Doctor's Orders

47. Standard Procedures

It was hard for me not to approach Harry about Logan after everything that Gemma told me. I wanted him to know that I knew how she treated him. I wanted him to know that I would never do that to him, and that the way she controlled him was unacceptable. But I didn't say anything. I thought maybe I could drop some hints here and there, and he would open up as he felt ready. But I wanted to avoid anything that seemed confrontational; first, because it wasn't his fault, and second, it had the potential to be stressful, and that was the last thing he needed right now.

Another typical day in the ER, with heart attacks, fevers, and shortness of breath. Harry and I actually had the good fortune of running into each other often, usually in the exam rooms, but I would take whatever I could get. I loved seeing him at work, disciplined, focused, yet compassionate and sweet when he needed to be. 

I was just finishing up with one patient when Harry walked in and greeted the brown-haired girl with an easy smile. "Hello, Jodie, Ellie here tells me that you slipped and fell on some ice?"

"Yes," the young woman answered. "On my way to class at UIC."

Harry looked at her with more interest now. "Were you on campus at the time, or on your way?"

"On campus," she said, her voice calm and easy since I had already given her a dose of pain reliever. "I was just about to go into the building."

"Were you on the sidewalk? Tell me exactly how you fell and how you landed. Anything you can remember."

"I was walking up the steps at the Behavioral Sciences building. I was on the second or third step, just stepping onto the next one when my left foot slipped out from under me. I was holding my backpack over my shoulder with my left hand, so I tried to break my fall with my right hand. When I landed, I felt my elbow hit first, then it felt like all my weight landed on my shoulder. I think I hit my head, too."

"I'm asking for very specific details because you may need to present this to the University. It might be a good idea to have someone go back and take photos of the place where you fell as well, to prove that the area wasn't safe."

"Are you suggesting I take legal action?" She asked.

"I won't make any specific suggestions," he answered. "But it is the University's responsibility to make sure the sidewalks and steps are clear and safe. First things first, though. Let's get this arm checked out. Someone from X-ray should be coming to get you shortly. I'm also going to order a CT scan since you said you hit your head. It sounds like a pretty traumatic fall." He visually examined her arm as well as moving it as much as possible without causing her too much pain. He seemed to think she fractured her elbow, which could be a complicated repair involving surgery, rather than an easy solution like a cast. 

In the next room, I met a patient named Anna, a beautiful woman with lovely black hair and dark eyes. Her chart showed that she was a high priority patient because she'd had a possible neurological episode.