Fatal Complications

Dr. Jason Katz, Chief of Anesthesia at Swatara Regional Hospital in Pennsylvania, suffered a life-changing event. Dr. Luke Daulton, new to the team, is warned by Dr. Rob Gentry to watch his step around Katz, and with good reason; he reamed Luke out for essentially saving a patient’s life. Luke and his wife Kim are expecting their first child, which makes his position at the hospital that much more important, as it means financial stability. Instances of potentially fatal malignant hyperthermia are on the rise. This does not sit well with the father-to-be and he is the first to investigate. 

However, this is not a one-person show. Subplots are abundant. Katz’s life-altering experience more than a decade before serves as a strong start to the story. However, it takes a while for that momentum, exhibited in the prologue, to build again. In the interim, numerous people experience the ups and downs of daily life influenced by their past and hopeful for the future. No one is extraneous, but the author’s writing style is very detail oriented. Readers may find themselves asking why certain events are significant. Patience is a virtue. Once the FBI gets involved (quite suddenly), prior events start to make more sense, and the pace picks up considerably.

Upon closing this one, readers will be glad that it is a fictional piece. It highlights the best and worst of humanity, and comes to a satisfying, if not neat conclusion.

Heather R. Nielsen