Another update. Thanks to the Three Musketeers (Ragni, Anime and NY Gal) for their reviews. Rest of you, well, I dunno really what to say. Maybe one of these days, you realize that it might be a good idea to write two lines for someone who writes upwards of seventy lines more than a few times each week just for you!

Anyway, pardon the typos in my previous chapter. I am wasted, tired, hungry and grumpy. Will edit it when I wake up sometime in next 15-16 hours.

Happy reading.

Chapter 75

After making notes of surgery and post-op orders, I went to changing room. My scrubs were soaked through and through. I was feeling a little dizzy after a prolonged shift and realized, yet again, that the old horse, our commander was right. I was in no shape to resume surgery. And then the thought hit me. What if Billy Johnson was worse off because I was operating? I knew from experience that second guessing usually killed surgical careers but I was not second guessing my skill, just my current state.

Scrub room was vacant. I removed the bloodied garment and my teeshirt before donning a new one. I was heading out for post-op to see Johnson when Potter and Frank entered the scrub room. Not ready to get into a pointless discussion the end point of which I knew, I tried to brush past them. No such luck!

"Where are you going, Pierce! You have to answer a few things, both to me and Colonel Potter." I knew I could have broken his jaw if I had an ounce of strength to spare. I glared at him before heading out.

"Pierce! We need to talk."

"Colonel, the kid I just operated on, he might be dying. Now I know that it won't make a dime of a difference to Frank's well being but so far as I am concerned, I want to see that he makes it. So if you would just excuse me." And again started leaving but was held back by a now snarling Frank.

"Not on your Nelly, mister. I checked the patient five minutes before you decided to operate on him. He was fine. And now, he may die. Lt. O'Hara just told me everything that happened. So you better give us some answers now!" I looked at Potter who was silently standing and then I looked at Frank's hand grabbing my arm. With one swift move, I shoved him against the wall with my arm on his neck as I spoke, "You touch me again, Frank Burns and I will break your arm and shove it so high up your ass you will need multiple surgeries to retrieve it. Capisce?" And with that, I left the scrub room, my mind only on my patient.

To hell with Potter and Frank Burns. And what did he say about O'Hara? And where the goddamned hell was she? I sent her to get donors, not to a trip to Transylvania. She was with Johnson, adjusting his IV. I remembered telling Stevens to hand Johnson over to Kellye who was standing on one side, watching Cate doing whatever the hell she was doing.

"Lieutenant!" I addressed her, barely controlling my anger.

"Yes doctor?"

"Update!" One word command.

"Pulse is 110, BP ninety by sixty."

"Thats all you did in the time you've been here?"

She looked at me, puzzled and furious.

"Kellye, when do you go off?" I turned towards the senior and more competent girl this time.

"At seven, Hawkeye." She looked scared. Of whom?

"This patient is your responsibility. I want to know everything, changed or not, every fifteen minutes. Forget rest of the ward. Other nurses can manage. Who takes over from you?" I spoke slowly and clearly, leaving no doubt that O'Hara was off the case.

"Major Houlihan." I let out a sigh of relief and a brief 'thank you' Upstairs.

"OK. Good. You hand him over to her. He is my patient and I want him to go home on his two feet." I declared, knowing deep inside it was a tall order.

Hell! He will live. I won't let him die.

"Any specific orders, Hawkeye?"

"For now, start him on low dose dopamine, continue with IV fluids and check 'crit in an hour. I want to know everything on time. Write it and send it through someone. You are not leaving his side unless I'm there!"

"Alright, Hawkeye. You go sit down. You don't look too well." She put her hand on my arm and directed me towards the lonely chair but I had one more thing to take care of.

"Lieutenant. Step into my office!" I addressed O'Hara who was standing by the side, biting her lip.

"Yes, Captain?" Her anger was less controlled than mine. I knew I had humiliated her but there was one thing I could never compromise on and she had messed with that sacred covenant.

"I don't care what story you told Frank Burns. He can take an ad out proving he is a better surgeon than I am and I won't even care. But when you attend a patient, you attend him. You know everything about him, inside out. You know what happened. You know how it happened. You know why it happened! You saw his insides not so long ago. Your clothes got his blood. It was warm. He is human. Treat him like that! You tell me his pulse and BP as if it was a huge achievement. What about his urine output? Spinal reflexes? Intake? Latest 'crit? Drains? Dressing? NG Aspirate? I don't want you near him again. I believed you had potential. Maybe I should reconsider my professional opinion of you!" And when she opened her mouth, I raised my hand to shut her up.

"How da..." She started heatedly. Gotta hand her that, the girl had spunk.

"Lieutenant! It was not a debate by the campfire. You are dismissed!" And with that, last of my reserves gave out as I landed heavily on the chair behind me. Rubbing my eyes to push away the sheer exhaustion that was threatening to drown me, I leaned back and rested my head against the wall.

"Hawkeye! Col. Potter is asking for you in his office." I opened my eyes to see Radar gawking at me with concern. I had a feeling I was in some deep trouble though for the love of God I could not fathom the reason.

"I'll be right there." I told him and got up from the chair to check on Johnson. Dopamine hadn't kicked in yet. His urine out put was dismal at best. I knew he had suffered from renal damage when I clamped his aorta. Liver was next on the list of endangered organs. His blood pressure was still hovering in eighties and I had a feeling this was the aortic clamping that was coming back to bite me. I elevated his legs and auscultated his heart again. Pericardium was clear. Telling Kellye yet again to keep me updated even if it meant sending me notes in Potter's office, I left to see the commander I was feeling extremely resentful towards.

"You asked for me?"

"Sit down!" Curt. I could live with that.

"What is it?" I asked him just as curtly but it came out more as a rude comeback than a curt response. He looked up and motioned me to sit down.

"What happened?"

"Why does everybody keep asking me what happened? This kid developed tamponade and Frank refused to operate so I did what needed to be done. I paged you and sent someone to get Frank but he sent his minion and stayed behind till after I had started."

"That's not what he says, Pierce."

"And since when did you start believing him, Sir?"

"Watch your tone, son. I had a long night myself."

"I know. I was there. I also remember coming to you to let me help."

"Pierce. I hope your stunt..."

"STUNT?"

"...I hope your stunt bears fruit. If not, this one goes on record."

"On record? Whose record?"

"Your record."

"My...WHAT? What is that supposed to mean? That kid was dying. Hell, he is still dying. And all you care about...all you can think about is how it would look." I was too shocked to hear that load of crap from Potter, of all the people. He was supposed to be the good guy, the voice of reason.

TBC.