Scene 48
Scene Forty-eight...The Operation
Time: Night, Saturday, June 22, 1946
Place: Operating room, Viridian Hospital
Storyteller: Janet (invisible)
I have separated into two Janets.
Anesthetized Janet, on the operating table...asleep.
Invisible Janet, floating around the ceiling...awake.
Awake, but in no pain.
Aware of the serious situation, but unafraid.
I see the medical staff, wearing blue-green.
I see pints of red blood.
Doris says Dad and Paul donated blood.
William is standing near my right groin.
He's staring down.
Doing surgery with both hands.
Doris is assisting him.
Without looking up he says,
"I'm sewing a two and a half inch hole in her femoral vein.
Had to make a five inch incision to find it."
"Doc, you and Betty work on her swollen leg.
Show Betty where to make incisions in both sides of her calf.
They need to be nine inches long.
Then, clean out the pooled blood.
It's causing massive swelling."
I watch my operation for three hours.
They don't sew up the incisions.
William says they will monitor them.
They wrap me like a mummy.
An orderly brings two chairs.
William and Betty sit beside anesthetized me.
They are exhausted and sweaty.
He takes both her hands.
He looks into her watery eyes.
He says, "You did a flawless job.
God saved her life.
I think we saved her leg."
Betty gasps. "Think?"
He continues, "She'll need at least two more operations.
I want an orthopedic surgeon to take over.
Otherwise, she'll never dance again."
Betty gasps.
"Go to your family now.
I'll be out in a few minutes.
After I sit with your mother and Paul,
take your dad aside privately.
Tell him to use all his connections;
he must locate the best orthopedic in the country.
Start looking in New York.
Don't leave your dad...
until that specialist is on a plane to Miami.
Time: Night, Saturday, June 22, 1946
Place: Operating room, Viridian Hospital
Storyteller: Janet (invisible)
I have separated into two Janets.
Anesthetized Janet, on the operating table...asleep.
Invisible Janet, floating around the ceiling...awake.
Awake, but in no pain.
Aware of the serious situation, but unafraid.
I see the medical staff, wearing blue-green.
I see pints of red blood.
Doris says Dad and Paul donated blood.
William is standing near my right groin.
He's staring down.
Doing surgery with both hands.
Doris is assisting him.
Without looking up he says,
"I'm sewing a two and a half inch hole in her femoral vein.
Had to make a five inch incision to find it."
"Doc, you and Betty work on her swollen leg.
Show Betty where to make incisions in both sides of her calf.
They need to be nine inches long.
Then, clean out the pooled blood.
It's causing massive swelling."
I watch my operation for three hours.
They don't sew up the incisions.
William says they will monitor them.
They wrap me like a mummy.
An orderly brings two chairs.
William and Betty sit beside anesthetized me.
They are exhausted and sweaty.
He takes both her hands.
He looks into her watery eyes.
He says, "You did a flawless job.
God saved her life.
I think we saved her leg."
Betty gasps. "Think?"
He continues, "She'll need at least two more operations.
I want an orthopedic surgeon to take over.
Otherwise, she'll never dance again."
Betty gasps.
"Go to your family now.
I'll be out in a few minutes.
After I sit with your mother and Paul,
take your dad aside privately.
Tell him to use all his connections;
he must locate the best orthopedic in the country.
Start looking in New York.
Don't leave your dad...
until that specialist is on a plane to Miami.