Enduring Mr McGregor

chapter 46

The doctor sighed and walked over to her. Silently, he handed her an x-ray scan and folded his hands behind his back. Nia took and stared at it blankly. "What am I looking at?" She asked puzzled. She had no idea what she was supposed to be seeing.

"She has a mildly depressed skull fracture, right here," the doctor pointed at the x-ray.

"I don't know what that is, but it sounds pretty serious."

"It is," the doctor said gravely. "We may need to perform a surgery on her, depending on her recovery. We're looking at severe head trauma here."

"Surgery," Nia repeated absently.

"Yes, to help prevent brain damage. She's comatose at the moment. But, as the person who brought her in, I will be needing your signature to move ahead with it. Just precautions, in case something happens."

"What do you mean in case something happens?" Nia asked sharply.

"I mean," he paused to take a deep breath. "She might very well die on the operation table."

Nia bristled.

"I have never seen a case like hers, she's lucky to still be alive. After the beating she received... "

"Beating?" The officer asked speaking up for the first time.

"Yes. I don't need any confirmation to know that this poor girl was beaten up with a baseball bat. I know it when I see it. Seen enough cases to recognize the results. If you doubt it, I can show you the bruises."

The officer nodded and scribbled on his notepad.

He looked back at Kate. "Speaking unprofessionally, she should be dead. I've seen cases of accidents and the sorts, but none like hers. Whoever did this to her did it with hatred because... it's just too much." He looked back at Nia. "I'm sorry, but it'd be best if you didn't hope a lot on her recovery. Even if she does wake up at the end, she'll never be the same again."

Nia inhaled sharply and looked at Kate.

"We're still running more tests, but she's in a bad state."

"Oh my God," Nia cried and held a hand over her mouth as she stared at Kate. "What are you saying doctor? You're supposed to keep her alive, isn't that your job?"

The doctor stared at her sympathetically. "We'll do our best."

"That's not enough. If anything... "

Her threat was cut off when the monitor began beeping loudly and rapidly. The first thing the doctor did was push the button on the wall.

"What's happening? Why... "

"There's no time to explain this, she is hemorrhaging. The fracture is worse than I thought," the doctor said just as Kate began jerking violently on the bed. "She's seizing."

Three nurses rushed in and went to assist the doctor.

"Sign this please," a nurse said. "It's the document stating that you're responsible for her treatment and... "

Nia quickly took the clipboard and tried to sign it, but her fingers shook so badly that the pen fell. She picked it up and tried again but they wouldn't stop.

"Let me," Robert said gently and took the clipboard. He scrawled down his signature and gave it back to her.

"I'm gonna ask you to please step out while we help the patient," She then said and gestured to the door.

Nia hesitantly turned away.

"One milligram of lorazepam, quickly. And increase her dosage of... "