No trace, p.18
No Trace, page 18
“You need all our organs?” Tyler stared at the gun-wielding patient.
“My brother and I do, yes.”
“You took us and are killing us so just two of you can live?” Mateo exclaimed in confusion. “It’s not some smuggling ring for organs?” His voice grew quieter as the extent of why they had been kidnapped took hold of his brain. “All of us die so you two can live?”
“Exactly.” Peter laughed. “You are nothing. Not one of you on that bus had a life that made a difference.”
“We’re people. We mean a lot to our families.”
“Oh please, they’ll be fine without you.”
Peter leaned against the wall, half-reclining on the bed. It seemed what energy he had had was now departing his body. The doctor was scrabbling off the bed and ordering the nurses to get Brady on one of the wheeled stretchers. He turned to the guard that was still standing by the door.
“Go get that ER nurse from the cave. She can help me with the surgery.” The guard didn’t move. “Hurry, you imbecile!” The doctor shouted. “My head nurse is now dead. I need another pair of capable hands.”
Tyler and Mateo stared at the carnage about the room. Eugene was dead; Brady was also gone. They had failed and now lost two more. Both men were completely desolate, tears wet their cheeks. Tyler pressed harder on his wound to staunch the bleeding. His hand was coated with blood. Mateo felt the pods still in his pocket and started thinking. They couldn’t give up now. He needed to see his Rosa.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Julia was sitting on the ground facing Robby and Lizzy as they sat side by side on the bottom bus step. Robby was doing math problems and Lizzy was asking him question after question until the boy finally stopped and frowned at her.
“Do your work.” He stated.
Julia smiled at Lizzy’s surprised face when the boy interacted with her.
“You teach me.” Lizzy pouted and pointed to his page of numbers.
“Maybe Robby, you can help her with her addition and subtraction problems.”
“That is too easy.”
“Not for Lizzy.”
The boy turned his head and stared at the far corner of the cave. From somewhere inside of him, he remembered his father getting angry at him for not helping a little girl that was in his office. He had wanted to know who she was, not how to help her.
“My Dad says I have to help you.”
“Your father sounds like a smart man.”
“Yes, he is but I am smarter.” The boy had no ego, just truth came from his mouth so this statement just brought a chuckle from Julia.
“I am sure you are. Will you teach Lizzie?”
“Yes.” The boy paused and looked past the seven year old. “What is twenty plus twenty?”
“Start at one, Robbie.”
The boy made a face at her although he never made eye contact. Julia had to tuck her head down to prevent both kids from seeing her laughing at them.
“One plus one?” He spoke, frustration lacing his words, his body starting to rock.
“2”. Lizzy stated. “That’s easy.”
“Yes. I know.”
The pair continued with the math equations for another fifteen minutes reaching eights before Robby stopped and stood up.
“Are you done?” Julia asked.
“Yes. I am hungry. I want my peanut-butter sandwich.”
He was about to enter the bus when the far door slammed open. Julia hurriedly got to her feet, brushing off the dust from her butt as she stared at the guard.
“Doctor wants you.”
“Then the children are coming with me.” She grabbed Lizzy’s hand.
“Just you, lady.”
“Not without them.” She turned to Robby. “Come here.”
“No. I don’t want to leave. The ride hurt me.”
“We’re not going for a ride, Robby. Just taking a walk to another building.” The boy vacillated at the top of the stair. “Do you want to stay here alone?” Julia tried a different tactic.
He held back another full minute and then stepped down off the bus. Julia didn’t grab his hand but pushed him forward from behind.
“Look lady. You gotta leave them here.”
“Are you stupid?” She demanded. “They are children. I am not leaving them in this horrible cave. Now, take me to this doctor.”
The man sighed loudly, shaking his head but waving for the trio to head out the door. He wasn’t sure what was going on inside that big, windowless building, but it didn’t really matter. He was being paid big bucks to guard these people from the bus. They had caused all kinds of havoc recently, but that had actually been fun chasing them down. Now, they were all in the big building. Good, he thought, he could just relax and not worry about them.
They walked toward the far building and Julia gazed around at the vastness. There was nothing but rocks, cliffs, canyons as far as her eyes could see. How would they ever find civilization if they escaped? Her musings were abruptly cut off as she was shoved from behind. They stood before a metal door. She whirled around, angry at being shoved. Her outburst never left her lips though as she stared at the gun held at Lizzy’s head.
“Do not harm a hair on my daughter’s head.” She hissed.
“Just open that door and get the fuck inside.” The guard spat.
Julia yanked it open and stepped inside. What she saw made her stop in her tracks. Her open hand crossed her mouth as she gasped in horror.
“Oh my God! What happened?” Her eyes scanned the room of bodies and blood not really digesting what she was seeing. They landed on Mateo and Tyler sitting against the far wall and she ran toward them.
She was about to squat down in front of them when she saw Eugene’s body, just ten feet away. Julia gasped and then her head swiveled and she realized there were copious amounts of blood on the floor around a bed that held a nurse, her neck sliced apart. Finally, her eyes landed on Brady and the two nurses doing CPR, their hair plastered to their heads from the exertion.
“What…what…happened?” She stammered in shock.
“Get over here!” The doctor demanded. “It doesn’t matter what happened just what needs to occur right now.”
“I’m okay. Go, Julia.” Tyler urged.
The doctor came over and grabbed her arm pulling her toward the next room. “We don’t have time for conversation. We need to get that heart out of his body and on ice, fast.”
“What?” Julia stopped so suddenly that the doctor almost fell.
“Lady, Doc Adams needs your help. You’re going to put that guy’s heart in me. Now, stop stalling and start helping.” Peter stated matter-of-factly.
Julia was numb. The chaos of death that surrounded her was too much. She had been in the ER for ten years, but there, she was prepared for the pandemonium of a Saturday night. This was death. These had been her friends.
Pulled from the room, she went without resistance. As she entered the operating area, the metallic smell of blood and sharp ammonia taint of urine seemed to wake her up. She shook off the doctor’s hand and glanced around.
“You’re operating right now?”
“Are you stupid? Yes, Peter needs that dead kid’s heart. Now, take that tray of instruments and sterilize them. I’ll get the other nurses to prep the room and put Peter under.”
“Peter…”. Julia was so confused. If this was an organ smuggling ring, why would the doctor address the patient with such familiarity.
She didn’t ask though, just grabbed the tray of stainless steel instruments and went back into the other room. There was a deep sink, pans and a small stove to heat the water to sterilize the instruments. As she filled the pot, she whispered to the seated men.
“What happened?”
“Our plan didn’t work.” Tyler mumbled.
“But it still could.” Mateo said anxiously.
“What do you mean?” Julia glanced surreptitiously over her shoulder at the guard who was just sitting by the door, ignoring her and the ongoing conversation.
Mateo held out his hand. In it were more seeds; a lot more. “Put these in the water and let it boil with the instruments. Then get your hands on some syringes and as you take those instruments out, fill up the syringes with the water.” He stopped to make sure she was following his train of thought.
Julia nodded and reached quickly over and grabbed the handful of seeds, several spilling on the floor. She dumped them in the water and then put the clamps, scalpels, small saw, retractors, scissors and forceps in the pot on top of them.
“You want me to syringe the IV bags.” She stated, not even asking.
“Yes. Maybe we can give that Peter asshole a toxic amount.”
“So we were hijacked for him?”
“And his brother.” Tyler was dizzy and wanted to just sleep, but he was still following the conversation.
“All this for two brothers?” Her voice was loud and the guard got up and started moving toward them.
“Hey! Stop talking to them and do what the Doc wants.”
“Sure. Sorry!” Julia agreed quickly and stared at the boiling water. It was turning a light shade of brown as the seeds leeched their ingredients into the water.
She glanced around and saw three syringes lined up on a nearby table. Not knowing what liquid was in them and not really caring, she pushed the plunger and allowed the fluid to squirt out. With a quick look over her shoulder, she grabbed a pair of tongs and as she was pulling the sterilized instruments from the water with one hand, she pushed the needles into the water and pulled back on the plunger so they filled. Slipping them into her front pants pocket, she picked up the tray and walked back into the operating theater.
The doctor had Brady draped, his chest covered in the brown antiseptic that would prevent infection.
“About time. Put on a mask.” He grumbled and flipped his hand to place the instruments on a table within her reach.
“Saw.” He stated and grabbed it with a slight tremor in his hand.
Julia wondered if he was drunk or high but then she glanced at his eyes above his mask. There were deep pockets of exhaustion sagging beneath them and she wondered when he had last slept. Her thoughts were turned away as the demand for instruments continued over the next hour.
When it was all done, the doctor lifted Brady’s heart from his chest and set it in a bag of solution and lay it on ice in an ice chest. Julia felt her throat close with giant sobs that pushed their way up from her soul. He had been just a boy. So much loss. So much suffering.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
The doctor left without a word. Julia roamed back into the other room and saw that Tyler was now unconscious, his head on Mateo’s shoulder. She glanced at the guard.
“I am going to treat his wound.”
The guard didn’t even move. She grabbed some gauze pads, some alcohol and some vials of antibiotics and morphine from different cabinets about the room. Squatting down, she placed a hand on Mateo, who seemed to also be asleep. The man startled awake and then whispered to her.
“Is it done?”
“No, I have them right here.” She patted her front pocket. “We just took out Brady’s heart.”
Mateo glanced away as tears welled up in his eyes. “He was just a kid.”
“I know, Mateo. Right now, I need you to help me treat Tyler. He’s lost a lot of blood.”
The man squared his shoulders and nodded as he took a deep breath. He slid away from Tyler and put a hand under his head as he slipped to the floor. Julia cut away his shirt and then examined the gunshot wound in his shoulder. She lifted him up and stared at the hole on the opposite side.
“Through and through. Good.” She stated absently.
Uncapping the alcohol, she splashed half the bottle on his front and the rest on his back. Tyler moaned from the biting pain but didn’t regain consciousness. Julia then took a roll of gauze and wrapped it around and around the arm and shoulder. She sat back and was happy to see that blood was not yet leaking through. She shot Tyler up with an antibiotic and then some morphine. Now, he would sleep without pain.
“Best I can do right now.”
“I know he appreciates it.”
“Did you leave Robby and Lizzy in the cave.”
“No, they’re in the first room.” She stopped and glanced in that direction. “I hope they’re all right.”
Mateo didn’t say anything, just grabbed her hand with a sympathetic squeeze. They sat that way for a couple hours. Tyler didn’t wake up. Mateo dozed off. Julia sat and rubbed her fingers along the ribs of the three syringes and wondered how she was going to get the drug into the IV bag. Somehow, she must, though. It was their only hope to escape. If she failed, they were dead.
Doctor Adams woke from a deep sleep four hours later. He felt better. The retrieval of the heart had been touch and go. Too tired and too drained to stay focused, he had almost made several errors. At one point, he had almost cut too close to one of the arteries before he caught himself and stopped the motion. The heart was in good shape and now, he was ready to put it in Peter. He would check on Paul and then start the surgery.
He rolled off the bed and then splashed water on his face, brushed his teeth and prepared for the long surgery. The ER nurse had done well in the retrieval operation so he felt confident that Peter’s transplant would also go perfect. Yes, he was attentive and ready, now.
Leaving his small sleeping quarters, he went through the operating area and into the next room. His step stopped abruptly as he stared at the three adults leaning on each other, all asleep. He kicked the woman’s feet and she jerked awake bringing a moan from the injured man.
“Get in the operating room. I’m ready to give Peter his new heart.”
Julia swiped at her face to clear the sleep from her brain and as her eyes focused on Tyler and then Eugene, everything came back to her. She patted her pants making sure the syringes were still there and then stood up.
“Sure.” She agreed.
The nurses were slipping new sterile sheets over the bed. One of them was fiddling with the IV bag and Julia wanted to push her away and empty her drugs into them, but she held back. She had to wait until all focus was on the patient and then do it. Patience was not her middle name, so it was hard, but she bided her time.
The doctor came in and was donned in a surgical smock by one of the nurses. His hands were up before him and he held them out to have gloves pulled onto them.
“Go wash and sterilize. Hurry. The clock is ticking.” He ushered Julia toward the sink.
“Do you want to check on Paul before you begin, Doctor Adams.” One of the other nurses called.
The man glanced at the clock. He had plenty of time for the heart to still be viable. He grumped out loud as he stared at his sterile attire.
“I wish you had suggested this before I was gowned up.” He complained even though he knew it was he who had forgotten to check on Paul. Peeling everything off, he went toward the recovery room.
Julia watched him go and made a quick decision. “You!” She pointed at one nurse. “Go get some more instruments sterilized.” Gesturing to the other woman, she ordered, “And you, go make sure there are enough IV bags and blood for this long operation.”
The two nurses peered at each other but didn’t move. Julia stomped her foot and shooed them.
“What are you waiting for? The doctor will be back momentarily and we will not be ready.” They departed quickly.
Julia didn’t hesitate. She pulled a syringe from her pocket and with the sharp needle end, put a tiny puncture in the IV bag and then emptied it into the liquid. Two more times she repeated this. Each time, trying to place the needle in the same hole. When she was done, and all syringes back in her pocket, she rubbed at the tiny bulge in the IV bag that she had made inserting and pulling out the three needles. Her hand dropped quickly to her side as the doctor bustled in.
“Where are the others?”
“They’re just making sure everything is ready.”
Doctor Adams frowned at the woman and wondered why she had been left alone. But what could she really do? He was in control. Peter was ready and soon this would all be over. Complete this transplant and then just the kidneys needed to be harvested for the twins and he was done. On to a life of leisure, sun and women. Yes, he just needed to be on his game for another week or so.
Peter came in and lay down on the bed. Julia ran the IV tube to the port in his arm and opened it wide. One of the other nurses had returned and she placed the anesthesia mask over his nose and mouth and slowly sent him off into dreamland.
“Let’s get this done.” Doctor Adams stated and made his first cut down Peter’s sternum.
Halfway through the transplant, Peter started seizing. First there were twitches and then a full grand mal convulsion hit him. The doctor yelled at the nurse to get him back under, but pumping more anesthesia into him only sent him into a deep shock.
The doctor shouted orders for epinephrine, for more drugs, but it was useless. The patient on the table spun out into the blackness and never came back. Peter died right on the table, his new heart never taking one beat in his body.
Julia was shaken and stunned beyond words. She had just killed a man. Stepping back from the table, she pulled her mask down and vomited onto the floor.
No one even seemed to notice. Doctor Adams was just staring at the open chest, at the new heart not completely attached. What had gone wrong? No, how had it all gone so wrong? How was he going to tell Paul? What a nightmare.
“Cover him!” He shouted and realized his voice was high in hysteria.
He didn’t care. “You! What did you do?” He shouted and pointed at Julia.
“What?” Her voice was quiet. Her shock real. The reason for it was different from the doctor’s, but still, very genuine. “I…I did…I did everything you asked.” She cried.
The doctor stared at her and not for one moment did he believe what she was saying. He had found her alone with the IV’s when he had returned from examining Paul. This should not have happened. She must have done something.
