The Great Doctor Thomas Moore

Helping A Single Mother and Saving A Little Kid's Life Part 2

Once Harry sat again on his chair, he leaned towards the kid as he ordered gently:

"Don't move, I will just examine your eye."

I looked at him while he was observing closely that kid's eyes. I didn't know why he was doing this, but he seemed very serious in this matter, so I supposed there was some relation with what I just told him.

Organophosphorus poisoning was a common thing that I met more than once in my previous studies throughout the six years in medical college. I met it in physiology, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, toxicology, community medicine, pediatrics, and internal medicine.

Although I met it a lot, all that I can recall about it was just the cause, the pathophysiology, and the treatment, which was just like Harry here ordered the nurse to get Atropine.

I looked closely trying to see what this senior of mine was observing, but the eyes of this kid were normal for me.

After a long minute of silence, Harry then stopped what he was doing as he put the stethoscope again over that kid's heart as he listened carefully for over a minute without moving the cone of the stethoscope from its place.

This time, I regretted not bringing my second hand stethoscope with me, or else I could use it to assess that kid's heart, though I doubted I could hear what Harry was hearing right now.

"Indeed, it's organophosphorus poisoning, let's insert the cannula first then start injecting the atropine slowly."

His orders this time was for the nurse who was ready by a movable table that many things were organized neatly over it. Harry first wore a surgical glove then he started to insert the cannula in this kid's right arm.

I saw the cannula insertion procedure many times already on the internet videos, but this was my first time seeing it for real.

Harry did exactly the same steps that I saw in these videos, first he picked up one vein and started to apply a pressure slightly above it.

In children, veins weren't visible at all like adults, and as all the videos I saw were for adults, I didn't know how Harry could detect this vein so easily.

In moments, he inserted the cannula needle inside the vein, withdrew the trocker from it, and then he let the nurse to help him in putting a medical plaster over the cannula.

As it was a temporary cannula, the color of the plaster was white. If it was a long term cannula, the color would differ according to the days it would be used for, or that what I was told in the college in surgery semester.

The nurse then wrote something over the white plaster which turned out to be the date and hour of the cannula insertion. Harry then started to give strange orders to me, like:

"Dilute one ml of Atropine in 10 cm of saline."

"Bring a monitor to monitor this kid's heart rate and oxygen saturation."

"Inform the ICU department, we might need to reserve a bed there for a 5 years old kid."

After he finished his vague orders, he took the syringe from the nurse and slowly injected the solution into the cannula while his stethoscope was over that kid's heart and his eyes were fixed over the monitor next to him.

He could do multiple tasks at the same time with this ease, which was really admirable. I kept looking at him like a magician doing his tricks, and all that I got in my mind was just one sentence: 'This is a case of Organophosphorus toxicity.'

"It's more stable now, but we need to monitor him for the next couple of hours. Look, I have checked your medical insurance, and it's only partially covered medical insurance.

Unfortunately we can't use it to do more advanced investigation, which included the blood test for organophosphorus poisoning, so I will ask for some random basic checks that are covered by your insurance. Do you have any objections for that?"

I looked to him while I didn't know if he was trying to help this poor lady and her kid or not, but as I was worried over this, the mother said in an obvious gratitude:

"I'm very grateful for your kindness, doctor. I have no objection at all."

Harry left his chair as he pointed out to me while moving away:

"If you have to thank someone, then thank this doctor here. c'mon Thomas, we have more work to do."

I glanced at the mother who had tears in her eyes, this time they weren't out of desperation but from gratitude and relief. I felt like being blessed by this, while I just moved to follow Harry steps, a strange voice echoed in my mind:

'You used your skill to help a person in need. The basic requirement for unlocking the system has been fulfilled. Now, the system will be prepared to launch.

The approximate time remaining for the launch is: one year and 10 months. To shorten this period, just keep helping people with your skill.'

I froze in my place while my mind went blank. I wasn't sure of this voice source, so I looked around me in a paranoid way, suspecting everyone while observing them all.

All those around me had voices which were different from the one I just heard. Harry seemed to notice my weird behavior, so he stopped and asked in concern:

"Are you alright?"

I realized how bizarre my move was, so I tried to cover it up as I said with a smile:

"I'm sorry, I just thought I lost my bag, but I recalled I left it in the doctor's room."

Harry laughed as he continued to walk towards the nurse counter as he commented with his silence over my reply.

I took a deep breath as my mind started to retrieve those strange voice words, which were also very bizarre. Nonetheless, I followed Harry, who said to me in a low tone when I reached him:

"We need to select a basic test that would force this kid to stay here for a couple of hours, as it will be risky to let him go now. So, tell me, what basic test could you request for this kid and would it take this time?"

My mind was chaotic right now, so I just replied randomly:

"CBC, ESR, CRP,…"

Harry laughed as he interrupted me:

"No, no, I didn't ask you to list all the basic tests for me, just select one that would take the longest time to perform."

I looked hesitant to him then I answered honestly:

"I…I don't know."

"That's good, not knowing is considered a right answer, anyway I will ask for CBC and Urine Analysis for this kid."

I looked strangely at him, as I know CBC wouldn't take that long, mostly 15 minutes if performed immediately, while urine analysis would take longer, maybe half an hour.

Both of them would take shorter than the time this kid needed. Harry seemed to notice my doubts so he explained while he wrote the two tests over the kid's ticket:

"First of all you know the approximate time for these tests, which is a good start. About the test that would take longer, it would be urine analysis."

I asked at once as I knew this information and was sure of it:

"Isn't urine analysis done in less than one hour?"

"40 minutes to be precise and might be shorter, but you missed the point here."

I looked in question towards him while he leaned to me as he was about to say some sort of a secret:

"To do a urine analysis test, we need that kid to give us some urine, which is something we can totally control here. He could give us this sample right now or even after half a day. Until he gives us this sample, and we test it and make sure it's free, he can leave the hospital."