Chapter 23: Tubes out.
Danny has been wheeled out of his room to a larger exam room on the same ICU area. Lying down on a cold metal table in the middle of the room, he felt like a lab rat. The table, for his benefit, has been covered with thick towels. Many coated doctors, including his personal Dr. Kalama and the team of surgeons that performed his surgeries, surrounded him while examining thoroughly the evolution of his physical state. His wounds had been cleaned up and examined by the surgeons and the dressings had been finally taken out and not replaced. Every wound, including the surgical ones, didn´t show signs of infections anymore and they were practically all healed. The staff of professionals gave him the go-ahead with a more intense daily therapy to help with the recuperation of the broken and sore limbs.
After the team of surgeons left, the room was less crowded and Danny´s body allowed some tension to abandon him. Dr. Kalama and the nurse were the ones remaining and while one of them brought the bright light near and focused it, the other lifted up his gown and covered his inguinal area with a surgical sheet.
"Now we´re going to take out the inguinal catheter, it´s an easy procedure, you should only feel a prick so, just relax". It was, indeed, quick and Danny almost didn´t feel a thing, just a slight prick as the doctor has prevented and then a cold swab cleaning the area. "Now every time you need to urinate you´ll have to ask for assistance, remember that".
"Ok".
"Alright" The doctor patted his shoulder. "Now I want you to sit up on that armchair over there and then we´ll take the tube on your nose out, and you´ll finally be free of tubing" He smiled while placing a hand on the back of his patients neck and other on the back of his knee to help him sit up. Danny tensed. "Easy, we´re just going to sit up on the table first". Motioning the nurse to follow, he did the same on Danny´s other side and, slowly so not to make him dizzy, they sited him up on the border to the exam table. Danny instinctively closed his eyes.
"It´s ok, take your time".
"No, I´m good". Whatever strength and motivation he needed, Danny got it from seeing his children in the morning. He was happy, he was full, he was loved, he could do anything.
"Ok, let pass you on the chair. Let us do the major work because you can´t use that ankle yet."
Danny tried to help the best he could as he was transferred from the exam table to sit on the comfortable kind of armchair. Unlike his fingers, which were already almost completely healed, the broken ankle was another matter. That, added to his lack of muscular strength, didn't allow him to walk yet, so he was lifted and carefully sited on the chair by his doctor and the male nurse. His bad foot was accommodated on a soft pillow and a blanket appeared on his lap.
"Take your time to relax, ok champ? Then we´ll go ahead and take the NG tube out, since now you´re able to eat correctly". The doctor talked lightly, not making a very big deal of the procedure. It helped Danny to innocently ease himself on the chair. He closed his eyes and heard them while arranging some instruments and things around the room.
Danny opened his eyes and thought the time he has been given was too short when the nurse placed a hand on his back and helped him sit a bit more upright. Dr. Kalama approached him and inserted the stethoscope under his gown, first to hear his lungs and heart from his back and then from his chest. While measuring his pulse by grabbing the now healed wrists and then looking into his eyes with a penlight, the doctor started to explain.
"You already know that when you just arrived we needed to place this tube to assist on feeding you and giving the necessary supplemental nourishment and medicaments. But now you´re capable of continue your improvement without it. So, what you say? We take it out?" As usual, the doctor jovially smiled and tried to ease the moment.
"Yes, please…"
"What, you won´t say it´s uncomfortable, will you?"
Everyone smiled and the physician went to wash his hands. Coming back, he removed the security tape from Danny´s nose and cheek, slowly and with care. Next, picking up a syringe, he inserted it on the port and forced 20ml of air through it.
"Ok champ, now I need you to take a deep breath and hold it".
Danny managed to take his best breath.
"Good, now maintain it". Without warning, Dr. Kalama kink the tube near the naris and gently but forcefully started to pull it out in a swift, steady motion, wrapping it on his gloved hand as it was being pulled out.
Danny never expected this level of pain coming from something that was apparently so simple. He felt like raw sandpaper coming up from his stomach all the way up through his throat.
The doctor was talking and explaining things and trying to walk him through it, but the sound of fear on his ears blocked everything out. In the middle of a cloud of confusion, he felt his tears being dried, his nose being cleaned up and he automatically rinsed his mouth and spit out when asked to do it after being offered water to sip up and a pan appeared on his face. The cloud started to recede and his hearing to come back.
"Easy. Now you´re officially free champ, nothing attached to you". Discarding the used tubes and his gloves, he asked. "Any discomfort? How are you feeling?"
"Good, better now".
"Great, we´ll let you rest for a little bit and then Dr. Phillson, the PT therapist, will come to work with you a few minutes, ok?"
"Alright"
"Great, I´ll be back to check on you tonight when you´re back on your room".
After the doctor left, the nurse took his vitals and made sure he was comfortable, reclined the armchair a little bit back and lowered the lights before also leaving. Danny finally was left alone, with the only assignment to rest. So he did that, completely drained by all the movement he actually fell asleep on the comfortable chair, under the warmth of the blanket and helped by the peace of the empty and darkened room.
Twice has Dr. Phillson came to start his PT session with him, but, as Danny was deeply asleep, he opted for working with other patients first. The third time, he had no choice but to wake him, and so they worked on the exercises half an hour and Danny was taught a series of some easy ones he would have to do by himself to start regaining muscular mass and strength. Finishing up, the PT physician left him alone again, leaving him slightly trembling with exertion.
The day has had a lot of emotions and activities. First the rough night with the nightmare; then the pump of energy and adrenaline from his kids; then these procedures and exercises. As a result, the detective was completely exhausted.
Danny woke up at the smell of food, lying and tucked comfortably on his bed. He must have fallen asleep on the armchair and remained oblivious to the world all the time while someone brought him back to his room and who knows how many hours more.
But he felt good, he felt tired but with mental strength, he felt happy, and he was hungry. The smell of tasty food and the sound of silverware regained his attention, so he opened his eyes and smiled as a tray was being placed on his lap.