Page 493 of End Game

“No.”

Her eyes close again.

I squeeze her hand. “Doesn't matter right now.”

It might matter eventually.

Not now.

Now the monitor says her heart rate is still in the one-twenties.

Now another liter of fluid is hanging.

Now the lab results start coming back.

I’m grateful that even as busy as the ER is tonight, they were able to get those back quickly.

The physician stands at the computer.

I know what he's looking for before he says anything.

Glucose.

Bicarbonate.

Anion gap.

pH.

Potassium.

Ketones.

His expression changes in exactly the way I don't want it to.

“She's definitely in DKA.”

I nod.

Because of course she is.

I knew that before the ambulance arrived at the house.

Knowing doesn't make hearing it easier.

“How bad?”

He looks at me.

Not at the paramedic—at the husband.

“Significant. Her glucose is six-eighty-nine. She's pretty acidotic and very dehydrated. Potassium is high right now, which is common at presentation, but we're going to be watching it closely because that can shift quickly once we start insulin.”

My brain translates automatically.

Six-eighty-nine.

Acidotic.