Timothy sighed. He realized there was no way he could convince Brian to see what Alex could offer.
Brian was the head of his department. He obviously felt he knew what was better for his daughter, which was understandable, if somewhat frustrating.
Brian sat in the waiting room and waited for news about his daughter. Hours passed, and then, eventually, Susan Ware came into the room. Brian had been dozing, but when she came in, he sat up quickly, and asked, "Dr. Ware, what news do you have?"
"We can't wait any longer for Haley's condition to stabilize," she said. "She has started bleeding internally again, and her ribs have shifted closer to her pulmonary artery. We need to operate."
Brian stared at her but didn't say a word.
Susan continued, "If we don't do anything, she likely won't make it through the night. After consulting with dozens of experts, they all agree; we need to open her chest tonight." She straightened her spine and said, "I'll do the surgery myself."
"You're doing a thoracotomy?" Timothy asked, frowning in concern. "Isn't she too weak? Do you think you'll be successful?"
Susan nodded. "I'm not saying it isn't a risky procedure. But at this point, we have to do something."
Brian stared at her as he asked, "What is the success rate of the operation?"
Susan frowned but answered honestly. "It's low. Her chances of making it through the surgery are less than ten percent."
Susan was worried about the procedure. She had performed it before, but only on patients who were in a less critical condition than Haley was. But they had no choice. There were experts elsewhere who might have more experience with the procedure, but they were too far away. Besides, she felt the need to take charge of this particular patient. She didn't want to entrust the care of Brian's daughter to anyone else.
"Her chances are really that low?" Brian asked, his hands shaking. He balled them into fists. "After all this time, after talking to so many experts, you can only say she has a less than ten percent chance of surviving the operation?"
Susan stood her ground. "I understand your concern, Brian. We've talked this over, and this is our best plan. I know you're dissatisfied, and that's understandable. However, threatening us with ruining the hospital is not going to help your daughter."
Brian remained quiet, for once, so she pressed her advantage and continued, "The complexity of Haley's injuries makes the risk of surgery much higher than that of other patients. Moreover, she also has congenital heart disease, making her at risk of sudden death due to cardiac failure. Her heart disease undoubtedly increases the difficulty of the operation. I'll be honest, even if she survives the surgery, she has a higher risk of postoperative complications."
She sighed. "Look," she said with a note of frustration. "In the end, it's up to you to decide whether to do this operation, but you must decide quickly."
"This is ridiculous!" Brian shouted furiously, throwing his cup of water to the floor. He was tired of hearing Susan speak of his daughter's low chances for survival.
Susan simply stared at him silently.
"You're all useless," he grumbled as he ran his hands through his hair. His mouth felt dry, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest while he gasped heavily. He stared back at Susan, an expression of indecision etched across his face.
Until that moment, he had not accepted the seriousness of Haley's condition.
Finally, he asked, "If you don't do the surgery tonight, what are her chances of making it until tomorrow?"
"Nothing is a guarantee," Susan said cautiously. "She could make it through the night, but, Brian, she—"
"Then continue to stabilize her condition for me," Brian interrupted. "I'm going to send for a miracle doctor."
Susan raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"In the meantime," Brian continued, "if there is any change in her condition, let me know."
She nodded. The decision was his. Even though she had told him she had consulted with dozens of experts from around the country, if he wanted to ask for a second opinion, she couldn't stop him. She doubted that the other expert would say anything different, but she had to respect his wishes. "Very well," she said. "We'll do what we can to stabilize her. However, I suggest you ask your expert to hurry."
Timothy, who had just returned from the bathroom, frowned when he heard the conversation. Then, when his brother turned to stare pointedly at him, he got the message. He turned and rushed from the hospital.
**
Timothy sped to the police station. When he arrived, he hurried inside to the holding area. He had expected to have to ask the officers there to let Alex out of his cell. Instead, when he arrived, Alex was sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by dozens of police officers. One by one, Alex was giving them exams and diagnosing their various ailments.
Timothy stopped and stared at the scene.
All the police officers were in awe of Alex. He had diagnosed cases of heart disease, liver disease, stomach disease, and conditions of the back and legs. The officers had all been too busy to visit their doctors, but now, with a few simple needling techniques, Alex had made a lot of them feel better. Some only needed to take a few simple medicines; others simply needed repeated acupuncture to be cured.
Detective Knox was among those being treated by Alex. She had interrogated Alex when he had first come in, but now she trusted him with her life.
Before Alex could start looking at his next patient, Timothy ran in and interrupted. "Alex, please," he begged. "I need your help."
Alex smiled at Timothy as he said, "Why do you need my help? You're in perfect health."
Timothy shook his head. "Not for me; it's for Haley. I need you to come to Baltimore General Hospital and help my niece."
"I can't," Alex said. "I haven't made bail yet."
Detective Knox and the other officers agreed. "Yes, Alex can't go anywhere."
Timothy called out to Detective Knox, "I guarantee I won't let him out of my sight. If he escapes me, you can put me in jail instead."
Before anyone could react, he grabbed Alex, and took him to his car. Then they accelerated quickly away from the station.
On the way, Timothy told Alex of the situation with Haley, the horse, and her injuries.
Alex wasn't curious about Haley. When Timothy mentioned the riding stable, Alex immediately thought of Lindsey, who had also liked to ride horses. He mused on how much she had grown up lately.
"Hey, Alex, are you listening?" Timothy asked, breaking into his thoughts.
Alex looked at him. He didn't care much about Brian—the guy was a jerk—but he did like Timothy.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the hospital. Timothy didn't take Alex to see Brian. Instead, he took him to the intensive care unit. He then told him about the injury and gave him the medical records and X-rays to examine.
Finally, Timothy looked at the other man and said, "Alex, I know my brother has been hard on you and has made you suffer a lot of grievances. I'm sorry for that, even if he isn't. Please, don't let that stop you from helping Haley. She's a sweet girl. Please save her."
Alex continued to study the records for a few moments longer and then looked at Timothy. "I like you, but your brother is a jerk. I don't want to see or talk with him."
"You don't have to right now. Please, look at the patient first." Timothy indicated the hospital room. "Do you think you can help her?"
After scanning the photos, Alex walked in and touched Haley's head, and then he took her pulse. Finally, he nodded and said, "Sure!"