Page 30 of Lovesick
“I’m cured,” she said to the crowd. And they laughed some more.
And then that sharp pain shot through her side again, only this time it doubled her over with its severity. Stumbling, she thought she’d fall and be sick right there on the pristine braided rug in front of Max and the media and all of her family. But two strong hands caught her and held her.
“What is it, Lou?” Max looked into her eyes not with ardor, but with doctorly concern, as if he could read them like tea leaves to diagnose her. She realized he held her wrist with one hand and the other was on her forehead as she leaned into him.
“Excuse us folks, the lady needs—”
Another stab of pain made her knees give out as she grabbed her stomach and leaned over. This time no amount of shame or concern or doctoring could stop her from being sick as the crowd dispelled. Margo and George came to her side. Max still held her.
“Let’s get her up to my office.” Max lifted her into his arms as Margo wiped her face with something. She didn’t care, didn’t open her eyes, didn’t think of anything except the solid chest under her cheek and the searing pain in her gut.
They were in the elevator and she wanted to ask Max what was wrong with her, but someone else did instead.
Timmy said, “Dad, what’s wrong with her?”
“I think she has appendicitis, Tim. It’s serious, but we can take care of it.” His voice was confident and sure and kind. Max shifted and said, “George, I might need someone to assist me if my examination shows she has a burst appendix. In the meantime, call the ambulance to be safe.”
“I’m on it,” Margo said.
“Appendicitis?” Louise had no idea what it meant, only knew the pain, felt like there was a fierce battle going on in her gut the size of World War III. She felt like she might be a casualty in the war. “Max . . .”
The elevator doors closed and he carried her the short distance to his office, murmuring softly in her ear, though she couldn’t tell what he said. Her mind wasn’t working too well, and things were getting blurry.
* * *
Max laid Louiseon the examination room table, steeling himself against the tremor of concern. He had this. It didn’t matter that it was Louise. He knew exactly what to do and he would do it. He’d operated under worse conditions in the Congo and other places before with the Doctors Without Borders. George came into the office behind him with Tim and Margo. He smiled at them.
“I’m afraid you can’t stay for this part, Tim. I’ll have to undress the lady.”
“I should leave too, then,” George said.
“I’ll need someone to assist me.” He looked at Margo as she held the phone to her ear.
“They’re saying they can’t get an ambulance here for at least thirty minutes. They’re tied up with a major multicar accident on the Whitestone bridge.”
“I’ll get the company limo brought around,” George said. “We can get her to the hospital in that.”
Another woman burst through the door then.
“Melissa, just in time,” Margo said. “Make yourself useful and help Doc with this emergency, will you? Doc, I hope you don’t mind that I called my friend to assist you.”
“At your service, Doc. Just tell me what to do.”
“Are you a nurse?”
“No, but I’m smart and competent and most importantly, I’m not squeamish.”
The young lady was gorgeous and wearing a red silk dress that probably cost more than his entire wardrobe. And she had no training. Louise let out a scream and doubled up again on the table. Melissa went to her and picked up a metal pan along the way to hold it out, knowing that Louise would be sick.
“You’re hired,” he said. “Put on the white jacket and some plastic gloves. Margo, before you go, get one of those face masks and put it on Melissa”
“I’m out of here,” George said. “Come on, Tim.” He took Tim with him and Max gave him a grateful smile as he donned his gloves.
Without telling her to, Melissa began disrobing Louise. He examined her thoroughly, but quickly.
“As I thought. Burst appendix.”
“I’m assuming you’ll need to do an emergency appendectomy?” Melissa asked “Then we’ll get her to the hospital in the limo?”
