Chapter 11: All We Can Do Is Hope for the Best

April 2, 1990, McKinley and Circleville, Ohio

"Mike, do you have a minute?" Kellie Martin asked late on Monday afternoon.

"I give two minutes for you and your gallant nursing crew."

"If you're quoting Kahn from Star Trek, I think we're in bigger trouble than just the ED!"

"That was actually Kruge, played by Christopher Lloyd in The Search for Spock," I replied with a grin. "The same actor who was Doc Brown in Back to the Future."

"Oops!"

In order to have some privacy, we went to a consultation room rather than the lounge, though, as always, when I was with a female staff member, I made sure the door was open. I'd trust Kellie with my life, but the last thing either of us needed was rumors.

"What's up?"

"What exactly did Rupert Wernher say to you?"

"Between you and me, right?"

Kellie smirked, "I'd sleep with you before I'd violate your confidence."

"Good to know," I chuckled. "So, zero chance, then, because I'm married."

"Exactly."

"He kicked me out of the ED and said if I wanted ED shifts, I'd have to shave, cut my hair, and wear blue scrubs. He had the temerity to suggest I leave the surgical staff and become an ED Resident."

"You're joking!"

"Nope."

"When that Charlie Foxtrot of a former officer was in the Navy, they were allowed beards! That changed in '84 when the idiot CNO, Admiral Watkins, decided sailors had to be clean-shaven. The propaganda circulated was that it was about breathing apparatus seals, but he was clear in his statements to Congress that it was about 'sharpening' appearances."

"The Cincinnati Reds," I said. "Charlie Foxtrot?"

Kellie smirked, "Military jargon for 'cluster fuck'! Only officers can swear in front of other officers, so enlisted personnel use terms like 'Charlie Foxtrot' and 'Whisky Tango Foxtrot'. I bet you can work that one out for yourself."

"What The Fuck?" I suggested with a grin. "And SNAFU conforms to the pattern."

"Yes! Anyway, your beard and ponytail are religious, right?"

"Yes. Why are you asking about Wernher?"

"Gathering information for a grievance. I just wanted to know what was actually said, but the grievance will be about kicking qualified doctors out of the ED over a turf war, leaving us shorthanded. And don't worry, this is coming from the nurses' union, not any doctors or other staff."

"Does he use military terms when he's giving orders?" I asked. "He told me to 'shut the hatch' when I followed him into his office."

"He talks like a Navy lifer on a combat ship with Marines who do speak like that. For him, it's an affectation, given he was a doctor who served on land. And I'm sure you saw his fighter pilot 'I love me' wall instead of the usual medical certifications and patient pictures."

"Come to think of it, I did see the pictures of him in his naval uniform and shaking hands with people I have to assume are politicians, but I didn't look closely because that wall was behind me when I was in his office."

"One is with Richard Nixon, two are of the two Mayor Daleys of Chicago, and another is Senator Everett Dirksen from Illinois. I'm not sure of the others because I only had a brief glimpse."

"Who is this guy?" I asked.

"I did some checking with my contacts, and he was a run-of-the-mill Navy doctor, then an average internist before switching to emergency medicine. Nobody in Chicago liked him. Scuttlebutt is that they gave him glowing reviews to get rid of him. Perry knows him from medical school, but Wernher wasn't chief then, and Perry was never assigned to him. Wernher apparently tried for the Chief's role at University of Chicago Hospital but was turned down."

"I know the doctor who is Chief there, so I'd say Doctor Wernher had zero chance. I'm going to hazard a guess he has a chip on his shoulder."

"Yep. Rumor has it that three members of the Board pushed for him to be hired because he promised to be a hard ass and crack down on the ED staff."

"How's that playing in Peoria?" I asked.

"About as well as Our American Cousin on April 14, 1865, at Ford's Theatre in DC."

"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?" I smirked.

"You're a goofball, Mike!" Kellie declared.

"Takes one to know one. When is the grievance going to be filed?"

"Probably Wednesday. Just keep your head down because he's going to try to take it off if you stick it up."

"I didn't do anything," I protested.

"It's mostly not you; it's him pissing on everything to mark his territory. Well, much to his chagrin, none of us is into water sports!"

"Also good to know," I chuckled.

"I know this will never happen," Kellie said with a sly smile, "but get a hall pass from your wife, and I'll wipe that smirk off your face!"

"Says the woman who has the same opinion of cheaters I have."

"Obviously, but I like being irreverent, and you're a good sidekick for that, and so is Doctor Saunders."

"We do come as a matched set!" I declared.

"I need to get back," Kellie said. "Do your best to stay out of the blast radius."

"Count on it!"

We left the consultation room, and Kellie returned to the ED. I checked my watch and went straight to the scrub room as it was time for Kenton's surgery. I scrubbed in and went into the OR just as Nick and Penny were bringing him in.

"Hi, Kenton," I said. "It's Doctor Mike. How are you feeling?"

"Like I want to go to sleep."

"Good. I'll see you when you wake up, OK?"

"Yes."

"Light's out, Bob," Doctor Aniston said to the anesthesiologist.

"Good to go," Bob Allen said about three minutes later.

"All yours, Pete," Doctor Aniston said. "Your Resident is busy, so Mike will assist, and I'll supervise him."

Kenton's surgery was routine, and when we finished, I had Nick carry the resected small bowel to the pathology lab for immediate analysis, then went with Penny to take Kenton to recovery. I wasn't too worried about the pathology report, as the tumor had been completely contained in the intestine. However, if it did turn out to be malignant, Kenton would very likely have to undergo chemotherapy. That said, protocols were changing with regard to completely excised tumors, and not being an oncology specialist, I didn't keep up with the latest developments.

Just before 5:00pm, we received the results, which were benign, and Pete Barton reported them to Kenton's mother. I left the hospital and headed home, happy to be away from the unfolding confrontation. I realized that for the first time in my life, I was happy to be away from the hospital, not because I was tired, but because I didn't want to be there. That bothered me tremendously, and it was something I'd discuss with Father Roman when I saw him.

When I arrived home, Kris and Rachel greeted me with hugs, and I confirmed it was OK to call Doctor Turner's attorney. Kris was accepting of the request, so I went to my study, with Rachel tagging along.

"Papa has to make a phone call," I said. "You can stay if you're very quiet."

My daughter made a perfect impression of her biological mom, giving me a look and putting her hands on her hips.

"I want cuddles!" she demanded.

"And we can, so long as you're quiet. Otherwise, it will have to wait."

I sat down, and she scurried over and climbed into my lap. I picked up the phone and dialed the number for Walter Burch. He answered on the second ring.

"This is Doctor Mike Loucks calling," I said. "I understand you're representing Gale Turner?"

"That's correct, Doctor. Thank you for returning my call."

"How is Gale doing?"

"OK, given the circumstances," Attorney Burch replied. "He's home with his wife and children."

"That's a good thing, for sure. How can I help?"

"First, how long have you known Doctor Turner?"

"A little over three years. I first met him in February 1987 during a clinical rotation as a medical student."

"When did you become a doctor?"

"About ten months ago — May 25th."

"Have you worked with Doctor Turner as a physician?"

"Yes. I was assigned to one shift a week at the Free Clinic until the shootings at the hospital required my schedule to change."

"As an aside – were you there?"

"Yes. I was in the trauma room where Deputy Sommers was shot. I worked on her, but it was hopeless."

"At the clinic, did you ever see the treatment protocols violated or circumvented? I mean, any?"

"Never. Gale and Trina Carlslyle were both sticklers for always following protocol. That included a minor case where either Trina or I could have done the procedure, but because it required the use of a scalpel, she called Gale to do it. I treated several hundred patients over the years as a student and Intern, and never once was I alone with a female patient, and very rarely with a male patient."

"Were you aware of any complaints of any kind made at the clinic? Not just against Doctor Turner?"

"I had a few cases where the patient complained about reporting an active sexually transmitted disease to the County Health Department, but that was it. I did hear, long after the fact, that complaints had been lodged against Nurse Abby Norman, but she left the Free Clinic before I started."