MORGANSTEIN              GREENHOUSE                  PAGE 3

 
  police officers who arrived soon after the ambulance.
    Mercy hospital was a medium size hospital for Los Angeles similar to UCLA in Carson. However, the size of the hospital  is not the important factor, since the best medical care is given at a teaching hospital as Mercy. Therefore Mercy compared well with UCLA. Jeff thought about the above medical concerns as he followed the ambulance to ER. Since he stopped the bleeding before Pat arrived at the hospital by
ambulance, police permitted him to see Pat at the hospital. She was lying in bed, with her body bandaged up. She was drowsy from the medication, but he could awake her. "Pat, how are you feeling?"
    "I still hurt from the bullet wound. Thank you for stopping the bleeding. The doctor said that I didn't need any whole blood transfusions, because of your tourniquet. "
    "What is the SEU?"
    "SEU refers to the special environmental unit."
    "I never heard of that unit.
    "We only investigate fire-starters. For security purpose we need that cover.
    "What is the actual function of the SEU?"
    "I would violate my code."
    "Allright, I'11 shut up."
    She dosed off after explaining the shoot-outs, as he left the hospital-room. Two police officers guarded the door, whom he looked at as he walked away. As he walked to his car he thought about the freeway shooting. A firestarter shot a police officer; another police-officer then shot the
firestarter. Pat is a member of the SEU, which is a cover for an unknown department, so that events hide what is really happening.
    Hecalled his office by cellular phone, giving them a reason for his lateness, as traffic decreased while he drove the freeway to his office. As he entered the front-office secretary greeted him, telling him that his patients waited for him to complete an operation, he performed in the morning.
    Neurosurgery is meticulous, with surgeons hands that are careful and knowledgeable. Jeff had surgeons' hands as his mentor said while he was in medical school. He was able to do all his surgical procedures without errors. During his residency he excelled in surgery, winning the top residency
of the medical school.
    He shut the nagging questions out of his mind, completed his office visits, and headed to the hospital to do surgery on Mrs. Hobbs, who had a blood hemorrhage from a stroke. The blood was draining into the cortex, causing her multiple losses in sensory-motor skills, and periods of loss of consciousness. This surgery was difficult thought Jeff, since he had to locate the areas of damage, and excise the blood clots without damaging further tissue.
    He could use suction to remove the clot, which causes further tissue damage, or he could cut the tissue with a scalpel. Laser surgery to destroy only the clot area had the most favorable prognosis among the alternatives. This surgery on the blood clot would take the shortest time to do, and must be exactly pinpointed with CAT scan. He selected laser surgery given the lowest risk of complication for the
patient.
    He called the surgical department requesting preparation of the CAT scan, and all instruments needed for laser surgery. Half-hour later he arrived at the hospital. When he finished scrubbing preparation for the operation had been completed. This included all the instruments as the CAT, and required monitors that are used locate the area of the blood-clot. Warming of the laser also completed Jeff observed the patient for adequate preparation.
    Mrs. Hobbs was already under anesthesia with a smile on her face, since she had confidence in Jeff's ability to do the operation. Sterilization by painting her with Betadine solution occurred after shaving her head. He directed the laser at the computer-displayed location that exactly specified the location of the clot before activating the laser. An infinitely small beam penetrated Mrs. Hobb's brain exactly on her bleeding area which Jeff identified by the computer-display.
    With steady hand without wavering he directed the laser to the blue area on the monitor that gradually disappeared.
    "How are you, Mrs, Hobbs?"
    "Thank you Dr. Gordon. I'm feeling well."
    "Your operation was successful. I removed the entire blood-clot, You should be recovering the function in you're arms and legs with therapy in about three weeks. Can you feel this pin stick?"    Next Page