Page 16 of Almost There
“Come again?” Landon shook his head, not wanting to believe he heard her right. “It’s been less than two weeks since the power went out and you’re already rationing meds?”
“We didn’t receive our normal shipments last week and we’re running out fast. If this goes on much longer…” Her voice trailed off and she blinked back tears, hugging the clipboard to her chest to hide the patient’s name and diagnosis.
Landon had to turn away. He kept his eyes trained on the far wall as he marched and numbed himself to the reality. He’d already read the notes on the clipboard, scanning the patient details automatically like he’d done a thousand times before. Calder. Age 5. Burst appendix. Vomiting. White Blood Count 19,090. He didn’t have to understand pediatric care to know the child in the next room needed surgery and extensive antibiotic treatment.
Landon couldn’t look at the Marines standing guard outside LCpl. Wallis’s door. Does she have enough antibiotics for both kids? He closed his eyes and willed the thought away. This wasn’t his hospital or his unit. These weren’t his choices to make. The doctor had made her decision and he knew it was the most medically sound one no matter how much it hurt.
“Hey sweetheart. How are you holding up?” Landon pushed open the door and LCpl. Wallis’s daughter looked to him, doe eyed and surrounded by pillows, as she sucked on ice chips.
Wallis stopped pacing and moved in front of Landon. “They want to keep her overnight, Doc. Can’t we just get the meds and go? She’s going to be okay.”
“She will be.” Landon nodded, glancing to the girl and choosing his words carefully. “But they are out of the pink stuff. The only antibiotics they can get are coming this evening and need to be administrated intravenously.”
“Oh.” Wallis backtracked, turning to her husband for support. “Can we take her back to base or something?”
“We don’t know what the situation is like at the hospital on base,” Landon spoke honestly. “If they don’t have enough on hand then we wasted the trip and there is no guarantee there will be any left here if we have to come back.”
“Please babe.” Victor reached for her, trying to root her to the spot.
“I don’t want to be a burden on you guys.” She wrung her hands as she looked back to her daughters and then to the open door. Pain played across her face as she tried to keep it together and maintain military bearing. “I guess they should be safe here. We can head out now.”
“Mama no!” the oldest daughter cried, jumping off the bed and running to Wallis’s arms. The youngest girl burst into tears and spilled the cup of ice all over the sheet. Landon choked back the emotion and buried it somewhere deep along with the gnawing torment of wanting to make sure his own family was safe despite the obligation to be there for the mission.
“You’re not going anywhere.” GySgt. Fuimaono forced his large frame through the open door and glanced over his shoulder at the men behind him. “Marines, post watch for the warrior here and the rest of you make yourselves useful around the clinic.”
Landon turned, blinking back the random moisture that had gathered in his eyes, as GySgt. Fuimaono squatted down next to the side of the little girl’s bed and rested his jaw on his fists.
“Don’t you worry about anything. Your mama will be here and we’ll be standing guard all night. Now tell me, baby Marine, what’s your name and what games do you like to play?”