Chaos at Crescent City Medical Center (3 page)

Alex covered her mouth with her hand, “OMG, Don’s gonna have a shit fit.  He just had those carpets installed...”

“You haven’t heard the end of it yet, Alex."

Alex stared at her secretary, her eyes
huge
, “What else?”

Bridgett was now reporting at full capacity, her long red nails clicking against the desk. “Well, he pulled down all of the framed art in the foyer too and smashed all of the glass all over the marble floor.” Once again Bridgett dissolved into peals of laughter.  “I heard Don almost had a heart attack when they called him.”

“Wow. I bet he just about pooped his pants,” thinking this must have occurred just after she had met with him.

"Probably. Anyway, the guy was apparently acting pretty crazy and people were afraid of him and ran away.  When the area was clear, he ran over to the coffee kiosk and turned all of that over too.  The newly opened marble foyer now looks like a black, gritty hell.”

“And the art collection is smashed to smithereens.  Good Lord, how long did it take CCMC security to get there?”

“All of this happened very quickly, probably 3 or 4 minutes at tops. The guy was fast! The staff is calling him the “Monkey Man” based on his ability to swing from the TV in the ED.  He’s also pretty good at slinging coffee and art.”  Bridgett was laughing so hard her big blonde
curls
were dancing and tears and mascara were streaming from her eyes. “We’ve got some great pictures from cell phones and digitals.  Don is going to have a shit-fit.”

“You got that right, if he hasn’t already.”  The look of disbelief on Alex's face was mingled with humor.  "Pretty incredible. He spent millions on that renovation.” 

Bridgett looked at Alex sideways.  "Well, serves him right.  Maybe he should spend that money on his staff and patients.”

Alex nodded and asked, “Does Monkey Man have a regular doctor?”

Bridgett looked at Alex sheepishly, “Yep, Dr. Bonnet."

Alex raised her eyebrows and said sarcastically, "Huh, oh great. Bu
t
why?  Robert’s a surgeon. Why
would he have a medical patient? Well, I need to see him anyway."

"I think the guy is a charity case, from the clinic where Dr. Bonnet volunteers. Al," Bridgett began and then hesitated for a moment, "There are a lot of rumors about Dr. Bonnet among the nurses and the administrators.  I know people aren't comfortable talking with you about him since he's your ex and all…."

"What kind of rumors?"  Alex's voice was sharp, her former good mood gone.  She knew Bridgett had good connections on the grapevine, particularly from her
twin sister, Angela, a nurse in the operating room
.

"Just that he's been irritable and unpredictable lately, and some of the nurses think he's been drinking when he makes rounds."  Bridgett looked at Alex's face and was instantly sorry for repeating the rumor.

Alex's face darkened.  "That’s news to me.  Keep me posted about our new complaint.  Alex jerked her head toward the door, “I guess I better get to this pile of work."  She tried to sound noncommittal, but Bridge could tell she was concerned.

  Bridgett walked towards the outpatient surgery department and thought about the ongoing battles between Alex and Don Montgomery.  Bridgett couldn't understand how someone couldn't get along with Alex.  Alex was great, a regular person.  She was patient and kind and a bunch of fun.   Part of Alex's beauty was she didn't know
 
she was beautiful.  Besides that, she was really nice, a real down to earth person.  Not snotty like that uppity female lawyer before her.

She hoped she hadn’t upset Alex. She felt a pang of guilt for talking to Alex about Dr. B.  She doubted Alex even thought of herself as exceptional.  She never seemed to notice how people looked at her when she walked into a room. If anything, Bridgett thought, her boss seemed a little shy and unsure of herself.  Guess it takes a long time to get over a bad marriage.

Besides, losing Dr. Bonnet would be hard.  He was so good-looking and kind, a real hunk.  Her cousin told her he ran a free surgery clinic in the bayou.  A couple months ago her
cousin told her he'd saved the arm of a little boy who had been bitten by an alligator.  He didn’t even charge the family.  He was really good to the Cajun community.  Bridgett flipped her blonde hair back and decided she didn't believe the rumors about the handsome Dr. Bonnet. 

After Bridgett left, Alex sat at her desk and pondered her secretary's remarks about Robert.  She valued her rapport with the nursing staff and was pleased that they, in spite of her law degree, still perceived her as one of them.  Her relationship with them had come in handy more than once.

Alex reflected back to the times Robert had drunk more than she thought he should.  She'd attributed it to the pressures of hospital life and hard work, although there were a few times when their own personal difficulties had seemed to cause bouts of heavy drinking, particularly after the miscarriages.  She specifically recalled an episode concerning her refusal to quit school.  It depressed her a bit to hear the rumors.  Hope they're just rumors, she said to herself.  I don't need this.

Several hours later Alex was immersed in a slip and fall case, when Bridgett buzzed her to say that Dr. Bonnet wanted to see her.  Within moments Robert was in her office.

"Alex,
how
good to see you.  How are things going?"

Alex looked up as she felt a blush creeping up her neck.  At 42, Robert was an astonishingly attractive man.  He was tall with sandy blonde hair and had the slight build
of
the New O
rleans French population
.  His voice was deep and soft with a subtle Creole accent.  His eyes were brown and expressive, kind eyes, she had always thought.  Alex immediately stood and offered her hand.  "Robert, how good to see you.  It's been a while."  Alex was stunned by her formality.

Robert's eyes appraised Alex critically.  "It has.  This hospital is so
big;
months go by before I see many of my colleagues.  Alex, you look beautiful!  New Orleans agrees with you.  Tell me about your family.  How are Grand and the Congressman?  I read in the morning paper that he's here in New Orleans.  Business?"

Alex felt a flush come over her again and she could feel the warmth as it moved all the way up and down her body.  I can't believe that I'm feeling like this about seeing him.  I must look like a teeny bopper to him. She was breathless and a little nervous as she responded. "Yes,
Granddad’s
here.  Some big political pow-wow, coalition building thing with Governor Raccine.  Grandmother's doing fine.  She broke her hip last September, riding her horse. 
Fortunately, her fall didn't slow her down much.  Still rides every day.  She's still managing the family, the Washington house, and the horse farm." 

In truth, Alex's grandmother, Kathryn Lee, was the strongest force in her life. Unlike her shy, reclusive daughter, she had an interminable strength, yet she was gracious and pragmatic.  She had the patience of a saint and the soul of an angel.  Grand had served as a role model for Alex all of her life and much of Alex's strength of character and integrity had been inherited from Kathryn.  Her grandfather often joked that Alex had inherited her grandmother's bad points as well.  Congressman Lee insisted that both women were the most stubborn and willful women on earth.

Robert smiled and said, "I miss seeing her. She's quite the lady.  How’s the Congressman?"

"The same.  You know him -- still serving the conservative people of Virginia.  He's actively drafting crime, drug, and immigration legislation.  He’s totally opposed to Obama Care and voted against it.  He’s convinced that it is going to ruin healthcare as we know it in this country.  And, of course, he has his own ideas about health reform -- and they don't, as I'm sure you can imagine,
complement
those of the present administration."

"I can imagine," Robert replied wryly.  "I'd think our views probably wouldn't match but would serve for some lively conversation.  I miss seeing them.  You seen your grandfather yet
?
"

"No.  He's busy tonight.  We’re planning to get together tomorrow afternoon.  He's taking the red-eye back to Virginia tomorrow night.
"
 

"Give him my best.  Get to the farm much?"

Alex nodded as her blue eyes took on a faraway look as she visualized her grandparents' farm, "Wyndley," located half-way between Richmond and Washington D.C. in Hanover County, Virginia.  After her parents had divorced when she was three years old, Alex had spent most of her childhood at Wyndley with her grandparents and her reclusive mother. 

“
No, I'm hoping to get up for a long weekend in April or May.  Virginia's beautiful in the spring and Grand just purchased a new Arabian brood mare.  Wyndley's becoming a well-known thoroughbred farm.  I need to get back there more often.  It grounds me and helps me sort through things and get them into perspective." 

Robert nodded in understanding.  "Yeah, I understand that.  That's why I often go over
to my summer home in Gulf Shores.  I went last weekend and, as a matter of fact, I'm going this weekend for that very reason to escape Mardi Gras.  The ocean, sun, and a few nights at the Floribama bar will allow me to relax."

Alex's thoughts immediately returned to the rumors of Robert's drinking.  They'd spent many evenings “wasting
away “in
Gulf Shores, Alabama at the coveted Floribama Lounge, the legendary home of Jimmy Buffet where very few people left alert. Of course, the Floribama was gone now, washed away by
Hurric
ane
Katrina.  “Be careful.”

"Will do. By the way, Don Montgomery said you wanted to see me.  What's up?"

Alex looked at him sharply, her paranoia kicking in. "That why you're here?  When did you see Don?"  Alex was suspicious. 

"Last week at a medical staff meeting.   He mentioned on the way out you wanted to see me.  You never called, and today my morning OR schedule got canceled, so I just came by on the chance you'd be in. 

Alex tingled with anger, and then suspicion set in.  She felt ambushed.

"Did Don give you any idea about why we needed to meet?"  Alex's voice was distrustful.

Robert picked up on the suspicious edge to Alex's voice.  "No.  Why?  What's going on?” 

Noting the flush in her check, his voice
raised
, “What! Alex, no games.  We go back too far to play games with each other."  His voice had a ring of concern in it.

Alex's intent was to be professional, and she chose her words carefully.  "Don's concerned because we've received three complaints about you in less than six months.  One will end up as a malpractice action.  He thinks three complaints are too many for that period of time.  Besides, Don really likes to micro-manage," she added quickly, shrugging her shoulders.

Robert ignored Alex's dig at Don Montgomery.  He scowled at her and replied, his voice was reserved and formal. "I want to be clear here.  I assume the action you're speaking of is the one where the elderly gentlemen with cancer developed a post-operative infection and died following colon surgery."

Alex nodded and Robert continued, "I warned the patient, the family, and the oncologist of this risk.  He was a poor candidate because of his battered immune system; he was a sitting duck for a massive infection."  Robert stopped for a moment and reflected.  He shook his head
sadly as he thought about the man's prolonged and painful
death
.  "I'm not the only physician named.  You should be able to defend that claim. After all, you are a UVA lawyer! What else?”

Alex flinched at Robert’s sarcasm, and her own stress began to increase as she felt her heartbeat pick up.  "Let me pull the files.  I can't recall the other two off the top of my head.”  As she left her office, her gut tightened and the nausea began to mount. She had a sick feeling. Something's going on, she thought.  What the hell is going on?  He’s freaked.  This isn't the confidant, brilliant and self-assured surgeon I used to know.  Alex took several minutes to compose herself and review the files before returning to her office.

Robert paced in Alex’s office.  As he waited for her to return, he could feel his own anxiety rising.  He couldn't understand Montgomery's behavior towards him either, and, combined with the other things that were happening, he was feeling unnerved.  He was constantly getting bumped from the OR schedule for no good reason.  Several people he'd worked with for years were acting strange
ly
, some were actually avoiding him, and he'd been greeted frostily this morning by another surgeon.  Something was definitely stewing.  But what?  Robert shook his head but continued to think as he felt a darkness descend upon him.

Alex found Robert deep in thought when she returned.  He looked at her expectantly, his voice reserved as he addressed her, "Well, what are they?"

Alex turned papers in the file.  "In November you did an abdominalplasty and a breast augmentation on Elaine Morial Logan.  Now she's complained that her new belly button's disfigured, and her breasts are too large.  She's also complained that you were short-tempered and angry with her when she came in for her follow-up visit.  Several weeks ago her lawyer called and threatened a malpractice action because his client maintains she never knew that her 'new' breasts were silicon and could possibly cause cancer."