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Chapter 33 - The Doctor Will See You Now

EDWARD

I moved quickly through the bush, knowing I didn't have much time left if I was really going to do this, if I was really going to save these guys.

I heard someone yell, "Who goes there?" and several knives being drawn. They were afraid it was another mountain lion.

"I'm Dr. Cullen. I heard some shouting. Is someone in need of medical assistance?"

Some of the men were relieved and some were skeptical.

I walked into the camp, holding my hands above my head, with my black doctor's bag in my hand. One of the men rushed forward and opened it quickly. He was truly hoping I was what I said I was, because it was his friend who was hurt the worst. He sighed in relief when he pulled out my stethoscope.

He held it up. "It's just doctor shit, he's a doctor."

"I'm sorry, I don't have a lot with me," I said. They all thought I was very unkempt. It was then I realized most of them looked like they were hygienic.

"Where you from, doc?" another asked me.

"I've been from here for the past five months. My plane crashed off the coast not too far from here."

"Iz heared about dat. You maked it out?"

"Um, yes." I didn't want to talk about myself. "We should look at your friend," I said to the man holding my bag. "Do you have any other supplies, disinfectants, and sterile gloves I could use?" I asked.

"Chauncey!" another man shouted. "Bring da kit! Weez got cha real doc here!"

A small woman jumped off the boat, carrying a case that was nearly the size of her. She looked at me playing innocent, but her thoughts were anything but. She didn't approach me until two large men were in step with her.

I realized then that one of the men next to her was her brother, and she thought he was overbearing and annoying.

"Hello, Chauncey, I'm Dr. Cullen. I'm a surgeon, when I'm not vacationing on deserted islands," I said trying to lighten the mood as I opened the case. I smiled in relief when I saw sterile gloves, sutures, clamps, syringes, and saline.

"Do you know how to start an I-V, Chauncey?" She nodded, her mind filled with medical knowledge. She had attended school to be a medical assistant. I passed her what she would need. "Could you start one on that gentleman there?" I pointed to the one dying slowly. His insides were all exposed. The cat had done quite a number on him, but luckily for him, his ribs had held up, protecting his heart and lungs.

"I'm going to need some boiling water, lots of it. I'll need to clean out his wounds. Also, I need a tray to set my tools on. He's losing a lot of blood, so I'm going to need to work quickly."

I noticed the men all looked to their captain, and he shouted for them to get a move on. He thought most of his crew was stupid, but their ignorance made them easy to control. He held a stern exterior, but I could tell by his thoughts that he was truly worried about his men.

One man came running toward me with a tray, and another came behind him with a large tea kettle. I slipped my gloves on and poked my finger in the water. It was cooling fast and that was just what I needed. I pulled the clamps out of my bag and the ones out of their kit and set them out on the tray, and then I grabbed the sutures.

"Okay, tip him on his side so the water will run out. We don't have a suction machine." Chauncey's brother and the other man rolled him to his side. "Okay, Chauncey, can you pour the water over his wounds, so I can see where the clamps need to go?"

She nodded her head yes and took the tea kettle, and I picked up the clamps. "Go," I said and she started pouring. I quickly clamped up the larger wounds and some of the smaller ones using all of my clamps, and then I started right away stitching him up as fast as I could.

Once the water was drained and the immediate bleeding was stopped, I had them tip him back onto his back. "I need to make sure I'm not missing anything. I looked him over and then quickly stitched up two more lacerations I had missed.

I worked meticulously on his stomach and had to dispose of a portion of his liver that was too badly damage and a kidney that was beyond repair. There was very little flesh left on his stomach, but I stitched what I could back together, still leaving a hole about the size of my fist.

"He could use a skin and tissue transplant, but…" I shook my head. I quickly wrapped him up. "He's going to need another bag of IV fluid after that one is done. He needs the fluid to help replace the blood he lost. He should only have liquids for a while and no alcohol anymore for the rest of his life. I had to remove part of his liver and a kidney. His body won't be able to process it anymore. I'll give you a prescription for antibiotics. He really needs them. This is not a sterile operating environment. You'll need to get him to a hospital as soon as you can if at all possible."

I pulled off my gloves and wiped my forehead. "So, who's next?"

I was surprised by the line that formed in front of me.

I stitched up the other two guys who had also been attacked by the mountain lion and pulled out a prescription pad for their prescriptions. Alice must have seen this, because there was no other reason for it to be in my bag.

The captain invited me to his quarters, and I was able to hold a makeshift clinic. I wrote out several more prescriptions for everything from athlete's foot to swimmer's ear. One man had a severe eye infection, and I made sure Chauncey understood that this man's prescription was an injection and needed to be given in his hip. He was also supposed to take antibiotics afterward as well as eye drops, and hopefully that would save his eye. I also gave a couple of prescriptions for STD's and reminded them of the importance of safe sex. I got a laugh at that one.

The captain walked in, and Chauncey seemed to want to hide, she suspected he'd figured out that she'd been cheating on him. She wanted to hide behind me. In fact, that was exactly what she was thinking.

The captain looked at the girl with disdain. He didn't like having a girl on his ship, because it caused discord with his men.

"Chauncey has a list of the prescriptions I gave out and their doses, as well as the men, so she can help make sure they're taken correctly. It's of vital importance that you get the medicine for the men that were attacked. Large cats carry all manner of bacteria."

He put his hand up to stop me from talking. He looked over at Chauncey, and his glare caused her to run out of the room.

"Dr. Cullen, if that's your real name, I understand the need for medication is urgent. What I want to know is what you expect in return?" he asked, thinking he didn't have enough supplies to take on another man and was sadly a little relieved when some of the men had died.

"Um, a razor?" I asked rubbing my beard, "And maybe a package of toilet paper if you can spare it."

His eyes sparkled with amusement and relief as he let out a laugh. "You don't want to go home?"

I shook my head no. "I kind of like it here. It's peaceful."

He looked at me suspiciously, he knew for damn sure there was more to my story. "Are there others with you?"

I knew these men were pirates, but we were alone, and the captain had no intentions of bothering the group I was with as part of my payment for my services. "There's a girl and a baby boy that survived the crash as well. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell the others in your crew of them."

He nodded in agreement. "Then why tell me?"

I didn't have a good answer for that. "You should know what you're dealing with when you come to the island. It's best if there are no surprises for either of us."

He nodded in agreement, he thought it sounded reasonable, but was still suspicious of my intentions. "I don't think I could give them safe passage."

"I know, that's why I didn't ask for it, but we'd be very grateful for some toilet paper and maybe some talcum powder if you have some to spare."

He walked over to his private bathroom and pulled out a six-pack of toilet paper and a small bottle of talcum powder. He also passed me a straight razor and a sharpening belt. "You should be able to use it longer than one of these," he held up a disposable razor. "This one you can sharpen." He was sad to see it go. It had come with the ship, and he found it an amusing piece of its history.

I thanked him and put them in my bag. "It's greatly appreciated."

"You're welcome, Dr. Cullen."

"Edward, my name is Dr. Edward Cullen, but you can call me Edward, Captain."

He smiled at me. "Edward, would it be alright if we come back for checkups?"

"Yes, of course. It'd be helpful if you could pick up more medical supplies. I can't really do much other than diagnose at this point, and even then I can't do blood tests, ultrasounds or x-rays."

The captain looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, I feel a little inadequate without my tools of the trade, but if you can't see another doctor, then yes, please come back, so I can check up on everyone's progress," I said sincerely.

He smiled. "I'll see what I can do."

"Captain, can I ask one more favor?"

He looked at me nervously. "You can ask."

"Could you contact my brother? I suppose you're most likely going to take these supplies without paying, which I completely understand. The medicines are vital for the survival of your crew, and it isn't likely you have a healthcare plan," I said joking.

He only barely cracked a smile.

"If you give my brother a message that the place you get your medicines from needs a donation from the Cullen Foundation to replace what's been taken, I'd greatly appreciate it."

His eyes narrowed at me, he thought I was setting him up. "So you're saying you want to pay for our medicines as well?"

"As I said, it's vital for your crew to live. You have to get these medicines for them to survive. At the same time, I don't want anyone else going without. My brother was the beneficiary of my estate. Just tell him Alice will agree that the donation should be made."

"Is Alice your wife?"

"No, she's just a friend and a close confidant of my brother. They both know I'm alive and will come for me when the time is right."

"They know you're here and are just leaving you hanging?"

"It's more complicated than that. I can't just go walking back to the states. I'm kind of a wanted man."

"What crime did you commit?"

"I'm innocent."

He smiled. "Aren't we all?"

I just laughed. "So, will you get a message to my brother for me?"

"Sure, does your girl want to send a message as well?" he asked. He really planned on delivering the messages.

"Yeah, she might. I know she's missing her dad very much." I noticed his eyes soften, and his thoughts turned to a little dark-haired girl hugging him. There was something heartbreaking behind it.

"Just get the letters to me personally by daybreak, and I'll make sure they get to where they're supposed to be."

"Thank you," I said shaking his hand gratefully.

"No, thank you. You really saved us out there."

I just nodded my head, hoping he was right. If they didn't get the medicines fast, though, my work would have all been for naught.

A/N: So the pirates aren't as bad as he thought. Thank heavens! Thanks for reading and please review!