Chapter 40

Pricilla and Mrs. Turner rushed through the emergency room doors. Mrs. Turner inquired about Aquila at the Intake window. The lady directed them to the nursesstation. One of Pricilla’s co-workers was sitting at the nursesstation.

“Hey, Pricilla,”Jackie, her co-worker said. “You’re back at work already? You can’t get enough of this place, huh?”

Pricilla didn’t bother to greet her. “Jackie, which triage room is Aquila Savino in?”

Jackie frowned at Pricilla. “Who?”

Pricilla breathed heavily. “Aquila Savino,”she said slowly to make sure that Jackie understood her.

Jackie entered the name into the computer. She looked up at Pricilla with sorrowful eyes. “She was the young lady that was brought into E.R. by ambulance a short while ago.”

“So what triage room is she in, Jackie?”Pricilla asked her impatiently.

“Oh, that was your friend, the one that lives with you? Poor baby, she looked so pitiful.”

Pricilla glared at Jackie. “Which room, Jackie?” she demanded to know.

“She’s in room three, but they’re still—”Jackie didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence because Pricilla and Mrs. Turner walked away while she was talking and bustled down the hall toward room three.

Pricilla opened the door. Aquila lay on the gurney as the doctors worked on her. Pricilla couldn’t tell if she were unconscious or had been given medicine to put her to sleep. “Aquila,”she said softly.

The nurse stopped her at the door. Pricilla still had on her nurse’s uniform. The nurse looked at her nametag. “Pricilla, you can’t come in here while the doctor is working on this patient. You know hospital regulations. Are you related to this patient?”Pricilla nodded and tears rolled down her face. The nurse’s face softened. “Please, come outside, and as soon as we get her stabilized, we’ll let you know something; okay?”She ushered Pricilla back into the hallway.

Pricilla sat in the waiting area with her eyes pasted toward the door. Mrs. Turner sat beside her.

“She’s going to be all right, baby,”Mrs. Turner assured Pricilla.

“Mrs. Turner, I don’t know; she looked terrible. Her skin was so pale, she looked dead, Pricilla cried. Mrs. Turner reached onto the table and pulled a Kleenex out of the box and handed it to her.

“God forbid. Let’s pray.” Mrs. Turner held out her hand toward Pricilla. Pricilla joined hands with her. “Lord, our Father,” Mrs. Turner began, “first of all, we give you praise and thanksgiving. Hallelujah. We come to you tonight and ask for your mercy on Aquila. God, we ask that you will please instruct the doctors on what to look for and to give them the wisdom to know what to do to heal her.

“God, it’s only by your healing power that she will withstand this tragic injury. We plead with you in the precious, powerful name of Jesus to spare Aquila’s life. Send your ministering angels in the room with her, to protect her from the enemy that tried to destroy her.

“God, if you will, please speak to her and comfort her.” Mrs. Turner squeezed Pricilla’s hand. “And give her the strength to call on you, Jesus. Hallelujah. We thank you in advance for healing your precious child, in Jesus name. Amen.”

“Amen,” Pricilla whispered.

The doctor came out of the room. He had a grave look on his face.

Pricilla looked up and saw him. She turned to Mrs. Turner. “Oh my God; she’s dead, Mrs. Turner,” she cried. Mrs. Turner patted her on her hand.

Pricilla stood up to meet the doctor. Her legs shook. “Is she ...”

The doctor stared into Pricilla’s eyes with a stoic expression on his face. “Are you related to Mrs. Savino?” he asked Pricilla in a melancholy tone.

Pricilla nodded her head. She exhaled the breath that she held and said, “Yes, she’s my sister.” She had looked after Aquila ever since the day she arrived at the orphanage. So even though Aquila wasn’t her biological sister, in Pricilla’s heart, Aquila was her sister.

“Well,” he looked at her nametag. “Pricilla, she has been injured pretty badly. She has a broken leg and her right shoulder has been dislocated. CMT reported on their way here from the ambulance that she was initially lucid, but shortly began to deteriorate neurologically. Therefore, we knew she had suffered a contusion. Test results confirmed it.

“She’s in shock from an intracranial injury. Pricilla gasped and the doctor continued. “We’ve been monitoring her vital signs carefully and frequently for evidence of any altered cerebral functions. She’s been given an anti-inflammatory drug to prevent swelling of the brain.

“We have to surgically remove the hematoma and repair the ruptured blood vessels, and it has to be performed right away. ” He handed Pricilla a form. “Since you are the next of kin, you need to sign this consent form, giving us permission to operate. ”

Pricilla grabbed the clipboard out of his hand and scribbled her signature on the form. “Doctor, please do the best that you can to save her. ”

“You know I will, Nurse. ” He bustled down the hall and got on the elevator.

Mrs. Turner pulled Pricilla by the arm. “I understood some of what he was saying, but you tell me, in plain words, what he’s talking about, ” she said.

Pricilla rubbed her right temple as she explained to Mrs. Turner what the doctor meant. “Basically, he said that she has a blood clot around the brain and blood is accumulating in the skull. They have to operate to remove the clot and repair the ruptured blood vessels. ”

Mrs. Turner put her hand over her mouth. “Oh, God, that sounds so serious. ”

“It is. ” Pricilla collapsed on the couch. “Please keep praying for her, Mrs. Turner. ” She lay back on the couch and took some deep breaths to calm down.

An hour had passed, and there was still no word from the doctor. Pricilla stood up abruptly. “I’m going to the nursesstation and call Pastor Woodbridge and First Lady Kendra to let them know that Aquila has been injured. First Lady will want to know because Aquila’s the secretary at church.

“I think that’s a good idea, Pricilla. ” I need to call my husband and let him know what’s going on. And then I’m gonna sit here and pray silently that God pulls her through. ”

Pricilla had a bewildered expression on her face. “Yes, Mrs. Turner, ” Pricilla said not sounding too hopeful. “Please pray. ”