Page 16 of Code Trauma

They pushed fluids, and several seconds later, the woman’s eyes blinked open. Panic flared. “What’s going on?”

Holly took her hand. “You’ve been in a car accident, but you’re going to be just fine.” She took another look at the vital. Strong heartbeat, good breath sounds. Blood dripping into her veins to replenish what she’d lost. She was going to be fine. She reported the status to Dr. Mann.

“What’s your name?” Holly asked her.

“Liza Hollister.”

“Nice to meet you, Liza. Sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

Liza smiled then closed her eyes. “My head hurts,” she whispered.

Because her brain was probably swelling. “We’ve got you covered. Raina, Decadron?” Decadron should reduce the brain swelling. She passed the woman the vial.

“On it.” Raina pulled the meds and inserted them into the IV port.

Two minutes before they were to land, the woman went into cardiac arrest.

Holly reacted. “Grab the paddles!”

Raina was already moving. She placed the paddles on the woman’s chest. “Clear!”

Holly lifted her hands and watched the monitor. “Come on, come on, you can do this.” Sinus rhythm appeared for a moment then went back into V-Fib. “Push one milligram of Epi. Follow with twenty of saline.”

Raina inserted the needle into the IV port and administered the dose.

Two minutes after the first shock, Penny was landing on the tarmac. “Shock her again,” Holly said.

Raina settled the paddles on the woman once more. “Clear.”

The machine popped, and the woman bowed off the table before dropping back on it. A team met them at the chopper, ready to take over—Dr. Mann and Sylvia included. Thankfully, they were all business. Raina called out all the information, including the drugs and dosage amounts, while Holly did CPR until they could shock her again. “Get her in the trauma bay now,” Dr. Mann said. Holly climbed on the gurney and continued the compressions all the way into the bay where the trauma team took over. They worked on her for the next thirty minutes before Garrett shook his head. All activity ceased, and the heart monitor squealed its tragic tone.

“Time of death, 6:04.”

Raina closed her eyes and drew in a ragged breath. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Sylvia drew the sheet over the woman’s face, and Holly pressed her fingers to quivering lips.

Her phone buzzed. The team was needed once more.

For the next three hours, Holly and the others worked nonstop. Once the last victim was rushed through the sliding glass doors, Holly, Raina, and Penny made their way to base. Holly fought exhaustion even while her mind was flipping through the events of the day.

When they stepped into the kitchen of the base, Holly shook her head. “I don’t understand why she died.”

Raina and Penny stopped and looked at her. “What?” Raina asked, a frown on her face.

“The woman with the head injury. We gave her blood, TXA, and fluids. Her vitals were starting to stabilize. I just don’t understand what went wrong.” She shook her head. “There was no reason for her to have arrested.”

Raina bit her lip. “Well, there was something wrong, obviously. Maybe the paramedics on the ground missed it.”

“No. Her heart rate was fine, and then all of a sudden she was in V-Fib.”

“Come on, Holly,” Penny said, “these things happen sometimes.”

“Her husband was there. She had no history of heart issues. No allergies to drugs, nothing. She had a head injury and went into V-Fib. How does that make sense?”

Penny walked over and wrapped Holly in a hug. “You’re upset because we lost her. It’s understandable.”

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