Exploitation Adjourned

Prologue Thursday 10/22

“Code blue 319B, code blue 319B,” the overhead operator’s disembodied voice called out.  “Code blue 319B.”

Nurses on the third floor rushed down the hall and into 319. From the stairway two other nurses, a respiratory therapist and one physician emerged and headed toward 319. One nurse from the third floor was throwing open the crash cart and the recorder nurse was taking notes as the resuscitation efforts began.

“Why does he have his clothes on and under the covers in bed?” the physician inquired.

“Was he just being admitted? Or discharged and waiting for a ride or something?” one nurse asked.

“I don’t know,” the code nurse replied as she helped rip open the man’s buttoned shirt and undid the button and zipper on his pants.

“Lets go, we don’t have time to worry about that!” The respiratory therapist grouched as he placed the ambu bag on the man’s face.

After twenty minutes of valiant efforts the physician called off the code and pronounced the patient in 319B dead. In the meantime the team had been given a brief verbal report on the patient, apparently he’d had a heart attack several years ago.

“He just didn’t make it this time,” the doctor lamented as he reviewed the notes. “When did someone last check on him anyway? Does anyone know how long he laid there?”

The code team members departed to return to regularly assigned duties somewhat unwilling to admit that their heroic efforts had done no good. A third floor nurse pushed the crash cart away to be checked, restocked and locked. An aide was cleaning up the area stuffing torn packaging materials into a large trashcan. All the supplies and equipment used on the patient in 319B were being organized and removed for cleaning.

Tania Orvalis heard that the code was unsuccessful so she set about gathering what she would need to provide terminal care for the body. She was saddened that one of her assigned patients would meet his end here in a hospital with all the high tech interventions that were required when someone coded. He was an old man, but he should have died peacefully at home surrounded by his loved ones. He was due to be discharged tomorrow she thought, he had missed a better death by one day.  Tania approached the patient’s bed and looked at his face.

“My God,” Tania called out. “This isn’t Mr. Trevis!”