That done Kathy and Jason prepared for bed. About ten thirty Kathy woke, her leg hurt and seemed to be on fire. She tried to get out of bed to get some medicine but couldn’t get up. Her leg hurt so bad she could hardly move. She felt awful. She woke Jason. He touched her and instantly became very concerned she seemed to be running a high fever. He got the thermometer and a few minutes later it read 102.3, a reason for concern. He looked at her foot. The toes looked dark. He picked up the phone and called Darla, their baby sitter. She would be there in five minutes. He tried to help Kathy dress but was unable to get her clothes on her. She could hardly move and was growing lethargic and semi-responsive. He recognized the symptoms of toxic shock syndrome and knew it could kill in hours. He picked up the phone and dialed 911. She needed to be at the hospital and soon. Darla arrived just before the paramedics. They started an IV and got her ready for transport. He asked she be taken to the same hospital because of her previous treatment there and Jason followed the ambulance. She was one very sick girl.

He was about two minutes behind the ambulance when they got to the emergency room. By the time he got there they had started the process of diagnosis and treatment. When she was wheeled in the nurse reached down, pulled the sock off the front of Kathy’s cast and looked at her toes. She straightened up and nearly ran to the information station. There she picked up a phone, said a few words and with that came back. She addressed Jason, “She has a serious problem with her leg. She needs attention immediately. The doctor is on his way. Let’s get her into the first room. You can be with her if you like but I need some information first.”

The resident appeared in seconds. He took one look and concurred with the nurse’s evaluation. Kathy was taken directly to a cast removal room. While the resident looked on the technician cut off the cast at the ankle, exposing her foot. With her foot exposed it was obvious that there was a problem. Her heel was red and angry. The remainder of her foot was almost black. They affixed traction to her foot with an ace bandage to keep the leg extended and the technician removed the remainder of the cast. The flesh of her leg from just above the knee to the ankle was red and swollen. He made a mark with a pen at the line between the two areas and another mark at the place that showed the darkest color.