take your blood pressure and take your temperature."
Carter nodded.
The nurse attached the blood pressure cuff and took the reading. A little high. Carter saw that.
"It's a little high." Carter said.
"Yeah, but it could be nerves. We'll get it all checked out."
Then the man took the thermometer and put it in Carter's ear. After a moment it beeped.
"Temperatures high too. 102.6"
He wrote it down.
"I'm going to go and give this to the desk. Sit tight. I'll be right back."
Carter nodded and wiped his hands on his pants. The nurse came back with a cup.
"I want to take a urine sample."
Carter groaned. Then stood up from the chair and took the cup.
"Bathroom?" He asked.
"Straight ahead. To your left."
"Thanks."
Carter walked to the bathroom, found an empty stall and filled the cup as much as he could.
'This is going to get old fast' he thought as he finished and put the cap on the cup.
He walked out of the bathroom and saw the nurse waiting for him. He handed him the cup and was asked to take a seat and wait for the doctor.
Time passed slowly. He drifted in and out of sleep. Hours passed before his name was called.
"John Carter."
Carter was feeling hot, and knew it must have been a fever. He heard his name and opened his eyes. He stood up but was instantly sorry. He got dizzy and pale. He would have hit the floor but that nurse from before was there and caught him.
"Easy John."
He was made to sit down again, until the dizziness passed.
"I'm feeling better."
"You don't look much better." The nurse replied.
"Thanks." Carter said saracsticly.
"Let's get you to a room where you'll be more comfortable."
He was helped up and walked where he was led to the actual ER and to a room.. The ER looked a little like County's. His "escort" opened a door.
"Here we go. You can have a seat on the bed and the doc will be with you in a little bit."
"Thanks."
He sat on the bed. He wrapped his arms around himself.
'When did it get cold?' he thought.
He sat there for a while when the doctor came in with the male nurse.
"John Carter."
"That's me."
The doctor held out his hand.
"Hi John. I'm Doctor Gray."
Carter took his hand and shook it.
"Hello."
"I assume you met Nurse Vaughn?" He asked gesturing to the nurse.
"Yes."
"He's going to take your temperature again."
Vaughn moved over to John and put the thermometer in Carter's ear again. One minute passed and it beeped.
"101.1"
John coughed and asked,
"What did the urine test show?"
"Well I want to take a couple more tests."
"More tests? What for?"
"To be thorough. Vaughn here will draw some blood and then you'll be taken to have a chest-xray and an MRI."
"What did the urine test say?" Carter asked again.
"There were some concerns, which is why I want to have these tests done so I can have a conclusive result."
"It says here that you're using Naltrexone. How long have you been on that?"
"A month."
"You may be having a bad reaction to the drug. We'll know more in a little bit. And I'll come back to see you with an answer." Dr. Gray smiled.
He left the room. leaving only Carter and Vaughn.
Nurse Vaughn went to some cabinets next to the bed Carter was sitting on and pulled a needle, a vial, and a long rubber band.
"Can you roll your sleeve up for me?"
Carter did this and Vaughn put the band around his upper arm, then drew a vile of blood. He drew a second one as well.
"I'll be back in a minute to take you to x-ray."
"Okay." Carter said quietly.
Vaughn left but came back a moment later. He gave Carter a hospital gown and told him to put it on.
Carter got up from the bed and undressed as quickly as he could. Leaving only his boxers on. He put on the gown and sat on the bed when there was a knock on the door.
"John, are you dressed?"
"Yeah."
Vaughn came in and there was a wheelchair by the door. He saw Carter's expression.
"It's a free ride." he said with a slight smile.
Carter nodded.
"I suppose it is."
He sat in the chair and was wheeled to x-ray. That didn't take as long but his muscles were starting to hurt from holding his hands above his head. He was then in the wheelchair again and was wheeled to get an MRI. He had to sit for ten minutes while another patient was finished. He didn't like the experience at all. He felt trapped and just wanted to get out. He wanted this day over with. He was exhausted after everything was over. He was wheeled back to the room where he was given an IV of saline. Vaughn left the room and after a few minutes Carter couldn't keep his eyes open anymore and drifted off to sleep.
He awoke to someone calling his name and shaking his shoulder.
"John?" "John."
Carter opened his eyes. He saw Dr. Gray looking at him.
"Hi. A little hard to wake you up."
"Sorry." Carter answered. Sitting up in the bed.
"Don't be." The Doc smiled. "I have the results to your tests."
There was some hesitation from Doctor Gray.
"What... what is it?" Carter asked.
"Your blood and urine tests show abnormal cells. Cancerous."
"Cancer?"
"Leukemia."
"Leukemia?" Carter responded with disbelief in his voice.
"So I'm not having a bad reaction to the Naltrexone?"
Another hesitation from Doctor Gray.
"No."
"What?"
"Your chest x-ray and MRI showed a tumor near your spine. It's cancerous but seems to only be slowly spreading around the spinal area. But that's the reason for the lack of mobility in your leg and the pain from your back. I'd like to have it removed before it can be impossible and cause permanent damage."
"What..." Carter coughed. "Uum.. what do you suggest."
"Surgery and radiation therapy"
No response from Carter.
"It's a treatment where they...."
"I know what it is." Carter said.
"Okay... well..I want to recommend a doctor in this area who specializes in this type of tumor removal and treatment. He's a good friend and a great doctor."
"Yeah....that sounds good."
"Great."
Doctor Gray wrote the information on a paper and handed it too Carter.
"You still have a fever because of the Leukemia so I would like to keep you here for a while longer. But I'll give you some antibiotics to take home. I want you to take them until you see the doctor and start treatment."
Carter nodded.
"May I ask the reason for the Naltrexone?"
"Why?" Carter asked curious.
"When you start treatment I suggest you stop using it because it could have an affect with the therapy."
"I was addicted to painkillers and because of my job I'm on restrictions and have rules to follow. This is one of them."
"What do you do?"
A quiet moment.
"I'm an ER doctor at County General."