From the Edge
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Captain and Mrs. Blaisdell, you've been by your foster son's bedside for more than 18 hours. Don't you think it's time you both went home and got some sleep? I assure you, we will call you when his condition changes."
Paul gently placed his arms around his wife and lifted her from the chair. He took her arm then led her from the room.
"Please, Paul. Don't take me from Peter, he needs me."
"Annie, you are exhausted. The doctor is right. We need sleep just as much as Peter does. He will be fine."
"I wish I could be so sure of that. I have this feeling that something will happen."
"Peter will be all right. He's in good hands. Besides, we need to get back to Kelly and Carolyn and let them know what's going on. And I need to check in at the precinct. They're still looking for the other suspect in those shootings. If I don't check in you know how cranky Frank can be."
"All right, but you better take me back here first thing in the morning. I don't want Peter waking up and finding no one here."
"Always thinking of your children. That's why I love you. Come, we better get home. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can return."
Dr. Randell watched the couple leave and continued to watch as they entered the elevator. After he was certain they had gone, Dr. Randell pulled out the small bottle from his pocket and the syringe he had hidden and re-entered his patient's room. He checked his patient's vital signs one more time then filled the syringe. This time, rather than empty it into the IV tube, he took a cotton swab, scrubbed the patient's inner elbow and injected the liquid into the man's arm. He then placed a bandage over the mark. If anyone noticed, they would assume that the attending lab tech had come in during the night to take a blood sample. The combination of this drug and what was being pumped into his system would ensure that this particular patient would not leave this hospital any time soon.
***
Some time during the night, screams of pain could be heard coming from Peter Caine's room. Even though he cried out, he still remained asleep, this time he was caught in the nightmare and could not wake.
"Pain, so much pain. Make it stop, Pop, please make it stop!" Tears streamed down his face and he clenched his hands into fists. He grabbed at the bed sheets, pulling at them as if to test the strength of their woven fibers. "Aaaauuuuugggggghhhhhh! NOOO! Please, make it stop!"
The night nurse nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the young man cry out. She rushed to his room to check the medication station that he had been hooked up to but could not understand why he would be in so much pain. She checked the patient's chart and the automatic medication drip and found that it was set at the proper dose, but it appeared that it was not enough to alleviate the pain. She quickly paged the attending physician.
"Dr. Momroe, thank goodness. Here is his chart."
"Are you certain this is what Dr. Randell prescribed for him?"
"Yes."
"Obviously, the dosage is set wrong. Increase the dosage to twice the amount, but at 2-hour intervals. I also want this patient monitored very closely. I do not understand why Dr. Randell would prescribe so low a dose and at four hour intervals. This patient is in a lot of pain and needs rest. I will not have him disturbing the other patients on this floor. We'll monitor him to be sure he is comfortable. I will have a chat with Dr. Randell."
End of Part 3
Alisa Joaquin Copyright@2001.
This story cannot be reprinted or sold in any other form without strict permission from the author. It is being distributed here solely for your enjoyment.
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