After Dr. Rena left in a grim mood, a middle aged-man entered. He was a patient's brother and he called Seynish towards him. 'Beta, tu maal laya.'
Seynish replied. 'Aaj nahi chacha, kal ayega maal. Bakiyon ko bhi batadena'. Seynish had extended his customer clientele from the campus grounds to the hospital grounds too. Drugs were rampant in the hospital. One story had even circulated recently where two patients were caught under the bed covers smoking hash in the Medicine Department.
Tonight was Kinza's first overnight call in the ward. She had been assigned the patients Sarmad and Shazia. Sarmad had been in this ward for the longest time, probably longer than the residents here. He had schizophrenia and would constantly ramble on a long-list of food he wanted his father to bring him at every meet-up.
'Meray abbu ko bolna mujhe Jan's broast chahye, Raju biryani aur falooda bhi lekar ayein, aur ketchup bhi'. His list was endless and Kinza would nod her head mindlessly as he listed off his favorite foods. Shazia on the other hand was yet to receive a diagnosis. All she kept murmuring to herself was 'Mein bacho ko marungi, marungi, marungi'. She had tried to drown her children and since then her husband had brought her here. These patients were harmless compared to the ones that others had been assigned.
Seynish had been assigned the drug-withdrawal patients who he seemed to have befriended. Considering Seynish' own battle with drug withdrawal, he happily counseled his patients and gave them tips on how to handle the cravings.
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Diary of a House Officer/Intern
Short StoryThis story navigates through the life of Kinza as she starts off her journey after graduating from medical school. Her intern year (also known as house job) takes place in one of the biggest hospitals in Karachi; a hospital that has been there for d...
