I asked, "Kelly, have you been taking coke…or meth?"
Kelly's eyes narrowed again as she studied me before sneering, "what are you talking about?"
She shook the gun slightly as she spoke, "I have ADHD and I'm prescribed a stimulant medication to help me focus. It's really unfair though…because of my ADHD, it takes megadoses to get the same effects that neurotypical individuals get with a therapeutic dose for me."
I cocked my head to the side slightly before I met her gaze intensely and asked in a calm, even tone, "Kelly, what did you take? I ask because I'm worried about you. I can tell you took a lot of something. It's been building in your system hasn't it?"
Kelly looked away slightly before she straightened with what looked like a new resolve. Whatever thought ran through her mind, made her focus back on me as she again met my eyes. "You want me to believe you care now Wam? You have turned me down every time, except when you lied and recorded me!!!" Kelly screams. "I trusted you Wam, Dr. Teton…and you, you betrayed ME!!"
A loud voice boomed over a speaker or megaphone that said, "Dr. Adams, you need to pick up the phone or we are coming in…"
Kelly scoffed in return. The red phone began to ring again and she growled out, "answer it!"
The petite nurse named Katie answered again, meek as a mouse, "hello? Okay…" she held the phone out to Kelly but kept her eyes to the floor. "Ddd..Dr. Adams, it's the police and they are insisting on talking to you."
Kelly turned toward the brunette, and I sprung into action while her attention was averted. She briefly held the gun in one hand and reached for the phone with the other. I had waited until she got comfortable and then when her guard was down, I made my move.
I grabbed the shotgun with one hand and pushed it and Kelly's body against the tile wall in the surgical suite, using my own body to pin her. Kelly fought, but my size and strength were overpowering. Even so, the gun was not yet controlled as was necessary. The gun had been locked, and if loaded, it was ready to fire. Without opening the gun, I couldn't tell if it was loaded with buck shot as she claimed or empty. Basic gun safety teaches us that we should always assume a gun is loaded.
"Tony, grab the gun," I instructed. Tony was a middle age male nurse with tattoos from his time in the armed forces. I figured if anyone could safely handle a gun, it was him.
I heard footsteps behind me and Tony did indeed grab the gun by the butt and pull it loose from Kelly's evil paws. Once the gun left her presence and was in Tony's hands, I sighed in relief and loosened my hold enough to push Kelly toward the metal chair I had vacated. I didn't want to be any closer to her than absolutely necessary.
Kelly turned around to face me with a smile on her face. "Yeah Tony, take the gun," she sneered again. "No one leaves or Tony will shoot them," Kelly says with confidence.
Everyone had relaxed after she was unarmed but now turned toward Tony who was holding the gun in one hand and staring at all of us like he saw a ghost. I stepped between Tony and the group and stepped around him to open the surgical suite door. Police officers came in and arrested Dr. Kelly Adams while reading her rights aloud, "you have the right to remain silent…"
After they had patted her down and removed two knives stashed in her clothing, they led her from the room. Martin the Anesthesiologist remained in his chair at Kedron's head, so I walked over to him and asked, "you okay Martin?"
Martin nodded, then took a deep breath. "I'm okay Wam. I knew what you were doing and knew we would be okay. Thank you."
One officer had secured the shotgun, but another came in and put cuffs on Tony. I was stunned because he had been in the military, was an excellent nurse, and I simply couldn't imagine him doing anything illegal. "Excuse me, what is Tony being arrested for?"
The officer answered, "he was involved in helping to feed information to the doctors of patients who could possibly be transferred to the rehab facility and other illegal healthcare scams Kelly and her partners were running."
"Tony was?" I asked in surprise. "But Tony helped me disarm the doctor who took over our surgical suite with a gun. That has to count for something. Also, Kelly was known for blackmailing employees. Please look into it and try to figure out why he would do this. Tony is a stand up guy. There had to be a reason," I exclaimed.
Tony and I weren't friends, but we were definitely acquaintances and coworkers. I thought a lot of Tony for his caring, strong work ethic, and his willingness to go above and beyond for his patients. This just didn't make sense. Tony simply bowed his head and walked out in cuffs. The officer simply replied, "I'll make a note that he helped and look into black mail as a motive," he finished, and then they were gone. The remaining nurses stood there like they were unsure what to do.
I approached the small group and said, "we still have a surgery to complete. Are you all okay to assist?"
Every one of them nodded except the petite nurse who had answered the phone and tried to give it to Kelly, had tears running down her cheeks. "Let's take ten, use the restrooms, get a drink, and meet in Suite 5. This suite is contaminated, so we will start over with coverings and scrub ins. Agreed?"
Again, all but the petite brunette, nodded and turned to go do what they were told. I put my arm around Katie's shoulders and led her out of the suite and to the nearest Nurse's station. I sat Katie down, gave her a bottle of water, and asked the Social Worker on call to stay with her until she was okay. It was time we used these excellent professionals to help our fellow employees. Looking at young Katie, she appears traumatized. I made a mental note to check back with her in a few days.
I approached the police chief and explained to him we had an emergency surgery that we still need to complete. I gave him a timeline when we would approximately be finished, and he said he would return with a crew then to interview the remaining surgical staff when we were finished. As I turned to get a quick drink and use the restroom, I heard my name. I turned back around and there down the hall was Lee. She ran up and wrapped herself tightly around my torso in a hug to end all hugs. "Hey, I'm okay. Kedron is okay too. We still have to operate, now that they arrested her."
I felt her body shake and her quiet voice that sounded filled with fear, "I was so afraid I'd lost you Wam…"
"You didn't lose me. You can see I'm fine."
At that reassurance she pulled back and looked me in the eye. "Wam, your bleeding. Are you okay? What happened to your eye?"
I touched the spot and winced, and now I had blood on my fingers. I guess I needed to clean up and apply some steri strips to my eyebrow. I made eye contact with Kynlee and told her one more time, "a few steri strips and I'll be good as new. Head wounds always bleed more than they should. Really beautiful, I'll be okay. Are you okay?"
Kynlee nodded at me but was chewing on her bottom lip. A sure sign she was still worried. I took her hand in mine and returned to the Nurse's station. "Mia, can you help me for a bit please?"
Mia nodded and came my way, looking at me, then at Kynlee and then at our joined hands before reaching me. "What can I help you with Dr. Teton?"
"Can you please clean up my eye and place a couple steri strips to hold it together so I can go operate," I asked with a smile. "Then maybe my girl will stop worrying."
"Of course sir. Just let me gather a few supplies. Take a seat please and I'll be back shortly," she agreed and went off to gather supplies. When Mia returned, she had a basin full of supplies. I sat in one of the chairs designed for computer charting and allowed Nurse Mia to fix me up. The other alternative would be the Emergency Department, but I didn't have time since Kedron was still sedated for surgery.
Once I was cleansed, patched up with steri strips, medicated, and the wound was covered with a large band aid, I sent Lee back to the waiting room. I took a drink, used the restroom, and then rescrubbed for surgery. Fifteen minutes after we had left Suite 4, we were in Suite 5 and ready to finally operate on Kedron. I did allow Martin a quick break before we actually started, but then it was time to get the show on the road. It was getting late and we were all getting tired.