Chapter 16
Thursday, 1:04 a.m. Operating Room Department
Jimmy with his feet propped up on the desk was relaxing. As his fellow employees rushed toward the desk, he pushed back his chair and let his feet hit the ground. “Hey, what were you two screaming about in the locker room? I wanted to get a nap but no chance with so much noise.”
Kate and Michele looked at him quizzically and ignored him. “Are you calling the supervisor?” said Kate.
“No, security.”
Kate grabbed the phone from her. “What?” said Michele.
“No don’t do that. If we hadn’t had a case I would have told you what security did this morning. No time now. Just call Mrs. Thornton. I’ll call the police,” said Kate.
Michele rolled her eyes. “Okay.”
“What is going on?” said Jimmy.
“Janice is hanging by her neck from the shower stall bar,” said Michele.
Jimmy looked at Kate. “Yes,” said Kate as she dialed 911.
“911, how may I help you?”
“We have a dead body in the OR at Hospital. We need the police to come,” said Kate.
“You’re a hospital. You have dead bodies all the time. Why would you need the police?” said the 911 operator.
“Yes, but this is different. It’s one of our own staff nurses from evening shift and…”
“Is this a joke? What did she forget to clock out or something?” the operator laughed.
Kate waited while the operator laughed. “As I was trying to tell you, this nurse is hanging from the shower curtain bar by a pair of white panty hose tied around her neck. It was an unobserved death. Thus, it is a police and coroner’s matter, not simply a cart ride to the morgue.”
“Oh. Well, why didn’t you say that before? I’ll send the police.”
Kate contained her frustration and avoided saying something sarcastic. “Thank you,” said Kate through gritted teeth.
“Where are you located in the hospital?”
“The surgery department. Have the officers come through the ER elevator. It’s the quickest way at this time of night.”
“Thank you,” said the 911 operator.
Kate hung up the phone. She heard humming and relaxed. Mrs. Thornton was coming. She could handle the mass of mess that was about to descend onto the unit. Help had arrived.
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