Summit of Faith Prologue 

Dr. Jennifer Daniels watched as her phone vibrated on her desk. Noting the name on the caller id, she made no move to pick it up. Instead she held her breath and waited the customary four rings before it stopped moving and went to her messaging service. She swallowed hard, glanced at her watch and then stood up. Picking up the phone she noted that a message had been sent to her inbox. Raising her right index finger above the face of the phone, she startled as the phone vibrated and dropped from her hand.

Rummaging in the garbage bin, she lifted the phone out, looked at the caller id and then put it on speaker.

“Hello, Dr. Daniels?” a crisp female voice greeted her.

“Yes, this is she,” Jennifer said as she grabbed a tissue from her desk and wiped off the outside of the phone.

“As requested, I’m calling to let you know that your patient is prepped for surgery.”

“Very well, I’ll be right down,” Jennifer said.

“Perfect, we’ll expect you in a few minutes?”

“That’s correct, thank you.” Jennifer pressed the end call button on her phone. For a split second she hesitated before pressing the buttons on her phone required to retrieve her messages. Putting her phone to her ear she was surprised to hear the voice of Dr. Bernard himself.

“Hello, this is Dr. Bernard. I am calling for Jennifer Daniels. I’m calling to inform you that I have received your test results. Please call my office to book an appointment to meet with me as soon as you are able.”

Jennifer bit her lip and frowned. Then she shook her head from side to side and placed the phone in her desk. Next, she locked up her office. Then squaring her shoulders, she hurried down the hall to the nearest stairwell.

Dr. Daniels addressed Aaron, the anesthesiologist, “Let’s get started right away.”

“I’m all set at my end.” Aaron whirled his stool around to face Jennifer.

“Hello, young man,” Jennifer said. “We’re going to get started in just a few minutes, but first we’re going to make sure you’re asleep for the full surgery.”

The boy’s eyes, wide and bright, looked at Jennifer. Then he nodded his head in the affirmative.

“Okay, how about you count backwards from twenty?” The anesthesiologist watched the monitor.

“Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, sevente…” The boy went silent.

Jennifer’s mind kept flashing back to the phone call. Why had Dr. Bernard called her directly, rather than his assistant? She never called her patients directly. She always had her office do this. It was much easier to discuss patients’ conditions in person where they were free to ask questions. It usually gave them time to digest and mentally prepare for the possibility of negative news from a doctor.

Jennifer sidled up to the bed and frowned. “Where is the…? I am missing one, no make that three items from my instrument tray? Who prepared this?” Jennifer glared at the nurse nearest her.

“Betty did. She had to leave due to an emergency at home. I’m here to replace her. What exactly is missing?” Yvette, a tall confident woman of thirty, said.

“I need two more retractors and a probe. You know I’m doing an arthroscopy on this child?”

“Yes, Dr. Daniels. I’ll get them right away.”

“Okay, I don’t want to delay this, but I think we need to get started immediately.”

“I thought one of your interns was going to be accompanying us?” the anesthesiologist said.

“I thought so too,” was all Jennifer offered. Jennifer had dismissed her intern to complete paperwork and do research for three other cases. When he showed up this morning fumbling over surgery notes and mixing up patients’ ailments, Jennifer had had enough. In her history of teaching interns, she had never allowed an intern to enter her surgery unprepared.

Jennifer feared this particular intern just did not have the mental capability to keep up with the barrage of patients under their care. It was not that he was deliberately unprepared, but he did not seem to be able to grasp the information coming at him quickly enough. Despite hours of dedicated time and energy in the surgery room and on the ward, this particular young doctor did not measure up. As the months passed by it was becoming clearer and clearer that he did not belong here. It was going to be up to her to either fix him or break him. She was already pretty sure which way this was going to go.

He probably would do better in another specialty, one that did not have so many variables with which to contend. There really was not much value in having this doctor continue with her. Yes, this was something she would need to take care of, and soon.

“Um, Dr. Daniels…” the remaining surgical nurse stammered.

Jennifer raised her eyebrows as she lifted her face towards the nurse. “What?”

“I’m…oh…sorry, I don’t feel well.” The nurse’s face paled beneath her mask.

“What do you mean?” Dr. Daniels frowned.

“I…” The nurse put her hand to her mask and with wide eyes, turned and took a step towards the door. But before she could get there, she tore her mask off, bent over and spewed vomit across the floor.

“Out you go, now,” Dr. Daniels face contorted as the smell reached her nose.

“I’m so sorry.” The nurse ran from the room.

“Did she seem sick earlier?” Dr. Daniels asked the anesthesiologist.

“Not that I’m aware of. She certainly didn’t mention it.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ve got the instruments you require.” Yvette sailed into the room. “They’ve all been sanitized….oh, my, what happened here?”

“The other nurse was sick.” Jennifer offered as she surveyed the damage.

“Should I check for another operating room?” Yvette was all business.

“No, a transfer now will take too long. No child should be under anesthetic for longer than necessary. I want to get started right away.” Jennifer’s eyes darted around the room.

“Let’s move the bed around to that corner. I’ll need a new instrument tray. I don’t want to take any chances with contamination, especially if that nurse was harbouring any infection.” Dr. Daniels sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Aaron said.

“I’m reluctant to proceed…this room could all be contaminated. Was she the prep nurse?”

“Betty and her both were,” Yvette offered.

“I don’t want to expose this child to any chance of infection especially as we have to open up his knee,” Dr. Daniels said. “I think we’re going to have to hold off.”

“I don’t recommend re-anesthetizing him for at least another week,” Aaron offered. “Although I do understand your concerns.”

“Ring, ring,” the phone on the wall sounded.

Yvette answered on the third ring. “Hello?” She smiled, nodded and held up her right index finger to Jennifer and Aaron as she spoke into the phone. “Are you sure? No other symptoms? Okay, thank you. I’ll pass that information along.”

“Well?” Jennifer wrinkled her nose.

“She’s expecting.”

Jennifer’s eyes narrowed.

“Amelia, the prep nurse is pregnant. She has been feeling nauseous in the mornings and today was unable to hold it in. She has had no other symptoms before today, and she is feeling much better now.” Yvette said.

“Morning sickness,” Aaron added.

“Yes,” Yvette nodded.

Jennifer pursed her lips together. “No other symptoms of any kind?”

“None, that’s why she called us. She repeated three times that her nausea has been escalating this past week. But otherwise she does not have any other ailment.”

“Okay, I feel it is best that we proceed. But, I need that mess on the floor taken care of, because I don’t want anyone slipping…and the smell…well it leaves a little to be desired.”

“I concur.” Aaron wrinkled his nose.

“Consider it done,” Yvette said. “Let me get a brand-new instrument tray for you to get started and then I will attend to the mess.”

“How about we swing the bed around to this corner of the room?” Aaron suggested.

“Yes, that way we can be away from the site of the mess as I operate. Yvette, if you do a quick clean-up the custodian can take care of it along with the rest of the operating room after this patient is in recovery.”

“Do you want me to call for another nurse?”

Jennifer glanced at the clock. “No, the time is getting away from us. Please fetch me that instrument kit. I’ll get started. Then you can join in whenever you’re ready.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Aaron said. “Our patient’s vitals look good.”

“Okay, I want to change my gown, just in case there was anything that landed on me from Amelia. I’ll rescrub and then get started.”

As Jennifer bent over the sink to scrub in, her mind jumped to the message from Dr. Bernard. He wanted to see her as soon as possible. Was this because he wanted to put her fears at rest?

Her dear and precious father had died of sudden cardiac arrest a month ago, brought on by an undiagnosed condition of Brugada Syndrome. Her likelihood of inheriting this oftentimes silent killer was fifty per cent.

Still angry and confused as to why her father—her last relative on this continent—had to die an early death still haunted her. And now, she, a brilliant surgeon, who had dedicated her entire life—to the exclusion of all else—could be harbouring the same condition as her father, tormented her thoughts both day and night.

How was she to continue her work? If she could experience a sudden cardiac arrest, what risk would she be placing upon her patients? How could she conduct surgery knowing that she could be compromised at any moment? Could she continue in her field? Would the condition strip her of her life’s work, her dignity and ultimately her life?

Jennifer looked down at her shaking hands. She needed to calm down. As with any surgery, steady hands and a sound mind were of paramount importance. This morning’s surgery, on a young active boy who wrecked his knee while skateboarding, needed to take priority. Her fears needed to be kept at bay—or better yet—squashed completely so she could perform with precision.

Her young male patient had his whole life in front of him. His chances of experiencing years of boisterous play and general unaltered mobility lay in her hands. She needed to do everything in her power to enable him to be free of pain and regain full mobility in his knee.

But, what if this was the last surgery she could perform? Surely, if she did in fact have Brugada Syndrome, there were things they could do to prevent a sudden cardiac arrest? Did her duties really have to be stripped from her, like the remains of a neighbourhood pummelled by a hurricane? Were she and her skills to be left in oblivion?

Jennifer scrubbed ferociously, her red tinged skin showing through as she rinsed. Donning a new gown, she pushed open the door with her back. Entering, she smiled and nodded at Aaron. “Time to get this show on the road.”

Jennifer inserted a positioning device under the boy’s knee. Next, she draped a new cover over the boy’s lower body, replacing the one Yvette had already removed. Then she cleansed the entire area with antiseptic before making three button-sized holes into the boy’s right knee. She filled the knee joint with a sterile solution, waiting as it rinsed away the cloudy fluid found around the knee. 

Jennifer then took the arthroscope and inserted the pencil-like instrument through the first hole. As she gently rotated the handle, she was able to view the image on a video monitor, as the end was attached to a miniature camera. “Things look good here,” Jennifer murmured. “I’m going to move on to the next incision.”

By this time, Yvette was able to rejoin the surgery. Jennifer was glad of the woman’s apt skill and ability to hand her the necessary tools seemingly before she called for them.

“All looks good through this site,” Jennifer cocked her head to the side.

“I’m hoping that third opening will give us a better look at the damage. This boy’s pain, coupled with the imaging led me to believe that there was more damage than what I am seeing here.” Jennifer removed the arthroscope. “Can you wipe it down, please? I want a clear view.” Jennifer held up the instrument to Yvette.

“There, how’s that?”

“Perfect, thank you.” Jennifer bent forward over the boy’s figure and inserted the instrument into the third opening. Hopefully, this will tell us all we need to know.”

Yvette waited patiently as Dr. Daniels glanced back and forth between the incision site and the monitor.

Jennifer let out a sigh. “I’m going to have to make a forth hole. None of these are giving me the information I require. I need to clarify the extent of the damage.” Jennifer took the scalpel Yvette held out to her and made a forth cut. She inserted some more sterile solution, rinsing away more of the cloudy fluid filling the cavity. “I was hoping to perform this surgery without having to open up the entire knee. I want to minimize the pain and recovery period for our patient so he can return to his favourite activities as soon as possible.” Jennifer inserted the arthroscope and remained silent for several minutes. “You know, if I didn’t know better, I would have bet that there was nothing wrong with…” Jennifer’s face paled.

“What’s wrong?” Aaron’s eyes narrowed.

“Yvette, can you open this child’s file?” Jennifer’s back stiffened.

“Yes,” give me a minute.” Yvette stripped off her gloves and grabbed the file from the side counter.

Through clenched teeth, Jennifer said, “Open it and read to me from the parent’s consent form.”

“Okay.” Yvette drew her brows together as she scanned the page. “Yes, it says here, this patient is to have exploratory surgery on the left knee, and if the damage is found to be excessive, they give their permission for you, Dr. Daniels, to fully open up his knee whereby you will….”

Jennifer sucked in a breath.

Yvette looked up. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong you ask?” Jennifer’s heart felt like it was beating in her throat. “What’s wrong is that the form gives permission for me to operate on this boy’s left knee.”

“So?” Yvette said as she looked at Aaron and Jennifer’s wide eyes.

“So, I’m currently operating on the right knee,” Jennifer’s heart pounded in her throat, “which means I have made a mistake.”

A terrible, awful, horrible mistake!