They Demanded $20,000 At 1 A.M.—So I Told Them To Call Her

much pain—”

Mercy General. I’d rotated there. I knew the ER attending who worked nights and the floor charge nurses. I knew the policy. And I knew the law.

“Hospitals can’t refuse life-saving treatment because someone can’t pay,” I said carefully. “EMTALA. They treat first and bill later.”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Evelyn, don’t start. The doctor says they continue reading …