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Final Diagnosis.htm
Considering the stability of the patient's condition until then, I suspected
that equipment rather than cardiac failure had occurred. When I reached the
patient and initiated chest massage forty seconds later it had lost
consciousness, and it remained in that condition until the resuscitation team
arrived six and one-quarter minutes later
"Are you sure about that, Nurse?" Medalont broke in. "In the excitement could
subjective factors have caused you to exaggerate? Six minutes is not a good
response time.
"Patient Hewlitt was not responding either," said Leethveeschi, "and I was
watching the clock while I worked. The ward clock is not subject to
exaggeration.
"The charge nurse is right," said the Nidian medic with a side glance at its
partner, "and so are you, Doctor. Normally it would be considered an
inexcusably slow response time. But we had an accident on the way, a collision
with a food delivery float whose servers moved clear when they saw our
flashing lights but left their vehicle in the middle of the ward. There were
no casualties just a mess of other-
species meals spread all over the ward floor and nearby beds . ..
"Patient Hewlitt," the Kelgian doctor broke in, "chose an inconvenient time to
arrest.
"We had to spend a few minutes checking for equipment damage," the Nidian
doctor went on. "A jolt that would restart a Tralthan's heart would cook an
Earth-
human's in its own...
"Yes, yes," said Medalont. "After six-plus minutes you revived the patient.
What degree of mental or verbal confusion did you observe while it was
returning to full consciousness?
"No, and none," the other replied. "We did not revive the patient; Charge
Nurse
Leemveeschi must have done that before we could attach the lines. The patient
did not appear to be confused at all. Its first words were to tell the charge
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Final Diagnosis.htm hitting it in the chest or it would damage its rib cage.
Its words were coherent, well organized, and distinct, if not very
respectful.
"I'm sorry," said the senior physician. "I had assumed your equipment brought
the patient back. Well done, Charge Nurse. I hope the patient was not too
disrespectful.
"I have been called worse names," said Leethveeschi, "and I was relieved
rather than insulted by its response.
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"Indeed, yes," said Medalont. To the Kelgian it went on, "Continue, please.
"When it was clear that Patient Hewlitt was fully conscious," it replied, "we
joined the charge nurse in asking it questions aimed at discovering whether or
not there had been a loss of cerebration. We were still doing that when you
returned to ask it more of the same questions. The rest you know.
"Yes," said the senior physician. "And after two hours of questioning there
was no detectable memory or speech dysfunction or loss of physical
coordination. Patient
Hewlitt's monitor registered optimum levels on all life signs, just as it, is
doing now.
"But now," Leethveeschi said, with a wet, floppy gesture toward the ward
clock, "it is four and a half minutes beyond the time that elapsed between the
original blood withdrawal and the onset of the first cardiac episode.
While the medics were talking, Hewlitt had been trying to think of a way of
both apologizing to the charge nurse and thanking it for saving his life, but
the meaning of what the loathsome creature had just said drove all thoughts of
grati tude from his mind
"What's going on here?" he burst out. "Are you just standing around waiting
for me to have another bloody heart attack? Or are you disappointed it didn't
happen?
For a moment there was silence, and stillness except for the Hudlar nurse who
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Final Diagnosis.htm moved a tentacle toward him and low ered it again. Then
the Medalont said, "We are not disappointed, Patient Hewlitt, but otherwise
your assessment of the situation is accurate. The first cardiac incident had
to be caused by something, and there was a possibility, admittedly a very slim
one, that my extraction of the blood specimen was responsible. Although you
were not to receive any medication, I
overlooked the fact that a trace quantity of local anesthetic is injected
routinely prior to blood withdrawal so as to render the procedure pain-free.
The timing and circumstances have now been reproduced, so far without results,
which means that we must look elsewhere for the cause. Unless . . . Your
facial skin coloration is darkening, Patient Hewlitt. How do you feel now?
/ feel like strangling you, he thought. Aloud, he said, "Fine, Doctor.
"The monitor confirms," said Leethveeschi
"In that case," said Medalont, looking at the others in turn, "you will
maintain monitor surveilance, station a resuscitation team within a two-minute
response distance, and allow the patient to compose itself before lunch. Never
fear, Patient
Hewlitt, we will find out and cure whatever it is that is troubling you. But
for the present we will leave you alone.
"Not entirely alone," said Braithwaite. "I would like to have a few words with
him.
"As you wish, Lieutenant," said the senior physician as it and the other two
doctors withdrew. Leethveeschi and the Hudlar nurse held back
"You are not to do anything that will disturb my patient," said the Illensan
in its most authoritative charge-nurse voice. "Nor will you ask or say
anything that is likely to precipitate another medical emergency.
Lieutenant Braithwaite looked from the irate chlorine-breather to the hulking,
massively strong body of the Hudlar and back again. "Nurses," he said,
smiling, "I
wouldn't dare.
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Final Diagnosis.htm
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When they were alone he sat down on the edge of Hewlitt's bed and said, "I'm
Braithwaite, Other-Species Psychology Department. It makes a nice change to
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