Tony Scott - Along Came COVID - Love and Loss in the 2020 Pandemic

The phone rang. “Hello, Ricky.”

“Peggy, can you come to the lobby?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I’ve got a patient on a ventilator who’s rapidly getting worse, and we’re trying to keep up with her oxygenation. But that isn’t the problem. Her family is going nuts, and I’m not soothing them down. In fact, they are pushing my buttons.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Approaching a small waiting room just off the tall, glass-covered atrium, Peggy could hear an angry voice. A hospital security guard acknowledged her, and motioned for her to come in.

A tall, thin, pale man was standing just inside the waiting room door, yelling profanities at Ricky, who, in turn, was attempting to keep some distance.

“How did we get here? What’d you do to her that she got so sick? This virus ain’t supposed to make bad sickness at ‘er age! And you’re trying to blame this on ’er smokin’? And why cain’t I visit her?”

Peggy introduced herself to the tall thin man.

“I’m her husband Justin. I don’t understand this. I want to take her to another hospital.”

“Well, Justin, here’s where we are,” Peggy began, calmly. “Nobody has control over this virus, nobody knows much about how the virus behaves, and nobody has a treatment that works. It’s less serious for most younger folks, but both smoking and pregnancy make her more fragile. We don’t want you to visit her because if you’re not infected, you could get infected.”

“This twit,” he motioned to Ricky, “told me she could die, since she’s been sick only a day, and is so bad so quick. Why can’t you save her with some antib’otics? That’s what we came for. We just wanted some antib’otics.” He turned to face Peggy directly, moving his arms.

The security guard grabbed Justin’s right arm.

“Justin, calm down. If you assault one of our personnel, I’ll escort you out of the building, and you will wind up downtown in a cell.”

“Take your hand off my arm,” Justin yelled at the guard.

“I will! As soon as you calm down. I won’t let you harm anybody.”

“But they got my wife sick. When we came, she just had a cold. I wanna be with her.”

“That’s sort of true,” Ricky said, exhibiting courage. “Coronavirus is a cold virus, but a real bad ass. In this case, it’s made her so sick so fast, that we thought you should know that we view this as a bad sign.”

Justin shot back, “Horse buns. Y’all are covering up for having made her sick. Did you do something wrong?”

“No,” Peggy said. “She has a bad disease. It’s killing a lot of Americans. Not just old biddies like me, but many others who have medical problems, including pregnancy, putting her in grave danger.”

“We’re giving her everything we can to help her,” Ricky added. He looked at Peggy. “Dr Valdez, she’s getting hydroxychloroquine, theophylline, erythromycin as a substitute for azithromycin, and we’re using one hundred percent oxygen with thirty-five centimeters of PEEP.”

“What’s that mean? What’s that mean!” Justin shouted. The guard was still holding Justin’s right arm.

“He just listed all the medications he’s giving and all the ventilator settings he’s using to try to save her life. He’s panicked that we’re at full throttle and losing ground.” Peggy said calmly.

“Then I want to take her somewhere they can save her.” This time Justin’s voice was lower, emulating a deflating tire. “I’m gonna take her to Presbyterian.”

Peggy let him settle down a little more. “We’ll do the best we can. There is nowhere to send her. All the hospitals are full. Dallas, Denver, and Phoenix are too far away. I don’t think she would live through moving.”

“God,” Justin mumbled. “So, what do we do? Just sit here and watch her die?”

The officer let Justin’s arm go, and pulled up a chair.

“Or get well on her own. We’re doing all we can. There isn’t anything left. Now it’s up to her.” This seemed to get through to Justin.

“Her mom can’t come. There are no flights that’ll get her here in 24 hours.” Justin accepted a chair Peggy offered. “Is there anything else we can give her?”

“No. We’re giving her everything we have.” Peggy just wanted to emit calm-sounding words.

Justin sat in the chair, put his elbows on his knees, and his face in his hands. His chest shook.

Ricky put his gloved hand on Justin’s gown-covered shoulder. “Is there anyone else we can call?”

He didn’t answer.

“Has Justin been tested?” Peggy asked Ricky.

“Yes, they both have. I don’t have results, but it’s obvious she has it.”

Justin was joined by his parents, who had been sitting silently in the corner. Peggy and Ricky left Justin and his parents huddling together. The security guard nodded as they left.

“Peggy, if she dies, I’m going to melt,” Ricky said, misty-eyed.

“You’d better get in the freezer, then.” She watched to see if Ricky caught the metaphor. “We don’t want any melting around here. This may not end well.”

“I get it.” His face was ashen.

Peggy put her hand on Ricky’s shoulder, “You should feel good about what you have done for her. You gave her the best chance of survival you can. Your erythromycin idea to substitute for azithromycin was clever. If she dies, are we going to deliver the baby?”

“What? Seriously? I suppose we should, since she’s only a few weeks from her due date. I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t know how to do that.”

“A cesarean section, on her bed, right where she is. You won’t need sterile conditions, you won’t need to sew up all the layers, just get the baby out. Leave the placenta behind, and close the skin. All you’ll need is a scalpel, a cord clamp, and a skin stapler.”

“God, Peggy, no kidding?”

“Yes, just think. When you do this, it is all about the baby. You don’t need to do all the things we do to help the mother recover and heal. Just get the baby out and leave it at that.”

“OK. I’d better get Labor and Delivery ready for that. I might call Ann to help me.”

Ricky bumped elbows with Peggy and took off. Peggy went back in to check on Justin.

She found Justin still sitting in a chair, holding his mother’s hand. Peggy delicately put her hand on Justin’s shoulder. When he saw Peggy, he stood.

“I’m so sad,” Justin murmured. “I can’t believe this has happened. Is it because of her smoking and her pregnancy?”

“Partly. It’s because of this evil new virus. We’re seeing severe illness in pregnancy with no other health problems. I’m sorry she’s so sensitive to it.”

Peggy was momentarily distracted by a text.

“She’s dyin’ ain’t she,” Justin whispered.

“I’m afraid so,” Peggy said. “But I think Ricky can save your baby.”

“How does that happen?”

“She has a cesarean section right about now.”

“I want to be with Jenessa. I should hold her hand.” Justin was panting and sobbing.

Another text arrived. The baby had been born alive, doing well, and Ricky and Ann were “recovering,” the word Ricky had used. Peggy understood. The trembling doesn’t seem to come while you are working on a terrifying case, but in the first ten minutes after it’s over.

“There you are, Justin, your son was just born.”

“Did she die?”

“Yes,” Peggy said, “but your baby’s alive.”

Justin looked scrambled. “I have four kids but no wife.”

“Yes.”

“I want to see my son,” he said. “She had to die alone! Nobody should die alone.” They stood together, saying nothing.

“Nobody should die alone,” Peggy repeated.