The ICU doctor returned several minutes later. "Dr. Murchison is having the medical records for Mr. Keller pulled and delivered. Clearly, it won't be definitive, but we should have at least something to go on in just a few minutes. I'll be back as soon as I hear."
"I don't think Steve is going anywhere and I can stay as well," Mike joked slightly.
"Thanks - it shouldn't be too long. I'll send the nurse in to check on him as well."
Steve was trying to remain calm and not react to the pain building in his lower back, but it was becoming impossible. His fever was increasing. The oxygen mask was now a source of annoyance and he was simply miserable. The young man winced as he tried to situate himself differently in the bed.
Mike reached over and patted him on the shoulder. "Hang on, Buddy boy, help is on the way."
Steve's breathing was becoming rapid. "Hurts," he commented through the mask in a single word as he continued to fidget. For his partner to ever admit he was unwell was rare, Mike thought. For him to admit that he was hurting was unheard of.
"I know." Mike felt completely helpless. "They are checking your records to see if you've had problems with antibiotics in the past, but they should be giving you something for the pain no matter what. I can go check if you want."
Steve nodded. Generally, he would put up a brave front, but this time he wanted relief fast. He appreciated Mike being there to help.
It seemed like an interminable wait, but the doctor returned several minutes later with Mike following behind. "Well, Steve, we are able to give you the antibiotic. There's apparently no history of reactions, but there's also no history of you having the drug. So we'll watch you to make sure it goes okay."
"Can you give him something for the pain, too?" Mike asked. "It's getting worse for him."
"Let me check," he said as he reached for Steve's chart. "We can do a bit more by tapping into the next round of pain killers. I can't overdo it because of the head injury."
The doctor continued to read his chart and contemplated. "If the pain from his side continues, we'll need to take him back up to x-ray and see if there's not something else going on. The bullet grazed his kidney before exiting out his back so we may need to make sure there's not a complication."
The nurse came in with a syringe for the pain and an antibiotic bag to be added to the IV. Within minutes the two drugs were administered. The combination of the antibiotic and painkiller was indeed calming to the young officer. "Can you continue to stay in here with him for at least the next fifteen minutes?" the doctor asked Mike.
"I certainly can."
"Thanks. That's helpful. I still have a few other patients I need to check, so if there's any problem at all, you let us know."
As the doctor and nurse left, Mike sat back down next to Steve. "You doing okay?"
"Pain is better," Steve commented slowly, but deliberately. Mike was happy to see Steve put together more than a word or two.
About a minute later, the young man began coughing. At first it sounded more like he was clearing his throat, but then the coughs became more frequent.
"What's going on, Steve? What's wrong?" Mike asked.
"Hard…to…breath…," he said between coughs. The coughs were quickly intensifying. Mike reached for the nurse's button and pressed hard several times.
Steve put his free hand up to his throat as his face began to turn red. By reflex, he pulled off the oxygen mask since it was doing no good.
"I'm getting help!" Mike turned quickly. He hated leaving the young man alone, but knew that he needed to get the nurse or doctor as quickly as possible. He flipped the ICU curtain back and yelled out, "We need help - QUICKLY! He's had a reaction to…" and before he could finish his sentence, the doctor returned.
"She's getting the epinephrine!" the doctor and seconds later, the nurse returned with the vial.
"Sir, you may want to leave," the nurse advised.
"Not a chance."
The nurse and doctor pulled the sheet aside and exposed Steve's leg. The doctor quickly injected the drug by thrusting the epinephrine pen into his thigh. Steve was oblivious to the injection.
The doctor felt Steve's throat and realized that the swelling continued to be significant and that he was still unable to breathe. Time was now very critical. "Let's try another vial of epinephrine. Standby for a tracheotomy, just in case."
The nurse hurried for a second vial and returned. A second nurse arrived with the tracheotomy equipment. At this point, Steve was beginning to lose consciousness. The doctor thrust the second vial into his thigh and waited a few seconds. Steve gasped and took in some air.
"I'm seeing some improvement, but I don't like what's happened, We shouldn't need to do the tracheotomy, but I do want to intubate him at least for a while. Let's see how easily the breathing tube will go down."
Mike watched these events unfold in horror. He heard Steve gasping for air, and while that meant some air was finally getting into his lungs, he shuddered at the sound. But the thought of the doctor forcing a tube down his throat was too much for him to bear. He could imagine how frightening and uncomfortable that would be, yet it was absolutely necessary. Mike turned and walked out of the ICU partition and took a spot in the hallway nearby.
SOSF SOSF SOSF SOSF SOSF
Charlie Spagnozzi called his brother on the hospital phone. "Yeah, I'm okay, Vic, but you can't tell anybody, you hear? I'm not even supposed to be talking on the phone," Spags commented. "The cops are making it look like the guy killed both me and Stone's partner."
Spags listened to his brother on the other end of the line. "Yeah, that Stone. Alex's younger brother."
Vic asked for more details.
"A young guy - about Danny's age. He took a couple of slugs for old Charlie here and he's in pretty bad shape from what I've been told. Look, you need to find out who's is behind this. I figure it's got to do with the Livingston's. That old hag has had it in for me for some time."
Spags could hear the voice on the other end increase in volume - after all, it was his son that was killed by the Livingston brothers. "Those bastards killed Danny and they tried to take me out. We need to take care of this."
"Yeah, I knew you would. See what you can find out and get back to me. Yeah, I'm here under the name of Charlie Smith. Real original, huh? Look, get back to me, okay?" Charlie hung up the phone.
SOSF SOSF SOSF SOSF SOSF
The doctor left Steve's partition and found Mike in the hallway.
"Well, that was a close call," the doctor admitted.
"I have a hard time believing what I just saw. He could have died!" Mike's anger was nearing the surface.
"Yes, unfortunately, he was in anaphylactic shock. It's extremely rare." The doctor was a kind man who felt quite a bit of compassion for all of his patients.
"Why give him those antibiotics if there was that chance?" Mike countered.
"The odds are extremely low for that to happen. But he needs a strong antibiotic and the penicillin family is the most effective. With us having to rule out that group of antibiotics, we'll need to rely to something weaker. If that infection becomes systemic, he'll be in serious trouble."
"What do you mean, doctor?"
"I mean, he's not out of the woods yet. We'll be monitoring him very closely."