Let me call my supervisor,\u201d Mills said slowly, pulling out his phone as I writhed in agony.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no time!\u201d Dr. Blake shouted.<\/p>\n
\u201cProtocol is protocol,\u201d Mills replied, calmly dialing. The call went to voicemail. He began leaving a long, detailed message, his voice a drone against the symphony of my screams and the frantic beeps of the failing monitors. My vision was tunneling, the edges turning dark.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer pressure is dropping fast!\u201d someone shouted.<\/p>\n
\u201cStill waiting for authorization,\u201d Mills said into the phone.<\/p>\n
The head nurse, a formidable woman with graying hair, strode forward, holding a tablet. \u201cHospital policy, page 47, section 3, states that custody transfers to medical authority during an emergency surgical procedure. You are now interfering with federal medical guidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n