Helen Goes for Mr. Sunday

Who is Mr. Sunday?: Part 9

Whipping out her mobile phone, she speed-dialed a number, put the phone on speakerphone, and kept it aside.

"Hello?" said the voice on the phone.

"Hello, there is a case of near drowning near Purana Pul," said Helen using her manly voice. "He has a pulse, but he is not breathing--please send an ambulance immediately."

Helen gave Vinay another mouth ventilation. He started breathing. Helen closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

A phone ring pierced the silence. Helen opened her eyes with a start and furtively glanced around her, but there was no one in sight. She jogged up to the bridge. It was Vinay's phone--it had fallen on the bridge during their tussle and was now ringing. "Estate Agent Francis" flashed on the screen. Helen let the phone ring until it stopped ringing. She picked up the phone and Vinay's backpack and slowly walked back to where Vinay lay. She dragged him gradually from that area, through the narrow corridor, onto the small road. Then she ran to the main road and started walking in the opposite direction of the city, opening the cabs application on her mobile phone.

An ambulance siren was heard, and in no time, an ambulance passed her in the same direction as her's. 

There was a sound of a stretcher being lowered to the ground behind her, from the area where Vinay lay.  

After a few moments, the ambulance returned from the scene, this time passing her in the opposite direction. Helen continued trying to look for a cab.

"Helen didi!" a voice called out from behind her.

The ambulance had stopped. Helen jogged to the ambulance and went up to the driver's window.

"Hello, Shankar," said Helen, to the young man driving the ambulance.

"I'm going to the hospital--in case you are headed there, you may hop in!"

"Sure! Thanks," said Helen.

Helen walked toward the rear of the ambulance and got inside. There was one more attendant inside, monitoring Vinay.

"Why were you going the other way?!" said Shankar.

"Oh," said Helen. "I was trying to book a cab, and I was struggling to find internet range, so I thought let me try to change my position and try again."

"Oh, okie," said Shankar.

"Who is the patient?" said Helen.

"He was lying near Purana Pul and was unattended. Looks like a case of near drowning." said Shankar.

Helen moved her ear close to Vinay's nose. "Let me make arrangements in advance."

Helen dialed another number and put the phone on speakerphone.

"What do you want now?" said Pankhuri on the phone.

"Listen, there's an emergency. A man is dying from near drowning, and we are on our way to the hospital. Try to assemble a team of a couple of doctors, a medical resident, and please inform the CMO on duty too."

"Will do."

The ambulance sped away and was at the entrance of the casualty ward in a matter of minutes.

"Here!" Pankhuri called out to Helen.

Helen and the two others moved the stretcher in her direction. There were a few other people with Pankhuri, including the CMO and doctor Rishabh.

The CMO inspected Vinay, checking his eyes, and then his torso.

"He appears to have a head injury," said the CMO. "Arrange for an immediate CAT scan."

The team placed Vinay on a stretcher and took him to the CAT scan room. The helpers helped position Vinay inside the large machine. Everyone looked at the monitor.

"Dr. Doshi is the radiologist here," Dr. Rishabh said to Helen.

"There is a significant extra-dural hematoma on the right. It is causing a midline shift and pressurizing the brain stem, which might herniate!" said Dr. Doshi.

Helen looked aghast.

"He needs an operation right away."

The group moved Vinay to the pre-operative room.

Dr. Rishabh summoned the surgeon, doctor Bharat, and requested him to take up the operation.

"Move him to the OT. We need to do a burr hole for the hematoma," said Dr. Bharat after taking stock of the situation. "Is Dr. Ram on his way?"

Helen looked up at Dr. Bharat sharply. 

"He is," said Dr. Rishabh.

After moving Vinay to the operation theater, Dr. Rishabh shaved his head. Vinay was intubated, put on a respirator, and had several IV lines connected to him. Dr. Ram kept an eye on a beeping monitor. After a very tricky and difficult procedure, the blood clot compressing Vinay's brain was removed and he was shifted to post-operative intensive care.