Heartbeat

Maybe we can be friends...

Taylor’s POV

Yesterday was a nightmare.

Being grounded like an undisciplined child was shameful and painful, but not as painful as tolerating Joe around me ALL DAY on post-op. We divided the patients and did the physical exam and ordered the labs we needed but after lunch we exchanged our patients so we would be aware of all 6 cases before talking with Ryan at the end of the day, and that's when we bickered for almost an hour straight, because I couldn't understand his ugly calligraphy and he let bread crumbs fall over the charts. And he questioned my lab requests, telling me I was wasting exams instead of thinking.

We were so mad with each other at the end of the day we didn't even exchange a 'good night'.

Today I'm calmer, but I already know it's going to be a long, long day. We are at the admissions today, which means we have probably dozens of patients in the clinic, 99% non surgical, waiting eagerly for us. And means that Joe is probably going to interrupt me as I ask the questions to the patients.

God, what a hell of punishment!

– Morning!– he says with a yawn as he arrives at our lockers. It's just me and him in the room yet and I can't help but look when he takes off his T-shirt  tô puts on our scrubs T-shirt. Damn, his body is really something else.

– Do you like what you see, Dr Carter?– he catches me looking at his abdomen and I want to bury myself in a hole and just disappear.

– I… I wasn't looking in that way…– I say, blushed.

He chuckles but doesn't say anything else to me,  and I look away to give him time to put on the trousers too.

– You can look now, I won't bite, Taylor.

I turn to face him, with rolled eyes.

– Ok, whatever, let's work. There are thousands waiting for us.

He just gives me a tired look and follows me down the hallway.

…

After what looked like ages, we finally get a curious case.

– Do you want to ask the questions and I do the physical exam?– I suggest.

He smirks at me before answering.

– It 's perfect. Watch and learn how to make a perfectly accurate interview and have the diagnosis in hand within a few minutes.

I just roll my eyes to his pride and take a deep breath before calling the next patient, the 10th of the day.

– Edward Monfré!

A desperate mom appears carrying a 4 yo boy.

– Oh guys, finally! Please, please find out what is wrong with him! It's the 5th fever episode this week. I went through several doctors and antibiotics and none of these worked.

Joe starts the interview while my mind goes into a spiral of possibilities. The symptoms are high fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and according to her mom a red skin around his genitals.

When I proceed to the physical exam, I notice his ankles are swollen and he's dehydrated. His oral and nasal mucosa are swollen and red, but with no signs of discharges. His neck has a large lymph node. There's no sign of otitis, and he's so sick that he doesn't even complain about anything, which is unusual and a bad sign.

After I finish the exam we make a few more questions to the mom, and Joe and I excuse us to another room to discuss the case.

– Joe, I think we have to admitting him, this boy isn't okay.