Chaos at Crescent City Medical Center (8 page)

Dr. Ashley took another deep breath. "There was a dead rooster in the room
lying
on Mrs. Raccine’
s chest.  We found a mutilated snake under her bed and a black candle on her bedside table.  Her windows had been shrouded with black cloth."

Mr. LaSalle
looked confused,
and then
dismayed, the emotions playin
g across his face.  His knuckles
whitened as he clutched the conference t
able as the implications became
clear to him.
   Ms. Marquette looked absolutely terrified.  Kevin Anderson appeared incredulous, and Christina Baptiste
, a younger board member
,
gasped for breath
and ran from
the room.   Elizabeth
, shocked by the behavior
followed Mrs. Baptiste.
After his initial response, Kevin Anderson’s re
sponse was even more perplexing. He actually clasped his hands, gave a brief smile, and looked away.  Alex
was puzzled and
thought he looked pleased at the story and then
immediately chastised herself for her negative impression.  I don't even know the man, she thought
, but
still, this is really weird
.

Several moments of silence followed John Ashley's revelation. As Alex continued to reflect on the response
s
to Dr. Ashley's announcement, she became
uncomfortable, and then aware
that a feeling of fear was permeating the room. 

Kevin Anderson
still appeared the least affected and
spoke first, and appeared
confused.  "I don't know a great deal about Louisian
a, since I came here from Texas
several years ago. Anybody hear anything or see anyone entering Mrs. Raccine's room?"

Alex intervened
, “
No, once again, Mr. Anderson, our information is still sketchy, but the nursing
staff report
no unusual activity around Mrs. Raccine's room during the late night or early morning hours.  Hospital security didn't report anything either."

Mr. LaSalle spoke up, his voice impatient.  "Certainly someone was in her room, at some time, during the night.  Don't you
all
write things
down;
you
know
things
about how patients are doing?"

Alex quickly responded,
"
Of course we do.
We document status and vital signs.  Unfortunately, the Six North nursing unit was very busy last night.  The RNs were tied up with a heart attack at the far end of the hall between one-forty-five and four-thirty.  A nursing assistant, Bessie
Comstock
, charted
at two am. that
Mrs. Raccine was resting.
  The charge nurse  reported that
Bessie
left sick shortly after
four am.
Th
e
charge
nurse said Ms. Comstock was
ashen and
appeared
very ill.  The
charge
nurse asked about her patients, and Bessie reported that she had just made
her four
o
'clock
rounds, and
that all the patients
were sleeping.  At that point
,
Bessie left.
”

“What did this staff member chart about Mrs. Raccine
?
” Mr. LaSalle asked.
 

Alex continued, hating to say the words, “
Unfortunately, Bessie
did her four am.
chart
ing on her
patients
up to Mrs. Raccine. 
Bessie made
no
4 am.
chart entry in Mrs. Raccine's medical record
and there are no entries
between
two and five-fifteen."  As she finished talking, Alex
noted that Andre Renou was taking notes.

Elizabeth Tippett returned to the room, her face reflect
ing
surprise.  "Mrs. Baptiste has left the meeting.  She said she can be of no use in this situation
,
and she'd see us at the April meeting."

Alex immediately thought that Mrs. Baptiste's behavior was unusual,
odd even, but re-considered when she remembered
her
family was
good friends with Grace Raccine. 

Mr. Anderson spoke again,
"How's Mrs. Raccine doing?"

Robert
glanced
nervously
at Kevin Anderson and
said, "Mrs. Raccine's stable, but unresponsive."

The group was startled when the door opened
and Captain
Francois entered the board room
without
knocking
.  Dr. Ashley suggested a short break prior to the captain's report.  Alex turned to John Marigny.

"John, should we let all these people stay for Francois' report?  He struck me as a little hostile, and I don't expect him to be supportive of the hospital."

"Alex, you'd best let them stay.  These are the major decision-makers
and public
relations
media
for the hospital.
They are well connected
,
and the general population will listen to what they say.
Better they hear Francois' report directly."  John paused while Alex digested his advice.  Then he continued, "We need their support and understanding.  Francois can be difficult, but basically he's honest
, thorough
,
and knows his stuff." 

Alex nodded.  She knew John was right.  It would be foolish to keep any
secrets or
pe
r
tinent information from the board members.

Francois ambled to the
podium in the front of the room
;
his stocky frame and demeanor paralyzing the trustees.
  He stared at
the group members individually for several seconds as if checking them out to see if any of them were the perp. 
The man's behavior was incredible.  Francois addressed the board of trustees without a shred of dignity for the collective knowledge that was present in the room.  He began his report in typical police fashion, his voice clipped and terse. 

"
You people are in for some bad luck now
,” he smirked. 
“
You’ve really pissed off somebody in the worse kinds of way.  Among other things, w
hat we've got here is a case of criminal violence. 
The
forensic
people are still working
the scene, but we have
found
no fingerprints or easy evidence.
  I'm
pretty
sure we aren't going to find anything else. 
What’s interesting is that n
o
one on the staff reports hearing or seeing anything
unusual
.
  Find that difficult to believe, as these things are usually pretty noisy."

Alex was struck at how well the police captain had been able to clean up his language.  The gutter dialect she'd heard only several hours before was completely missing from his speech.  She also studied his appearance in greater detail.  His white shirt was clean and pressed, and his tie was in place.  He could be attractive if he wasn't such an egotistical idiot, Alex thought to herself. 
Perhaps u
nder all the tough man police stuff was probably a nice man.  She gave him her full attention.

John Marigny said, "What about the staff member that left sick?  Has anyone from your department talked with her?" 

Francois stared at him.  "Nope. Sent a unit to her house around eight this morning.  She never came home last ni
ght.  We're watching her house
but don't expect she'll be around for a while."

Kevin Anderson ventured another question.  "Captain Francois, please, I'm new here.  What does this stuff mean?
  I don’t understand the rooster and snake stuff.  What does it
mean?
"

The captain
eyed Anderson as if he were from another world.  He said, "Where're you from?" 

Anderson didn’t reply and
Francois hesitated and
then
looked around the room, his eyes resting carefully on each board member.  He continued sarcastically, "How many of the rest of you aren't from here
, aren’t Louisiana natives
?"

Alex, John Ashley, Elizabeth, and Don
gave each other a perplexed look and
raised their hands
.
 

The captain gave a short derisive laugh.  "Well, folks, welcome t
o New Orleans
.  We've a little of everything here, you know, art, history, culture."  Francois grinned wickedly.

Dr. Ashley was getting impatient.  "Do you have any theories, any idea who these people are?
Who would do this?
Do you have any other reports like this?  We're looking for answer
s, not a culture lesson.  Please
stay focused."
  Dr. Ashley was pretty angry with the captain and his laissez faire attitude.

Captain Francois looked lazily at Ashley.
"Yeah, D
oc, I got some theories.  Want to
hear
'em?"

Dr. Ashley was frustrated
and asked angrily
, "I'd just like to know if you have any idea about who did this or why."

Captain Francois gave Dr. Ashley a rude look.  "It's simple.  I'll give it to you straight." Francois straightened his posture and announced, his voice grim, "Grace Raccine's bee
n 'fixed'.  She's been V
oodooed
, Hoodooed, if you like,
and so have all of you
.  Someone has placed a curse
and
hexed
Crescent
City Medical Center.
"  With that, he turned and l
ooked at the group
.

The meeting broke into chaos;
everyone was talking at once.  Alex was shocked by the captain's disclosure.
It was
totally ridiculous that in 2012
someone could curse a world
-
class medical center.
Finally, Dr. Ashley called for order.

Don Montgomery spoke for the first time
, finally
shocked out of his unresponsiveness
.  "This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.  Voodoo, black ma
gic.  This is one of the greatest
technological and research-focused facilities in the country
,
in the world
. 
Captain Francois, y
ou are an idiot!  How in the hell can you
possibly suggest that the Governor's wife has been voodooed at Crescent City Medical Center?"  Don's voice was an oc
tave higher than usual, and seethed
with disgust.  "It's unthinkable that authorities could even suggest such a
thing.
  This is total bull shit.
  Get the fuck out of my conference room.
" 

Captain Francois stiffened.  "You asked for my theory and I gave it to you."  He walked straight toward the door of the conference room, parting the crowd as he left.

Dr. Ashle
y and Elizabeth
were shocked by Don’s outburst but
also doub
t
ed the possib
ility of voodoo.  Alex was
in a state of disbelief that the accusation had even been made.  Maybe the police captain was an idiot. 

Montgomery spoke again, “This has to be an act of corporate sabotage.  Someone is
trying to ruin us, shut us down.   We are a
world class hospital and people are jealous
. Between Voodoo and
the fucking Health Care Portability Act, aka
Obama
C
are, they probably will destroy us.
"
 

Alex was stunned by Don’s profanity
and jabbed him in the side.  She
finally spoke,
"I can't accept voodoo or black magic as the basis for what's happened."

Al
ex was attempting
to sound reasonable
when she realized that no one on the board of trustees from New Orleans had said anything
or seemed to question or doubt what Francois had said
.  She looked around and said, "What do those of you from here think?" 

A silence that seemed like an eternity followed.  Finally, John Marigny spoke.