Page 37 of Holiday Haven

The baby was Adam's patient. After months of not having any of his patients it seemed like they were rolling in nonstop. She needed to learn how to maintain a professional relationship with him unless she planned to quit her job. Which she had no intention of doing.

She loved taking care of kids.

“Thanks for the update.” She flashed a reassuring smile at Cynthia 's mother. “My name is Krista, and I'll be Cynthia 's nurse. Let's get her settled into her room, shall we?” She turned and led the way to the empty room next to Joy’s. Once the crib was placed up against the head wall where the oxygen and other medical gasses were located, she dropped the side of the crib and began to examine the baby. Dr. Garcia had not been kidding about the rash. She'd never seen such a bright redness covering the entire torso of an infant before.

She pulled out her stethoscope and listened to Cynthia 's lungs. It wasn't easy because the baby started crying. But after a long moment she frowned and glanced up at Luis. “I hear wheezes in both bases.”

“Really?” Doctor Garcia took out his stethoscope and listened. His expression turned serious. “Those wheezes were not there before. You better page Monroe.”

“Is he on call?” She reached for the phone.

“Yes. Although this patient belongs to one of his partners.”

“What’s wrong? Is Cynthia going to be alright?” The baby's mother asked in alarm.

“We're doing everything we can,” Krista assured her. She asked the operator to page Adam and then glanced at Dr. Garcia. “Would you grab the crash cart before you leave? Just in case I need epinephrine?”

“Good idea.” He disappeared from the room.

She turned back to her tiny patient and a very worried mother. “We really need to keep an eye on Cynthia 's breathing. If anything changes, we’ll treat her for anaphylactic shock.”

Cynthia 's mother bit her lip and nodded. Krista connected a pulse ox sensor to the baby's forehead, getting an initial reading of ninety-two percent A little on the low side, so she used her stethoscope to listen again.

The baby's lungs sounded worse. Even as she watched, the baby's pulse ox dropped lower and lower. The skin around Cynthia 's lips took on a bluish tinge.

It was enough to scare her. She was about to call a code when Adam walked in.

“Thank heavens you’re here. She’s about to respiratory arrest.”

On cue, Luis Garcia rolled the crash cart into the room. She did not waste a second but reached over and cracked the plastic lock off and opened the top drawer to reach for the epinephrine. Then she grabbed the airway kit from the bottom and handed it to Adam.

“I need the laryngoscope,” he said.

She locked the laryngoscope blade on the handle and passed it to him. “Do you want me to call the rest of the code team?”

“Yes. In case I have trouble intubating her.”

“I’ll do it.” Luis picked up the phone and made the call.

More nurses entered the room and Krista was glad Amy crossed over to comfort Cynthia's mother.

“Give her 1 milligram per kilo of epinephrine intramuscularly,” Adam said.

Estimating the baby’s weight from her experience with infants, she didn’t hesitate to grab the fleshy part of the baby's thigh and to give the injection.

Adam managed to get the tiny breathing tube placed before the rest of the code team arrived. In moments the room was flooded with even more staff members.

The pediatric anesthesiologist peered at the breathing tube and the subsequently improved pulse ox readings and nodded. “Good job,” he said to Adam. “I'll arrange for a PICU bed for her.”

Krista felt her own heart rate slowly returned to normal. This was way too much excitement for the beginning of her day. People filtered out of the room, realizing the worst of the emergency was over.

The pediatric anesthesiologist returned. “I’m admitting Cynthia Downer to PICU bed four.”

“Thanks.” Adam nodded and sent her a look of gratitude. “I appreciate your help, too.”

“No problem.” There was no denying she and Adam still made a great team. But the moment was bittersweet. This camaraderie between them while working together at the hospital was all that they would have.

She watched Adam explain everything that had just happened to Cynthia 's mother. When the woman began to cry, he put his arm around her and let her sob on his shoulder. She watched them, her chest tight. Cynthia would be fine, thanks to Adam. He was a great pediatrician with so much to give. Too bad he only dished out servings of emotional care to his patients.

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