My character Dr. Connors takes advantage
of new discoveries.
The reason Dr. Connors is considered the
finest doctor in all of Britain is because:
1) He constantly reads ups on best
practices, despite his very busy schedule, what with caring for the Queen and a
great deal of the Parliament members, not to mention saving the lives of Xavier
& Vic every other month.
How does he do it? He hires the top
medical students to alert him to promising new techniques and methodologies
they discover while tending their classes. He also tends a great deal of
lectures. For example, he is a true believer of Listers’ insistence that
‘germs’ are often the true cause of deaths among patients.
2) He practices what he learns.
Connors is a certified germaphobe. He
does everything in his power to remove germs from the proximity of his patient.
He dips all his surgical instruments and his rubber gloves into carbolic acid.
He has built his own private surgical
room. His nurses are trained to constantly clean everything. And he is always
on the lookout for improved materials.
For example: he recently discovered a
new metal created by using Hans Goldschmidt low carbon technique. (It’s the
forerunner of Stainless steel.) Connors is so impressed with the metal that he
has a surgical table created with it. It can be wiped down with carbolic acid
and very strong. Thus the table is lighter and easier to move.
(Later, additional modification will
occur that disqualifies his current table from being called ‘stainless steel’,
but not a problem. He’ll just commission
a new table when they improve the metal further.)
3) Connors is never satisfied with
current standards and looks for ways to improve matters
While most surgeons of his time perform
surgery wearing their street clothes, and operating with their bare hands, Dr.
Cannon has learned to operate wearing vulcanized rubber gloves. The gloves do
diminish his sense of touch, but they greatly reduces induction of germs.
He also had his tailor make him simply constructed,
white cotton ‘suits’ that can easily be washed after every use. He keeps them
at his office and changes into them whenever he has a surgery to perform. He
even brought a clean suit to save Vic in Spain.
Dr.
Connors ideas are so advanced, that it will take the medical society at large
another 50 years to catch up. But if you asked him, he would insist all he did
was make use of the knowledge provided during his time.
Sadly,
a great deal of patients died during the Victorian era due to the arrogance and
ignorance of the typical doctor. Since antibiotics had yet to be discovered,
germs killed more people than botched surgeries.
While
Xavier’s plan to take a holiday in Europe for Vic to have her baby incognito
works well enough, complications during the birth almost takes both mother and
child. Dr. Connors performs his first cesarean ever. While successful, Vic
takes months to recover. A prisoner to the bed, she spends her time encouraging
marriage between two of their employees. Unfortunately, Xavier’s original
negotiations with Tubs prevents the giant from acting upon his heart. While
Xavier chases ladies enjoying the sun, Vic convinces Tubs to resign his
service.
When
Xavier and Vic return to England, the head of Scotland Yard awaits them at the
dock. A great change in Parliament has occurred due to the fallout of their
last investigation. England is crumbling beneath an outbreak of crimes and
their help is desperately needed before lives are ruined and jobs are lost.
After
Connors washed Vic, he left to change into clean clothes while Sara mopped the
floor, and Tubs scrubbed down the walls. Xavier kept watch over Vic, giving her
another whiff of chloroform whenever she showed any sign that pain touched her
unconscious state.
Once
Connors had returned and cleaned his surgical equipment with carbolic acid, he
applied an alcohol based rub over Vic’s belly. He then sent Sara and Tubs to
the corner behind him. “When I have the baby, Sara, come and take it.” He
paused and focused on her. “Do you remember what you are supposed to do?”
Both
she and Tubs nodded.
“Then
let us begin.”
As
his knife sliced into Vic’s tightly stretched belly, Xavier stared in helpless
horror. A soft cry of pain escaped him. Nothing in his life had been as
terrifying as this current nightmare.
Connors
spoke as he continued to cut. “Xavier, keep your focus on Vic’s face. You don’t
want her to feel this.”
Xavier
returned his attention to Vic, wishing he could push time back and faithfully
use his vulcanized rubber condoms. He was a selfish bastard and now his beloved
had to pay a terrible price for his failing.
His
eyes remained focused on Vic. He very well might go mad if he saw what Connors
was doing to her. Instead, he studied the dark skin beneath her eyes. She
looked as if she’d been boxing with Tubs. Her pale cheeks bothered him as well.
Normally, she had rosy cheeks to match her exuberant nature. He ran his hand
through her hair until it snagged on a tangle.
While
in Spain, Vic had allowed her hair to grow out so she could stop wearing the
itchy wig he’d bought her. However, her long hair had been a trial in itself,
always getting in the way and tangling in his hands. He much preferred the
two-inch hair she normally had when she lived her life as a young gentleman.
“Sara,
come take the child,” Connors stated.
Xavier
was determined not to look, but then something hit the floor.
Had Sara just dropped their child?
He
stared at the maid crumbled on the floor. Sara had fainted, thankfully before Connors had the chance to pass
her the baby. His eyes fixated upon sight of Vic’s womb splayed open like a
gutted calf. He felt damn close to joining the girl.
Tubs
reached over and took the baby then carried it to the dresser. A moment later,
the child screamed at the top of its lungs.
Xavier
returned his focus to Vic. “It’s out Vic. The cannonball is out and sounding
just like you. Don’t you dare give up now. I can’t do this alone.” He began a
long litany of promises, if only she’d stay with him. “I promise never to throw
anymore ink wells at people who enter my office without permission. And you may
use the typewriter whenever you like and I’ll not complain. And when you
interview clients, I will not show my impatience nor poke at you for questions
you failed to ask.”
Connors
eventually ended the list of promises when he pushed Xavier aside and listened
to Vic’s heart with his stethoscope. Not wishing to, but unable to stop
himself, Xavier looked at Connors’ handiwork.
The
ever-so-proper Dr. Connors had covered her with a sheet, but Xavier needed to
assure himself the gutting had been repaired. He lifted and stared at the ugly,
eight-inch long gash neatly sewn with catgut.
Connors
re-dipped his vulcanized gloves into carbolic acid and carefully removed them,
placing them upon a towel to dry. Returning to Vic, he nudged Xavier aside and
tugged the sheet over the wound. “Everything went well. If infection does not
set in, then she should recover.”
Book 5
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Book 2
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Liza O’Connor was raised badly by feral cats,
left the South/Midwest and wandered off to find nicer people on the east coast.
There she worked for the meanest man on Wall Street, while her psychotic
husband tried to kill her three times. (So much for finding nicer people.) Then
one day she declared enough, got a better job, divorced her husband, and fell
in love with her new life where people behaved normally. But all those bad
behaviors has given her lots of fodder for her humorous romances. Please buy
these books, because otherwise, she’ll become grumpy and write troubled novels
instead. They will likely traumatize you.
You have been warned.
Mostly
humorous books by Liza:
Ghost Lover—Two
British brothers fall in love with the same young woman. Ancestral ghost is
called in to fix the situation. And there’s a ghost cat that roams about the
book as well. (Humorous Contemporary Romance)
Untamed & Unabashed—The
youngest of the Bennet sisters, Lydia, tells her story. A faithful spinoff from
Pride & Prejudice.
A Long Road to Love Series: (Humorous Contemporary odd Romance)
Worst Week Ever — Laugh out loud week of disasters of Epic
proportions.
Oh Stupid Heart — The heart wants what it wants, even if it’s
impossible.
Coming to Reason — There is a breaking point when even a saint
comes to reason.
Climbing out of Hell — The reconstruction of a terrible man into a
great one.
The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Sleuth series: (Late
Victorian/Mystery/Romance)
The Troublesome Apprentice — The greatest sleuth in Victorian England
hires a young man who turns out to be a young woman.
The Missing Partner — Opps! The greatest sleuth in Victorian
England goes missing, leaving Vic to rescue him, a suffragette, and about 100
servants. Not to mention an eviscerating cat. Yes, let’s not mention the cat.
A Right to Love — A romantic detour for Jacko. Want
to see how amply rewarded Jacko was when he & Vic save an old woman from
Bedlam?
The Mesmerist — The Mesmerist can control people from afar and
make them murder for her. Worse yet, Xavier Thorn has fallen under her spell.
Well
Kept Secrets
— Far too many secrets are being kept and as we all know,
secrets have a way of coming out.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
Investigate
these sites:
Thanks for having my Pack of Trouble over. Hopefully, they didn't maul, chew or break anything. There's enough of that going on in the book.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful excerpt! Poor Vic... I'm sure things will begin to look up now that the baby is here.... right??
ReplyDelete