Dziwna Kapliczka P3

They continued through the parking lot. Janda looked over at the ambulance dock. EMTs and paramedics loitering, smoking cigarettes. They seemed at ease. He spat. As they came under the canopied dropoff a sedan pulled up and a man with a was helped out of the rear seats. He was taken underarm and they could see the compound fracture, a tibia, bulging his jeans. Musial rushed to assist.

We got it, said a younger likeness of the man.

It was an accident, said the wounded man holding up hands holding hankerchiefs. I fell from a ladder. They gave me brandy! They gave me brandy Im ok.

Do you still have any left on you? asked Janda.

Drank the whole bottle, said the old man with a wink. First time the lady has let me take that much of a drink all year. It was worth it! It was worth it! Ill break the left next week!

The old man laughed.

Janda shook his head and smiled. Come on in. Best sheets in the house.

Through the pair of sliding doors into the waiting area Janda had cause more for to resent his recall. There were thereabouts of thirty people waiting, some injured but most sick and he grabbed Musial by the sleeve.

Were not half full.

Musial was walking towards the receptionist desk. More on the way, he said.

Listen I need to go home.

You didnt seem in a hurry.

Listen I live in Dziesiąta, the wind is blowing eastward.

If you cared you would have been there already. Hello Bozena.

We need you in Husk 2 .

Is Jankowski there too?

No he was moved to 6.

Thanks.

Is that you Janda?

Janda admitted that it was.

Husk 4. Radiology.

I know.

He turned towards the elevators.

Hold up.

What?

The daycrew is coming in but I cant reach Woźniak, Duda, Kackza, and Ryba. Do you have their personal cells?

I dont keep up with them.

Tak tak. Youre with Gniewek. Go up. Are you sober?

Hes sober.

Im sober.

Ok go.

In radiology he checked in with the nurse on file. Zabłocki.

Nice to have you back, he said sliding over a data slave. Five patients waiting. All uploaded. Heres your fluroscope. Scan them gallant. Hold up. Are you sober?

He made a quick survey of his rooms in the husk. He had three patients in from Barnowice across town and two more from Majdanek. Those from Barnowice had come from brawls and had greensticks, fractured hands, broken ribs but the fourth had a spiral fracture of the femur and the fifth was comminuted.

This last man was in his early twenties. Janda flipped through his file. Lets take a look. He stood over the man where he lay in his cot studying the realtime image on the fluroscope’s monitor. His scapula was crushed and the clavicle had separated from the acromion.

How did this happen?

A car accident, said the youngster’s girlfriend who sat at his bedside. We were driving for coffee and all of a sudden this crazy man jumps into our lane. Max had to swerve to avoid him and we hit a lightpole.

What happened to the man?

He ran off. I dont know.

I should have ran him over, said the youngster breathing hard.

No doubt.

Janda flipped through his file. You were admitted at 11:43.

Something like that.

Hm.

What time did this happen?

About 9:30. They were taking us to another hospital but then we turned around. There was a fire or something.

The one by Garbarska?

No this was different.

Rowdy night.

You said it.

By Janda’s thinking a liquid cast was necessary to reset the wound and said so. A nurse brought a topographic cast. A pudgy metal like malleable as dough. They administered an anaesthetic and sat the boy up and molded the cast against the dark purple stain on his chest. When this was done Janda unspooled a long wire with a needle anode at the end. He inserted it into the cast and ran a current into the metal. Instantly the cast began to trill and bobble, spikes and sinks, each movement adjusting each fragment of bone into place until the proper shape of the bones had been restored.

They eased the man back supine.

Janda pulled up a roller stool and flipped out a prescription pad from his pocket and began scribbling.

Convalesce for two to four months. He ripped off the top page of the pad and handed it to the girlfriend. This is for Indodrate. Itll speed up the healing process by providing a binding calcium, itll form hollow lattice bridges between the breaks that the body can naturally fill.

Thank you.

Thanks doc.

My duty everyday.

He performed the same procedure on the fourth man’s femur.

How did this happen?

Dogs.

Dog?

They chased me out of an alley and I slipped and landed on a bit of piping. Must have hit it just right.

Janda studied the man. He lay motionless staring up and his breathing was of that steady pace of one trying to evade pain. His right leg was an ugly bruise but otherwise he seemed unharmed.

Did they attack you?

No. They ran right past. I thought they were after me. I guess not.

About what time did this happen?

I dont know. Nine, nine thirty?

You were admitted at 10:48.

Yeah. You know these roads are really awful.

They seem alright to me.

Or your drivers cant drive. I swear they hit every pothole on the ride over.

Janda!

Janda turned towards the doorway. Gniewek was leaning in.

Janda! Ja-there you are. Gniewek swung into the room.

Tak?