Shelf Ice Read Online Free PDF Page B

rushed out just as Dr. Hannah Jeffers was coming in. They almost collided.
    Dr. Jeffers stood at the foot of the bed and motioned toward the door. “ Affaires de coeur?”
    Ray nodded.
    “I’ve been going over all the tests,” she said in a very business-like tone. “I can’t find anything that might have caused the chest pain. There are no blockages or narrowing.” She paused briefly. “That doesn’t mean there isn’t a cardiac-related problem, but there’s nothing we can put our finger on. All of the tests and scans were unremarkable. Saul Feldman suggested other possibilities that might explain your symptoms. He says there’s significant tenderness in the chest area, perhaps a cracked rib or soft tissue injury.”
    “Yes,” said Ray.
    “Let me check your chest,” she said. “Tell me if I’m hurting you.”
    She helped him pull his gown off and started palpating his chest, moving from his shoulders to the bottom of his rib cage, one hand on each side during the first pass, then carefully running her hands over the left side of his chest, then moving to the right side. She took her time, pushing and prodding, then turned her attention to his abdomen before returning to the left side of his chest.
    “You’re very tender here,” she said.
    “How can you tell?”
    “I can see it in your face and feel it in the way you stiffen to my touch. And as others have observed, there’s bruising, probably some soft-tissue injury, and perhaps some cracked ribs. That said, there are no obvious breaks. I know you’re uncomfortable, but everything is exactly where it should be and feeling fairly secure.”
    “So what’s the treatment? Do you tape me or what?”
    “We don’t tape for cracked ribs anymore. There’s a possibility of restricting your breathing and causing pneumonia. I’ll check with Dr. Feldman, see what painkiller he would like to start you on.”
    “Non-narcotic please, I can’t tolerate…”
    “I’ve seen that on your history. No problem. An NSAID should provide you with enough relief.”
    “Can I have my pills and go home?” Ray asked.
    “Not a chance,” she replied firmly. “The fact that we haven’t found a specific cause for your symptoms doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem. Medicine is an inexact science, you know. We don’t have all the answers. I want you here tonight so if something happens, we can get you the needed care immediately.”
    She helped Ray get back into his gown. “Try to get some sleep, I know that’s hard to do in a hospital. I’ll check on you in the morning.”
    Dr. Jeffers started out, stopped, and returned to the side of the bed. “Saul Feldman says you’re a kayaker, that you spend lots of time on Lake Michigan.”
    “Yes,” said Ray.
    “I need someone to kayak with. I can’t find anyone who wants to go out in winter.”
    “Got a drysuit and a boat?” asked Ray.
    “Yes, a custom-made drysuit. I’m too small for the normal women’s size. And I have a fiberglass boat with a skeg. Kayaking was a major passion before I went to Iraq. I want to get back into it.”
    “I haven’t been out much lately,” said Ray. “I miss it.”
    “I’ll be by in the morning to see how you’re doing,” she said, heading toward the door.

7.
     
    Ray stood in front of a tall oval mirror in his bathroom shaving. He was only a few hours out of the hospital, released mid-morning after a conference with his internist, Saul Feldman. Sue Lawrence had picked him up from the hospital and dropped him at his home so he could bathe and change into fresh clothing.   Ray brushed on some warm lather and carefully scraped it off with a razor, one cheek, then the other, under his nose, his chin, and finally long careful strokes from his neck to his chin.
    As he wiped away the remaining soap he looked at his upper body. He noted the large bruise on his right shoulder, probably from the seatbelt. There was also a discoloration on his upper arm; he wondered again what he had